trade in my orbea dama race?

[smilingcat]

I was looking at e-bay...

came across an Litespeed Bella '06 (pink) 48cm. My current bike is Orbea Dama race '05 (blue) 53cm. The bike is tad too big for me. Swapped out for a shorter stem and my seat is pushed all the way forward but I'm still streched out just a bit. (my knee is still at the right place in comparison to the pedal). But Bella might be tad too small :mad: Most of my bike has been 51cm frame.

not sure if I want to switch to Bella. If I buy the Bella and sell my Dama race, it may not cost me too much. The component on Bella is something I prefer over my Dama, which has Centaur Campy components and I'm not impressed at all yarn!!!. And not sure if it is a step down to go from Dama Race to Bella.

well window shopping is always fun. :p
smilingcat

[ehirsch83]

I have a Bella frame, I love it but... The other frame I was looking at when I bought it was the Orbea Diva. And there are definite days when I wish I had gone with the Diva. I don't always feel like I get the acceleration with the TI that I did with the carbon(I used to have a full carbon bike). But at the same time it might also be my heavy training wheels. Just got my race wheels in so I will see how the acceleration changed with them.

All in all though, I love the Bella, I have a 48 and I am 5'6, with long legs and a little bit shorter torso. She handles great, climbs like a charm, and you don't feel anything under you. That is part of why I chose the frame, I didn't feel like I had anything under me-very smooth. I did put on carbon fork,seatpost, and handle bars though- so it is a very nice mix between the two materials. Any more questions let me know!

[smilingcat]

thank you... window shopping may have to get real size is okay for you and you're 5' 6" and I'm 5' 4" actually about 1/2" shy... :D

smilingcat

[ehirsch83]

I do have my seatpost almost all the way up though... And I am a little shy of 5'6, probably more around 5'5 and a half,hehe. I will take pictures of my bike and get them up here for you tomorrow so you can see how high up my seatpost is.(I broke my digital, so I will get a disposable and then get them developed tomorrow evening).

[smilingcat]

WAHHHH!!!!!

I lost out on Litespeed Bella on e-bay. :( :( :(

The good news is that I made the other person PAY dearly. (not enough) but still... brand new Litespeed bella 48cm frame with Ultegra went for cheap $2005.02

Sheesh... I can't afford that even with selling of my Dama Race.

----------
Well still looking at a frame and fork. Looked in my junk boxes of spare parts.
Gots. two sets of shimano 600 brake calipers (precursor to ultegra), Extra front wheel but with 105 hub. Throw that on my trainer and use the ulegra hub mavic wheel from the trainer for the "new bike" I'm looking at.
Have an extra stem, extra seat (not keen on th terry but it'll do)
spare brake cable and shifter cable...
And in the garage, should have a spare BB, cranks, set of chain rings, and do I still have a spare ultegra deraillur??
two sets of skewers (how did I endup without the wheel???)

Soo only things missing are rear wheel with cassette, bull horn, clip ons, cable housing brake levers, shifters and bar tape.

Smilingcat

[mimitabby]

WAHHHH!!!!!



The good news is that I made the other person PAY dearly. (not enough) but still... brand new Litespeed bella 48cm frame with Ultegra went for cheap $2005.02

Sheesh... I can't afford that even with selling of my Dama Race.

Smilingcat

I love when that happens. Have been on both sides of this equation.
so did the experience make you want to get a new bike or...?

[flashburner]

Hi,
I don't usually go to women's forums but came across this thread and couldn't resist. I was also trying to buy this bike. Wanted it for my girlfriend's birthday present. Took it up to $2000.00 and then went to $2500.00, but was about 3 seconds too slow. :( I recently got a Litespeed Vortex and I love it - thought it would be cool if we had matching brand bikes. Guess I'll have to go to LBS and buy it for her there. '06 models seem to be going for about $2599.00 now, was about $3500.00 not too long ago. Maybe will be less in another few months.

