Orro Terra X GRX400 2023

The aluminium-framed Orro Terra X is one of the latest additions to the company's gravel line-up, bringing the great handling and ride quality of the carbon fibre models to a lower price point. It's an easy-to-ride gravel bike that works well on the road too, and with plenty of mounts for guards and a rack, it's one you can use for commuting as well.

Check out our guide to the best gravel bikes for other options in various frame materials at various prices.

I've ridden pretty much every Terra model that Orro has created, including the ebike version. Most have been carbon, like the Terra C 105 Di2, but I'm also reviewing the titanium Terra Ti, and then there's this version, the Terra X, created from aluminium alloy tubing.

The only one missing is the steel-framed Terra S – hopefully we can get that one in soon to complete the set.

Ride

The Terra X might be the cheapest in the line-up, but it shares the geometry of the more expensive carbon offerings, so you are still getting the same easygoing handling that makes the Terras so much fun to ride, and a wheelbase that is short enough to make it feel nimble without compromising stability on slippery or loose surfaces.

It has a lot of similarities to an endurance road bike, but from a gravel perspective. You get that racy sort of demeanour, but in a more relaxed package.

It has a slightly racier edge than bikes with huge tyre clearances and long, drawn-out wheelbases, like many adventure/bikepacking bikes. You can get the hammer down on the gravel tracks and fast flowing byways and the Orro flows really nicely, without feeling twitchy like a true off-road speed machine.

The steering is quick enough to cope easily with technical descents, but it manages to feel planted and confidence-inspiring, too, as the speed increases. It's quite a flattering bike.

There are sharper, faster gravel bikes out there, but if you are in the market for something new and you don't want anything too frantic – you'd like to focus on the scenery rather than staring constantly at what your front wheel is about to roll over – then the Terra X is definitely worth a look.

The only time the X can feel a little lacklustre is on the climbs, where its 10.45kg weight makes itself known. That said, it's not overly heavy compared with other aluminium gravel bikes out there – the Cube Nuroad EX that Mat reviewed was 10.32kg, while the Tifosi Rostra Disc was 10.61kg. Dolan's GXA is a bit lighter at 10.1kg in the build we reviewed a few months ago.

When going for a little acceleration dig, or powering hard up a short, sharp climb, it still feels lively enough, it's only on those long, draggy climbs where the weight makes itself felt.

With plenty of mounting points, the Terra X is a capable adventure or bikepacking machine too. You get the standard two bottle cage mounting points alongside some mounts on the top tube for a bag.

There are more mounts on the fork legs as well, and Orro says that this aluminium version can carry more weight than its carbon sibling.

Loaded up with bar, frame and saddle bags, with about 10kg worth of kit added, the Terra X remained a pleasure to ride. It's here that those neutral characteristics come into play, with the Orro still feeling very balanced and controllable.

The Terra also works well on the road thanks to the nature of the geometry. The handling feels quick enough that it's fun to ride in the lanes, which would make it a great tourer, winter bike or commuter.

It's a very versatile machine as you can run 40mm gravel tyres, or something like the 36mm WTB Exposure TCS Fast tyres for some quick-rolling road work.

Frame and fork

The Terra X is available in two colours, this Matte Navy or a rather bling Champagne finish. It's tough paint by the looks of it, which is exactly what you want on a rough and tumble gravel bike, and it gives the Orro a quality look to it even if the welds aren't the neatest I have ever seen.

Rather than round tubes, the Terra X uses plenty of different profiles throughout the frame. The down tube is 'angular', becoming hexagonal as it widens towards the bottom bracket shell. It can do that because Orro has specced a press-fit BB.

It might not be to everyone's taste, but having the bearings pressed inside the frame allows for a wider BB shell. That in turn allows for the seat tube to flare out at the base for more stiffness, as well as that down tube.

When it comes to the cable routing, Orro has run it internally for the front triangle, which keeps it out of the way should you want to fit frame bags, with the cables and hoses exiting the bottom of the down tube just before the BB.

Orro then runs the cables with full outers to keep them protected from dirt and grit.

Aside from the mounting points mentioned above, you'll also find positions for full mudguards and mounts for a rear rack.

