New trend in bikes?
2311
Member
1185 days
Triguy98 posted 1 year ago.
Oh, this has been going on for quite a long while. There has alwas been a blend of compnents to beef up the percieved value of the bike. "Ohhhh this 105 bike has a DA front derailleur!"... while it has cheap, generic, boat anchors for brakes and a horrible wheelset.
Is it a good deal? Here's where quality and spec matter: shifters (especially on a roadie,) , wheels, rear derailleur, and crank. higher end brakes are nice, but not a deal breaker. These things tend to cost $$ to upgrade later and/or make the largest difference in ride quality.
Dont sweat your handlebar, stem, seatpost, or front derailleur. These items are cheap to replace and dont really matter all that much.
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
155
Member
438 days
CGroth posted 1 year ago.
this is a bit off subject, but i love orbea bikes. i have an orbea mountain bike and it is one of the best made frames i have seen. this is probably due to the fact that the employees that build these frames in spain all have a stake in the company. i have a buddy who was in love with the starship tubing that they use to make their high end aluminum frames.
Or maybe it's not so new...but I've been seeing more and more bikes that companies are assembling from a mix of components in order to bring down the price point. For example, Orbea is releasing this new women's model this month. I'm looking to upgrade from my starter aluminum roadie, so while I'm still dreaming of the Orbea Diva or a high-end Cannondale, among others, this is looking like an economically appealing option (presuming a test ride goes well, it fits, etc...).
http://orbea-usa.com/fly.aspx?mid=a200&layout=viewproduct&taxid=508
Kuota's released a K-factor tri bike the same way (my husband just bought one as his first tri bike), and I think I've read that some other companies are, too.
any thoughts on this trend? Are these bikes of mixed componentry (part 105, part Ultegra, part DuraAce) a good deal, or smoke & mirrors?
"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit." ~George Sheehan