Orbea Ora or Cervelo P2C

Triathlon Forum
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I am shopping for a new triathlon bike in the $2500 - $3500 range. I had pretty much decided on the Cervelo P2C, but I was in a shop the other day and fell in love with the Orbea Ora with DuraAce. The dealer insisted that the Orbea was a much better bike. Since then, I have heard both sides, and some that say that the Ora is not very aerodynamic. I have yet to ride either bike, so assuming that both bikes feel great when I ride them, what do you all think about the comparison of these two bikes? Which is better and why? Which is faster? (I want to be fast!) If it makes any difference, I’m a female, about 5’5…and have a pretty decent power output.

Thanks in advance for your opinions and suggestions!

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It’s all about FIT. And, go to this website ( http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/) and look at the reviews Tom provides about the P2C. Further, look at the comparison he does on some bikes in the $2500 category. Good stuff. I might be a touch biased because I have a new P2C and love it. However, it was the bike that FIT me best for my budget and I rode/tested a bunch. Good Luck!

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P2C - you won’t be disappointed. Cervelo has excellent customer service.

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The most important difference between both bikes is that the Orbea has a slacker seat tube angle. If you want a low aggressive position, the orbea is probably not a wise choice.

You should ask your dealer why he thinks the Ora is a much better bike. It is DEFINITELY a less aerodynamic, heavier frame and more expensive bike. Unless you want to ride a relatively shallow angle tri bike, this is a no brainer.

Francois in Montreal

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I really love the Ora… in fact I really love everything Orbea has ever put out.

I bought the P2C. Enough said :slight_smile:

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So what is everyone using as a basis for the assumption that the Ora is not very aerodynamic? What are the drawbacks to the Ora, other than the you won’t be able to ride as steep?

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I have a 2007 Orbea Ora. I am a female and 5’5. I do not ride an extremely agressive positon, but am very comfortable on my bike, which allows me to go faster and run better. I have not tried the P2C so I can’t compare the two directly. I go fast on my bike, but I didn’t magically gain a lot of speed when I switched from my old tri bike to this one as my old bike was pretty good as well. I recommend the Ora, but see what fits you the best.

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sharp edges, not smooth trailing edges. taller headtube. the rear dropouts aren’t horizontally adjustable. Orbea is garbage go with the P2C, if you can fit on it aggresively.

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I have never bought a Orbea but I have bought six Cervélo bikes (Dual, Soloists, P2SL and P3C) and I have had zero bad experiences with the brand. Something else is that recently I had the oportunity to know direct from the persons in charge of the operations what is behind their design and manufacturing. They IMO are doing more than any other company to build the best bikes for TT/Triahtlon.

I would choose the P2C.

Sergio

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“The dealer insisted that the Orbea was a much better bike because his margin on it is much greater”.

Fixed.

11

My two cents:

A few months ago I was in a similar situation to you. I had decided on either the P2C or QR Lucero, but really liked the Ora. Unfortunately, I could not find dealers who sold the Ora for anywhere less than $3500, far higher than the $2699 MSRP for the Ultegra build. One day I was in my local tri shop (an Orbea dealer) and they had a blue and white Ora for $2799. I eventually ended up purchasing this bike. Here are the pros and cons as far as I see them.

The classic: which fits you better? For me the Ora fit great. But I’m also a 6’0" male, not a 5’5" female.

Which LBS’s sell which bikes? Don’t forget that you are also buying a dealer. From school, I have to drive 4 hours to get to the nearest Cervelo dealer and 90 minutes to get to the nearest Orbea dealer. From home it’s 2 hours or 45 minutes. I’ve also been buying running shoes from the Orbea dealer for years and have a great relationship with the shop’s owner and all the employees. I would have much rather dealt with these guys than go to a shop I had no relationship with or mail-order.

Can you get the Ora at MSRP? A lot of shops sell the Ora for much more than Orbea recommends. If your shop is one of these, it is likely not as cost-effective as the P2C. Like I said, I got the Ultegra build for $2800, many shops sell this build for $3500. I would not have paid that price. $2500 for the P2C is a great price.

The Ora is the exact same design as the old Ordu, with a lower quality carbon fiber. This is the same design Craig Alexander rode to his second place finish and Kate Major to her third at Kona. I’m sure you are also well aware of Chrissie Wellington’s victory on the P2C and Rutger Beke has been known to ride it as well. IMO, neither design is a slouch and both can go very fast with the right rider and the correct fit.

“We are very picky with our sponsors and would rather race for dollars than just take anything that comes along…our amazing relationship with Orbea continues. Orbea have what we truly believe to be the best bikes we’ve ever ridden and the best bike company we have ever dealt with.” - Greg Bennet on his and Laura’s sponsorship.

One downside to the Ora is this: Orbea just updated the Ordu to a different design. This to me, is an admission that the old design could go faster. However, the same thing could be said about the P3C and and the P2C.

The P2C is a great bike, but I don’t think the Ora is getting its fair respects paid in this thread. Take everything with a grain of salt and remember, none of us actually know you or what would be best for you.

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So what is everyone using as a basis for the assumption that the Ora is not very aerodynamic? What are the drawbacks to the Ora, other than the you won’t be able to ride as steep?

I am going to respond, then duck for cover as the Cervelo mafia comes after me. I have nothing negative to say about the P2C, but, the Ora is not getting a fair shake at all.

The Ora is not very aerodynamic? Really? Well, even assuming that is true, does it matter? Addressed in depth here and no one can justify substantial real world value of wind tunnel numbers for long distance triathlon. So, this factor should get little, if any consideration:

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=1708483;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

The Ora has a higher/larger headtube, therefore, it is not as aero. Really? Nothing I love seeing more than those short-headed P2C’s stacked w/ spacers b/c many, many riders cannot ride that short a head tube.

