Today, we’re talking about the new Orbea Occam, both the SL and LT models. How much can 10mm of travel and different components make? We’re going to dive in and help you decide which one is the better option for you. We’ve also got a race against the clock in store, so stick around. 

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So recently, Orbea launched two new… bikes? One new bike with two different builds? Either way, we’ve been riding the Orbea Occam SL and LT for the last few months, trying to see the difference that 10mm of rear wheel travel and burlier components can make. After some local riding and a handful of trips to the desert, I think we’ve come to a conclusion.

Orbea Occam SL vs LT: Compare and Contrast

First, let’s dive into some details about the bikes before we go ride. The Occam is Orbea’s mid-travel trail bike. The SL comes with 140mm of front and rear travel, while the LT pushes more into the all-mountain category with 150mm rear and 160mm up front. They both use the same frames, but the clevis is different between the two. The head tube angle on the SL is 65.5° while the LT is significantly slacker at 64.5° to 64°, depending on the flip-chip position. Speaking of flip-chips, the Occam LTs flip chip is about as fast as it gets to change. So fast, in fact, Orbea claims it only takes 15 seconds — so let’s test that.

With a little practice (literally two times flipping back and forth) I was able to swap flip chip position in 20 seconds That includes the time it takes to pull the tool out of the axle as well as replacing it after. That’s a pretty quick flip. In my mind, that just makes it more usable. You can do it trailside in less than the time it takes for your buddies to get all their instagram photos.

The biggest difference in the bikes comes down to how they’re built. The SL is supposed to be fast and light, so it makes sense that ours is built with more sprightly components like a Fox 34, Fox Float, Sram Level brakes, and a Sram XX T-Tpye drivetrain. Potentially, the biggest difference is in the tire selection. We have a set of Schwalbe trail casing Wicked Wills on our SL. Our LT, on the other hand, is much burlier with a Fox 36, Fox DHX coil shock, Sram Code brakes, XO T-Type drivetrain, and Schwalbe Super Gravity casing Big Betty/Magic Mary combo. One note about tires here — the stock trail casing tires that came on our LT lasted about as long as it takes to swap from high to low with Orbea’s flip chip. I get that Orbea is trying to hit a weight target, but I think the trail casing tires are a miss for how capable and burly this bike rides on the DH. At the end of the day, though, tires are pretty easy to tailor to your riding style. Who knows, the stock tires on the LT may be perfect for you.

Some other key features to note are the LOCKR internal frame storage, even on the alloy frames. That’s a nice touch from Orbea. They don’t mess around when it comes to alloy frames. For better or worse, Orbea routes cables through the head tube these days. It looks really clean and keeps the bike quiet, but it does make some simple maintenance and repair tasks more tedious. Lastly, with the MyO program, you can basically custom-build your Occam for no extra cost — some of the custom paint color combos are really nice. 

Now let’s go ride the Orbea Occam.

Rise Review Orbea Occam SL and LT

Uphill Orbea Occam SL

Starting off with uphill performance on the Occam SL. Orbea has a way of making a bike climb faster and lighter than it appears on paper. It was this way with the Oiz, Rallon, and old Occam. They tune their suspension on the sporter, firmer and more efficient side. The new Occam SL is no exception. I’d easily put it up against the 120mm bikes on the climbs. It’s quick, snappy, and feels light. 

The suspension is firm and supportive. I’m not one to use a lockout often, as I generally prefer the traction of an open shock. I know the SL has a remote lockout lever, but honestly, I don’t feel that it needs it. I guess if you’re trying to race XC, it could be nice for hammering up some fast, smooth sections, but for a trail rider, I don’t think it’s necessary. The bike is plenty efficient, even fully open. The Occam SL offers a decent amount of traction but certainly less than the LT. It’s likely a combo of the shock and tires, but the back wheel on the SL slid out from time to time, even on grippy sandstone.

Between the shorter fork and cockpit setup, the front end is on the lower side for a bike with 140mm of travel. It certainly adds to the bike’s sporty character. It helps keep the handling quick and sharp, as well as your weight over the front of the bike on steep pitches. 

