Inside Line: New Orbea Loki and a unique dropper post

The hardtail isn’t dead. At all. In fact, we might be living in the golden age of hardtails, with everything from fancy carbon race bikes to steel expedition bikes easily available. Most exciting to me is the trail hardtail market and the versatility that is becoming common with the addition of new technology. Orbea’s new hardtail is a great example of that.

Loki

The Loki has a hyrdo-formed aluminum frame, Boost 148 rear spacing, Boost 110 fork, and room for 27×3 or 29×2.4 tires. The geometry is surprisingly aggressive, with a 67-degree head angle, 430 mm chainstays, long top tubes, and low bottom brackets. Match this with a 120 mm fork and a dropper post, things are looking interesting indeed.

 

 

There are three models to choose from:

LOKI 27+ H30 – $1.499

LOKI 27+ H10 – $2.099

LOKI 27+ H-LTD – $2.999

Digit Seatpost

Normally a new (non-dropper) seatpost wouldn’t garner much attention. But the Digit is desigened to offer the most of the function of a dropper without the weight and complexity.

This cut away view shows the internals of this post. Upper and lower bolts set the high and low points for saddle height, and a keyway keeps the saddle from rotating when yanking it up and down while still on the bike. The quick release uses a cam that “pops” open when released, making one handed seatpost adjustment a possibility, even while riding. Assuming you have a modicum of skillz.

Will this replace dropper posts? Not a chance. But for those sick of maintain issues, looking to spend less, or keep weight down, the Digit is going to be an interesting option.

As of right now, there are no plans for this post to be offered aftermarket, and admittedly many people don’t understand why this is any better than a normal post with a QR. I think those people aren’t paying attention.

We’ll have a full review of the Loki and the Digit in the future so keep an eye out.