Orbea Gavia anyone?

[Stephen-D]

I have decided to go for a new bike this year and like everyone else im thinking of using the Cycle to work scheme, there is a bike i have had my eye on for quite some time: Does anyone have an Orbea Gavia?

http://www.swc.co.uk/product.asp?strParents=275&CAT_ID=315&P_ID=1293

it looks likea fantastic bike with a good frame and gears. at that sort of price though is it best just to go straight for a Cheap Carbon bike like a Boardman at just 150 quid more? any help would be great.

Its from my LBS and these guys truely know there stuff and have explained if im really interested in coming in they can get the bike customer built around me for the same price etc.

whereas if i go to halfdord and get this bike online etc there is no custimazation(think i just invented a new word).

 

[ianrauk]

So the Boardman is a cheap carbon bike but £150 more then the Orbea..?
The Boardman range are very good bikes for the price, easy on par with the Orbea youa re looking at.

 

[Stephen-D]

yeh the Boardman is £1000 which is probably the cheapest Carbon bike out there. I wasnt sure though what its like to ride etc and if its easy to just order it off the internet. its only £150 more than the bike i was looking at and the main reason for me looking at the Orbea was because of where i was buying it from? do you think it would be better to buy the Boardman and then take it to LBS and get it fitted for me to ride etc?

 

[bauldbairn]

So the Boardman is a cheap carbon bike but £150 more then the Orbea..?
The Boardman range are very good bikes for the price, easy on par with the Orbea you are looking at.

Have to agree with IR - the Boardmans are good value for money. They are comparable with a lot of top brand name bikes in terms of components and build quality. Look on their website for links to Bike Radar reviews and other independant evaluations of their bikes. Some of the off the shelf bikes are highly rated by triatheletes, magazines etc,etc. Boardman are still trying to establish their name in the cycling world - whereas others will put a premium on their bikes for the name alone.
The Boardman's v's Others is a delema I'm going through myself - right now.

That said the Orbea Gavia you are looking at is a pretty stunning looking bike. The components fitted look to be of a good quality - wheels, chainset etc. I'm sure there will be plenty of owners who will be able to give you advice on your choice.

There's very little that will beat the service of an good LBS, something the likes of Halfords could learn from - god knows they've been at it long enough.

Good luck with whatever you choose Stephen and remember the photos for us to drool over, whatever you decide.

 

[bad boy]

That Orbea is has an aqua frame but ive never heard of that variant.

They are good bikes very good value for money also.

I understand your comments about the boardman, but I think they may have been taken a little out of context. The Boardman is no doubt a very good bike for the money, but im sure if someone had slightly more in the budget they would be going for something else, and although 1k is not cheap, the boardman is one of the cheapest carbon bikes out there.

Its all about getting the best bike for your money but the boardman should be on your list if your budget goes to 1k and Carbon is a requirement.

 

[Coco]

Can't comment on the Orbea, but be assured that its quite hard to buy a bad bike for £1k. Whatever you choose will be a good one.

 

[accountantpete]

I would go for the Boardman - it has a better "Brand Name" if you ever come to sell it and you will be getting a feel for carbon framed bikes which at the current rate will probably dominate sales in 5 years time.

 

[Stephen-D]

Thanks for all your comments and yeh looking at what Bad boy wrote i didnt mean to sound like the Boardman would be a lesser bike, perhaps my writting skills werent the greatest, i shall spend some sleepless nights thinking about it. hehe

Im thinking the Boardman will come out tops, its probably best to pay that bit extra and get a carbon bike and as Accountantpete says it is a "brand Name!" cheers all.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I would go for the Boardman - it has a better "Brand Name" if you ever come to sell it and you will be getting a feel for carbon framed bikes which at the current rate will probably dominate sales in 5 years time.

