INTERVIEW

Ten Questions with Orbea’s Joseba Arizaga

Orbea’s Road/Gravel/Triathlon Product Manager Tells All

WORDS

Regroup staff

PHOTOS

Orbea / Regroup

When we partner with a bike brand, we're always aware that we're not just entering into a relationship with the bikes it creates but with the people who design them, build them, think about them, iterate and obsess over them.

Those people are often half a world away, like our friends at Orbea in the Basque Country of Northern Spain. It's an intimate, at-a-distance relationship. When we recommend a bike to a rider, we're closing a loop that started with a thought in a designer's mind and ended with an entirely new bike, now wheeling its way out of our door to the open road in the hands of a Regroup client. It's a beautiful thing and one of the many reasons we love bikes. Yet, despite how close we might feel to a brand, the physical distance remains. So we decided to start a series of interviews with the people behind the bikes, beginning with Orbea and its Road, Gravel and Triathlon Product Manager, Joseba Arizaga, who emailed in his answers to our questions from Orbea's headquarters in Mallabia, a small town off the main thoroughfare that connects Bilbao to the west, and San Sebastian to the east.

Hey Joseba. What do you do at Orbea?

Hello, Regroup! I am Orbea’s Road/Gravel/Triathlon Product Manager.

How long have you been at the company?

I have been working at Orbea since 2003 and have held various positions during that time, from Head of Communications and Sponsoring to Soft Goods Product Manager and, during the past ten years, Product Manager. My experience in competition has kept me linked to all the professional teams throughout the last twenty years at Orbea.

Can you describe the process of designing a new bike or updating an existing one?

The design process for a new Orbea bike takes about two years. The biggest challenge is identifying the opportunity to make a new model as competitive as possible within its target market. For example, there are performance-oriented models where the bike’s speed is the absolute priority, where a large part of the development process is spent on efficiency tests and identifying the best materials and manufacturing processes. The design of performance-oriented bikes also includes the participation of professional cyclists during development.

In other Orbea categories, such as Gravel or eRoad, the user experience for the cyclist is the most important thing, as are the design and aesthetics. We always want to offer a solution that sets us apart, and finding that solution requires constant engagement with our community.

" If we ride in the countryside of the provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, we will find climbs of 5-8 km between forests. Among them, fabled names such as Jaizkibel, Arrate, Urraki, Urkiola, El Gallo, and Pike - some of the most legendary ascents in the World Tour competitions in Euskadi."

When a rider climbs aboard an Orbea bike, is there a 'feeling', a certain sensation, or signature ride quality only an Orbea can provide?

Orbea is a sportive brand, implying a competitive nature or a commitment to effort. We do not intend to exclude anyone; on the contrary, we strive to integrate the greatest number of cycling enthusiasts since we understand that the spirit of overcoming is a highly motivating element.

Despite this sportive spirit, if there is something that characterizes the ride of an Orbea bicycle, it is a sensation of confidence and a positive feeling from the first mile. When a cyclist rides an Orbea, we want them to feel the bike as if they had ridden it all their life: years of experience and territory like the Basque Country have allowed us to find the geometry that offers the best balance between performance and riding.

How much does the terrain and cycling culture of the Basque Country inform Orbea's design process?

In short, a lot! In the Basque Country, we have mountainous terrain with climbs mild and steep, leading to wide, swooping descents or deep drops with sinewy, steep turns that push braking control to the limit. The climate also keeps us on our toes. Visiting riders should prepare to experience four seasons in one day! Above all, we have a rich cycling culture that fills our roads (and roadsides, if you have watched the Tour de France) with enthusiasts and competitions. All this makes it inevitable that our bikes respond to the cycling spirit of Euskadi: sporty and challenging. A bike that performs in the Basque Country will excel everywhere.

Can you recommend some cycling highlights for a rider who has not visited the region?

We are a small territory but with a great variety of terrain. The coast of the Basque Country between Hondarribia and Getxo is a spectacular route by the sea where there is no flat land, and the road is full of hills of 1 to 2 km in a continuous succession for 150 km. If we ride in the countryside of the provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, we will find climbs of 5-8 km between forests. Among them, fabled names such as Jaizkibel, Arrate, Urraki, Urkiola, El Gallo, and Pike – some of the most legendary ascents in the World Tour competitions in Euskadi. If we want to enjoy the landscapes and Pyrenean mountains, we’d head to Selva de Irati. Starting from Orreaga, we can enter the Pyrenees and climb the legendary Larrau, Bagardi, Soudet, and Pierre St Martin. And if we are looking to enjoy gravel, Alaba is the place to be. It is the least mountainous province, with countless gravel roads throughout its plain.

As part of the Mondragon group, you have access to incredible minds and facilities. Do you have any examples of how the Mondragon network has helped an Orbea bike come to life?

Nowadays, Mondragon University provides Orbea with a large number of students and talent. We often commission students or studies from the university that allow us to improve our company (Cooperative). Mondragon University is a source of valuable resources and talent.

The Orca is very light, and you talk about the benefits of a light bike in the product details. Can you explain why that matters and how you manage to still make a comfortable bike that isn't just for climbers?

There is no cyclist who does not fall into the temptation of weighing their bike. In reality, in terms of performance, weight is almost always less relevant than aerodynamics, but it is difficult to prove otherwise. The feeling of agility that a light bike conveys and its effect on the cyclist is very difficult to beat. If we consider that enthusiasts do not have the speed of professionals, a light bike suits almost all of us: our speed on climbs and the time we spend on steep slopes make a lower weight an advantage. The lower the speed on climbs (below 15 km/h), the force applied by the cyclist is almost entirely destined to overcome the resistance offered by gravity. And if we talk about climbs, we cannot ignore descents. A light bike requires greater attention from the cyclist since less weight also means more reactivity and greater concentration on riding. This is why it is essential to achieve a degree of vertical absorption that, despite a minimum weight, offers control and safety on descents. Raising the seat stays to the saddle node and the rounded sections of the tubes contribute to better absorption of vibrations, eliminating the rebound effect typical of the most aerodynamic sections. In addition, a wheel clearance of up to 622-32C offers additional comfort if necessary.

The Terra has a beautiful silhouette. Can you talk a bit about the development, the rise of gravel, and how that sits within Orbea's DNA?

This is the third generation of Terra. Gravel has continued to evolve since it first came to prominence in recent times in the US. This rate of evolution is what makes gravel so attractive and successful: there are no rules, and each place and environment makes possible different interpretations of gravel. Under this philosophy, we designed the third generation of Terra from scratch with the aim of launching the most sporty Terra to date without giving up the characteristics required in ultra-long distance gravel or the most adventurous gravel.

Many thanks for your time, Joseba. We hope to meet on the road soon!

Likewise, Regroup! Thank you for having me.