Orbea Team Euskatel

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Purchase?

Model Year:
2003

Favorite Ride:
Legend Ti

Bike Setup:
Full Chorus
Velocity Deep-V rims w/Chorus hubs 14gauge DTs for training; Ksyrium SLs for racing
ITM Millenium bar/stem
Easton EC-70 Seat-post

Summary:
A great all-around race bike... for the lighter crowd. I'm 6ft and weigh in at 135 lbs and my riding style is that of mostly spinning. Climbing was great. It didn't fly out from under me, but it wasn't dead like a old spongy carbon frame. When I attacked it didn't give in to much heavy torque, just went forward. It handled great, not like a twitchy crit bike. I rode about 250-400 miles per week for about 3 years. Not a single complaint about rough riding. It's one of my top five greatest bikes. I placed 4th in the cat3 SDSR GC in 2004 with this bike. Just love it.

Strengths:
Great handler
Relatively light
Quick acceleration while sprinting/climbing
Nice and smooth ride
Great Paint-job

Weaknesses:
Seat-post slipped into the frame a lot. To prevent slippage I had to score the inside of the shim to create a rough surface. It did work, and I was happy ever since... although it did creak if I idiotically humped the seat.
This frame might be to soft for riders over 160 pounds.

Similar Products Used:
Legend Ti
GIANT TCR Comp
Specialized S-Works E5 Aluminum team frame
Casati MU-2
Quattro Assi Team 2000
Colnago Steel Frame (Mid 90's)
BRAYTON custom steel frame (by Derek Brayton)
LOOK 386
Orbea Orca

Price Paid:  $1700.00 at eBay

Model Year:
2003

Favorite Ride:
Kestrel Talon

Bike Setup:
Dura Ace Drivetrain and Brake Levers

Oval Concepts A700 Calipers

Zeus post, bars, and stem.

Nokon Carbon Shift Cables

Nokon Bake Cables

FIZIK Saddle

Mavic Kry's SSC

Summary:
The Blue/Orange Euskaltel paint scheme is one of the most beautiful Frames ever made in any type . . . ever. And it performs, And it's Light when outfitted with a top shelf group and Wheels. Climbs good and descends like a steel ball. The '03 Carbon Rear rides and descends smoother than my 04 full Aluminum starship, but not as light and takes more effort to mantain pace climbing. It does seem stiffer than the all alum, especially when cranking a high torque when sprinting. Mainly bought it for it's looks though. Pretty rare frame that will only get harder to find. I only gave it a medium Value rating because I probably could have got an ORCA or Tarmac for what I paid for this Alum/Carb frame, but it is a increasingly rare frame that I wanted to get in my size while the eBay gettin' was good (And obviously 4 or 5 other cyclist agreed)

Strengths:
Fairly light, Rides like a full carbon when descending and sprinting. Looks like a moving MONET Painting that belongs in a museum. Very comfortable smooth riding bike on flats.

Weaknesses:
Doesn't climbs as well as the Arin or all Alum Starship. (Although it climbs sufficiently)



All Orbea's seem very vulnerable to cable rub because of the Routing brackets set the housing back so far on the Head Tube and it rubs in . . . real fast! And with ORBEA's Klein-like meticulous non-decaled Paint schemes, scuffs, rubs, and chips are more pronounced.

Similar Products Used:
Kestrel Talon SL '06 Road Equiped

ORBEA Sprint (Steel Fram w/Carbon Seatstays) '05

ORBEA STARSHIP '04 Euskaltel All ALum

Scott Speedster s60 (Commuter)

Price Paid:  $1700.00 at Ebay

Model Year:
2003

Favorite Ride:
Square Lake area

Bike Setup:
Dura-Ace 7800, Easton EC90 SLX fork, Kestrel EMS Pro carbon bars, FSA OS-115 stem, FSA headset, Selle San Marco Aspide Ti saddle, Forte carbon post, Easton Circuit wheels, Michelin Krylion carbon tires, Crank Bros Quattro Ti pedals, Cateye Astrale 8 computer.

Summary:
I absolutely love this Orbea Euskaltel team bike. Bought the Starship Carbon compact geometry frame and Easton EC90 SLX fork in perfect condition for $430 on Ebay and built up with parts off Ebay and Nashbar returns. The Columbus Starship 6000 AL tubing combined with carbon stays is ridiculously light and responsive and yet stiff without being harsh. Feels more connected to the road compared to my friends' all carbon bikes. Handling is nimble - climbs and descends well. Gorgeous paint with no decals. Dura-Ace 7800 shifts crisply. 1-piece Kestrel EMS Pro bars absorb vibration and don't flex. Built to 16.0 lbs without pedals.

Strengths:
Light and responsive yet all-day comfortable. Uncommon.

Weaknesses:
Absolutely no problems.

Price Paid:  $1000.00 at Way Past Fast

Model Year:
2004

Bike Setup:
I have the frame built out with Campy Chorus 10 speed with a Zeus carbon fork and a Deda Carbon seat post. My race wheels are Mavic Ksyrium Elite tubulars (with Conti Sprinter tubs) and my training wheels are Mavic Open Pros.
$1000.00 is for frame and fork!

Summary:
The Orbea is my FIRST non-steel road bike I have ever owned. I must say it has definitely lived up to all of my expectations. The bike is fast on the flats, quick out of the corners and climbs like a dream. On LSD rides the bike is VERY comfortable. Anyone who complains about a harsh ride with aluminum has never ridden this thing, not a harsh ride at all! It is just as plush as my steel stallion! I’m 5 foot 8 (on a full moon) and have a race weight of 148. 40 year old Masters racer.

Strengths:
every thing

Weaknesses:
not a thing!

Similar Products Used:
none only steel bike,most recent is a Colnago

Price Paid:  $4100.00 at King's - San Pedro

Model Year:
2004

Favorite Ride:
Santiago Canyon, Malibu Canyon

Bike Setup:
10 speed Dura-Ace, ITM bar and stem, and Ksyrium SL's

Summary:
This bike was a dream to ride! At first anyway. Long rides, fast crits, it seemed to do it all. However, it does have a major flaw.
I've had the bike a little over a year now and I can't get the frame to hold a seatpost without slipping. I've broke 3 USE carbon posts, 1 Easton carbon post, and 1 Deda carbon post. I'm sure these were all broken due to over tightening the seat clamp. I've also tried a USE titanium, and a Dura-Ace aluminum. These didn't break, but they also don't stay in adjustment. I tried 3 different seatpost clamps, and none work better than the other. Orbea has been little or no help at all. They say it's not the frames fault, there must have been a problem with all 7 of the seatposts I used.
I've heard several different ways to solve this problem such as, gluing the seatpost to the shim, using two sided tape on the seatpost and shim, and not using a shim at all but to use small strips of old tubes to hold the seatpost in place. All of these ideas sound pretty hooky to me.
At this point, I have to carry a allen wrench with me on my rides and make an adjustment to my seatpost about every 30 miles. After talking with other Starship owners, I found out I'm not the only one with this problem. It's a shame that an otherwise wonderful bike can go right down the crapper because of such a minor design flaw.
Oh yeah...and did I mention I only weigh 155 pounds!

Strengths:
All the components I used on this bike work perfect! I wish I could say the same for the frame.

Weaknesses:
Guess