[elk]

I love when that happens. Have been on both sides of this equation.
so did the experience make you want to get a new bike or...?

So Mimi...what were you thinking...? what's the "or?"

[ehirsch83]

Hi,
I don't usually go to women's forums but came across this thread and couldn't resist. I was also trying to buy this bike. Wanted it for my girlfriend's birthday present. Took it up to $2000.00 and then went to $2500.00, but was about 3 seconds too slow. :( I recently got a Litespeed Vortex and I love it - thought it would be cool if we had matching brand bikes. Guess I'll have to go to LBS and buy it for her there. '06 models seem to be going for about $2599.00 now, was about $3500.00 not too long ago. Maybe will be less in another few months.

If you can find a LBS that has an older model that they are trying to move off the floor, you might be able to get it around 2400.00(I was told that price for a '05 that was still at my LBS when I was in albuquerque). But.. You probably won't get much less than that, because they still need to break even. The bike itself, for the '06, probably cost the store right around 2300.00, so they won't be dropping lower then that, (just a guess). I have an '07, but I bought only the frame, and I EPed it. I don't like saying what I paid for things, but I will tell you that I paid just under what you bid up to for that bike.

So, good luck on getting it! It is a great bike. I will tell you though, that if you get it for her- switch out the fork. It is one of the reasons, besides wanting to piece together my own baby, that I opted not to by the full bike. The full bike that I tested at my LBS, before I ordered my frame, was an '06 stock from Litespeed,(I think it is a real design fork). It has a lot of toe-overlap! I put a Reynolds Ouza Pro fork on mine, and I rarely get the overlap(only if I get lazy at a light and let my front wheel twist to much). But on the two test rides that I took the stock Bella out on(each around 20 miles) I had a lot of issues with the toe-overlap with the front wheel.

[ilima]

It might have been too small for you anyway. Sounds like it was an XS, and I suspect the S may have been better for you. I'm 5' 4", too and I ride a unisex Merlin (Ti rocks!!) with a 52cm top tube length, although I have a shortish (80mm) stem.

I can tell you I love, love, love titanium's ride; it was a big change from the teeth-chattering ride of my aluminum Felt!


WAHHHH!!!!!

I lost out on Litespeed Bella on e-bay. :( :( :(

The good news is that I made the other person PAY dearly. (not enough) but still... brand new Litespeed bella 48cm frame with Ultegra went for cheap $2005.02

Sheesh... I can't afford that even with selling of my Dama Race.

----------
Well still looking at a frame and fork. Looked in my junk boxes of spare parts.
Gots. two sets of shimano 600 brake calipers (precursor to ultegra), Extra front wheel but with 105 hub. Throw that on my trainer and use the ulegra hub mavic wheel from the trainer for the "new bike" I'm looking at.
Have an extra stem, extra seat (not keen on th terry but it'll do)
spare brake cable and shifter cable...
And in the garage, should have a spare BB, cranks, set of chain rings, and do I still have a spare ultegra deraillur??
two sets of skewers (how did I endup without the wheel???)

Soo only things missing are rear wheel with cassette, bull horn, clip ons, cable housing brake levers, shifters and bar tape.

Smilingcat

[smilingcat]

Just for a back up, I managed to win on e-bay a k2 MOD 6 frame. Pretty cheap outbid the next person by mere $3.00 heh! $250.00 Hope its good as he says it is...

Also picked up a brand new XERO LITE XR-1 wheels.

Well if the K2 frame doesn't perform as well as I want, I can sell the frame again for not much lost.

still I prefer to have a ti frame. :o

If I win on GIANT TCR or win trinity TT frame (or both) I'll sell the k2 frame and even my Orbea.

Been searching for Bella but they were all near $3,000 or was it $4,000???

Hopefully, I'll be on a bike that FITS. Orbea is a great bike but no-fit is not good.

Now have to scrounge up the components to make a complete bike.

Smilingcat