Orbea Avant M20 Team D
Two Shimano Ultegra and disc brake-equipped big-mile eaters square up in a battle between Japanese heritage and Basque Country style
ORBEA AVANT M20 TEAM D £2637
SPECIFICATION
Weight 8.45kg (57cm) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra 50/34, 11-28 Brakes Shimano BR-RS805, 160/140mm Ice-Tech rotors Wheels Mavic Aksium Disc Finishing kit FSA carbon stem, carbon bar and carbon seatpost, Prologo Scratch 2 saddle, 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres
Not that long ago dropbarred bikes were pretty much either tourers or ‘race’ bikes. Then, early this century, Specialized launched its Roubaix and the ‘endurance’ road bike boom burst into life. Specialized took a high-end race bike, reduced the head-tube angle and heightened it, lengthened the rear end, added in some comfortinducing elements and voilà: a road bike with a more comfortable, less extreme riding position, and one not hampered by excess weight. With the growth of sportive culture in Britain the timing couldn’t have been better. New bike genres have sprung up since – gravel racers, allroaders – but the soundness of the idea and the versatility of the endurance bike mean they are still very much going strong.
Here we’re pitting Fuji’s £2299.99 Gran Fondo 2.1 against Orbea’s hundred quid dearer Avant M20 Team D (base price) to see which fast and comfortable machine goes the distance. We took advantage of Orbea’s flexibility to upgrade the cockpit components to carbon, taking our bike to £2637.
Fuji is a US/Taiwanese company with Japanese heritage, which is still reflected in its Mt Fuji logo, while Orbea hails from Spain’s Basque Country. Both bikes feature hydraulic disc brakes, which are another feature popularised by endurance bikes. These are still divisive to a degree, but if you’re not racing you might as well get the powerful, controlled and modulated braking that works just as well however filthy the weather.
Both bikes have Shimano’s lighter and more compact flatmount disc brake fittings too, as well as 12mm thru-axles, both of which seem to becoming the standards on today’s endurance bikes. Interestingly, the Fuji’s rear thru-axle is convertible. Remove a couple of 5mm bolts and you can run a standard 135mm quickrelease wheel should you wish.
Plastic fantastic
Our two distance-no-object bikes have a lot in common, including semi-compact frames with slimline seatstays and slightly relaxed geometry, though both bikes – more unusually – also feature polyurethane in their construction, even if they use it in different ways.
Fuji’s senior road product manager, Steve Fairchild, tells us that after a year spent investigating how to reduce road vibrations, the company finally plumped for a process called VRTech (‘Vibration Reduction Technology’). This uses a layer of polyurethane within the carbon lay-up to improve its ability to absorb high frequency, low-pitch vibrations. It adds a tiny 24g but is claimed to reduce these vibrations by 24.6 per cent. The frame features ‘wavy’ seatstays that are kinked where the brake bridge would be, which is designed to disrupt the energy path of vibrations from the road getting to you, for increased through-the-saddle comfort. Its 28mm tyres offer extra cushioning, and can be paired with full-length mudguards, or you can go up to a still-plusher 30mm sans ’guards.
Orbea, meanwhile, has introduced polyurethane inserts into the Avant’s bottom bracket shell and head-tube, which it claims alleviate stress and reduce vibration, resulting in a marginally stronger and lighter structure. Another less obvious design feature is that rather than lengthening the head-tube to raise the front end for a semi-upright distancefriendly riding position, Orbea has lengthened the fork by 10mm. This has the added advantage of increasing tyre clearance. The bike itself is a development of the original Avant Disc, which took our disc brake title back in 2014. Its styling cues are taken from Orbea’s race-bred Orca, and it now has much more angular main tubes and a deep, broad head-tube.
Ultegra mon amour
As with many of the bikes on test these have drivetrains based around Shimano Ultegra, here in the nearubiquitous 50/34 chainset and 11-28 cassette combination. But overall the Orbea edges the kit contest. Both have Shimano 805 callipers, but while we appreciate the Fuji’s front and rear 160mm rotors – which are better than the smaller diameter 140mm rotors on some of our test bikes – the Orbea has a 160mm front/140mm rear pairing with Shimano’s heat-dissipating Ice-Tech rotors. It’s the front that’s all important, and this combination provides smooth and progressive
“OUR TWO DISTANCE-NO-OBJECT BIKES HAVE A LOT IN COMMON, INCLUDING SEMI-COMPACT FRAMES AND RELAXED GEOMETRY”
FUJI GRAN FONDO 2.1 £2299.99
SPECIFICATION Weight 8.8kg (58cm, XL) Frame C5 high-modulus carbon with VRTech Fork Carbon with VRTech Gears Shimano Ultegra 50/34, 11-28 Brakes Shimano BR-RS805, 160mm rotors Wheels Oval 327 CX disc Finishing kit Oval 313 stem, 310 bar, 905 carbon seatpost and 500 saddle, 28mm Vittoria Zaffiro Pro slick tyres stopping power whatever the weather, with little drama or noise.
One deviation from Ultegra on the Orbea is the FSA Gossamer Pro chainset. While some may criticise the choice, we’re not convinced it’s a downgrade or an exercise in trimming costs. It’s a £180 chainset, it’s stiff and light and at 751g it’s 14g lighter than Ultegra. The Fuji’s kit is largely from its cobrand Oval and is all decent quality, with the wheels having a nice wide profile for the 28mm tyres.
The Orbea’s Mavic’s Aksium wheels, as you’re probably sick of hearing, are strong and well built if a little weighty. The 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres, though narrower than the Fuji’s Vittoria rubber, proved more than capable of handling both greasy and frosty road surfaces during winter testing.
The long road home
Fuji’s Gran Fondo 2.1 is an impressive bike. The company’s designers have provided a classic endurance bike with a shorter top-tube and longer head-tube but – as with BMC and its GranFondo and Cannondale and its Synapse – this has been done without compromising its handling.
We were expecting a smooth ride, thanks to the wide rims and impressive 28mm Vittoria Pro Slick tyres, and that’s what we got. The tallish riding position can initially feel a little sluggish when you’re cruising, but it does make getting into the drops easier when you want to hustle along. It descends well too, though the high-ish position means that you’re always better off descending in the drops. The sharp front end makes it feel more nimble than we expected, while its excellent stability – thanks to its long wheelbase – encourages you to up the speed.
Fuji has done its homework with its Gran Fondo, and though it’s not the most glamorous bike here and won’t necessarily set your pulse racing, it’ll get you through the biggest challenges, keeping you fresher and more comfortable than most while providing lots of fun.
But it’s Orbea that has upped its game again to win this contest. Yes, we bust our budget kitting out its Avant M20 Team D, but even with standard componentry it shines over the Fuji, with Shimano’s IceTech disc rotors one area where the Orbea scores. On the road it feels wonderfully at ease, the ride is smooth, the steering light and accurate. It’s not race-bike sharp like Cannondale’s Evo or Canyon’s Ultimate, but it is a decent climber, fast and beautifully balanced.
If you’re not a competitive rider, but want a bike for sportives, challenging days in the saddle and want to get in those big, long miles in comfort, Orbea’s lightweight endurance bike should be written in big letters somewhere near the top of your bikes-to-consider list.
“MAVIC’S AKSIUM WHEELS, AS YOU’RE PROBABLY SICK OF HEARING, ARE STRONG AND WELL BUILT IF A LITTLE WEIGHTY”