# Who rides Orbea?



## rrcruz.5500 (Jun 23, 2007)

Orbea is not as popular as Giant, Cannondale, Cervelo and Trek here in the Philippines. In fact, from what I have been told by the local Orca distributor, mine is only the 7th Orca he had sold. I have no idea as to the number of other Orbea models in the country. 

Just curious to know the profile of cyclists who ride Orbea. 

As for me, I am a 47-year old engineer with an 8–5 full-time job. Travel time to and from workplace in the Makati financial district is about 3.5 hours. This makes for no available time to ride outdoors during weekdays. I am what you may call as a weekend cyclist, juggling time to find a balance between work, cycling and the family.

I normally use the indoor trainer twice on weekdays, doing informal intervals and TT mode efforts. I ride, on the average, an aggregate of about 150 kms during the weekend, mostly on flat and rolling routes. Average speed for these rides are normally 30-35 kms/hr in the group’s flat home circuit and about 25-30 kms/hr in the rolling routes. The speed during these rides could sometimes be very fast, especially when the young strong riders in the group decide to stir things up. 

Two years ago, I could still find time to join in the executive races, having been a member of an executive cycling team. But since changing jobs and companies, I haven’t raced again. 

I recently assembled an Orca, size XS (I think it’s 49 cm) to carry my 5’ 4” 136 pound-body frame. While I would have liked to maximize the Orca’s capability for speed and race responsiveness, my lifestyle, schedule, routine and perhaps my age, somewhat conspire to make that desire extremely challenging now. Nonetheless, riding the Orca on weekends makes for an exhilarating, if not personally motivating, feeling. 

While I do not expect you guys to write something as long as this thread, would like to know where are you from, your job, your riding/training schedule/route, etc. Of course, don’t forget to mention the model of your Orbea.


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## wilric44 (Mar 4, 2007)

Check the picture thread


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## FlynG (Aug 23, 2006)

*I ride an Orbea Opal!*

I am a corporate pilot for a company in LIT. My riding/training schedule is not really a schedule but more of a when I can work it out. So I may ride 4-5 days one week and be forced to skip the next week. I'm not a racer so it works for me. 

I do occasionally get to ride while on the road but those are rare cases where I can arrange to borrow a bike such as mt. biking in Phoenix with some company colleagues. 

The past two weeks I was doing recurrent/transition training at DFW and was able to bring my Opal and bounce around town riding with different shop groups, clubs, and a couple of times with rbr member innergel. I had a blast riding in a new area meeting some interesting people. 

Flyn G


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## swierszcz (Mar 11, 2007)

I am 56 y old IT consultant and , thankfully, I have time to ride every day 20-25 miles and 35-60 miles on weekends. I am new to cycling and enjoy it immensly. I do it mostly by myself, except for charity rides, but thinking about starting group rides with my LBS cycling group. 
My Orbea is Onix TDE 2007 (SRAM Rival). I bought it on impulse (but the price was good too) mostly becasue I love everything Spanish and wanted good quality carbon frame at reasonable price.


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## Big Jim Mac (Jun 28, 2007)

I'm a 45-year-old Photojournalist/editor, bought the Orbea Onix (red/black but with Shimano group) to feed my mountain bike habit but it immediately developed a life of its own. I like bikes you don't see everywhere. For example, around here in the woods all you see are Specialized, Trek, Cannondale and the random Gary Fisher and Giant. So I had to have a Yeti 575, it sure gets some attention. When I went looking for a road bike I started with Kestrel, but it just didn't feel right. Spent two weeks doing Internet research and really liked the reviews I saw on Orbeas. Would have gone with the Opal if I had the bucks, but I think the Onix was a nice compromise. I ride just about every day, only have time for a 9 mile loop that has some monster hills, both up and down. Right now I am riding twice a day, road in the morning and mountain at night. Tonight did the mountain ride in the dark with my Jet Phoenix lights, first summer ride at night. Don't recommend it, remember bugs head for the light, miss, and fly into your gasping mouth! Protein... I'm a pretty big guy, 6-1 and 204, so I can flex this bike a lot but it doesn't seem to mind. Getting pretty fit and really enjoying life, got a trip to Crested Butte coming up, maybe I'll slow down some when that's done.


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## MisterMike (Aug 12, 2004)

I'm a 43 yr old IT analyst/developer. I try to get out at for about 3 rides per week. If possible 2 evening weekday rides for 20 to 30 miles and a weekend ride for 40 to 45 miles. That's about the amount of time I can get free. My family is pretty tolerant to let me do that compared to many other folks I know. It's a lot less miles than most members here but it keeps me happy.

In my area of the Northeast USA Orbea is not very well known. After not buying a bike in many, many years I wanted something a bit different than all the Treks, Giants, Schwinns, Lemonds, etc I see all the time. Those are fine bikes but my personality is to avoid the "pack" choices and do my own thing. A Cervelo would have been nifty but I really liked the Onix. Later I learned from some industry news that I'm apparently pretty typical of recent road bike buyers. The US market is seeing people search out lesser known names. Not that they are going custom or boutique, just something they won't see someone else riding tomorrow.

