Road/hybrid commuter? Trek FX3 or Orbea Vector Drop?

[cycledreams]

Hello,

I've hit a wall with my 10-year old Specialized Allez commuter: it's set up with Campagnolo parts which are expensive and I suspect the frame is too small for me. It needs a tonne of repairs and I'm now ready to move on.

I often cycle across London (c. 25 miles round trip) and mostly stick to tarmac.

I'm now torn between a Trek FX3 and the Orbea Vector Drop; respectively links below. I tried the Trek yesterday, it's very nimble and I love the stability, but worry that it wouldn't provide that thrill of a fast ride. I haven't yet tried the Orbea Vector Drop... I love that it's set up for commuting. Has anyone compared these bikes? Would the Orbea provide the same comfort as the Trek? They both have good spec. (I had considered a Triban but Decathlon are out of stock.)

Also, I fall between Medium and Large on the Orbea size chart (5'10). Anyone have experience with Orbea sizing?

https://www.cycle-revolution.net/bi...-Fs_-kwuY9sAOr_ooyez4pwdH6ewd3uxoCQpUQAvD_BwE

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Or...6TwyQhKXfy_39Z487ORoC6EcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks

 

[Cycleops]

Neither of them look like heaven on two wheels for a racer as they've been specifically designed for commuters.
The Orbea seems very overpriced therefore a Yorkshireman would opt for the Trek, as indeed would I.

 

[si_c]

Personally I wouldn't choose a flar bar bike for riding, I find them less "fun" and the wider handlebars are less nimble through traffic, so I totally get your concerns about the FX3 - and it's a bike I rate very highly as my Dad has one and I've ridden in a bit. The Orbea definitely has the edge in terms of specifications though - full hydraulic Tiagra at that price is a good deal in the current market. Definitely worth trying it if you can and making sure the sizing is right.

 

[Jenkins]

On the Orbea, is the rack bolted to the mudguard as there doesn't seem to be any connections to the seat stays or brake bridge at the front for stability?
Other than that, if you can afford it and it fits, the Orbea has a very good spec. Whether it it £400 better is a choice only you can make.

 

[si_c]

On the Orbea, is the rack bolted to the mudguard as there doesn't seem to be any connections to the seat stays or brake bridge at the front for stability?

Yes it is - this isn't as uncommon as you might think, I had a 1970s era Peugeot which had a rear rack mounted the same way. They will be aluminium mudguards and with the shaping (the flanges on the side) will actually be much stronger than a brake bridge mount anyway.

 

[Jenkins]

Yes it is - this isn't as uncommon as you might think, I had a 1970s era Peugeot which had a rear rack mounted the same way. They will be aluminium mudguards and with the shaping (the flanges on the side) will actually be much stronger than a brake bridge mount anyway.

Thanks - it's a long time since I had a rack on any bike and all those I've noticed have direct connectons to the frame, usually on the seat stays and the Orbea does have the fixings.

 

[Alex321]

They are very different bikes.

Quite apart from the flat handlebars, the gearing on the Trek is very low for a road bike - much more suited to off-road use IMO, or to somewhere with very steep kills (though then you would be spinning out on the downhills). For London roads, I think that is definitely going to be rather low for most riders.

The spec on the Orbea is better, and it is designed primarily as a road bike. Whether it is £400 better is debatable.

 

[vickster]

Hello,

I've hit a wall with my 10-year old Specialized Allez commuter: it's set up with Campagnolo parts which are expensive and I suspect the frame is too small for me. It needs a tonne of repairs and I'm now ready to move on.

I often cycle across London (c. 25 miles round trip) and mostly stick to tarmac.

I'm now torn between a Trek FX3 and the Orbea Vector Drop; respectively links below. I tried the Trek yesterday, it's very nimble and I love the stability, but worry that it wouldn't provide that thrill of a fast ride. I haven't yet tried the Orbea Vector Drop... I love that it's set up for commuting. Has anyone compared these bikes? Would the Orbea provide the same comfort as the Trek? They both have good spec. (I had considered a Triban but Decathlon are out of stock.)

