rodey

I'm looking for a new bike and very, very torn between which to get. At my LBS, both are similarly priced. I rode both and honestly enjoyed both a lot. The Gan is $3450 and the Orca Aero is $2999. The Orca Aero is non-disk.

I like the color of the Orca Aero better (matte pearl) vs the Gan's stealth black. The ride is great on both. I don't do a ton of wet weather riding so that disk isn't necessarily essential.

My rides are mostly solo, occasionally in groups, and between 25-50 miles. Shorter after work, longer on the weekends when I have time.

Ultimately I know it's up to me, I'm just wondering if anyone can share their opinions that might help me make a choice. I really did like riding both equally, and I didn't think I would. My mind was kind of set on the Orca Aero.

Fox Farm

I have been riding Orcas since 2009, my current one is a 2012 team Spanish Euscatle (sp). It has very good handling manners. Not a light weight as some others but again, I am more interested in how the bike behaves going down hill not that it weighs 14 pounds going up hill. Never rode that Pinarello Gan, just an older one with Campy.

melikebikey35

Those are too completely different bikes (aero vs endurance), so your riding style/flexibility will be the deciding factor...if you are an aggressive rider and can handle the long/low position (and stiff ride), then go for the Orca Aero. If you are more of a laid back rider that values comfort, go for the Gan.


Personally, I'd forget about the Gan, and go for either the Orca Aero, or the standard Orca (team edition)...I own a 2018 Orca M20i Team, and absolutely love it.

Jenson USA has some deals on Orbea right now, so you could probably find a disc version with Ultegra for close to the price of the Gan.

Noahma

I personally would always go for the Orbea, I am a bit biased though, I LOVE my Avant. I guess if you were looking for endurance geometry, take a peak a the higher end Avant's. very comfortable ride. I would love to have an Orca Aero, but man I just cant get into that aggressive posture anymore lol

Dean V

Both frames have stack and reach numbers within a few mm of each other.

rodey

I'm on a 2015 Cannondale SuperSix Evo 105 5 right now that fits pretty comfy. The Gan did feel a little more relaxed as compared to the Orca Aero, but only slightly. I'm only 32 and in pretty good shape, so I'm not necessarily super worried about a cushy ride, but it had that for it.

The Orca Aero did feel more snappy and I felt like I'd be more inclined to open it up more and really get after it.

My slight paused would be as I would my way toward a century ride, would it be comfy enough?

The Orca Aero no longer has the color going for it. They'd both be in matte black on black. The shop messed up and said the one they could transfer to my location was the white, but the one in my size is actually the black. No huge issue, as I don't hate black. The Orca Aero just no longer has a point in that color uniqueness.

melikebikey35

The Orca Aero could certainty get you through a century. But, unless you are the type of rider than can average 20mph+ for the whole ride, I don't think it'd be ideal. You won't gain much form the aero aspects, and just end up be slowed down by the added weight and harshness...aero bikes are great for smashing the flats, but aren't yet to the point where they make great all-around bikes. For most riders.

That being said, I'd still rather have the Orca Aero over the Gan...but, I'd rather have the standard Orca over them both.

melikebikey35

Are you referring to the Ocra and Aero, or the Aero and Gan?

rodey

On my usual routes (which vary) I typically average between 18-18.8 mph. Not quite 20+, but I'm also working back into peak fitness.

The standard Orca wouldn't seem to be much of an upgrade over my current bike. Then again, I'm not sure the Gan would be either.

I did also look at a BMC TeamMachine and Cervelo R3, but they were slightly out of my price range, and I wasn't that find of the TeamMachine.

melikebikey35

If you get the Team edition (OMR frameset) Orca, it will be an upgrade. It would be like going from the Evo to the Hi-Mod...lighter, stiffer, more responsive. That may be something that you'd like, it may not.

The R3 is a really nice bike, as well. I picked one up a month or so ago (really wanted disc brakes, and the Orca is just a tad too small for me).
It's not as responsive as the Orca, initially, but it is very smooth and maintains speed nicely. Between it and the Orca, it's really tough for me to say which one I prefer (if you take the disc brakes out of the equation)


But, I guess the most important question is why are you wanting a new bike? What do you not like about your SuperSix?
Given your $3k-ish (I'm assuming) budget, maybe it would be best just to upgrade your current bike? A nice set of wheels, and a new groupset would provide a noticeable different

Dean V

Aero and the Gan.
At least they were for a 55 on the charts I had a quick look at.

rodey

Yes, it's the OMR version.