I'm on a 54cm 2006 Onix (blue) with Shimano 105


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## orcanova (Aug 27, 2006)

I too am a photojournalist, 42, riding a blue/black '06 Orca and living in Northern VA (hence Orcanova).

Right now I am logging about 2500 road miles a year, lots of it mountains and hills. I run Dura Ace with some retro-fitted titanium hardware, Rolf Prima Elan Aero wheels, IRC Redstorm Light tires and Specialized SL tubes (huge weight savings on those wheels, tires and tubes) and a few other selected lightweight components. Bike is 15.1 lbs with Speedplay pedals.

Light bike for a 175 lbs., graying old man, but hey...chicks dig it!

If I weren't trying to lighten the bike, I would be running Campy Eurus wheels and Michelin Pro Race tires, which would be faster wheels for most riding other than climbing. Not that they are heavy, just that my current setup is super-light.


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## Slave2Gravity (Jul 13, 2007)

I'm a 25 yr old researcher at Stanford, so I'm only about 10 minutes down the road from epic riding with mix of flats, big climbs and coastal rides. I'm running an 06 Opal with Campy Chorus and Fulcrum (i.e. campy) racing 3 wheels. All in all a great bike, definitely a giant step up from my carbon Roubaix.

I'm fortunate enough to be a mere 15 minute ride from work (it's actually faster than driving) so most days the car stays garaged and I stay pedaling!


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## plag (Apr 30, 2007)

Im 32 and a CNC machinest working the swing shift so I have time in the mornings to do at least 20 miles plus. I ride a 06 Orca in Orange. I first heard of Orbea a couple of years back while searching for my first ride in San Antonio, Texas. I passed up the first Orbea for a Cannondale simply because I had never heard of Orbea. I currently live in Orange County CA and have only seen a small handfull of Orbea's and only know of 2 dealers within a 40 mile radius.


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## yzexctxt (Mar 23, 2007)

i am 44, own my own business, ride a 2006 opal w/ultegra. try to ride twice a week, try to go 2 to 3 hours, don't track mileage, try to vary terrain and intensity, ride rollers when i can't get out. probably more bike than i need, but it is what i wanted and not very common.


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## rgojr2001 (Dec 8, 2006)

I'm 33, FT student and former business owner. Mine is a 2004 Altec2 carbon/aluminum mix with the Euskatel team paint job. I race it on the weekends and ride about 2500 - 3000 miles a year. I absolutely love it. The paint is such a work of art that I sometimes feel guilty riding it, but then when I ride it lets me know that it would be a shame not to, it just wants to go fast and climb like a dream. I love that it is so unique as well. I've only seen one other at a race and only a few others online and constantly get comments at races and rides. I've ridden several other models and been similarly impressed with the ride characteristics. Unfortunately, living in Minnesota, I only have about 2 more months of riding outside.


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## Big Jim Mac (Jun 28, 2007)

Hey, let's see a photo of that bike!
:thumbsup:


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## rgojr2001 (Dec 8, 2006)

Here's a photo the only one I have at the moment.


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## Big Jim Mac (Jun 28, 2007)

Paint looks nice. Send some more of the whole bike when you get a chance. We need more photos on this forum!


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## rhauft (Aug 8, 2006)

*07 Orca & 07 Ordu*

Orca equipped w/Record, Zipp cranks, Zipp 404s & all ceramic bearings = 14.5 lb (w/pedals & cages)
Ordu equipped w/DA, Zipp 404s & all ceramic bearings = 16.25 lb (w/pedals & cage)

This is my 3rd Orca (04,06,07) and my 1st Ordu. I have an 08 Ordu/Sram Red on order.
Great bikes all.
















:thumbsup:


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## rrcruz.5500 (Jun 23, 2007)

*Nice color coordination*

rhauft,

:thumbsup: I really like the color combination you have in your Orca. Did you put the red definition line in-between the white and the black? Or is this a stock frame?


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## rhauft (Aug 8, 2006)

rrcruz.5500 said:


> :thumbsup: I really like the color combination you have in your Orca. Did you put the red definition line in-between the white and the black? Or is this a stock frame?


Thanks, I added the red stripe to go with my team Clifbar colors since the 07 Orca is not available in red. I here the 08 will be available in red. That will be a nice looking bike.


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## alimon (Apr 10, 2006)

*How did you paint the Orca frame red?*

The paint job, 

Did you do it yourself? is it a sticker?
I would like to do the same to my Orca.

THanks


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## rhauft (Aug 8, 2006)

1/4 inch vinyl from Pep Boys.


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## alimon (Apr 10, 2006)

*Thanks*

How do you do the bend?


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## rhauft (Aug 8, 2006)

Very Carefully... 
Vinyl is stretchable and bendable if manipulated carefully.
Practice makes perfect.


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## alimon (Apr 10, 2006)

*thanks a lot*

I will give it a shot


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