Tyre clearance isn't massive compared with some gravel bikes, but it easily accepts the 40mm fitted as standard, even if you were to go for a wider wheel rim, and Orro reckons a maximum of 42mm will fit. For the majority of my gravel riding 40mm seems to be the sweet spot of traction versus weight, so I've got no issues with needing more room.

The fork is full carbon fibre with a tapered steerer for increased stiffness. I had no issues with any flex, even when cornering hard or sprinting.

Sizing and geometry

The Terra X is available in five sizes, with our medium sitting in the middle. For reference it gets a top tube length of 553mm, a head tube of 165mm sitting at an angle of 71 degrees, a seat angle of 74.2 degrees and a seat tube length of 510mm.

Stack and reach are 587mm and 387mm respectively, while the overall wheelbase is 1,031mm.

Groupset

The Terra X comes with the sort of kit that reflects its price of £1,599.99.

> Your complete guide to Shimano’s GRX gravel groupset

For the drivetrain Orro has specced Shimano's entry-level gravel groupset, GRX RX400, which is 10-speed rather than 11-speed like GRX RX600 and above.

The gear shifting is smooth across the range, even when under load or covered in dust or mud, and feels similar in action to Shimano's 10-speed Tiagra road groupset. The main difference is the shift lever shape, which has a flat front section, making it easier to apply the brakes when being bounced around off-road.

Gear-wise, we have an 11-34 cassette mated to the 46/30-tooth chainrings of the GRX chainset, although the bikes on sale will come with an FSA Omega AG, purely down to the current lack of availability of some GRX components.

It's a decent spread of gears for a bike of this type, and while there are a few jumps between sprockets on the rear, I found it covered both steep climbs and fast downhills when the need arose.

Rotor sizes for the hydraulic braking system are the pretty much standard 160mm diameter both front and rear, and that gives you plenty of stopping power even when loaded up with kit.

Finishing kit

As for the contact points, Orro has also gone for FSA  with an Adventure Compact handlebar and Omega ST stem (our test bike has Deda as it's a demo model).

The FSA handlebar has a gentle flare, which will give some extra stability when in the drops, and it's a shallow drop so you'll be able to get into that position regardless of your flexibility.

Atop the alloy Orro seatpost sits a Bostal saddle, which again is Orro branded. I like its narrow shape, and the padding isn't overly thick which means that spending long stints on it doesn't cause any pressure points.

Wheels and tyres

Wheel-wise, it's a set of Fulcrum's dependable Rapid Red 900 DBs. I say dependable as I've used versions of these wheels loads of times over the years, and while they aren't that light, they are reliable, which is what you want from an entry-level set of gravel wheels.

Yes, the Terra X would benefit from lighter, flashier wheels, but having a set of wheels you can rely on straight out of the box is a big bonus, especially if you are on a budget.

The tyres fitted to them are Continental Terra Trails in a 40mm width. They are good all-rounders, though more suited to drier conditions because of the shallow tread.

They grip well enough on hardpacked surfaces, and they roll okay on the road sections too.

Value

In terms of value, I'd rate the Terra X as competitive.

It's around £100 less than the Dolan GXA mentioned earlier, although that does come with the GRX 600 groupset which sits a rung higher.

The Cube Nuroad EX is priced at £1,649 and also comes with a GRX 600 groupset, although it is a 1x.

Like Orro, Ribble also offers its Gravel bike in a full line-up of materials. We've reviewed the steel 725 version, while over on off.road.cc they've given their verdict on the carbon SL Pro.

The aluminium version, the Gravel AL, comes with a GRX RX400 2x groupset like the Terra X, and Mavic Allroad Disc wheels in a 650B size. It costs £1,499.

Conclusion

The Terra X is a good entry point to gravel riding, whichever path you're taking into it. It's fun to ride, and easy too, thanks to the balanced geometry. For the money it's well specced, and thanks to its ability to take mudguards and a rack, it lends itself well to commuting and road touring. It's very versatile, and that adds to its value.

Verdict

Confidence-inspiring gravel bike thanks to neutral handling with the benefit of plenty of mounts for versatility