The Basque bike brand Orbea has given its Avant aluminium road bike model an overhaul by changing the frame silhouette, refining the geometry and adding a party piece "Service Box" under the downtube to stash essentials.
Gone is the sharp drop towards the back of the top tube as it meets the seat cluster that we saw on the Avant launched in 2020, with Orbea going for a more conventional sloping top tube on the 2025 model.
Other than the shape of the frame, the geometry of it was also a big focus of Orbea's efforts on the new Avant: "Comfort is key", so the brand says.
In its attempts to achieve more riding comfort, Orbea has gone for a steeper seat angle and a longer top tube to "put the rider in the perfect position to attack the climbs".
For increased descending confidence, the fork angle has been relaxed and the wheelbase lengthened, and a size-specific fork trail should further improve handling.
The carbon fork utilises Orbea's 'OMR carbon form', essentially the addition of high strength fibres to the standard lay-up to increase the stiffness-to-weight ratio, and banish any old tropes about aluminium-framed bikes being tooth-rattling...
The welds look noticeably smoother on the new Avant
The 35mm tyre clearance (without mudguards, and 32mm with them), mudguard mounts and ICR+ full internal cable routing all carry over from the outgoing model. Aesthetically Orbea appears to have tidied up the welds even more on the new Avant, and practically it claims that by controlling the shapes and wall thicknesses of the aluminium, the frame is lighter and stronger with "enough flex to be comfortable without compromising pedalling efficiency". Stiffer, lighter, more compliant, you get the picture...
A forged bottom bracket allows Orbea to route cables inside the frame, protecting them and taking the most direct route to reduce friction. The bike is also ready for electronic shifting, though all the off-the-peg models featured in the presser come with mechanical groupsets.
Orbea's new "Service Box" - which could be mistaken for an e-bike battery at first glance - means you can leave the saddle bag at home, with room for a puncture repair kit and your house keys, according to Orbea (though that may lead to some unwanted jangling while you ride). It looks longer and slimmer than the storage box on Orbea's Orca Aero racer and Ordu time trial/triathlon bike, which seems to better compliment the lines of the bike.
The new Avant bikes should be available with retailers imminently, prices starting from £1,499 for the Avant H60 with Shimano Claris shifting, going up to £2,299 for the H30 with a Shimano 105 12-speed mechanical groupset.
All bikes are disc brake-only, and sizes range from 47cm to 60cm frames going up in 2cm increments (apart from the biggest two, which jump from 57cm to 60cm). We're not given any weights for the frame or full bikes, but hopefully we'll stick one on the scales ourselves if we can get hold of a bike to review.
Check out the Orbea website for more deets.
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10 comments
I'm not sure why you'd go for a box in that area over a top tube bag behind the stem.
The TT bag gives some areo benefits, it's easier to get to, and it won't get all covered in crap when it's wet n muddy out.
im all for intelligent storage on bikes but I can't see this as anything other than a fail.
Having just come back from an unexpectedly damp ride...I agree. Terrible location for storage. I'm still wondering how I've got so much crap splattered on the front of the head tube. Don't want to even look at the underside of the down tube right now.
Crud sprays forward from the front wheel and you ride into it. Most front mudguards don't project forward enough to stop this.
that thing on the downtube is the ugliest thing i have seen on a bike for a long time
Complements SRAM AXS
Looks like a particularly-badly integrated battery on an ebike from about 5-10 years ago.
Those were on the top side of the tube.
BTW this "service box" is almost certainly a placeholder for a model update later in in the product lifecycle with a hub motor and a small battery right here.
Sam3, this makes good sense!
And for a battery, it would be a neat solution. Low center of gravity, high torsional stiffness of downtube (without battery-doors), possibility of an easy conversion between Ebike and Roadbike (swap rear wheel, add/remove battery and wireless controller at handlebar). Nice!
And covered in crap if used during anything other than the nicest weather.
I'm suggesting they are keeping the option to later on add a model in the product range that is electric powered, but I'm not suggesting it will be convertible. That's an interesting idea though!