Hi, I am new to road cycling and was hoping to gain some wisdom from some verteran riders. I have a choice to make concerning my bike purchase and would like some input. For the SAME price, I can either get an Orbea CF bike with so-so components and wheels or an AL Cannondale with Krysium SL's and full Dura Ace componentry. Do components and wheels last long enough that I can put them on a new frame in a few years? The cannondale seems like the best value as the components ARE the best. Its also lighter than the CF bike. So, is a CF frame that big of a deal, or is quality components more important.

Thanks.

Frame first, but get the one that fits you best.

I'd rather ride a $50 bike that fits than a $10,000 one that doesn't. (but if you want to give me a $10K that doesn't fit, I can certainly make good use of it)

55/Rad

Like 55/Rad said, Frame/Fork FIRST and foremost. DA will not make you faster than Ultegra. Nor will Record make you faster than Chorus. But the right Frame/Fork certainly will.

Thanks for the reply.
With that being said. Are the CAAD7 frames good? It is comfortable and lets me get the bars high up near the seat. The other frame is the Orbea Onix. Its not the Orca though. I have no Idea about the Onix.

You are comparing dura ace equipped bikes with ultegra equipped bikes. You have to remember that you are looking at high quality stuff. Even bikes equipped with 105 are generally sound and will give good service. Now you can get a high priced bike that is not that suitable for your purpose. For example, a person may want a nice comfortable bike for recreational riding is which case going with a criterium or time trial bike would not be a good idea. But if the bikes you are looking for are suitable for your purposes, it starts to get largely a matter of fit and personal taste and your preference for a certain kind of ride and road "feel".

My general personal order preferencing when looking at the complete package:

1. Frame
2. Wheels
3. Fork
4. Drivetrain components
5. Other components

This is based on what I've found to be most easily and economically changable and what provides the most value in terms of fit and ride quality/performance. I rated wheels higher than fork because although both will probably have equal levels of effect on ride quality, it's actually much easier and cheaper (for the most part) to change out forks than wheels.

CAAD7 frames are more then good enough for just about anybody. They're raced in Europe; I believe somebody won the Giro d'Italia (Italy's version of the Tour de France) a few years back on one of the CAAD models.

As others have said, drivetrain components wear out periodically, and the difference between 105 / Ultegra / Dura-Ace isn't enough for most people to notice. Wheels can last a long, long time, depending on their intial build quality. Wheels can get swapped from bike to bike without a problem, assuming you're keeping the same number of gears on the rear cluster (the rear hub has changed occassionally to support the addition of extra gears. I don't know offhand what the 9 to 10 speed change is doing to rear hubs).

The bottom line is that frames are harder to swap then slowly upgrading / replacing components as they wear out. Stripping all the parts off and re-installing them on another bike is going to rack up a sizeable labor charge at a bike shop. Shop by frame and fit first, without a doubt. Fancy wheels and top-of-the-line componentry won't make any appreciable change in your endurance or speed.

focus on the frame, most important

I personally don't understand why someone would skimp on frame and then spend a ton on components -makes no sense.

Like buying a cheapo house and then putting really expensive shutters and doors on it.

Frame.

Go for the C'Dale, the CAAD7 frame was last year's top of the line model frame used by Team Saeco in all the major tours last season. The frame is the lightest ALU frame on the planet and has some serious stifness. Only thing to warn you about is that the frame's tubeset is rediculously thin, I'm talking like the thickness of a sheet of paper. It dents really really really easily. Climbs like a dream and rides fast, the Onix looks like a lopped up version of the orca....never really had any experience with it.

Thanks for the reply. My limited research showed much praise for the CAAD7 frame. I did notice how thin it is when test riding it. Seems rigid as hell though. Oh course the LBS assured me it wont fatigue as long as its not crashed or abused. Ill probably go with it. I like the idea of the carbon spanish bike... but dont know enough about it. It could be carbon for gimmicks only. The ORCA frame is the only one mentioned in the media and their own website calls the Onix the "little brother" to the orca. Sounds like its probably machine made with cheaper weave. I like the ride of aluminum(had a Allez about 4 years ago or so) so I think the choice is probably clear cut for me. Thanks for the comments.

under normal wear and tear frames last longer than components. I say Dura-ace is for people who don't have to buy their own bikes, heh. When something goes it will be much more expensive to replace. Of course I suppose you aren't going to be racing so your not likely to wear out your components so fast.
As far as carbon goes, Orbea is a quality builder so the bike is not a gimmick. But if you prefer the ride of Aluminum then you should still go with the Cannondale.
Nice bike to buy for someone that's just starting out heh.

CAAD 7 is a well engineered frame. (they put a lot of R and D into their designs) If you like how it rides then by all means go for it.

They are both really good bikes and I would take either, but it is definitly frame then the rest. Go for the one that feels best to you because really unless you are a racer comfort is the most important part.

I have a CAAD 7 frame and love it. Not only is it stiffer but it is also lighter than the Onix. My CAAD 7 with Ksy SL's, Record, Cinelli Rams, Time RSX, and the required Record CF water bottle holder is 15.62 lbs. Say what you will about the still over weight and underpowered engine, there are very few that pass us and those that do are generally in a group. On my 32 mile loop yesterday I managed a 17.4 average speed riding solo which is my best yet. Much of that really is the bike as much as I would like to take credit for it. Enjoy your new bike!

Frame first, other parts can be replaced much more easily than a frame.

Definitely frame first. The one caveat I'd have is to take your time making sure you buy the right size and a very comfortable fit if you're spending this much money. Have you owned a road bike before? I know I learned a lot about what sort of fit I like with my first road bike, which has critically influenced what I'm looking for in my 'dream bike'. Unless you really take your time ensuring you have a very good fitting frame, spending big dollars on your first roadie can be a risky proposition.

Dura Ace isn't worth the upgrade over Ultegra for a non-professional, IMHO. It offers a minor weight saving, only slightly better quality, but with a much higher price and reduced durability on some components.

UNLESS --- you need 180 mm cranks... then

I did the exact thing with the frame. I wanted an al frame with carbon stays and I settled on the 2100, it fit the best (except for the cdale) although a little heavy ( about 3.8 pounds with no fork). I bought the 2100 vs the 2300 because I did not really care about the components. I have since added the race x lite wheels, full DA10, etc. Finally I am getting a new fork and handlebars, etc. to bring the bike in under 18 pounds.

I chose Frame, Wheels, Drivetrain, Fork and Other because have the right drivetrain for someone my size is actually more important than weight. The fork is just weight (although 650 vs 340 grams is quite a bit of weight... )