orbea range are they worth the money

simonc2806

hi all,
ive been commuting on a slick tyred mountain bike for a while and i think its about time i got a road bike my local bike shop stocks the orbea range i just wondered how they compare to the likes of giant and specalized which is the other brands i have been looking at i'm looking at the flat bar range purely because i prefer the flat bar any advice gratefully received thanks

amnezia

simonc2806 wrote:

hi all,
ive been commuting on a slick tyred mountain bike for a while and i think its about time i got a road bike my local bike shop stocks the orbea range i just wondered how they compare to the likes of giant and specalized which is the other brands i have been looking at i'm looking at the flat bar range purely because i prefer the flat bar any advice gratefully received thanks

They make lovely road bikes. I wouldn't get one with flat bars though, it defeats the point of getting a road bike..

itsbruce

amnezia wrote:

They make lovely road bikes. I wouldn't get one with flat bars though, it defeats the point of getting a road bike..

*sigh* No, it doesn't. It's a compromise that sacrifices some speed for better visibility and (if the bike designer knows what they are doing) manoeuvrability, while still retaining the advantages that road bikes offer over MTB/Hybrids on tarmac. Depending on the nature of your commute and your personal preferences, that can be well worth it.

Choosing a full-on road bike for an urban commute is just another kind of compromise, choosing some priorities over others. To judge by some of what is said on bike forums, the motivation for those choices is ego and fashion as often as practicality.

chrishumes

i concur with the about, hybrids are there for a reason. road bikes are for roads!

Canny Jock

Lots of people prefer flat bar bikes, and if you are only looking for a commuter bike then there's nothing wrong with them. If you are looking for a bike to also use for longer weekend rides, then a proper road bike should be seriously considered.

In amnezia's defence, I kind of agree that going for a flat bar Orbea might not be the best way to spend £800 (I'm guessing at that price). Something like this might be a good option for less money, although you won't be able to try it first:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 333c018336

Alternatively, let us know your budget and see what suggestions you get.

simonc2806

thanks for all the advice to be honest i have been looking at other bikes the main ones was the giant rapid,charge mixer(the weight puts me off) and finally the boardman hybrid.the trouble is my local halfords haven't got a clue i wouldn't trust them to blow my tyres up let alone build me a bike. my budget is £600 to £800 any bike suggestions would be gratefully recieved.i'm not ruling out drop bars i'm just getting my confidence up in traffic and thought that flat bars would be a safer bet.

petejuk

Simonc, I personally like having drop bars for commuting as they not only offer a variety of hand positions but are also narrow enough for filtering through traffic easily. They also offer the benefit of taking your bike for a nice long fast ride when you aren't commuting. It depends what you are most comfortable with at the end of the day.
My recommendation would be to try a few bikes- both flat and drop bar in your price range and see what you like the most. It can be difficult to get a test ride at some places though. Also don't be swayed by a salesperson selling you something you don't want/need. I know that sounds like daft advice but some are very good at getting rid of ill fitting unsuitable bikes to those who do not know any better.

amnezia

If you buy a hybrid now just be prepared for the inevitable roadie itch in about 3-6 months time.

UndercoverElephant

To answer the OP, Orbeas push all the right buttons for me, they're just fantastic looking bikes. Ride the ones at your LBS, if you get on with them, buy one.

I'm actually waiting on the postie bringing me one as we speak. Yes, mine will have drop bars.

vorsprung

I bought an Orbea in 2005

It is still going strong, currently in use as my warm weather commuter

It's a basic drop bar bike with 9 speed 105, Al frame and a carbon fork. The model is called the "Gavia"
It cost about £800 at the time

I'd definitely buy another Orbea, it's a great bike. I think it is good value

klirk

I bought an Orbea Aneto four weeks ago, using it on a 12 km commute (all city). So far I am very happy with it. I have taken it out on 50 km rides an been very comfortable all the way.
However I have not much to compare with.

benno68

I've not owned an Orbea but the people I know who own one think they're great bikes, from alloy frame to the tasty carbon Orca.

One guy at the club has owned his alloy frame carbon fork road bike (I think with Centaur groupo) for 5 years, done loads of miles on it and loves it.

For those of you who would fit a 54 frame, Epic Cycles are selling an ex demo Orbea Orca 09 on ebay - lovely piece of kit!

Personally, I'd go for drop bars.

MonkeyMonster

Paging londonlivvy - come on lass!

londonlivvy

I have an Orbea Orca and think it's absolutely fantastic - exciting, responsive, fun - all that I could want from a road bike! So yes, I thought it was worth the money. But I didn't try any of the rest of the Orbea range so can't really comment on them.

I got it from Epic too - excellent bike shop.

benno68

londonlivvy wrote:

I have an Orbea Orca and think it's absolutely fantastic - exciting, responsive, fun - all that I could want from a road bike! So yes, I thought it was worth the money. But I didn't try any of the rest of the Orbea range so can't really comment on them.

I got it from Epic too - excellent bike shop.

Never touched one let alone ridden one :roll: , they are the business and look stunning - fingers crossed for a lottery win sometime soon.

Stevo_666

Orbea Orcas look lovely and get some very good reviews.

Livvy, mind telling what model of Orca you have? (Sorry, I'm nosey )

chrishumes

ridgeback flight 04 is what ive got mate, take a look. get last years model if you can and save a few hundred quid. idea for commuting. i wanted the boardman or the giant rapid originally, but fell for the flight due to having everything the others have and the internal gearing. cannot complain so far.

if i could have used halfords it would have been a boardman mind, just coz of the reviews on here.

markp2

My wife has had an Orbea Milennium hybrid for about 5 years. Cost about £300, nothing has needed replacement except for the tyres and brake pads. Carries a rack, guard and panniers easily. Not the lightest bike on earth but rolls alnong very well.

Lancslad

I have an orbea on an aqua frame with drops and I love it.

londonlivvy

Stevo 666 wrote:

Orbea Orcas look lovely and get some very good reviews.

Livvy, mind telling what model of Orca you have? (Sorry, I'm nosey )

This one:
http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/images/orb ... 5-1000.jpg

*grins with pride*

Lancslad

londonlivvy wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Orbea Orcas look lovely and get some very good reviews.

Livvy, mind telling what model of Orca you have? (Sorry, I'm nosey )

This one:
http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/images/orb ... 5-1000.jpg

*grins with pride*

That is so much nicer than mine

Stevo_666

londonlivvy wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Orbea Orcas look lovely and get some very good reviews.

Livvy, mind telling what model of Orca you have? (Sorry, I'm nosey )

This one:
http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/images/orb ... 5-1000.jpg

*grins with pride*

*Dribbles gently from side of mouth*

Very nice indeed, I am jealous....

Brandonyatessr

I have a 2015 Orbea Avant m20i and love everything @bout it ixept the FSA crank and brakes (they work perfect but i want it all Ultegra lol)

perfectmark

I started out on similar bike (mountain bike with slicks), then after a few years got a road bike. It was the first time I had really used a road bike other than a few goes on my Dad's as a kid, so the position did take some getting used to at first, but now it is like second nature. So don't get put off because it feels different.

Ben6899

Eight years must be a record.

mtb-idle

Ben6899 wrote:

Eight years must be a record.

One mustn't rush into these decisions