# How do Orbea measure their Seat Tubes??



## GravelHound (Jul 19, 2008)

My local dealer says they are different in the fact they measure small...and a 57cm Onix will indeed measure 56 from C/BB to the top of the seat tube, is this correct?
Seems odd to me.

Really fancy the New White Onix..

TA


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## tellog (Jun 23, 2008)

I had the same questions and heard the same thing a while back. So let me preface that my response is by no means proven but simply my experience.

Looking at the Geometry_Road.pdf on the Orbea site, its hard to tell exactly where they measure. But where the frame size line goes, it does look like its floating above the top of the seat tube. I tried measuring my frame over and over and I got 59 and 60 depending on where i measured from (so not too scientific) but 59 seemed like a true measurement when I went from top of the seat tube to the middle of the bottom bracket.

I should mention that I did have a professional fitting and I should be riding what would roughly equate to 58cm bike (noting bike brand/model would vary and this was generic based upon my build). 

Anyway, since the Orbea only has 57 and 60 in my sizes. I test rode both over and over and the 60 just felt more comfortable. 
That cm difference started to make sense to me since my 60 was probably a 59 and the 57 was really a 56. So i took what everyone on the board always says-- get the bike that fits you the best.

After a few thousand miles on 2 different 60cm Orbeas, I cant complain. Both frames (Aqua and Orca) have been very comfortable and fit well for my size.

The short of it - if you've test rode the next sizes up/down and the 57 feels right, then you know.


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## GravelHound (Jul 19, 2008)

Thanks for that Tellog, kind of exactly what i was thinking, im 6ft dead on and feel im inbetween sizes im leaning to the 57cm but the lbs says i should be on a 54.
I sat on the 57 Orca and did not really have much seat post out so it looked a bit odd but on the 54 Onix he had i just felt like my head was way forward and that made the front wheel seem sort of tucked under my torso..it also looked really small just standing there.
How tall are you btw..?

Problem is im coming from MTB and this is my first foray into Road Riding.
Cheers GH


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## Amsmoore (Jun 11, 2008)

I'm 6'3" with a 35" cycling inseam. I ride a 57 Onix. 

Whats your real inseam? not pants, but inner thigh to floor.


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## GravelHound (Jul 19, 2008)

Inseam is 33.5inch, 
Ta GH


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## Fortin13 (Feb 22, 2007)

GH. This is my first post ever, but I can relate to your story. My first road bike coming from MTBing was an Orbea back in 2004. I'm a little, just a tad, under 5'11 and my shop sized me up quickly and put me on a 54cm as well. I questioned the shop over and over as to if they really thought I should be on a 54cm frame, thinking that I really needed a 56cm, to the point where they began to get really frustrated with me. So I bought the bike, because I feel in love with the thing, and put over 4,500 miles on the bike in the first year and still thought it "looked" too small. It felt and rode amazing, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head that I needed a 56cm. So I sold the frame, bought a 56cm carbon Fuji and rode that for about a year. In that year, I never felt as comfortable as I did on the 54cm Orbea. I never felt as powerful as on the Orbea. The hills I use to fly up, I just couldn't find the same power. And the carbon Fuji's are great bikes! So when I had the opportunity to get a killer deal this past May on a lightly used 2007 54cm Opal, I more than jumped at the chance. So long story short, definitely ride both bikes. Buy what feels best. But remember that you can change seat positions and stem lengths and angles to make yourself feel more comfortable on the bike. Your body type may be such that you have longer legs and a shorter top and need a smaller top tube? The 54cm fits me perfectly and I no longer doubt that I am taller than I actually am. My vote is that if your shop has experiance and says you should be riding a 54cm Orbea then they may be right. Hope this helps. Best of luck. I tried to copy a picture of my bike to this post, but can't figure it out. But to give you an idea, I run 170mm cranks and a 110mm stem and it is perfect for me. Let us know what you do!


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## GravelHound (Jul 19, 2008)

Fortin13,
Thanks, ive been into MTB for 20 years and always like a long TT 24" and use a 100/110 stem on them thats why i feel the long TT on the Orbea would be good. 
But not really having any experience on how a road bike should feel im going to have to learn quick or maybe trust the lbs.
As im sure you found getting on a road bike the front end feels so low compared to a Mtb.
I also really want to avoid a big stack of spacers under the stem as that looks awful, but then again so does a frame with only three inches of seat post sticking out. ARRGHH..:mad2: 
really appreciate all this help and advice though..:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## tellog (Jun 23, 2008)

To follow up - as many have mentioned, I too was hardcore mtn biker for almost 20yrs. The long top tube was and has always been very comfortable for me. I'm 6'1.5". My true inseem is 34" (longer legs) I was convinced a 57/58 would be the right fit. I rode Cannondale's SuperSix 58 and 60 and Cervelo R3 58. They both felt nice but I could notice a difference with the Orbea's top tube being10mm longer than the Cervelo R3's (thats the R3 58 vs Orca 60).
Given that the stem and seat play factors, once dialed in to a comfortable fit. I had to give it up to the Orca. And Although the SuperSix was a close second, the head tube was slightly shorter than the Orca's. Maybe it was just in my mind at that point but the Orca felt better all around after riding each for 20 miles.


