WhyFi

Yeah, I'm not seeing much of a reason for an upgrade other than "just because," NTTAWWT. In that case, just go for whichever will give you more pride of ownership to get your ass in the saddle as much as possible.

melikebikey35

From what I can make of it, Gan is the base/105 model. Gan K has Ultegra, and a more relaxed (true endurance) geometry. Gan S was the racier version with more aggressive geometry, and a higher grade carbon...but it looks like it hasn't been produced since 2018?

So, I think your only option is the K if you want Ultegra

rodey

Huh, yeah, I think you're correct.

I tested the Gan and liked the frame feel. Not sure how much different the K would be, but I don't know that I'd want something more relaxed.

Definitely want Ultegra, though. The shifting just feels much smoother than 105 to me.

melikebikey35

The sizing between the Gan and Gan K is very strange, to say the least, but it looks like it's not that much of a difference in the larger sized frames that you would need. But on the smaller end (ie. 53) there is a very noticeable difference...

Yah, a lot of people will say that 105 and Ultegra perform the same, but I definitely noticed a difference when I first made the jump. Does the Orca Aero you are looking at have 105 or Ultegra?

rodey

Yeah, the Orca Aero is Ultegra. Might try the Gan out again, but if they can't get the Gan in Ultegra, that might be a deal breaker (leaning towards the Orca Aero anyway).

I may give the BMC's they threw me on another shot too. They had me try a TeamMachine Ultegra that was on sale for $3600 and a RoadMachine 105 that was $2999. I liked both a decent bit.

Assuming I still like the Orca when I ride it in my proper size, it might end up being the best choice. It's full Ultegra at $2999, which is hard to pass up.

melikebikey35

The Teammachine SLR01 is the bike that I really, REALLY wanted, but it was just too expensive when I was pricing all the bikes out.
But, of course, I see the exact bike (in my size) a few weeks later is now on sale...if only I would have been a little more patient

It does seem like you have your mind set on the Orca Aero, and $3k with Ulegra is a good deal.

rodey

Yeah, the BMC I rode and liked most was the Teammachine SLR02 Disc Two. They had it marked down on sale to $3600. That's a little more than I want to spend, but I do have that wiggle room.

I might give it another ride. They were throwing a lot of bikes at me to try, so I didn't spend a lot of time on that one. I do remember liking it/thinking it felt a lot like my SuperSix Evo. The shop mechanic also handpicked that one as being one he loved (though he also said Orbea was really quality).

melikebikey35

If you like the way the Teammachine felt, personally, I'd go that route. Simply for fact that it has disc brakes and the Orbea doesn't.

The added performance and confidence they give you are 100% worth the $600 difference...at least I think so