Team ORCC '23 | EP.01 - We're back!
Team ORCC is back for another season. Let's meet the sponsors
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Racing kicks off for the boys and Liam C gets some enduro tips for his CX season
Liam attempts his first race and Suvi prepares herself for Raiders gravel in the latest instalment of Team ORCC '23
The boys hit the gym to get fit and ready for their race seasons
And Liam M gets his enduro season underway
[Sponsored content]
This time last year we introduced our very own Team ORCC where four members of off.road.cc staff had a go at a full season's racing in their chosen disciplines. Due to the success of the first series, we're excited to announce that we've got another sponsorship deal for 2023 and this time we're doing things a little differently. But first, let's introduce our sponsors.
- Team ORCC: EP. 05 Dirty Reiver, a wet race and a big mistake
- Team ORCC | EP.12 - The round up
- Team ORCC: EP 06. - National XC, Summer CX and FOD Thursdays
In this first episode of Team ORCC '23, we visit the Raleigh Experience Centre in Nottingham to learn more about our fresh sponsors and get to know the kit. Just like last time, we've got brands supporting us with bikes, wheels, tyres and helmets.
But before we get into the good stuff, let's talk about some of the other changes that you'll see in this '23 series. Instead of four riders covering cross-country, gravel, enduro and cyclo-cross, we've got just two with Suvi riding gravel and Liam taking on an enduro series. This way, you'll be able to follow our racing stories even closer than before as we get our bikes set up and train towards a special race with Suvi's being Raiders Gravel and Liam's being the Minehead leg of the Southern Enduro (which is also a British National Enduro Series event). We'll also be employing some big names throughout the series to give us a helping hand. So, onto the kit.
MET Helmets
2023 t-orcc 23 met parachute.png, by Liam Mercer
MET will be keeping our heads safe thanks to the Parachute MCR and Trenta 3K. Starting with the former, it's a convertible helmet that comes with a Magnetic Chin Release (MCR for short) and it's certified to ASTM standards. This'll be ideal as I can ride with it without the chin bar while training, and quickly attach it when it comes to race time.
2023 t-orcc 23 met trenta.png, by Liam Mercer
Suvi will be donning the Trenta 3K Carbon Mips, a helmet that's been ridden to victory in the Tour De France and the monuments of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia. It's designed to keep your head nice and fresh whilst saving energy with each pedal stroke. In fact, it's the most advanced helmet that MET has created to date.
Stan's No Tubes
Not only will Stan's No Tubes keep us rolling thanks to its tubeless sealant range but the brand is providing us with wheels and tubeless repair kits, too. Liam will be rolling on a set of Stan's Flow MK4 wheels which benefit from the latest M-Pulse freehub. What makes this special is that rather than springs to push the pawls into the hub's teeth, it employs neodymium magnets to pull the pawls in place, which should offer a stronger engagement.
2023 t-orcc 23 stans.png, by Liam Mercer
Of course, we'll then be running Stan's No Tubes tubeless tyre sealant and the very cool Stan's Dart tubeless repair kit which, when inserted into a puncture, reacts with the sealant to create a permanent seal.
Continental tyres
Next up, Continental will be keeping our Stan's wheels shod with grippy rubber. Suvi will be running a pair of Terra Speed tyres which are ideal for harder terrain where rolling speed is imperative.
2023 t-orcc 23 continental.png, by Liam Mercer
Last year Continental unveiled the Gravity range of tyres and I'll be taking full advantage of it. The lineup is made of five different tread compounds that are designed for specific conditions with four rubber compounds from hard to super soft and three rubber compounds. Liam has the Kryptotal FR and RE and may move to the Argotal if things get particularly damp.
Lapierre bikes
As a brand steeped in racing heritage and having riders such as Isabeau Courdurier take Lapierre bikes to EWS victory, we're excited to be riding Lapierre bikes for 2023.
2023 23 t-orcc lapierre crosshill.png, by Liam Mercer
Taking the role of the team's gravel rider, Suvi will be tackling her seasons aboard the Crosshill 5.2. That's right, it's an e-gravel bike which makes Suvi's experience that bit more interesting. Built around an alloy frame, the Crosshill 5.2 benefits from a Mahle X35+ motor hub which is paired with a 250Wh battery which should come in handy when the climbs get especially tough.
2023 t-orcc 23 lapieree spicy.png, by Liam Mercer
For Liam's enduro series, he'll be on the Spicy CF 6.9. It gets 170mm of suspension at both ends, delivered by a Fox 38 Performance fork and a Fox DHX Performance coil shock. It runs on a pair of 29-inch wheels, too. It then benefits from a mix of SRAM NX and GX drivetrain components.
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