kwnba

Hello guys,i m in the market for a new road bicycle it is going to be my first road bike so any suggestion and advice between those 2 bikes would be very helpful. 35 years old now generally good shape but not very flexible i want the bike more for brevets and long distances and 'maybe' some races i say maybe because i dont know how it will ends maybe i race some time maybe i will not.i dont like the look of the endurance bikes so i was looking in something between race and endurance that companies call sportive.i think that i m going to use the bike more lets say allround fast bike.i have tested only 5 bikes (scott speedster,caad 8,giant defy 1,caad 5 and orbea orca Bronze)all with shimano 105 components and i ended up with orbea orca bronze for 1500 euros but next day i saw in a lbs an offer in caad 3 with ultegra for 1700 euros and i got confused.both are 2014 version and the only diferrence i ve noticed from the test ride it was that i felt the carbon frame of orbea more soft and smooth than the others.on the caad 5 i remember that i felt more racy than the orbea and thats why i ended up with orbea.my question is,isnt it a bargain the caad 3 with 1700 euros to just pass it by?is it going to be the 'wrong bike' for me to buy it?
thank you in advance guys...

Orca B M50 ? Orbea

CAAD10 3 Ultegra - CAAD10 - Elite Race - ROAD - BIKES - 2014

IANative

While this is not the same comparison, I have an Orca BRV (same frame as yours, SRAM Rival groupset) and a Roubaix SL2. I ride the Orca nearly everyday and the Roubaix hangs in the garage. I'll likely end up selling the Roubaix. I'm not critical of it in any way, I just find myself spending all of my ride time on the Orca. I did upgrade the wheels (Fulcrum 5's) and saddle (Spesh Toupe) on the Orca, but it was a nice ride even before I made the changes... it's just a little nicer now.

h2oxtc

I don't know the Orbea, however I can't imagine riding the Caad10 as a brevit or endurance bike. I love my Caad's, but my Kona CroMo (steel) road bike is by far a more comfortable bike to ride. I don't know of a bike that is a "one size fits all" multipurpose bike.

kwnba

eventually if i end up with orca i consider the first uppdate it is going to be the wheels.may i ask the weight of your bike with pedals?thank you for the reply.

kwnba

me neither i cant imagine of doing endurance with the caad otherwise i would have bought it immediatelly ..... its damn sexy bike....

bruce19

I noticed Aksium wheels on that CAAD. I have them on my Masi. They are not particularly light but they are durable. FWIW my Masi is AL w/ CF fork and rear triangle and it weighs 18 lbs with Speedplays. I also have a Guru steel w/CF fork, Ksyrium Elites and Speedplays and it weighs 18 lbs. 2 oz. The Masi is a size 58 and the Guru is a 54 which gets their weights closer to each other.

IANative

@18lbs

kwnba

Thank u all guys for the replies.
the truth is that i m a little bit confused right now and this is happening because of the good price of the caad!
i know its a very good bike and i can obtain it in a very good price but deep inside me i also know that its not the one that fits my needs!
do you think it would be dificult enough to make my non flexible body adjust it to the racy position of the caad?or with other words turn the caad into lets say an 'allaround bike'?or i should just go with orbea and never look back?except this is also the weight of the two bikes which is impressive different leaning to the caad (caad 7.6 kg),(orca 8.7 kg)!so i m thinking that going with the caad there is no need tospend any more money in a bike like this unlike to the orca which the first thing i m thinking to do is to upgrade the wheels first and then maybe the crankset and brakes!
finally,after all this analysis do you think are those two bikes straight comparable each other?

schiiism

I can't speak much for the CAAD10 having never ridden one, but I have an Orbea Diva (female version of the Orca). I absolutely LOVE it for its versatility and handling. It's light, responsive, and a fantastic climber. Depending on how you set up the fit it can be used for racing or endurance riding, I've gone 5+ hours with no soreness or discomfort. It's almost as comfortable as my steel tourer at half the weight. I don't race, but judging by how smoothly it sprints I would say that it's a solid choice.

Orbea is a boutique brand so their price tags are pretty steep. However I've spoken with many other Orca/Diva owners and they agree that even with the cost, you definitely get the value of what you pay for. If you're patient you can scope out CL for a used one and get a lot more for your money.

FWIW, at 15.3 lbs the bike shaved off 10 minutes of my commute to work with no extra effort.

kwnba

thanks for the reply....

cafzali

Not trying to persuade you one way or the other, but flexibility can be improved and it's an important thing for cyclists to work on given the fact that our sport tends to put a disproportionate focus on improving one area of the body and not a body overall.

kwnba

understood....
i m thinking that maybe it would be wiser to go with orbea and improve my self first and then the bike...

schiiism

+1, yoga is a good way to improve flexibility

Fox Farm

DO NOT buy the bike just because of the price. You will own it for many years and what ever the discounted attraction of the lesser priced bike was, you will spend on other things and forget that figure over time. Go with what rides and feels the best. I am biased as I have ridden Orbea Orcas since 2009, now on a 2012 Gold Euskatel team bike. Very nice and not at all dead feeling.

kwnba

thats a good point....thanks for the reply!

kwnba

i ve tested the bike back to back once again today and i think one more time that i feel better perform with orca despite the fact that its a lot heavier than caad,so i think its not wise to decide solely on pounds or grams...i let the ride decide..thats why i m thinking next week to go with orca

Fox Farm

How much is a lot? 200 grams?

kwnba

i mean the overall package...1700 euros=7.7kg bike
1500 euros=8.8kg bike

so,in order to gain almost 1 kg i have to spend about 500-700 euros (wheels-crankset-brakes)...

seymour1910

You seem to like the Orca better, and if you're body is telling you that then go with the Orca. This is coming from a huge CAAD fan too.

With that said, don't buy into all the 'it's a good climber, and it will shave 19 minutes off your usual 20 minute ride' stuff.

Bikes DO NOT CLIMB, people climb. Go with the bike you like, and that seems to be the Orca.

kwnba

thanks for the advice!

kwnba

finally i went with orbea!! i m thinking that first i have to improve my self in cycling and then the bike!!i cant wait until tomorrow until the bike comes..
thank you all one more time!!keep pedalling....