conurejade

I'm looking for information and/or reviews of the Orbea Airplane. I'm pretty new to road bikes and I need another bike like I need a hole in the head, but I really like the looks of this particular frame. It's described as the Orbea Airplane; the frame was purchased in 2004 and is the Team Euskaltel orange and yellow. The bike is currently set up with Campy Centaur (new) and Aksium Race wheels (also new). It was previously set up with 105 components and was only ridden a few times.

Any help would be most appreciated. I'm trying to talk myself out of this bike - hey, who knew this cycling thing was a sickness?

Tri JP

I've never heard of an Orbea "Airplane." Post a pic so we can see what you're talkin' about.

Sirrobinofcoxly

I've never heard of it, but google does reveal its existence. Not too much written about it, so it must have been a pretty low production bike. Where are you getting it from?

Bike enthusiast

Kinda like this bike?

https://www.ciclosuno.com/node/337

Bike enthusiast

From Roadbikereview.com

"Orbea is an old Spanish co-op that has been around for a long time. They have sold frames and bikes for a long time under a number of different names including Zeus. They are new to the United States. My local shop sells them and I have an 2002 Airplane model (airplane and Altec 2 are the same material shaped and butted a little different). I got a pretty good deal on mine (couple hundred less than several Italian airplane tubed frames).

Is it the greatest frame ever? NO. Was it a good deal for the money? Yea. Is it a good frame? Yes but not better than most other airplane or comparable frames. Would I do it again. Probably not. I think I would order a C'dale from GVH bikes for about $610.00.

FYI: Zonal is also identical material to Altec 2 and Airplane, it is simply the least manipulated (butted and shaped) of the three. However, it only weighs about 50 grams more than Airplane for a given frame size.

Hope this helps.

jhr"

conurejade

From one of the guys who owns my LBS; he is reducing his 'stable'. I trust him completely and know this bike was only ridden a few times. From what he said, it is a pretty rare frame and is dirrerent from the Starship frame - but that is pretty much all I know about it. I'll try to get some pics later in the week.

conurejade

definitely different color scheme - maybe different year?

Bike enthusiast

The "airplane" may also be the orbea "zeus" from what I hear (one and the same).....

conurejade

Sorry I wasn't clear. I don't currently own this bike but I am thinking strongly about purchasing it. I will try to get pics from the LBS later in the week.

Sirrobinofcoxly

From what I have heard, Orbea started out as Zeus, and now their house brand parts are under the "Zeus" label. Don't know if there was a "Zeus" model, however.

Pasqually

"Airplane" is the columbus tubeset that it is made from. Rather than give the bikes silly names themselves, they just used the silly names the tube suppliers came up with.

I have one here at home, it's from 2000 and a custom geometry/size.

It held up fine under me, racing and training hard for 3-4 years. I weigh just over 100kg (220 odd pounds) and an more of a track sprinter that goes downhill fast. I came from bmx racing.

I had to retire it from being damaged from a sudden car door opening.

vic32amg

orbea airplane? Wild. Never heard of it.

Pasqually

heres an old photo of mine. It's got the fsa set back carbon post in the photo, not sure what happened to that post. I did build the bike back up with old parts as a beater + it now has a durace easton njs seatpost.

mezza

That bike does NOT look comfortable the way its set up...

prendrefeu

Pasqually

why? apart from the saddle being a bit too far back.

felt1

could this be it. I think it's called a Orca

vic32amg

looks like the owner of the fore mentioned was to big for the bike so the stretched it out a bit.

Pasqually

No not really, It was about 5 years ago, but I think when I put those special 100th TDF year edition michelin pro race tyres on the bike, new black bartape (rather than white) I also scored the seatpost and took a photo.

I think it's one of the first photo's I ever took of any bike I owned since 1982?

I usually have the nose of the saddle 9-10cm behind the BB.

It does look wrong in the photo though.

EDITh yeah it was custom made for me also, has a 60cm top tube, 62cm c-c seat tube, steeper seat tube angle and higher BB for the 180mm cranks. I cant remember the headtube length but with no spacers I have a 13-14cm drop. I am 195cm tall.

vic32amg

Well perhaps I didn't state it properly. The user looks to be using every inch of the bike. I agree that a person should use every inch of the bike and not buy too much bike.

wfrogge

Bike a little small for you?

Pasqually

Seatpost was put in and I took a photo. How many times does one have to explain the same thing?

To quote my self "I usually have the nose of the saddle 9-10cm behind the BB." In the photo I would guess it is about 15-20cm behind the BB.

It has zero spacers under the stem and a 14cm stem. It was custom made for me in 2000. How the fark could it be too small? As I said I am 195cm (which is over six foot five) Nosxe of saddle to center of bars is 61.5cm and it has 14cm drop. Its a race bike not a hybrid. It was always riden with an Easton ALU durace NJS seatpost that had maybe 1cm setback, not 3.5cm setback like the stupid FSA caron thing on it in the photo.

Ok we clear now?

Pasqually

Here's the current set up. and my track bike below. forget if there are any funny looking photo angles.




track bike is 1cm closer to the bb in saddle setback. Notice the no spacers under any of the 14cm stems.

EDIT: I have hardly changed my position much since the early 90's. I was measured up and found to be extremely in proportion, just very long in all areas.

botto 

a bit?

operator

Wow. Don't think you have enough setback there