When Orbea launched the Loki, it was one of the first 27+ hardtails on the scene. I rode the Spanish brand’s top-spec Loki H-LTD on the slopes of Ainsa, Spain, and were shocked by how fun, confident, and fast it was.
I wanted to get one on more familiar terrain before putting pen to paper and judging it with a score. This time I went for the mid-price H10. So would our Spanish soirée turn out to be a mere holiday romance?
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The 3in Maxxis Chronicle tyres offer impressive traction
Orbea markets the Loki 27+ as a hardcore trail hardtail, with a little added comfort, traction and confidence offered by the big tyres. When you first hit the trails though, the fat rubber doesn't appear to make up for a lack of rear suspension.
Bumps are still transmitted to your back end and there’s a little more undamped bouncing from the rear when riding seated over rough ground. After doing a lot of testing on Specialized’s plus-size tyres, I started with 18/19psi in the Loki’s Maxxis Chronicles, but soon found Maxxis’ stiffer sidewall allowed me (I'm 83kg) to comfortably go down to 16/17psi.
Long stem shortcomings
Tight clearances
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