I have pretty much narrowed my choice down to the Specialized vs. the Orbea. I am 5'8" and 160 pounds, in good shape but new to road biking, and a former (5 years ago) mountain biker. I live in the very hilly San Francisco bay area. I plan on doing mostly fitness rides of 25-40 miles, with the very occasionan 60+ ride. There is very little flat road where I live. I have $2500 in insurance money to spend, anything over that is out of my pocket, but price differential is not that much of an issue. The choices are:
Specialized Roubaix Comp triple - I like the comfort and the fact it has a triple, also very smooth shifting. It definitely handles bumps well, almost feels like I am riding with a pillow around the wheels after testing the Orbea, a Lightspeed and Bianchi Veloce 928. The Roubaix feels a little less responsive than the Orbea and a bit heavier. Comes with Mavic Ksyrium Equipe, all Ultegra except the rear, which is Dura Ace. $2500
Orbea Onix with Ksyrium Elite, Ultegra ten, compact double $2800 or
Orbea Onix with Kysrium Cosmos, Ultegra nine, compact double $2300
The Orbeas are more responsive/less forgiving, tighter steering and noticeably lighter. They are also fantastic looking. The Ultegra 10 seems to shift smoother.
My concern is comfort, though the Onix seems to be less aggressive in terms of geometry than some other racing bikes, and feels comfortable on test rides. Also, I am a bit concerned about a compact double vs. triple, and problems on steep hills. The bike store folks tell me I will lose just a little with a compact double vs. a triple on both the low and high end, but I can't test the bikes on steep hills to confirm.
The Specialized seems the safe bet, with the Orbea the passionate pick. Any recommendations or suggestions?
Specialized Roubaix Comp triple - I like the comfort and the fact it has a triple, also very smooth shifting. It definitely handles bumps well, almost feels like I am riding with a pillow around the wheels after testing the Orbea, a Lightspeed and Bianchi Veloce 928. The Roubaix feels a little less responsive than the Orbea and a bit heavier. Comes with Mavic Ksyrium Equipe, all Ultegra except the rear, which is Dura Ace. $2500
Orbea Onix with Ksyrium Elite, Ultegra ten, compact double $2800 or
Orbea Onix with Kysrium Cosmos, Ultegra nine, compact double $2300
The Orbeas are more responsive/less forgiving, tighter steering and noticeably lighter. They are also fantastic looking. The Ultegra 10 seems to shift smoother.
My concern is comfort, though the Onix seems to be less aggressive in terms of geometry than some other racing bikes, and feels comfortable on test rides. Also, I am a bit concerned about a compact double vs. triple, and problems on steep hills. The bike store folks tell me I will lose just a little with a compact double vs. a triple on both the low and high end, but I can't test the bikes on steep hills to confirm.
The Specialized seems the safe bet, with the Orbea the passionate pick. Any recommendations or suggestions?