All in all, the Occam SL is an excellent climber, landing itself at the top of the category in my mind. It’s surprising that it shares the same frame and almost identical kinematics with the LT — it’s significantly faster and better uphill.

Uphill Orbea Occam LT

Moving onto the Occam LT, things slow down a little. It’s a bit funny, but doing back-to-back laps, the LT feels pretty average when compared to the SL. If you compare it against any other bike in the category, though, it’s a top contender on the climbs. It has the same suspension kinematics that keeps the pedal platform firm and efficient. It’s obviously just quite a bit heavier, and that coil shock does tend to sit into the travel a bit more. 

The suspension on the Occam LT is still on the firm, lively, and supportive side. It doesn’t bob quite like most other 150mm travel bikes. It still has a bit of that Orbea feel to it; maybe it just toned down a little. The biggest standout, though, for me, is the amount of traction it offers. I know I had some beefy, grippy tires on this thing, but it was absolutely glued to the ground. I could stand up and pedal hard on the steepest, stupidest climbs, and the back wheel never broke free. When I tried the same thing on the SL, I found myself having to bail in some precarious spots after the back wheel spun and I stalled out. 

The fit and feel is a bit more relaxed than the SL. Between the taller fork and more relaxed cockpit setup, the body position is much more upright on the LT. It’s a more comfortable bike for me over the course of a long day. The body position was still neutral enough that my weight wasn’t hanging off the back of the bike. 

By comparison, the Occam LT certainly feels slower than the SL, but for the category, it holds its own, if not outshines most of the competition. I personally think the LT needs a smaller chainring than the SL — my little chicken legs could push the bigger ring on a 34-pound bike with meaty tires. That said, it’s a heck of a climber.

Downhill Orbea Occam SL

The Occam SL descends much like it climbs; it’s quick, snappy, and sharp. It offers a nimble and sporty feel on the descents. I like to think of it more as a downcountry bike with a little extra forgiveness than I do a full-blown trail bike. I’ve certainly ridden more stable and confident 140mm bikes. In fact, I’ve probably ridden 120mm bikes that have more descending chops than the SL. It’s not that it’s a bad or twitchy descender; it just gets a bit nervous in the rough stuff. The SL requires a bit of finesse and skill to navigate tough sections of the trail. A heavy-handed approach is not the move. Put it on fast, rolling, and smoother terrain, though, and it starts to shine. 

The suspension performance on the Occam SL is quite a bit like how I felt the Oiz rode — although shifted up the burly scale a couple of notches. The Oiz has quite a bit of travel for an XC bike, but you wouldn’t know that just by riding it. It feels smaller than it is. The Occam SL is the same to a degree. Sure, it has 140mm of rear wheel travel, but you’d probably think it’s a bit closer to 120mm. It’s not ultra plush or forgiving for big, high-speed impacts. That said, it is supportive, firm, and fast. And, at the end of the day, it does have 140mm of travel, so if it hits the fan, you’ve got a little bit more forgiveness than you’d have on smaller bikes. If I had to do long-distance rides through varied terrain, I’d be very happy with the SL because of its versatility. It’s great on smoother and mellower descents while not getting too sketchy on the tougher stuff. It would all average out on varied trails. 

The geometry is well suited for the application, leaning a bit more toward the maneuverable and agile side of the spectrum. It’s easy to get around a corner or navigate tighter bits of trail. The handling is a bit more nervous, although part of that comes down to the tire selection. I found myself tightrope walking the fine line between hitting a corner with pace and ending up plucking cactus spines out of my palms. The lower cockpit and front end contribute to the racy feel. Your weight definitely ends up low and over the front of the bike. It’s great for lower-angle terrain but a bit nerve-wracking on steep stuff. 

Overall, the Occam SL descends on the sporty side of things. If you prefer covering mellower ground quickly rather than seeking out the gnarly stuff, it’s going to be right up your alley. In fact, you might not find a faster trail bike.

