Orbea Laufey Review: It’s All About the Process

On a sunny Friday afternoon a couple of weeks back, I wrapped up a quick trail ride and rolled the Orbea Laufey into the outdoor seating area of The Hub, our local bicycle proprietor and watering hole in Pisgah Forest. A friend of mine shuffled over, gave the bike a long, puzzled look, and muttered, “I think that’s the weirdest bike I’ve seen you riding… and you ride a lot of weird bikes.” This came from the same person I’d caught admiring several of the imported curiosities I’ve pedaled over the last few years, including a couple of Stooges and an assortment of comparably quirky British hardtails. The Orbea Laufey is mainstream by comparison. Maybe his reaction stemmed from the fact that it’s a little more futuristic looking than the bikes I usually ride, or perhaps it was the surprise of seeing me choose it over some uber-alternative steel rig.

That moment reminded me to take stock of the reasons why I decided to review the Orbea Laufey in the first place. Contrary to what it might seem, a fair amount of thought goes into deciding which bikes we review—a process of riding, photographing, and writing that’s far more time-intensive than you’d imagine. While it’s tempting to test random bikes for the sake of variety, there’s actually a method to the madness when it comes to choosing the bikes we truly get to know. The Laufey was no exception.

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To set the stage, the Orbea Laufey is one of five mountain bikes in the Basque brand’s relatively slim lineup—and one of just two hardtails, the XC-oriented Alma being the other. The Laufey isn’t a new model from Orbea. However, it was completely redesigned for 2024. The preceding iteration looked significantly different, sporting a seat tube/top tube bridge and far less progressive lines than this one.

That brings me to one reason I wanted to try this bike: sheer curiosity about the brand. Having spent a good amount of time in Spain, I’d spotted a few Orbeas out in the wild, but it wasn’t until I dug a little deeper that I discovered their long history—they’ve been making bikes since 1930. They’re a part of a larger corporation now, but they’re still relatively unique. And while Orbea isn’t exactly a budget brand, they do offer several popular, well-priced models in the $1,800 to $3,200 range, which feels reasonable at this point on the global inflationary timeline.

Reason 2: Aluminum

The second reason I wanted to review the Orbea Laufey is that I committed to testing multiple aluminum bikes this year. Honestly, that might be why my friend thought it was an abnormal choice. It’s only the third aluminum bike I’ve reviewed during the last 12 years, and I’ve tested a lot of bikes. That’s not to say I dislike the material or have anything against it, but I’ve often sought out steel bikes for aesthetics, and few aluminum bikes have piqued my interest until the last couple of years.

Aluminum is having a mini renaissance. As discussed in our recent piece on the subject, engineers seem to be investing extra energy into fine-tuning aluminum frames to make them more compelling and competitive, for both weight and ride quality. Similar to several other new aluminum mountain bikes—including the Specialized Chisel I tested—Orbea makes a few lofty assertions about the Laufey’s “advanced” alloy frame. Aside from stating that it’s made from triple-butted AL6061, they don’t give away too many details about the Laufey tubeset or specifics about how it’s made. However, they mention shoring up the down tube, head tube, and bottom bracket to add stiffness and make it more responsive, and it’s pretty obvious by looking at it that they purposefully trimmed down the top tube and seat stays. They claim these reductions add some controlled flex to minimize vibrations and dampen hard impacts. Curiosity got the best of me, and I’ll touch on how those claims stack up next to a steel bike of the same ilk later in the review.

Orbea also incorporated a few other interesting features into the Laufey frame. Perhaps the most attention-grabbing (and surprisingly useful) is the “Lockr” downtube cargo bay, an in-tube storage area made for stashing tools and other essentials. Orbea ships the Laufey with a nice little neoprene bag that I used to stash my Wolf Tooth Encase Pump. This is the first time I’ve ridden a bike with downtube storage, and that’s about all I used it for, but there’s plenty of room for tools, a spare tube, sealant, etc. It’s a nice appropriation of otherwise unused space and simply adds to the triangle storage volume. The Lockr door works with a bottle cage mounted to it, too, which is a handy touch.

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Another frame spec that caught my attention is the Laufey’s tire clearance; it fits 29 x 2.6” rubber with room to spare. That being said, Orbea ships it with a pair of 2.6” Maxxis Dissectors, which aren’t my favorite tires. All three builds that Orbea offers come with Dissectors. That brings me to the most tricky thing about the Laufey, the build kit.

