Check out the Orro Signature Venturi STC limited edition dream bike, that is (perhaps) not as pricey as you might think

Orro’s Venturi has always wowed us with its stellar performance, and now the Sussex-based brand is offering this aero road bike in what it’s calling a ‘limited edition dream build’ with a top-level Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels.

Introduced by the British brand in 2018, the Venturi is a disc brake-specific aero bike optimised for 28mm-wide tyres. The original model featured a mix of internal and external routing for brake hoses and gear cables, but the latest iterations boast fully internal routing and look incredibly sleek.

> Explore the details of the first Orro Venturi on road.cc: Orro Venturi Sneak Peek

All Signature Venturi models from Orro are made from spread tow carbon, denoted by the STC in the model name, sourced from UK carbon composite specialist Sigmatex. This means that the carbon fibre is arranged in flat, wide tapes—like ribbons—that are woven together

The idea of spread-tow fabrics is that they’re thin, have near-zero crimp (the angle the fibre makes when woven), and have fewer interlacing points than normal. The spread-tow construction is designed to reduce weight and increase stiffness.

In our December 2020 review of the Orro Venturi STC (built with a SRAM Force eTap groupset), reviewer Stu Kerton lauded its performance, saying that there was zero flex even under high power and praising its precise handling and impressive comfort.

The Signature Plus Venturi STC limited edition dream bike we have here shares the same frameset, although it comes in an ‘Opulent Orange’ finish. Orro has always had an eye for creating stunning paint jobs—in fact, it’s something of an obsession, judging by the conversations we’ve had over the years. This is another winner. We’ve had this bike in the road.cc office for the past week or so, and there’s certainly a whole lot of depth and quality to the tone-on-tone finish. If you’re going to spend a few grand on a bike, you want it to look special.

> “We are proud to design and build our bikes in Britain”: Orro on reshoring its assembly, innovation, and plans to go international 

This Venturi STC is built with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset. That’s the latest Dura-Ace R9200 series, meaning that the levers communicate wirelessly with the rest of the system.

The carbon fibre one-piece handlebar and stem, courtesy of BlkTec, maintain the bike’s clean look with internal cable/hose routing. Orro likes to emphasise the flexibility of its integrated design, allowing you to switch easily to different handlebars and stems in the future.

This version of the Signature Venturi STC comes with Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels. Fast and pretty light, these are excellent all-rounders with 58mm-deep rims.

> Best road bike wheels 

The wheels are fitted Continental’s fast and grippy Grand Prix 5000S TR tyres

> Check out our review of the Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR tyres 

You also get a Ceramic Speed bottom bracket and headset bearings, Sella Italia’s SLR Boost Carbon saddle, and Supercaz handlebar tape. All in all, that’s quite a build.

The cost? Well, we’ve somehow become used to five-figure price tags on top-end builds over the past few years, so £6,600 seems very good in comparison. Of course, that’s still a lot of money to spend on a bike, but for the quality and the level of build on offer here, well, you’re getting plenty for your cash.

The Orro Signature Venturi STC limited edition dream bike will appear in a video on ‘Great British Brands’ coming to road.cc soon.

Alongside this bike, Orro has launched a Gold STC Dura-Ace Di2/Zipp 303 which is essentially a non-aero equivalent. Well, kind of. It’s Orro’s top-level endurance road bike.

When we recently reviewed the Orro Gold STC, we called it “a wonderful blend of comfort and performance”. Also priced at £6,600, the Dura-Ace Di2 and Zipp build offers similarly impressive value for money.

Find out more about both bikes here