Joseph's Orbea Terra Dream Build

The gravel racing scene has fully taken off in the past couple of years, and as a former XC racer going through an identity crisis, I have fully embraced the gravel game. Gravel racing is appealing to me for various reasons, mainly because the long races can be ridden at any pace from roady race pace to a granfondo day out. Gravel racing is for everyone because of this variety, making it an easily accessible and appealing sport. 

Getting more into gravel racing, I wanted to build a gravel bike that would be comfortable for adventure days, but then come alive on race days. I eventually settled on the Orbea Terra, which was different enough from my ENVE Melee Road bike to have a completely different ride feel. 

THE BUILD

My build is based around the 2023 Orbea Terra M21eTEAM bike. Coming stock with SRAM Force XPLR, I immediately swapped it for an X01 Eagle AXS Derailleur and 10-50 cassette, to give me extra range on the climbs. I have the stock 42t front chainring, but I will swap it out for a 44t when it wears down, as the range will still have enough climbing gears but give me a little extra top-end speed. 

The next big change I made to the stock build was the bars. I stuck with the Easton EC90AX bars, but changed from a 42cm to a 40cm bar. With the 16º flare, the bar is wide enough in the drops and I wanted it to be narrow in the hoods. Attached to the bar are a set of Road Togs and and the Pro Compact Carbon Mini Aero-Bars for more hand positions, and better ergonomics. This allows me to stay comfortable and aero throughout a long race. 

For race day, I swapped on my set of ENVE SES 4.5 wheels to give me every advantage possible. The bike came with Fulcrum Rapid Red 900 wheels, and while they are an awesome everyday wheelset, I wanted the deeper aero wheels for a long gravel race. I have the Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H 40mm tires, which prioritize fast rolling with some grip in the corners, which are a perfect race day tire. 

THE RACE

To give this bike the proper test, I took it to the 100-mile Dirty Dino Gravel race in Vernal, Utah. The course featured 9500ft of climbing, with about 75% of the route on gravel roads. The race opens with about 4000 ft gained in the first 20 miles, with most of that climbing coming in a 7.5-mile section with a sustained grade over 6%. This gave the bike its first proper climbing test, keeping traction on the rear wheel when climbing out of the saddle. Overall, the bike was ready for the climb, and the 42t chainring with the 10-50t cassette gave me more than enough gears to make the climb. 

After that first brutal climb, the race more or less levels out (levels out as 3% feels like a downhill after that climb) which gave the bike its first speed test. The Aero ENVEs made a difference, and the bike was rearing to go, eating up to the rolling miles with ease. Throughout the rest of the race, there were some washboards in sharp corners, rough sections, and the Pirelli tires stayed smooth and comfortable, giving me the confidence to push the descents without worrying about crashing out. On the two asphalt sections, the PRO Mini-Aero Bars allowed me to get low and limit my work to stay rested and able to push on the climbs. 

Throughout the day the bike allowed me to push to the best of my ability, and with the frame storage and a small seat bag, it allowed me to keep everything I need on the bike, without the need for a pack. In my downtube, I had a CO2, the Silca EOLO IV, Topeak pro tire levers, and quicklink, with a tube in my saddlebag. This bike is a perfect option for gravel riding and racing, as its versatility and stability pushes you over all terrain. 

WRAPPING UP

The Orbea Terra is a perfect pure-gravel bike. Providing endurance geometry, clearance for a 45c tire, and the ability to swap to 650b it was an easy choice for my gravel race bike. Putting it through the paces at the Dirty Dino reinforced that I made the correct choice. Come check out the Orbea Terra in-store or on our website.