Orbea Laufey H-LTD Build Kit

As is the convention with bike brands, Orbea sent me the top-of-the-line Laufey build to test. The H-LTD model sports a Fox 34 Performance fork, an XT/SLX 12-speed drivetrain, Race Face Arc rims, and an Aeffect crankset, bringing the MSRP to a cool $2,999. There are two other options, however. The H10 gets a Fox 34 Float AWL Sport 140 Rail fork a Deore drivetrain (SLX derailleur) with no-name rims and a Deore crankset for $2,499, and the H30 has a RockShox Recon RL fork, a Deore drivetrain, and a Sun Race 11-51T cassette for $1,898. They’re all available in the same three color options.

• FORK: Fox 34 Float Performance 140 Grip 3-Pos
• STEERER TUBE: Acros Alloy 1-1/8 – 1-1/2″ Integrated
• CRANKSET: Race Face Aeffect 32t
• SHIFTERS: Shimano SLX M7100 I-Spec EV
• CASSETTE: Shimano CS-M7100 10-51t 12-Speed
• REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano XT M8100 SGS Shadow Plus
• CHAIN: Shimano M7100
• HANDLEBAR: OC Mountain Control MC30, Rise20, Width 800
• STEM: Alloy 3D forged, 35mm interface, -7º
• BRAKES: Shimano M6120 Hydraulic Disc (2-piston)
• RIMS: Race Face ARC 30, 32H
• FRONT HUB: Shimano HB-MT410-B (Deore)
• REAR HUB: Shimano FH-MT410-B (Deore)
• FRONT TIRE: Maxxis Dissector 2.60″ 60 TPI Exo TLR
• REAR TIRE: Maxxis Dissector 2.60″ 60 TPI Exo TLR
• SEATPOST: OC Mountain Control MC21 dropper, 31.6mm
• SEATPOST LEVER: Shimano SL-MT500 I-Spec EV
• SADDLE: Ergon SM Enduro
• GRIPS: Ergon GE10

The H-LTD components spec is fairly solid, although I have a few minor gripes, mainly with the cockpit. The OC stem and headset are just plain weird. The tapered interface at the headset will make it hard, if not impossible, to swap out the stem if you have to adjust for fit. And I found that the 35mm OC handlebar feels quite harsh.

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My other complaint, as mentioned, is tire choice. I’m not sure why Orbea decided that double 2.6” Dissectors was a good idea. I’ve never really cared for the Dissector, personally. It’s sluggish as a rear tire, and as a front tire, it’s never as predictable or fast as the Minion DHF. A better aggressive tire pairing—which is what I think they were going for with this spec—would have been a 2.5” Aggressor in the rear and a 2.6” DHF up front. A 2.6″ Rekon/DHF combo would also be superior.

If I were to choose one of these builds, I’d consider the budget H30 option. My reasoning is I think the only worthy upgrades on the H-LTD are the XT derailleur, some slightly better drivetrain bits, and the Fox 34 Performance fork, which is good, but not great. Also, the wheel build on the high-end model appears to have the same Shimano Deore hub, so the only upside to the wheels is the ARC rims, which don’t really add that much. It depends on your preference, but with the H30, you could save $1,100, and then if you wanted to make a significant upgrade, you could sell the RL fork, buy a PIKE Ultimate and an XT derailleur/shifter, and still have an extra ~$100 in your wallet, plus whatever cash you could get from selling the RL.

Reason 3: The Process

Circling back to the premise of this piece, the third reason I chose to review the Orbea Laufey is the one that resonates most with me. I see the lineup of bikes I’ve reviewed as part of an ongoing, somewhat nerdy study in taxonomy. I enjoy diving deep into specific sub-genres and reviewing bikes back-to-back to dissect subtle differences in geometry, ride quality, and other nuances. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably noticed these tangents—like my year spent testing a half-dozen short-travel 29ers, an ongoing fascination with rigid 29+ and drop-bar mountain bikes, or my recent multi-year exploration of progressive British steel hardtails.

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The Laufey might not be a British steel hardtail, but it’s not that far removed. Like many modern hardtails, it borrows heavily from the style of that genre’s geometry. That includes the fact that it’s designed around a “shorter” 140mm fork, which I consider to be a sweet spot, limiting the geometric fluctuations by not overdoing it with 150mm+ of travel. In this sense, testing the Laufey felt like a natural progression of the process, adding another piece to the puzzle.

On paper, the Laufey shares a few similarities with other “hardcore” hardtails I’ve tested over the last couple of years. With a 77° seat tube, a relatively long front-center, and a 64.5° head tube angle, it has a similar vibe to bikes like the Transition TransAm and the Pipedream Moxie.

