First serious bike purchase. can you take a look to see if these are good deals?

[edwardpark1992]

These are two deals that I thought were good after 2 hours of research, found these on craigslist.

I got this guy to go down to $550 for his Diamondback Podium 4 2011: http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/bik/5686833747.html

I got this guy to go down to $400 for his 2011 Orbea Aqua Dama: http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/bik/5678178084.html

Do you guys think either of these is a good deal? If yes, which one is?

Thanks for any advice you guys can give!

 

[alfeng]

FWIW. I would probably choose the ORBEA ....

Why pay more?

While Ultegra components are theoretically better than 105 components ... the difference is small ... very small .... the difference is mostly cosmetic ...

AND, according to the Orbea's owner, key components have been "recently" changed/("upgraded") ...​

And, I would eventually be swapping out the Shimano shifters for a pair of Campagnolo shifters!!! But, THAT doesn't have to be a consideration for you.
​

The BB30 Bottom Bracket on the Diamondback would be enough to dissuade me because there isn't a standard for press fit Bottom Brackets ...

And, there are some occasional mechanical problems with ALL press fit Bottom Brackets which I would rather not deal with ...

MY preference is for a frame which has an English threaded BB shell ... I do NOT know what type of BB the particular Orbea frame has (some Orbea frames have BB30 BBs), but I reckon it probably uses an English threaded BB (ask the seller if s/he knows what type of BB the bike has ...).

An English threaded BB shell is old school to some ...

IMO, "old school" is an advantage vs. a proprietary design which may be abandoned at some point in the near future ...
​

Regardless, YOUR height & flexibility are factors which may be considerations ...

How tall are you?

How fit and/or flexible are you?​

If necessary, you can put a different stem/etc. on the bike to adjust the fit to some extent (that is true for either bike) ...​

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Assuming both fit the OP...they are both small frames...I like the DB better 'if' it really has only been ridden three times. That would make it basically mint condition 'new' and a keen eye could easily verify that.

The Orbea has seen 'extensive' travel and is probably well used and need those 'upgrades'.

Other than that, there's really not a lot of difference between them for use as a starter road bike. And don't worry about the BB30 bottom bracket. It is one of about 15 kinda-sorta standard BB's and several companies manufacture adapters to convert it to other standards and fit cranksets that were not necessarily designed from a clean sheet to be installed in a BB30 bottom end. Some of the best quality and most expensive bikes made use the BB30 standard. Not my first choice of a BB either, but it's not a deal breaker IMO.

 

[cyclintom]

The top of the line Shimano components are 105, Ultegra and DuraAce. These are the first things to get damaged by new riders so I wouldn't be bothered about 105. You'll eventually end up replacing them anyway.

The 2 cm size difference IS a big deal. You want a bike that fits you. On sloping top tube bikes sit on the saddle and lean on a wall slightly and see what the angle of your back is while on the levers. It should be about 45 degrees.

And you should be able to stand over the top tube with between 1 and 2 inches of clearance.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

The 2011 DB Podium 4 frame was manufactured of butted 7005 aluminum alloy.

There's only a few people on the planet that have no clue aluminum was manufactured with decreased wall thickness in the center portion of the tubes to save even more weight while preserving strength at the weld junctions, but it's a pretty good 'plus' factor for that bike.

So...which one did you buy, OP?

 

[Froze]

I'm late to this game but I hope you got the Diamondback, it has better components and a better frame.

I strongly disagree with the bad rap that Clyclintom gave 105, that groupset is the best value for the money and it's Shimano's workhorse groupset meaning it will last as long or longer than either Ultegra or Dura Ace. it's actually less finicky than Dura Ace in terms of how long it stays in adjustment, also if you crash and damage a part it's less expensive to replace a 105 part. I know people who race on 105! Even if you do upgrade the only thing remotely worth upgrading to is the rear derailleur to Ultegra. There is no reason if you take care of your stuff that 105 components won't last at least 50,000 miles.

Even Tiagra and Sora, has reports of that stuff lasting 50,000 miles. 50,000 miles is pretty good for modern stuff.

 

[alfeng]

I'm late to this game but I hope you got the Diamondback, it has better components and a better frame.

I strongly disagree with the bad rap that Clyclintom gave 105, that groupset is the best value for the money and it's Shimano's workhorse groupset meaning it will last as long or longer than either Ultegra or Dura Ace. it's actually less finicky than Dura Ace in terms of how long it stays in adjustment, also if you crash and damage a part it's less expensive to replace a 105 part. I know people who race on 105! Even if you do upgrade the only thing remotely worth upgrading to is the rear derailleur to Ultegra. There is no reason if you take care of your stuff that 105 components won't last at least 50,000 miles.

Even Tiagra and Sora, has reports of that stuff lasting 50,000 miles. 50,000 miles is pretty good for modern stuff.

FIRST. Although I am not keen on the BB30 bottom bracket, I want to change-my-mind and also suggest that if the OP is 5'8"-or-taller that he should choose the Diamond back because for the typical rider, the crank (or, any of the components!) is never an issue after the initial purchase ...

However, if the OP is 5'7"-or-shorter, then he should opt for the Orbea.

If the OP is taller than 5'10" then he may-or-may-not want to consider a slightly larger frame UNLESS he is planning on becoming a competitive racer (I know someone who is over 6' tall who rides a SMALL frame because he wants his handlebars to be significantly lower than his saddle).​

SECOND. The way I read cyclintom's remarks about 105 components, I took it that he was saying that one need not worry about 105 components rather than that they should be avoided.

THIRD. For some people, the difference between $400 and $550 is a significant amount AND should not be dismissed, IMO, if budget is a factor ...

That's my way of saying that while the Diamondback might be a better bike for a rider of the correct height & bank account, the Orbea should not be dismissed because of its 105 components & greater amount of use.

The two discounted-through-haggling prices strike me as "fair" for the bikes as described.​