After a summer full of media attention to the periodic launches we held this year, September has been a month when the Terra and Gain took center stage.

Is a gravel/adventure bike all you need?

I’m sure that a question like this has popped into your head at one time or another Road.cc asked this very question and dedicated an entire article to this topic.

“Don't be put off by the 'gravel bike 'label,” they started off by saying. “A gravel/adventure bike is in many ways a combination of an endurance road bike and a cyclocross bike. It's designed to be fast and efficient and also burly, making it the perfect option for those who want the option of exploring dirt roads, forest roads and the occasional bridleway,” they went on to clarify.

Precisely, Road.cc published a test during this month on our most versatile machine. Specifically, it was on the Terra M21-D, which turned out to be “a good choice for covering gravel and road quickly” for the tester.

“First and last impressions are: it's bloomin' fast! With a stiff and responsive carbon frameset, the Terra is one of the flightiest gravel and adventure bikes I've tested. The low weight and high stiffness help, giving it almost road race bike-like responses on the road, yet it's stable and controlled on rough and loose surfaces,” he said.

Bikesetc issued a comparison of three gravel bikes, which included the Terra M31. In it, it praised the “fantastic job” that according to them, we’ve done on our first gravel machine. “It rides brilliantly both on and off-road, feels quick and smooth and offers incredible”, they said.

But that's not all. It came out the winner in the comparison, even competing against rivals that cost a great deal more. “We think Orbea have pulled a blinder with the Terra and its ability to tackle all terrains matched to great on-road performance make a true all-rounder,” they went on to say before reaching the conclusion that “when you consider the price and the custom MyO program, it all adds up to create a fantastic overall package.”

Gain, the other star.

It was another model that was the focus of media attention in September, in both the carbon and the aluminum version.

Weighing in at 11.3 kg, the carbon model took center stage in the most important road bike publication in Germany and one of the most influential in all of continental Europe, Tour Magazine.

This publication highlighted the Gain Carbon as its main example in a section on this type of bicycles. It was the bike chosen to illustrate the section and the first one presented.

The aluminum version was tested by YouTuber Bob Flavin, who discovered that this 14 kg model “doesn’t feel that (weight) when you’re riding it.”

As if this weren’t already enough, the bike that makes the most of your pedaling has become a truly televised option after one of our dealers, e-bikeshops and its manager Martin Brown, were interviewed by the BBC to talk about the ebike scene.

Corporate news

If there’s one thing that stood out during the month of September, even more than the Terra and the Gain, it was undoubtedly the number of changes on an internal and sales level.

The recent agreement we signed with Cycle Republic, one of the strongest dealers in the United Kingdom, was mentioned by specialist media sources like Cycling Industry.

“Orbea is growing well in every category, with road, mtb and ebike sales all contributing very positively to our performance figures,” said Damian Hackett, Orbea UK and Ireland Country Manager about the agreement. “Cycle Republic represents a significant strengthening of our national distribution network, and their business plan and trajectory is very reassuring to us.”

On the other hand, and traveling to the United States, Bicycleretailer reported on the appointment of Matthew Smith as the new Country Manager. “It's the culmination of years of enjoyable work, and it's going to be an exciting new chapter,” said Matthew about his new position.

The same publication also mentioned the changes that have occurred in the same country in terms of marketing. Parker DeGray joined our ranks this month to take charge of coordination.

To close the month, here’s a beautiful snapshot that comes to us from Rouleur magazine, featuring an orange Orca Aero. “The future is orange…” according to the magazine…

More next month!