On the Trail

When I hit the trail on the Laufey, a few standout ride characteristics emerged straight away, and they remained consistent throughout four months of testing and countless rides. First and foremost, the bike is impressively confident on descents. The only factors that held it back were Orbea’s choice of front tire and the time it took to fine-tune the fork settings. Dialing in the rebound and pressure for the right feel took a bit more effort than expected, which might reflect the bike’s pedigree. Ultimately, getting the suspension just right was key to transforming it from feeling slightly off to rock-solid when tackling fast, technical descents.

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I’d say the Orbea Laufey is average in the handling department. It didn’t stand out as quick-handling or overly slow when compared to other bikes in its class. It’s predictable and fun to ride fast on descents and doesn’t get skittish when challenging sections come in stride. It’s also a better climber than you’d expect from its overall stature. The steep seat tube puts you in a true mid-bike position and makes it feel ready and able to ratchet up steep, complex lines. The 440mm chainstays help provide all the traction you might need for those instances, too. That being said, it also felt generally sluggish when pedaling up more mundane and long, mid-grade climbs. It’s not at all playful, either. The relatively long chainstays, slow tires, and a not light 13.54-kilogram (29.86-pound) build make it feel more like a grounded, stable bowl-over-anything bruiser than a flick-worthy whip.

Orbea Laufey vs. Pipedream Moxie

Back to my reason-based thesis, one specific set of details that drew me to the Laufey is that it shares a few similar numbers and angles with my beloved Pipedream Moxie, a steel hardtail that I could readily compare it to side by side. When equipped with a 140mm fork—my personal preference and what I consider to be perfect for this style of hardtail—the Moxie’s head tube angle is nearly identical to that of the Laufey, and they both have almost the same bottom bracket height. The size “Longer” Moxie is indeed a little longer, however, and with the bent seat tube, it has a moderately slacker seat tube and a shorter chainstay when the sliding dropouts are positioned forward.

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On the trail, the two share one notable mannerism: they’re both quite confident when descending. To a degree, the Moxie edges out the Laufey in that respect, which can probably be attributed to its longer front-center and shorter stack. That being said, the Moxie also handles slightly slower than the Laufey, requiring more steering with your feet, a trait that makes the Moxie more unique on the whole.

Moving onto the frame, which to me was the most interesting part of the experiment, there were a couple of surprises. As I expected, the Moxie felt more springy and lively, and it is notably speedier and more sprightly than the Laufey. It’s hard to discern whether this can all be attributed to the steel frame or if part of it is based on component spec and weight, but it was also readily apparent that the Moxie better mitigated small bumps and vibrations. The surprise came in the form of larger bumps. The Moxie actually feels slightly harsher on bigger hits, although the carbon wheels and slightly smaller 2.5” rear tire may be partially to blame. All in all, I was impressed that the Laufey’s aluminum frame doesn’t feel vastly inferior to one of my favorite production hardtails.

Out Bikepacking

Despite the thin bits, the Orbea Laufey has a stiff and sturdy enough frame that it handled a medium-light, end-of-summer camping load just fine and didn’t at all feel like a fish out of water in bikepacking mode—even when carrying extra fishing gear, food, and several camp-side beverages. Like many of the hardtail (and full-suspension) mountain bikes I’ve tested, the Laufey’s stability and sure-footedness were amplified when it was loaded up with additional weight. Part of this has to do with the fork preload, of course, but it’s worth noting that added weight nullified some of my impressions about the bike feeling sluggish—almost as if the frame was preloaded and simply feels a little more responsive. That might be a plus for heavier riders.

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The Laufey has a few nice features for bikepacking, too. Namely, the Lockr downtube storage is perfect for tools and spares, and since it has the cage mounts built into the removable panel, it would be easy to have a custom bolt-on frame bag designed to allow you to easily unlatch the door, fold the bolted-on bag up, and quickly access what’s inside. Additionally, a second pair of mounts on the underside of the top tube adds another placement option to make a (mostly) strapless frame bag.

Other than that, there aren’t many additional mounts or features for carrying gear. There are no rack mounts, although that’s becoming less and less of a hindrance considering there are now several solutions, such as the axle rack mount kits from Old Man Mountain, the axle-mounted Tailfin Aeropack, and the Mica rack that uses pucks mounted to the seatstays, as shown here. One other little hidden bikepacking perk is the Laufey’s long, flat top tube, which provides an opportunity to mount a long top tube bag if that’s your style.

• Model/Size Tested: Orbea Laufey H-LTD, Large
• Actual Weight: 13.54 kilograms (29.86 poundss)
• Place of Manufacture: Taiwan
• Price: $2,999
• Manufacturer’s Details: Orbea.com

Further Reading

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