Downhill Orbea Occam LT

I can’t really believe the Occam LT is basically the same bike as the SL based on how they descend — the difference is night and day. The LT not only becomes a more aggressive descender, but it pushes the envelope of what I know about 150mm bikes. It’s capable, smooth, poppy, and rugged. All of the timidness goes away, and it’s full gas.

The shock is going to be the primary contributor to how different the suspension feels between these two. Going from an inline, low-volume shock on the SL to a piggyback coil on the LT is pretty drastic. There are other factors, like a stiffer fork, burlier tires that allow for lower air pressure, brakes that stop you quickly, and a much longer dropper post. Put it all together, and the bike feels far more plush, forgiving, and capable. Sure, it has a bit more travel to work with, but it feels like much more than 10mm. This might be a case of the bike being greater than the sum of its parts. The suspension, while plush, is still on the lively and poppy side. The Occam LT is easy to get off the ground and doesn’t dull the trail too much. 

The geometry is quite a bit more relaxed, lending the bike a more confident demeanor in steep and rough terrain. I don’t think there’s anything I would ride that I wouldn’t do on the LT. It’s every bit as stable and slack as a 150mm bike needs to be. I spent most of my time riding in the low setting after spending a few rides in high, mostly out of due diligence. The head tube angle is right in my personal sweet spot for a trail bike. The handling is slower and less maneuverable on the LT than it is on the SL. That’s a good and bad thing. In tighter sections, you can feel that the bike is less responsive. On the other side of that coin, the LT is more stable both in the rough and at high speeds. The cornering traction is something else. The amount of “let’s pump this flat, gravelly corner as hard as we can-ability” that the LT provides is pretty special. 

All in all, I personally couldn’t be happier with how the Occam LT descends. Again, it’s hard to believe it’s the same bike as the SL. It has a completely different demeanor — it’s happier to push the pace and your comfort zone. I mentioned earlier that the stock tires won’t last long with how well this bike descends — can confirm.

Occam sl vs LT

The biggest takeaway I’ve had with the new Occams is how surprisingly drastic the difference is between the two. Turns out that 10mm of travel and different build kits can make quite the difference. If Orbea had used unique names for each of the new Occams, I wouldn’t have second-guessed their decision. I could easily call these two different bikes. The differences in ride quality, capability, handling characteristics, and climbing ability are drastic, especially considering the frame is the same. On one hand, you have a really quick, snappy, and lightweight climber that teeters on the delicate side when pointed back downhill. On the other hand, you have a bit of a brawler. The fact Orbea can do this on the same frame is pretty impressive. 

Occam SL and LT Comparisons

Let’s chat comparisons really quickly before we dive into which model will be best for you.

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Which one is best for you?

Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty — which one is best for you? I’d call both of the Orbea Occams trail bikes. By nature, a trail bike should be versatile and able to go just about anywhere. There’s a big range in that, though. A trail bike like the Occam SL is going to be more balanced between uphill and downhill performance, making it a better pick for folks who like to climb and care about how quickly they climb. I’m thinking of folks who aren’t always wearing knee pads. The kind of riders who aren’t as aggressive on the descents and prefer to stick to greens through black diamonds. XC-type riders who just want a little more forgiveness out of the bike will like it and will be able to get the most out of it.

The Occam LT starts skewing much closer toward a gravity lover. It will climb just fine, but it’s not what it loves doing. Instead, it places an emphasis on making the most of the descents. It’s much happier to hit burly lines, bigger features, rough trails, and the scary stuff. It is less balanced than the SL. So, if you’re a more aggressive descender, you’ll like the LT more. It’s not a “gravity only” bike, so I wouldn’t recommend it to the folks who only want to put their heels down and smash through everything in sight. Rather, it’s for the active rider who prefers going downhill but still ends up on long climbs and mellower terrain. I’d also recommend it to less aggressive descenders, but maybe they prefer a more comfortable, confident, and bigger bike. They aren’t so concerned about uphill times or riding the gnarliest stuff, but they just want a comfortable and confident bike.

So that’s going to wrap it up on the new Orbea Occam SL and LT. Thanks for sticking around. We’ll see you next time.