Also, I fall between Medium and Large on the Orbea size chart (5'10). Anyone have experience with Orbea sizing?

https://www.cycle-revolution.net/bi...-Fs_-kwuY9sAOr_ooyez4pwdH6ewd3uxoCQpUQAvD_BwE

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Or...6TwyQhKXfy_39Z487ORoC6EcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks

Ask Sigma…better still go try the two for size. At 5’10 I’d always go for a medium, better smaller than bigger if between sizes. The guide puts 178cm on a M (X must be a typo) unless you’re a very long torsoe, short legged 5’10, even then 56cm is fine for 5’10 (actually 54cm works for me with my long legs, shorter reach, 58cm would be massive)

 

[si_c]

They are very different bikes.

Quite apart from the flat handlebars, the gearing on the Trek is very low for a road bike - much more suited to off-road use IMO, or to somewhere with very steep kills (though then you would be spinning out on the downhills). For London roads, I think that is definitely going to be rather low for most riders.

The spec on the Orbea is better, and it is designed primarily as a road bike. Whether it is £400 better is debatable.

It's not low at all - the top gear is 115" which is more than enough - at 90rpm that's over 30mph.

 

[Alex321]

It's not low at all - the top gear is 115" which is more than enough - at 90rpm that's over 30mph.

I've never been familiar enough with gear-inches to really have a gut feeling for what they mean.

But most road bikes at the moment are coming with a compact crankset of 50/34, and a cassette of between 11-28 and 11-34. 46/11 as the highest gear is quite a bit lower than 50/11, and 30/36 is a ridiculously low bottom gear for somebody who is mainly going to be riding the streets of London, which only has a few really significant hills.

So that is 10% lower than average on the top gear, and more than that on the bottom gear. Of course that is "low".

 

[si_c]

I've never been familiar enough with gear-inches to really have a gut feeling for what they mean.

But most road bikes at the moment are coming with a compact crankset of 50/34, and a cassette of between 11-28 and 11-34. 46/11 as the highest gear is quite a bit lower than 50/11, and 30/36 is a ridiculously low bottom gear for somebody who is mainly going to be riding the streets of London, which only has a few really significant hills.

So that is 10% lower than average on the top gear, and more than that on the bottom gear. Of course that is "low".

Gear inches are an old measure but they are quite useful for comparative purposes as it accounts for not just the gearing but also changes in tyre size -basically it means the number of inches a bike moves forward for each full turn of the pedals.

In the example of the Trek, a 46/11 gear is the same as a 50/12 gear - so one sprocket up the cassette. Even for travelling around on the flat it is unlikely you would notice that difference. You could also change the cassette to a much smaller range (say 11-28) and have lots of usable gears in flat terrain whilst still maintaining a good set of gears for hills.

In practice there is little to no difference between the Orbea and the Trek as you won't be using the low gears very often anyway, but if you do have heavy loads in the panniers the lower gearing on the Trek would make itself known.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Orbea is pricey for an aluminium frame. If you move from drops to flat, just be aware that the number of hand positions is less especially if like me you tend to change positions often.

So would suggest go back to the drawing board to find another bike to compare with the Trek. First decision however has be - flat or drop.

 

[cycledreams]

Hi all,

Thanks for your brilliant advice.

I've decided to go for the Trek FX3. Having gone on two test rides, I'll opt for the Large frame. I felt a bit scrunched up on the Medium. The Large does feel big standing next to it, but when I jump on it feels solid – there's a bit of clearance on the top bar. I reckon the lower gearing won't pose an issue as I don't plan on riding +30mph. It accelerates off the mark very well.

My plan is to do some repairs on the Allez over time so I have a road bike option. (It's a 54cm frame, which has always felt slightly small.) It's hard to let an old bike go.

I would have loved to try the Triban RC520 Flat Bar, as it presents a nice compromise between road/hybrid, but it's out of stock.

Thanks again.

 

[cycledreams]

Here's a pic of my Allez... it needs a clean. The front Campag shifter has snapped off and will be expensive to replace. I can just about get by with the rear gears, though it does limit speed.

 

[cycledreams]

I might convert it into a single speed...