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## GravelHound (Jul 19, 2008)

Even more confused now ... been on the Onix Experience on the Orbea site http://www.onixexperience.com/en/caballero.php
It states the 57cm as frame size 570 with a seat tube of 520.
54cm as frame size 540 with a seat tube 490..which brings me back to my question of how do Orbea measure there seat tube..?
I looked at the Trek Madone 1.9 and their site has the frame measured C/BB to the top of the ST which coresponds to the 58cm/56cm frame sizes..Arrgh think ill stick to MTB


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## tellog (Jun 23, 2008)

GravelHound said:


> Even more confused now ... been on the Onix Experience on the Orbea site http://www.onixexperience.com/en/caballero.php
> It states the 57cm as frame size 570 with a seat tube of 520.
> 54cm as frame size 540 with a seat tube 490..which brings me back to my question of how do Orbea measure there seat tube..?
> I looked at the Trek Madone 1.9 and their site has the frame measured C/BB to the top of the ST which coresponds to the 58cm/56cm frame sizes..Arrgh think ill stick to MTB



Whoa whoa whoa - lets not get to hasty 

but to answer you question - the frame itself is measured from bottom of the bottom bracket to the top of where the seat clamp goes. So yes a 57cm is 570mm as a true bike frame dimension. You shouldn't get to hung up on the seat tubes though. the dimension you are questioning from 570 frame and a 520 seat tube is just that, a measurement of the seat tube itself. That is measured from the top of the bottom bracket to the top of where the seat clamp should be. When I measured my Orca it was 600 mm top to bottom. When i measured the seat tube itself, it was 550. When i measured the bottom bracket, that was 50 - Tough to measure with the crank in the way but seemed pretty close. 
just as stated in the geometry info.

As to the Orbea fit not being a true 60, 57, 54, etc... that statement is usually based on fit measurements which are measured from the c/bb to the top of the ST as Trek Madone 1.9 does. However Orbea measures frames top to bottom. So a 57 is 570 but measuring it as Trek does, it would be more like a 56. Thats why your LBS told you originally that Orbea has a different measurement. It seems confusing but its designed and made in Spain, so we need to give them a little latitude :smilewinkgrin: it does make sense when you see where they're coming from as they describe bike dimensions, not fit dimensions.

*this is how it was explained to me by my LBS and it seems to make sense when i did my own measurements.*

Just concentrate on what you feel comfortable on. And since we're talking 54 to 57, thats almost 11/4 inches. You should be able to tell whats more comfortable if your LBS lets you take both sizes out for long rides.

Hoped that helped and good luck.


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## FunkytownNative (May 4, 2008)

Now _I'm_ confused. Some people seem to be saying that Orbeas run large, some seem to be saying small. I ride a Bianchi San Jose 61 (596 virtual top tube, fits well), and a Kona Sutra 60 (585 unspecified measurement of top tube, which is long enough for touring but the bike is way low; I shouldn't need a crummy steerer extender to get a zero drop on a touring bike). I almost bought a Cannondale and wasn't sure if I was a 60 (590 "horizontal" top tube) or a 63 (600 TT) and there were no 60s for me to try. The 63 was a tad big but woulda worked. Now I'm looking at a sweet sweet Opal with Force/Rival and they only do 60s (590 TT). I want this bike bad but dunno if it's right. Then again Orbea should know what they're doing and wouldn't wanna keep bigger riders off their bikes by having no 60+ frames. If a lot of people are buying Orbeas a size smaller than usual it should be a great fit. Gonna consult with the LBS tomorrow...their bikefitting.com printout says I need a TT of 611! Much longer than my San Jose that feels long enough; I ride on the tops a lot but then again it is a commuter.

So I guess the real question is how do they measure their _top_ tubes? Virtual or actual? The graphic suggests virtual but does anyone know for sure? TT is how bikes should be sized anyway....I wonder if they ever will be.


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## tellog (Jun 23, 2008)

cant say how they measure the top tube but 590 seems average for 60 bikes that i demo'd before deciding on Orbea. My measurement (done without knowledge of how by me) is that the 590 TT goes from the rear of TT below the seat to the center of the Head Tube.
I'm a niche under 6'2" and find the 60 very comfortable. But regarding a fit- Sites are great for reference not absolutes. Your LBS should give you a pro fit, especially if you're gonna spend that much. Most shops i know will charge between $75-$250 for a full fit. Once the measurements are taken they will/should sit you on a fitting bike to gauge comfort. Based on those dimensions then make minor tweaks here and there to get the best fitting possible. Usually that charge is waived if you place the order with them.


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