Please help me buy the right bicycle for my daughter.

[HGflyer]

Hello all, I apologize for coming in here with nothing to offer but to ask for direction on how I can better help my daughter in her sport.

My daughter has recently signed on two sprint triathlon events and both times she placed third and fourth in her age group and she was using a "chain store $200 bicycle"!
If that is something normal then I'm probably blinded by my fatherly love, but I believe if she had a better tool, she could've won the whole thing.
So I wan to buy her a better bicycle so she has a better chance to train and grow into the sport.
She is in college so tha means she is as well as I am on a really tight budget and can not afford luxurious items but we are as a family making an effort to get something good and appropriate for what she is doing.

She trains at a park (luckily is a big park with paved internal roads that keep her safe from cars, she rides with a group of girls that are all about triathlon).
She wants a road bike rather than a triathlon bike and I believe I agree with her, the tri bike could come later.
She has tested and liked a Cannondale Caad10, a Specialized Amira, a Orbea Orca Dama and a Specialized Alias.
So far the Caad and the Orca I can purchase around $1,100 both from last year on sale, the Amira is also from last year at $1,400.00 and the alias is the most expensive at 1,900!
I was leaning towards the Caad because is aluminum and in my mind I thought alu as sturdier tha carbon frames, the shops recommend the carbon saying it will be "softer ride" for comfort. Obviously the alias is expensive but if it makes such a huge difference I could use a credit card to finance half of it.
She likes them all and thankfully has test ride them all, but she also doesn't have a baseline to compare, I just think anything will feel better vs what she has rig now.
Just looking to spend our money wisely, some say buy the best frame possible because parts can be upgraded later but on the long run is more expensive this way, others say buy the best possible now.
Another thing that is a bit scary is about history, I recognize the Cannondale brand has been around since I was a child or even longer, I see specialized everywhere but I have never seen Orbea before so I don't know if those are as good as Cannondale and if those brands have good service or support should anything go bad.
Truly appreciate any help, I'm just trying to give her a good chance to stick and grow in the sport.
Again thank you all!
I just hope she is not reading this, she migh as well be a member here

J.

[HGflyer]

Edit: do you know if the CAAD 10 was a women's or regular modal? The geometry for the two are quite different.

Thank you Muirenn, truly appreciate your input.
I do understand geometry differences, however I'm familiar with Mountain bikes which are the ones I own and ride, road is different but I do understand the concept and how they affect body position, control and comfort.

The Caad10 she is looking at is the woman's model and comes with a mix of 105 shifters, Fsa crank and tektro brakes.

All others are also women's bikes, the Amira is tiagra and the Orbea is sora equipped.
My daughter is 5'2" petite with short legs and regular torso, right now riding a 47 men's frame and looking at a 48cm women's frame.

[HGflyer]

Thank you so much again for your elaboration and detailed feedback, it trilled helped me on narrowing the options, she likes the Caad10 the best and one of her friends rides the Amira. The one we are looking at is an Amira Sport 2014 size 48.
The Orbea is a Orbea Orca Dama Bronze size 47 and since the Alias is the most expensive with many question marks, I will just cross it out.
We are going back to the shops for her to ride them al again and make the final decision.
I do personally like the Cannondale but this is more about her and not me
I will let you know what the choice is, we will get something this week because these sale prices are due to Mother's Day so we have to act fast.
Again, thanks a million !

[ny biker]

I tend to get overwhelmed with details. If the derailleurs on the CAAD are also 105s but those on the Amira and Orbea are lower quality, and she is comfortable on the CAAD, I'd go with that.

[Eden]

Racing tends to get the bikes a little banged up, depending on what she ends up doing, so I personally wouldn't want a pricey carbon bike for that.

Not that I think this should be a huge worry… especially in tri, but aluminum is not actually particularly good for abusing… a dent in an aluminum tube can mean the bike's total demise and the lighter bike the more likely that is to happen. Bent aluminum, like say a chain stay, cannot be bent back, as aluminum fatigues easily. Carbon fails differently, but I don't think more than aluminum, so I wouldn't use that as a deciding factor.

[HGflyer]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions, finally decided on the Caanondale Caad10 5 105 womens.
We got it with a great discount and on top of it Cannondale was giving away a Garmin bicycle computer for each bike sold.
I was also able to negotiate the clip less pedals so the bicycle is ready to go out and be ridden.
Will pick up in the morning she the bike will be waiting for he when she comes back home in the afternoon!
Again, thanks a lot for all your help!
Now just waiting for the moment we surprise her with her new bike!

[thekarens]

Congrats on her new ride. Great choice!

[HGflyer]

Here it is, I will get some pictures of her riding it over the weekend, she is totally stoked!!!

[HGflyer]

Congrats on her new ride. Great choice!

Thanks, she is beyond happy with her new ride!

[HGflyer]

Great! Nice bike and inexpensive enough to upgrade the brakes if you choose, should last a long time.

We wouldn't object if you were to post pictures of the new ride.

Sure will do, we are going shopping for shoes this weekend so she can start getting used to the clip less in/out and start racking some miles on those wheels