You have finally bought or assembled your dream Orbea bike but you do not know which year it was manufactured. This article explains how you can find out.
What is an Orbea bike? How old is my Orbea? What steps can I take to discover my Orbea bike’s year? How can I take care of my Orbea through the years?
Orbea bikes are made in Basque, Spain by the Orbea brand. Orbea has been making bikes since the 1930s so your bike may range from a few days to decades-old in age. Checking the serial number, visiting a store, online forums, and dating the parts are a few ways you can check your Orbea bike’s year.
This article will explain what an Orbea bike is, explain what Orbea bikes are popularly used for, show you how to determine your bike’s year and provide tips to help you take care of your Orbea through the years.
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Overview
Orbea is Spain’s largest bike manufacturer, making world famous bikes such as the Alma, Laufey, Oiz and Rise. The company is renowned for its carbon frame bikes, although it also makes MTBs, triathlon, e-bikes, gravel and urban bikes. Orbea bikes are popular with both pro cyclists and amateur due to their high performance and high quality.
Great features like carbon frames, SSN technology, Direct Cable Routing (DCR) and 4x4 capabilities consistently put Orbea above other bike brands. Orbeas are also famous for their bright coloring and innovative design.
Why Do I Need To Know My Orbea Bike’s Year?
Your bike’s year simply means the calendar year in which your bike was manufactured. With a little research, you can even discover the exact date on which your bike was manufactured. Knowing your bike’s year will help you learn how old it is, determine its mileage and track down the parts you need to repair or customize it.
Bike year also helps to guide your buying decision as you do not want to purchase an obsolete bike with hard to locate parts. Finally, it helps you determine how many more years you can comfortably use your bike before it gets shot to pieces.
How Can I Find My Orbea Bike’s Year Of Manufacture?
There are several effective strategies that you can use to discover your bike’s year or date of manufacture. Most of these can be used from the comfort of your own home with minimal time or cash outlay. Others will require you to conduct advanced research and consult a bike expert or two.
One of the easiest ways to discover your bike’s year of manufacture is by looking at its serial number. Finding the serial number is easy as most of them are located on a bike’s underside. By turning your bike upside down, you can look for the serial number in some of the places where it is most commonly placed including the bottom bracket, headset or rear stays.
The serial number on an Orbea is usually located on the bottom bracket or under the frame. It is found on a sticker that also contains the bike’s warranty and barcode. The serial number contains 11 digits. By registering your serial number on the Orbea website, you can discover your bicycle’s year and also qualify for a lifetime warranty. You can also contact Orbea directly and provide the serial number to see if they can help you identify the year it was manufactured.
The second way to determine which year your bike was manufactured is by using a bike forum. Bike forums are simple websites where cycling enthusiasts discuss everything to do with bikes. Some of the most popular bike forums include: reddit, cyclchat, bikeradar and others. You can usually find a bike expert or even a representative to help you find discover your bike’s year.
Another highly effective strategy to help you find your bike’s year is by using both on and offline literature. Manufacturer websites, cycling magazines, news sites and others can help you discover your bike’s year by providing images and specifications that you can compare and contrast with the features on your bike.
You can conduct an image search on Google to see if you can find anything that looks like your Oberlo bike. You can even reverse search an image to see if it leads back to a site that will provide the information you need.
If your local bike store stocks Orbea bikes, then you can visit and find out if their indoor bike experts can help you identify the year. Bike stores usually hire bike enthusiasts as salespersons thanks to their bike knowledge. Even if the store staff cannot help you out, you may get lucky and encounter a customer who can provide the information you need.
Finally, you can visit the official Orbea website to compare and contrast your bike’s image and specifications with models listed on the site. There is also a customer support line that you can use to clarify anything about your Orbea bike.
How to Care For Your Orbea Bike And Increase Its Longevity
It goes without saying that the more you use your bike, the quicker it will wear out. However, with a little TLC, your bike can serve you for many years and reduce the money you spend repairing it and replacing parts.
The first step in caring for your bike is to ensure that you always keep it clean. This is especially important if you use your bike on rough or muddy terrain or if you take a lot of long distance trips. Cleaning your bike will get rid of mud, grease, debris and other substances that can eat into your bike’s mechanical parts and cause them to age faster.
Ensure that you only clean your bike with water, biodegradable soap and other gentle items that will not strip off paint and grease. You can use a small, soft bristled brush to clean hard to reach parts such as the chain and wheel spokes.
Lubricate your bike on a regular basis in order to keep it in good working order and reduce wear and tear. Lubrication is especially important for the moving parts of your bike and especially the ones that move against each other. You should lubricate your bike at least once a month or every time you log 100 miles of travel.
Bike parts that require regular lubrication include; bike chain, derailleur assembly and cables, brake assemblies, levers and cables, and pedals. Stick to a regular lubing schedule and do not over lubricate your bike as this may cause more dirt and debris to adhere to parts, leading to component damage.
Keep your bolts and nuts tightened to avoid losing them and having your bike come apart at an inopportune moment. Not only is it dangerous to ride your bike with loose bolts and screws, but it may end up costing you as you may need to replace these and other parts of your bike that get lost due to loose screws.
Always ensure that your brakes are well adjusted and in good working order. Poorly maintained brakes wear out faster and require replacing on a more frequent basis. In addition, poorly working brakes make you more prone to accidents as they will fail to work at crucial moments such as when you need to stop abruptly to avoid a collision.
Finally, ensure that you get your bike serviced on a regular basis. You can choose to have a simple inspection or a complete overhaul with part replacements, customization and a complete teardown. Whatever you choose, ensure that your service provider does a thorough job and ensures that your bike is in tip top condition.
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