mark_melb said:
bedazzle and skeptic, I think my suspisions are not unfounded...........
.......but can you all read this and maybe comment.
http://wayfarerbike.com/page.cfm?PageID=159
I think there is a lot of inaccurate information at that site. From what I've read in multiple places, Orbea's carbon frames are made in Taiwan by Martec. They are made in two pieces, the front and rear triangles, that are then glued together and painted in Spain. My Opal doesn't say "Made in Spain" anywhere on the frame, but I've seen that on one of Orbea's aluminum frames that really is made in Spain. And lifetime warranties are not "almost unheard of." My old Litespeed and my Klein mountain bike both have lifetime warranties on the frame, and a lot of other companies offer a lifetime warranty, even on carbon frames.
Now, about the sizing. I think their numbers are way off, unless you are very flexible and like having a large saddle to bar drop. The owner of the shop where I bought my Opal is a fairly young semi-professional racer and he is probably 5'8" to 5'10" and he rides a 54cm Opal. I can't imagine someone 6'0" to 6'2" or taller being very comfortable on a 54cm Orbea frame.
I rode a 57cm Litespeed Catalyst for a long time, and it was really too small for me, so I bought a 59cm Tuscany a few years ago. It fits me much better, although I would probably still be comfortable if it was 58cm. But the 57cm Litespeed I test rode was certainly too small for me.
Does the shop where you're buying your bike not have a 54cm in stock for you to test ride? If you have to drive an hour to another shop to ride a 54cm or 57cm bike, then you should do it before spending thousands of dollars. Since Orbeas come almost completely assembled, you might be able to have your shop order one in and then send it back after a brief ride if it's too small or big for you.