kneighbour,

Lifetime means the life expectancy of the frame. NOT your lifetime.

I hate this wording and I hope soon it becomes illegal in the USA at least to use this term. Some bike firms are not using this problematic term.

Lifetime in many cases means 1-3 years at most. Steel frames usually have a lifetime warranty of 3-5 years. But do not more and more companies are doing just one year and labeling it lifetime.

They use lifetime because people tend to think that they will buy one frame and always get a free one until the end of time. That is untrue and I wish they would not use that wording. It causes much problems at shops where warranties are denied by manufacturers and it is up to the shop oto inform and many times it makes for an irrate customer in the store. So I wish they would put the warranty more clearly.

Trek is really good. Orbea I have no real experience. But I am sure Orbea will not give you a new frame say 5 years from now. At leat in the USA. Also do not fall for what some companies due and they sell you a new frame claiming it is an upgrade. That I see is really bad. They not only sold you a bad frame, but managed to sell you another one. Tricky!