I don't necessarily dislike my bike, but I feel if I'm going to spend to upgrade wheelset and groupset, I may as well just upgrade the frame to more current tech.

One other question. I ride a 60 now and the LBS says I for sure need the 60 Orca Aero (I test rode the 57). But Orbea's site recommends the 57 for my height 6'2.5" and a 35.25" inseam. I don't not trust the LBS (although this is the first time I've used them), I just don't know if this is something else to think about.

melikebikey35

They really aren't that far off, are they? Actually, other than the slacker head tube angle, I don't know why they call it an "endurance bike"

melikebikey35

Wheels have a far greater impact on performance than the frame does, so I definitely recommend upgrading the wheels on the new bike when you get the chance.

The Orbea website recommend two different sizes for me, 51 according to the calculator, and 53 according to their height chart. So I asked the bike shop what they recommend, and they said go with the 51. While it worked, I definitely should have gone with the 53...I was running a 12cm saddle to bar drop on the 51, and after nearly a year of that, my hips started to hate me. I'm now on a 54 R3 and it feels a lot better.

Moral of the story is, it's kind of personal...go with whatever feels comfortable to you.
If you like how your current bike feels, go with the size that has a similar reach and stack. If you want to get more aggressive, go a size smaller.

kingston 

I'd put campy chorus and a new wheelset on the supersix if it were my money. Otherwise get the pinarello. It looks cooler than the orbea but not as cool as the supersix.

Jaeger99

I'd choose the Pinarello on looks, comfort, and the fact that I won't see a dozen of them on every ride. Plus I'm just a bit of a Pinarello fanboy.

rodey

Interesting! I actually think the Orbea looks sharper. One of the main things I like about it. Both Pinarello and Orbea are pretty uncommon around here. Mostly Trek, Specialized and Cannondale.

WhyFi

You've got a decent bike, as-is. I'd say to either a) go for a clear upgrade (and you don't seem to think that either of these is really much of a clear upgrade) or b) go for something that'll provide a different feel and/or utility (like a gravel bike that can double as an endurance bike when you pop slicks on it).

rodey

Should mention I'd be selling my Cannondale. I just feel like by the time I'm upgrading groupset and wheels, I'm more than halfway to the cost of a new bike, with better tech.

That and I'm not really interested in gravel riding.

Jaeger99

It sounds way more hardcore to obsess over specs and marginal performance gains - but looks matter to me. My bike puts a smile on my face every time I walk up to it. If the Orbea does that for you, don't discount that factor.

TrojanHorse

I have a 2017 Gan S ultegra (rim brakes)... it beats me up a little on long rides because it's more aggressive than my other bike (Spec Roubaix) but I do love riding it. Excel Sports is hawking demo F10s right now if you want to up your budget a bit. I got mine as a last year's model from bikebling in escondido for about 2400 in 2018.

Black though... would probably put me off.

rodey

One question about the Gan I haven't been able to find (maybe not looking hard enough), but what's the difference between the Gan, Gan K and Gan S?

The bike I test rode at the shop was a Gan, but it was 105. I'd want Ultegra. They said they had a Gan K at a different location in Ultegra that they could send up. Just not sure what the lettering means.

kingston 

Let's face it, for the kind of riding most of us do, a thousand dollar bike would be totally adequate. At some point, how cool you think it looks should start to become the most important factor. I've always thought the supersix frame looks fast. If I had a carbon frame it would probably be a supersix.

rodey

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It's admittedly part of the reason I'm getting a new bike. I do also think the Gan and Orca Aero look better, but that's my personal preference.

Like I said, I don't hate my bike by any means. But with wanting new wheels, a new groupset and not being super fond of the bike's paint scheme, it makes more sense to me to get a new bike.

kingston 

I don't know what colorway you have but agree that some of them are horrendous (I'm thinking the one with neon green and blue accents). Get the Orbea if you think that looks the coolest. I'm not a fan of that style of frame with the huge tubes and cutout for the rear wheel, and I'm a campagnolo guy, but whatever. It's your bike. You're the only one who has to think it looks cool.