Orbea help please

No getting a nice frame is really the key. I'd say frame first, wheels second, little shiny bits last. Some companies are starting to release 05 models already so I'd suspect before the end of the calendar year, even if they're on the late side. I don't think you'd get the best deal on an orbea because it's a little unlikely a shop would have a lot of them in stock so they wouldn't have a problem getting rid of them, in fact you may have to order to get your size. But you can definately get a deal I'd say a little less than 10%.

Well there are oem discounts so it's cheaper to get stuff set up all stock. But if you look around you should be able to come pretty close to what you figured. Look around for build kits and groups and see what you can put together yourself.

Go with the frame you really want, imho. You can build the bike as you go. I did the same with my LOOK, picking up parts for it over the next year and a half. Hopefully you can build it faster than I, but I too was on budget.

Maybe some things that would help:

Total Cycling: totalcycling.com
I use them a lot. Great prices generally, if they have what you want in stock. I import to the US and the prices are usually still a lot cheaper than here.

Dave's Wheels: speeddream.com
Guy makes a great set of wheels, what can I say? Recommend them to anyone. Strong (never had to true them) and light for every day use.

GVH Bikes: gvhbikes.com
I havent used him yet, but have talked to him a few times. He can special order frames, but cannot get Orbea (I asked lol -- had my eyes on an Orbea TT bike and still do). Good prices on frames he can get. He's got a good price on build kits if you like the components in the kit, and he will swap out various things. You can also send the frame to him and he'll build it, but so would your local LBS. The Ultegra option seems to fall in your desired range... I built mine piece by piece because I had each part researched out to exactly what I wanted, otherwise this was a good deal.

Best of luck.

jslopez93 said:

So basically all I would need to buy is the Orca frame? Then pay someone (since I'm a putz with tools) to put it together?

Frame is 2400 (for the frame) + 925 for the above + however much is going rate to put bike together. Seems a cheaper and better quality route than asking the LBs to set it up for some reason.

Why is that?

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Yeah, that's a full kit, wheels included, but I didnt check about the pedals - you'll have to look into that and of course choose the kind you want. You'll also need shoes of course, and maybe a few odds and ends like saddle bag and things like that.

They have a disclaimer somewhere on that page about sending them your own frame and then they build it for you - I believe they charge $40 for that. That's about what a LBS charges. My LBS had fit me for my frame and given me a list of choices for part specs (stem length etc) that I played around with and then used when selecting my parts for my build. They charged me $75 I believe it was for the fit and then the build. You should get fit for your frame somewhere and then send that spec list to the place that builds your frame if your LBS does it.

If you send your frame out to get built somewhere else, you will incur the shipping charges of course, but its surprisingly not that expensive to ship a bike via UPS. You can also have the frame shipped directly to someone other than yourself I suppose, if you mail order your frame, to save that one extra shipping charge. Check with GVH about shipping if you use them. You can of course order the frame and the kit and bring it to your LBS and have the LBS build it, which can be handy for minor adjustments on site. Call an LBS to get an idea of what they will charge for that and a fitting before you order anything (supply them with your chosen frame's geometry and you would have to go in in person to get fit).

As to why is it cheaper? Mail order. I use my LBS for repairs, but I shop online most of the time for parts. Too expensive at an LBS in my experience.. If you are careful about comparing prices and patient about finding the right prices before you buy, you can save 40% or so and get a much higher end bike for less. I bought my LOOK KG381i Team CSC frame, for example, and built that up with DA9 for right around $3k, which is almost what it costs just for the frame from a LBS.. Just be wary of eBay if you are buying anything used.

Anyway, best of luck again. I suggest calling GVH on the phone if you are thinking of using them and get any questions answered. Be sure to compare with what your LBS will do for you on the fitting and the build.

jslopez93 said:

ok noob alert but I went to GVH bikes and

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I wanted to add, no matter where you get your bike built, you'll need to supply the builder with your desired:

stem length
bar width
crank length
braze-on vs clamp-on front derailleur (frame dependent)

GVH (or whoever) will ask that before outfitting you with a kit, or you will need that info before shopping for the individual parts yourself. I know I mentioned the need to get properly fit before, but I wished to be more specific. Something to ask GVH if they built it for you is if you could send your dimensions from your fit to them so they could set your saddle height and various other positionings to your build.

My personal choice would be to order the frame somewhere, get the parts from somewhere, and have a LBS build it for you so they can adjust these things for you with you on the bike -- since you may not know how you'd wish to change it for yourself. Another critical factor will be bar height and where the builder cuts your fork. This is very much preference, though related to your build and desired ride position. My LBS built the bike with my fork longer with a bunch of extra spacers so I could test the bar height at different locations until I got it where I wanted it -- then we cut it. Be very careful about this. As I think about that, you're probably going to be best served to build a relationship with an LBS, have them fit you, get all your parts, and have them build it with you.

Very nice bike this will be by the way. I'm envious. An ORCA is pretty sweet.

I can fully recommend the Orbea Orca it floats over the road and soaks up bumps and potholes, climbing has never been easier

Fingermouse said:

I can fully recommend the Orbea Orca it floats over the road and soaks up bumps and potholes, climbing has never been easier

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Nice picture.

I have a 2004 Obera Lobular with the Dura Ace compo and love it. So far I have over 4500 miles on it and it rides beautiful. In my opion you will not go wrong buying a Orbea. Just this morning I was on ebay and they have 3 Orbea listed. Check it out maybe you can find the Obera you want there.