Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
these are totally different bikes in both components and feel. Not sure how you landed on them, but I wouldnt suggest either for someone who is totally new to riding.
The orbea is carbon fiber, 1x drivetrain, and $1000 more. Head tube angle looks relaxed and it will probably have higher trail(a guess since the website doesnt list fork offset).
The bianchi is aluminum, 2x drivetrain, and head tube angle is closer to typical endurance road geometry. It will probably be lower trail, but not positive since the website doesnt list fork offset.
Both have relatively high bottom brackets for gravel road bikes.
Anyways, if these are the 2 you want, then I guess figure out if you want a 1x or 2x drivetrain. Also consider if you want a higher trail or lower trail bike(which you wont know without riding them. They feel different though). Last would be material, at least for me.
Good luck.
Thanks. I don’t know much about the terminology (eg 1x drivetrain) so i I guess I have some researching to do.
as for the head tube angle difference you mentioned , what does the difference translate to in the real world? Would one be more relaxed and comfortable than the other?
I can test ride the Orbea but not the bianchi as none of the shops here in Ontario have the 2020 models. Is a 5 minute test ride sufficient to notice such differences in ride quality? Or should I ask for a significantly longer test ride?
and out of curiosity, what gravel bikes would you recommend for a beginner like me? Thanks again to you and everyone else so far I really appreciate it.