What are the drawbacks to the Ora other than not riding steep? Well, you are riding slack. Which may not be a bad thing, depending on comfort. Also, you are getting full DA and Profile Cobra T2+ cockpit.

Is it fast? Fast enough for the pros listed in another thread.

Get fitted and see which bike fits you best. THEN make your decision.

I’m gonna go duck for cover now …

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Were you shopping in Rockford, Illinois. If you were I think I emailed you about the two bikes. I work at a shop in Rockford that sells the Orbea and my boss gave me the contact info of a guy that came in looking at the Ora and the P2C. If you are still interested and this is the same guy I will tell you that if you are looking at the Cervelo P2C you could also look at the TTX. Both frames are very fast. The Trek is a very fast bike as well. And I have a friend that works at a Cervelo dealer, the margin is the same on the Orbea and the Cervelo. I owned an Ora last year and found the bike to be very very fast. I was able to do many long rides on it without any complications, and the bike was smoooooth. The Cervelo is also a very fast bike and the ride quality that is just as good but that bike is very hard to get as Cervelo is backordered on them for awhile. The TTX is also a very fast bike as well and has a tried and tru geometry.

Getting into an aggressive stance if you are looking at long distance events is not as important as being in a position that allows for excellent power transfer, good aerodynamics and a comfortable position to be in the aerobars for the better part of the ride. You could be set up in a very aerodynamic position but if you cant sit in the Aerobars you are not going to be as fast.

This is just my take on things. If you are still interested and you were the guy shopping in Rockford come back into the shop and ask for Jordan, I can help you out, from an athletes perspective, not just from a shop owners perspective.

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Actually, I would argue that the weakness of the Ora is exactly the example you point when you see P2C’s with lots of spacers. The Ora headtube, is SHORT, not tall! For example, the Ora w/ a TT of 56.5 has a headtube of just over 11cm. The P2C with the TT of 56 has a full 5cm more stack in the front with a 16cm HT. I would also mention that the Ora w/ the 56.5cm TT and 11cm HT is the largest on offer in the Orbea range.
I think the Ora has great aesthetic appeal, and I sell both the Cervelo and the Orbea lines. I really would like to see Orbea add some HT length in future model years.

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roadie21 - Nope, I’m not a guy from Rockford, IL. I’m a girl from TN. Thanks for all the info though.

I really appreciate the all the opinions and info you guys have taken time to give me on this issue. Feel free to keep them coming!

I know that I just need to go ride both of the bikes and see if one just feels better to me than the other. It’s just kind of a mental thing, though, that if I’m going to go out spend $3000 on a bike I want to make sure that I have purchased the fastest bike for my money. When I hop on the bike, I want to feel like I am on the fastest machine that I can afford…ya know what I mean? However, if the differences in the aerodynamics of the 2 bikes are not going to make any difference to a 5’5, 125 lb. female age grouper then I might just go with the one that I think looks the best - assuming they both fit me the same. Does my size matter at all?

Also - I was wanting to get Zipp 808’s, but was told that they would be too heavy for someone my size, and that I should go with the Zipp 404 or possibly a Rolf Vigor. Comments on this?

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Also - I was wanting to get Zipp 808’s, but was told that they would be too heavy for someone my size, and that I should go with the Zipp 404 or possibly a Rolf Vigor. Comments on this?

Yeah, see if you can find a new bike shop, you are getting a pile of bad advice from the one you’re going to now.

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Both bikes will not feel great when you ride them, so you’ll have an easy choice. Those bikes are diametrically opposed in terms of how they are supposed to fit. The Orbea is meant to be ridden at 74deg. The P2C at 78deg. If you like one, you’ll hate the other.

Trends tend to indicate you’ll want the P2C. Most people seem to be happiest about 79deg. But there are always outliers The Orbea is an extreme outlier bike.

I probably wouldn’t even bother looking at the Orbea. It’s not really a competitor to the P2C. I’m not really sure what it is a competitor to…

18

Hi

at 5-5, you can (IMHO) go 48/650c on P2C…700c on a slack euro bike with a short front center is a train wreck.

Obviously, I have never seen you, so my assumptions MUST be forgiven. :slight_smile:

If you can, Take a look at the $3400 Jamis T1. in a small.
Because it uses 700c it “MAY” not be small enough…but it could. Certainly better than any Ordu/Ora…(sorry Orca/Orbea:( )

I am Big in the NorthWestern Tri/Cycling world (and old too boot.) And despite the fact that my emporium does not sell Cervelo dirctly…I probably facilitate the sales of more Cervelo’s in the Northwestern USA than any 1 official dealer. (a long winded way of saying “I like the brand!”)

That bias disclosed, I must say that I am SHOCKED at the level of basic AND minute Awesomeness given forth by the new Jamis.
They have never been on my A-List tri podium (Cervelo/Felt/ Litespeed)…until now.
Search HERBERT and his build of the Jamis T2 frameset…very pimp.

Below $3200 there is NOTHING as good as P2C…remember, I am a Litespeed/Jamis/QRoo dealer
I am just an Angry Bitch who speaks his brutal truth
:slight_smile:

Tom Price

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i have to say like muffintop… your bike shop is giving you TONS of bad advice. 808 is not a heavy wheel and it isnt for anyone…even a 90lbs…

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Kate Major’s Orbea was not totally stock. Before it took her to third in Kona, it went through some aero tweaking with John Cobb.

To the original poster, in your price range Cervelo and Felt both make smaller sized bikes with 650 wheels that will **probably **reflect better fit parameters than the Orbea.