Iñaki Argote, a former student of Tecnun, returned to the Ibaeta campus yesterday. He knows the facilities well, as he studied there for five years. Specifically, he studied Industrial Engineering, specialising in Mechanics. This engineer, who yesterday gave a talk to the students of the Entrepreneurs Club directed by Professor Mikel Arcelus, is clear about what he would highlight most about his training at Tecnun: "The ability to face any business challenge that comes our way".

And so he did, since, after several years of working in different companies, in 2017 he launched himself as an entrepreneur in a new business project, Oreka Training, a revolutionary training system for cyclists that consists of a roller to feel the road at home. "Actually, I am a co-founder," he explains, as he started the company together with his brother-in-law Gari and their wives.

Since completing his engineering studies at Tecnun, Argote's working life can be divided into three phases. From 2004 to 2013 he worked as Product Manager at Orbea S. Coop., where he had the opportunity to put into practice all the technical and management knowledge learned at the School". From 2013 to 2017 he worked as Sales Manager at ULMA Piping S. Coop., where he completed his basic technical training with a commercial, market and business vision, and then launched his entrepreneurship at Oreka.  

"We are now focused on the Oreka Training business project," says Argote. "A training company-brand for cyclists where we have designed and patented the concept, and now we market our products, such as the O2 trainer.

Argote explains that there are three main advantages of his O2 Trainer. On the one hand, there is the "real feeling of pedalling"; the rider feels free to swing the bike as on the road and to stand up. Training is more efficient and less muscle fatiguing than with other static media.

On the other hand, the product also allows "high power training at any speed", as the system detects the slope of the road and regulates the hardness of the treadmill, achieving power levels of up to 750W if the road demands it. "In this way, the treadmill achieves the same sensation of effort as on a real road," the engineer explains.

And last but not least, it is an easy and safe concept. "To start the training session, simply attach the bike to the Oreka's rear arm, synchronise the equipment with Bkool, choose the route and start pedalling just like on the road". The cyclist is always in control of the treadmill. "The trainer has a rear grip that checks the force used by the cyclist and holds the cyclist so that he/she doesn't get off the belt and when braking, the belt stops", concludes the former student of Tecnun.