Compare
Dare Velocity Ace (VA-AFO) vs Orbea Orca Aero OMX
Pick up to 4 bikes. Rows line up component by component. Highlighted rows differ, and green marks the best value where lower or higher is clearly better.
Key differences
- Both start at €5,699.
- Our verdict scores the Dare Velocity Ace (VA-AFO) higher overall: 81/100 vs 79/100.
- The Dare Velocity Ace (VA-AFO) comes in 6 sizes, the Orbea Orca Aero OMX in 7.
Dare Velocity Ace (VA-AFO)
Orbea Orca Aero OMX
| DareVelocity Ace (VA-AFO) | OrbeaOrca Aero OMX | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Dare | Orbea |
| Build | VA-AFO S8 | Orca Aero M11e LTD PWR |
| Build notes | Swift White only. DARE's weight is for size M with the computer mount, without bottle cages and pedals. Stem/bar size and crank length are set by frame size. | Comes with an OC Storage Box SB-04. SRAM Red AXS with a Quarq DZero power meter, as Orbea lists it. Schwalbe Aerothan inner tubes. EUR and GBP from orbea.com (2 November 2026); USD left out because Orbea's US page shows a straight conversion of the EUR price. Customisable in Orbea's MyO configurator. |
| Price (MSRP) | €5,699$6,699€5,699 | €10,999€10,999£9,999 |
| Bike weight | 7.8 kg17.2 lb | — |
| Weight measured on size | M | — |
| Model year | 2026 | 2027 |
| Generation | VA-AFO (successor to the VSRu) | — |
| Launched | 2024-10 | — |
| Discipline | Aero road | Aero road |
| UCI legal | Yes | Not stated |
| Verdict (out of 100) | ||
| Overall score | 81 | 79 |
| Aero | 92 | 84 |
| Frame | 84 | 78 |
| Components | 80 | 80 |
| Fit | 86 | 78 |
| Practicality | 60 | 70 |
| Price | 82 | 82 |
| Weight | 80 | — |
| Frame & fork | ||
| Frame material | Carbon (DARE DGTM with Toray T1100G and M46X) | OMX carbon, monocoque construction |
| Fork material | Carbon (DARE DGTM with Toray T1100G and M46X), tapered 1-1/8 to 1-1/2 in steerer | OMX carbon (Orca Aero OMX ICR fork, 1-1/8 in to 1.5 in tapered steerer) |
| Frame weight | 938 g33.1 oz | — |
| Fork weight | 446 g15.7 oz | — |
| Weight measured on | Frame size M raw (plus 152 g of frame parts) and fork raw (plus 5 g), from the assembly manual. The website gives 1,043 ± 80 g for a size S frame without aluminium parts. | — |
| Frame sizes | 2XS, XS, S, M, L, XL | 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 60 |
| Colours | Swift White (S8 complete), Swift Black (frameset) and MYDARE custom paint; limited Silver Lightning and Horizon Blue framesets sold out | — |
| UCI frame approval | Approved 28 Nov 2023 as 'VA' (frame and fork), sizes XXS-XL (6), code DARE-VA (UCI list version 2026.10.02) | — |
| Compatibility & standards | ||
| Brake type | Hydraulic disc, flat mount | Hydraulic disc |
| Max rotor size | 160 mm | 160 mm |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Max tire width | 32 mm | — |
| Bottom bracket standard | Press Fit 86.5 (41 mm inner diameter) | BB386 |
| Front axle | 12x100 thru-axle (DARE 12x116 mm, P1.5) | 12x100 thru-axle |
| Rear axle | 12x142 thru-axle (DARE 12x162 mm, P1.5) | 12x142 thru-axle |
| Drivetrain compatibility | Electronic only: Shimano Di2 (R9270, R8170, R7170) and SRAM eTap AXS | Electronic and mechanical groupsets (EC/DC compatible); power-meter compatible |
| Mechanical shifting possible | No | Yes |
| Max chainring | 54T | — |
| Front derailleur mount | Removable mount; standard mount for 46-54T big rings, a larger mount (sold separately) for 52-58T | — |
| Cable routing | Fully internal; brake hoses enter in front of the headset | Internal |
| Fit & adjustability | ||
| Cockpit | One-piece carbon bar and stem (DARE V:C1); a traditional stem and handlebar is also offered | One-piece OC Carbon Cockpit RA10 bar and stem |
| Standard stem and bar possible | Yes | — |
| Seatpost type | DARE V:P1 carbon kammtail aero seatpost (250, 300 or 350 mm), 30 mm saddle position adjustment | OC Orca Aero RA11 carbon aero post, 15-25 mm setback, micro-tilt clamp |
| Fit notes | Six sizes with a linear stack/reach progression. The V:C1 comes in 12 regular sizes from 90x340 to 120x420 mm, with 130-150 mm stems to order; alternatively DARE fits a separate stem (80-130 mm, six lengths) and bar (38-44 cm). Online buyers can swap the stem for another size free within a month of delivery. | — |
| Aerodynamics | ||
| Manufacturer aero claims | 11.4 W faster than the previous VSRu in DARE's final pre-season tests under similar conditions. DARE says Germany's GST aero lab certified it as the lowest-drag bike of the 2024 season, and that its aero bottle cages save another 0.6 W. | — |
| Testing method | Tube shapes simulated in CFD with Swiss experts, then refined in wind-tunnel tests (GST, Germany) | — |
| Travel, maintenance & warranty | ||
| Headset bearings | CeramicSpeed SLT, 40x52x7 mm, 45°x45° | 1.5 in lower bearing, FSA integrated headset |