! "Orbea began bicycle manufacturing in 1930 and quickly became Spain's premier bike brand, employing 1000 staff within 10 years - based in the heart of the Pyrennees, Orbea produce bikes that exude class, and which have carried the orange-clad Eukaltel team to some of the most exciting Grand Tour mountain stage wins in recent Tours de France." ...... quote from the Epic cycles website (highly recommended for Orbea as well as other brands). Link to the Acqua: http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Orbea_Aqua.html
Boardman may well be acquiring a good reputation for their bikes (in spite of their exclusive supplier!) but I think Orbea could well win the better known Brand Name claim - across Europe anyway.

 

[Mista Preston]

! "Orbea began bicycle manufacturing in 1930 and quickly became Spain's premier bike brand, employing 1000 staff within 10 years - based in the heart of the Pyrennees, Orbea produce bikes that exude class, and which have carried the orange-clad Eukaltel team to some of the most exciting Grand Tour mountain stage wins in recent Tours de France." ...... quote from the Epic cycles website (highly recommended for Orbea as well as other brands). Link to the Acqua: http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Orbea_Aqua.html
Boardman may well be acquiring a good reputation for their bikes (in spite of their exclusive supplier!) but I think Orbea could well win the better known Brand Name claim - across Europe anyway.

Totally agree with this. I have been looking long and hard to spend my money and have considered all the usual suspects, from Planet X, Boardman, Ribble and so on.

I have settled on an Orbea Onix TLT . Assuming the test ride goes well the reason I went for the Orbea is that they such a well established and well thought after brand in Europe but relatively rare in the UK (to some extent). I believe the still produce some of their frames in Spain. In my opinion Orbea is a real contender in your bike choice.

Its all a matter of opinion and as always the best advice is go for a test ride and ride what feels the best for you.

A little more info on Orbea if you are interested, oh and good luck.

http://www.orbea.com/en/orbea/

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/orbea.htm

 

[Harbornite]

Don't know much about the Orbea, although my LBS has just started stocking them.

The Boardmans have been clearing up in the reviews as their bikes offer fantastic value for money.

Buy a Boardman & take it to your LBS to service.

 

[accountantpete]

I didn't say Orbea's were bad bikes or didn't have a distinguished history - but how many potential customers have heard of them and know what they are like?

If I was selling a Boardman or Orbea I would be a lot more confident about getting a decent price on the former over the latter.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I didn't say Orbea's were bad bikes or didn't have a distinguished history - but how many potential customers have heard of them and know what they are like?

If I was selling a Boardman or Orbea I would be a lot more confident about getting a decent price on the former over the latter.

I disagree - the majority of potential customers for bikes in this price range (£1000 + for most of the Orbeas) - are likely to be experienced riders, maybe club members, perhaps looking for a bike to race on - and will be aware of, and will have researched, bikes suitable for their needs - perhaps having preferences for a particular groupset or wheelset. They will know a lot about the range of makes available. The Boardmans are acquiring a good reputation for value and quality, but are still the 'new kids on the block', and have not got the pedigree of the Orbeas.

 

[Chris James]

I disagree - the majority of potential customers for bikes in this price range (£1000 + for most of the Orbeas) - are likely to be experienced riders, maybe club members, perhaps looking for a bike to race on - and will be aware of, and will have researched, bikes suitable for their needs - perhaps having preferences for a particular groupset or wheelset. They will know a lot about the range of makes available. The Boardmans are acquiring a good reputation for value and quality, but are still the 'new kids on the block', and have not got the pedigree of the Orbeas.

+1.

 

[bad boy]

Totally agree with this. I have been looking long and hard to spend my money and have considered all the usual suspects, from Planet X, Boardman, Ribble and so on.

I have settled on an Orbea Onix TLT . Assuming the test ride goes well the reason I went for the Orbea is that they such a well established and well thought after brand in Europe but relatively rare in the UK (to some extent). I believe the still produce some of their frames in Spain. In my opinion Orbea is a real contender in your bike choice.

Its all a matter of opinion and as always the best advice is go for a test ride and ride what feels the best for you.

A little more info on Orbea if you are interested, oh and good luck.

http://www.orbea.com/en/orbea/

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/orbea.htm

I agree also Orbea for me is a bigger brand name across europe without a shadow of a doubt.

This however should not make a difference to your choice of bike.