# Advice Needed



## rboseley99 (May 6, 2010)

OK, time for some advice. I have a 2010 Madone 6.5. I am not a racer - I guess I fall in the enthusiast group. I bought this bike rather fast. ( I had a 1200 ) and had always been well treated by Trek and dealer. After riding this bike for almost 2 years ( I was off it for 6 months due to surgery ) I have “learned” that it is actually too large for me. It’s a 54 and I have since had two fitters with good reputations tell me I should be on a 52 IF not a 50. I now feel I was sold the 54 because that’s what was in stock.

So I was visiting with an Orbea dealer who has in stock a 2012 50 Orca Gold frame. We discussed a few possibilities including striping the all DA off my Trek and putting it on the Orca - with a trade allowance for my frame. BTW, the frameset is about $600 under list. Or we could build out the Orbea with Ultegra; build it with DA - and finally build it with Di2 (Ultegra or DA). Were that the route, I would get a “reasonable trade-in for the complete Trek.

Here is my real question. Clearly Trek ranks with the top bike makers in the world. I know little about Orbea - except they look fantastic. Can you guys give me some hints as to how Orbea is thought of in cycling circles? As good as OCLV? Warranty? I’m not looking for “top” speed or great stiffness, since I am beyond being able to get that much out of any bike. I do ride long and hard for an “older” man, and while I can obviously still handle a road bike - I would like it to be a near perfect fit. So, just shopping for thoughts. Thanks.


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## rboseley99 (May 6, 2010)

BUT I will manage without.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

my personal opinion on this (after selling both brands) is that trek has it all over orbea in every way. i think the customer service is better w/ trek, and i think they make a better product. unless orbea has changed a lot of things in the last year or so, this should still be the case. their frames seem to be more 'sculpted' than engineered. their tubing shapes were used as an example of 'not the greatest way to make tubes w/ carbon' in a presentation i listened to that was presented by a very experienced and respected engineer that works in the bicycle business. the frames seem somewhat fragile to me, especially when compared to oclv carbon from trek. if you're reasonably careful w/ your bikes, i'm sure you'll most likely never have a problem, but...
i can't offer any advice on fit w/o seeing you on the bikes, and that is obviously an important factor. i would recommend getting fitted on both the orbea and a trek in the proper size and see what happens. maybe try the domane as well, that is one cool bike.


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## Trek2.3 (Sep 13, 2009)

Been there, done that. I was sold a Madone 5.2 by a dealer who didn't realize that the ISP bikes (then new?) have a seat height _minimum_. So it was too big in a sneaky way. My fitter tried everything bit it was always 1.5 cm too tall in seat top to crank center length. Trek said not our fault (it wasn't as they had told dealers about the minimum) but the dealer said the same (and it was their responsibility to know the limits of new technology). 

After taking a loss, I bought a Madone 4.7 with traditional seat post (moves all the way down) in the same frame size.

There is no "sizing" consistency between manufacturers and, often, little between models. *Alway test ride.* When you are ready to by get the bike fitted BEFORE a penny leaves your pocket. Try to get a written guaranty of fit. As long as YOU have the $$$, you are in control.

Watch out for the "this bike ON our sales floor will fit you perfectly" syndrome. You want the bike to fit, many dealers just want the sale.


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## bike2kayak (Jul 13, 2012)

My bike situation is very similar: I've had a 25 yr old Trek 1200 and currently commute on a Trek X01. Looking for a CF road bike preferably Italian-designed. I went to LBS to check out an Orbea Silver (Basque heritage on my wife's side warranted a look). Test rode Orbea, nice, then sales guy urged me to try 2012 Madone 5.9, for me no comparison, the geometry was ideal and the Ultegra DI2 and Ultegra wheels make a huge difference. I go over tonight to pick up the Madone!

Note: test rode over Summer: Bianchi Infinito, Colnago CLX 3, Pinarello ROKH, and Giant Defy Advanced 2.


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## MPov (Oct 22, 2010)

Just a thought, but have you considered a custom frame?


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