| Derailleur hanger | DARE VA-AFO hangers: a standard hanger (SRAM) and a direct-mount hanger (Shimano) | — |
| Proprietary parts | V:C1 cockpit and spacers, V:P1 seatpost, thru-axles, derailleur hangers, aero bottle cages | — |
| Frame warranty | Frame and fork 3 years, or 6 years when registered online within 15 days of purchase; handlebar, stem and seatpost 1 year; first registrant only, for bikes bought from authorized dealers | — |
| Sold via | Through DARE retailers (about 20 countries in Asia, Europe and Australia) | Orbea dealers and orbea.com; customisable through Orbea's MyO programme |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Groupset | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 | SRAM Red AXS |
| Launched | 2021 · current generation | — |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Electronic | Yes | Yes |
| Drivetrain | 2x | 2x |
| Battery | Shimano BT-DN300 internal battery | — |
| Shifters | Shimano Ultegra Di2 ST-R8170 | — |
| Crankset | Shimano Ultegra R8100 | SRAM Red AXS DUB |
| Chainrings | 52/36 | 48/35 |
| Crank lengths available | 165 mm (2XS-XS), 170 mm (S-M), 172.5 mm (L-XL) | — |
| Power meter | 4iiii Precision 3+ | Quarq DZero |
| Launched | 2024 · current generation | — |
| Bottom bracket | Shimano SM-BB72 | — |
| Standard | Press Fit BB86.5 | — |
| Front derailleur | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 | — |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 | — |
| Cassette | Shimano Ultegra R8101 | SRAM Red XG-1290 |
| Range | 11-34 | 10-33 |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Chain | Shimano CN-M8100 | — |
| Brakes | ||
| Brake calipers | Shimano Ultegra BR-R8170 | — |
| Rotors | Shimano RT-CL800 | SRAM Disc rotors |
| Front rotor | 160 mm | 160 mm |
| Rear rotor | 140 mm | 140 mm |
| Mount | Center Lock | — |
| Wheels & tires | ||
| Wheelset | Shimano Ultegra C60 R8170 | OQUO Road Aero RA57LTD |
| Front rim depth | 60 mm | 57 mm |
| Rear rim depth | 60 mm | 57 mm |
| Internal rim width | 21 mm | — |
| Material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Tubeless ready | Yes | — |
| Hubs | Cup-and-cone bearings | — |
| Notes | — | Carbon spokes |
| Tires | Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR | Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed G2.0 TLR 700x29c |
| Tire width | 28 mm | 29 mm |
| Cockpit | ||
| Handlebar | DARE V:C1 | OC Carbon Cockpit RA10 |
| Type | One-piece bar and stem | One-piece bar and stem |
| Integrated stem | Yes | Yes |
| Widths available | 340-420 mm with 90-120 mm stem (regular sizes); 130-150 mm stems in 360-420 mm to order | — |
| Bar reach | 80 mm | — |
| Bar drop | 134 mm | — |
| Flare | 3° | — |
| Tops | Flattened aero tops | — |
| Cable routing | Internal | — |
| Material | Carbon | — |
| Weight | 350 g12.3 oz | — |
| Notes | -6° stem angle; weight for the 105 mm x 400 mm size | — |
| Headset | CeramicSpeed SLT | FSA 1-1/2" integrated |
| Saddle & seatpost | ||
| Saddle | Selle Italia SLR Boost Evo | Fizik Vento Antares R1 |
| Rails | Manganese | — |
| Seatpost | DARE V:P1 | OC Orca Aero RA11 |
| Offset / setback | — | 15-25 mm setback, micro-tilt |
| Saddle position range | 30 mm saddle position adjustment | — |
| Material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Weight | 215 g7.6 oz | — |
| Bar tape | DARE Black tattoo leather touch | — |
| Included extras | ||
| Pedals | None included | — |
| Bottle cages | DARE V:B1 / V:B2 aero | — |
| Geometry (smallest – largest size) | ||
| Sizes | 2XS, XS, S, M, L, XL | 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 60 |
| Rider height min | 158–186 cm5′2″–6′1″ | 155–192 cm5′1″–6′4″ |
| Rider height max | 168–200 cm5′6″–6′7″ | 160–207 cm5′3″–6′9″ |
| Stack | 480–580 mm18.9–22.8″ | 495–604 mm19.5–23.8″ |
| Reach | 372–431 mm14.6–17″ | 370–404 mm14.6–15.9″ |
| Seat tube angle | 74° | 73.2–74.5° |
| Head tube angle | 71–72.5° | 70.8–73.2° |
| Head tube length | 77–181 mm3–7.1″ | 84–190 mm3.3–7.5″ |
| Effective top tube | 507–598 mm20–23.5″ | 505–584 mm19.9–23″ |
| Seat tube length | 480–580 mm18.9–22.8″ | 459–592 mm18.1–23.3″ |
| Chainstay | 410 mm16.1″ | 408 mm16.1″ |
| Wheelbase | 967–1,048 mm38.1–41.3″ | 966–1,009 mm38–39.7″ |
| BB drop | 70–75 mm2.8–3″ | 76–78 mm3–3.1″ |
| Fork length | 369–370 mm14.5–14.6″ | 368 mm14.5″ |
| Fork offset | — | 43–48 mm1.7–1.9″ |
| Trail | — | 58.6–68.6 mm2.3–2.7″ |
| Standover | 730–831 mm28.7–32.7″ | 723–842 mm28.5–33.1″ |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Crank length | 165–172.5 mm6.5–6.8″ | 165–175 mm6.5–6.9″ |
| Stem length | 90–120 mm3.5–4.7″ | 80–120 mm3.1–4.7″ |
| Handlebar width | 340–420 mm13.4–16.5″ | 360–400 mm14.2–15.7″ |
Geometry overlay
Pick a size for each bike to see frames and arm-pad ranges on top of each other.
Drawn to scale (how to read it).