Please help me make a difficult decision between four carbon bikes:

Fuji Professional - Dura Ace, MSRP $3500, LBS Price $2300
Giant TCR 1 - Dura Ace/Ultegra 10, MSRP $2800, LBS Price $2600
Orbea Onix - Ultegra 10, MSRP $3000, LBS Price $3000
Scott CR-1 - Ultegra 10, MSRP $3200, Est LBS Price $3000

Fuji is a great value. Really like the Onix, but no discount :( Would mostly be using the bike for centuries and charity rides. Which one would you buy for the price?

Please help me make a difficult decision between four carbon bikes:

Fuji Professional - Dura Ace, MSRP $3500, LBS Price $2300
Giant TCR 1 - Dura Ace/Ultegra 10, MSRP $2800, LBS Price $2600
Orbea Onix - Ultegra 10, MSRP $3000, LBS Price $3000
Scott CR-1 - Ultegra 10, MSRP $3200, Est LBS Price $3000

Fuji is a great value. Really like the Onix, but no discount :( Would mostly be using the bike for centuries and charity rides. Which one would you buy for the price?

Isn't the Fuji a steel frame? If yes, that is what I would go with given your expected riding. I have a friend who has a steel Fuji, and he loves it....me, I have 1 steel road bike and 2 steel mtbs.

my $0.02

peace and axle grease

Impossible to say.. Each is going to fit you differently. These are the hardest questions to answer because every bike fits differently..

Ride each one and buy the one that fits you the best. The Fuji might sound like a good deal but if it doesn't fit, you're wasting $2300

I've owned real expensive bikes and real cheap used bikes and my favorites all have one thing in common......they fit me and my riding style..

A 1cm difference in frame geometry can make a difference on how well you like a bike..that's why advice is hard to give...

Ride all the above bikes and buy the one you are most comfortable riding..

I almost bought a Fuji Pro. Loved it. Great bike, great price. Don't let anyone get you down about "Taiwan blah blah blah". I bought the Giant. Although Dura Ace felt far superior, the fit and ride were a teeny bit better for me in the giant.

I almost bought a Fuji Pro. Loved it. Great bike, great price. Don't let anyone get you down about "Taiwan blah blah blah". I bought the Giant. Although Dura Ace felt far superior, the fit and ride were a teeny bit better for me in the giant.

If you can swing the dough, the Scott is the, dare I say, blinging-est bike in the group. I have a Giant TCR though, and love it. But I'd trade it for a Scott in a second.

The truth is the Fuji is marked down the most because they come with a built in 50% margin. The other bikes listed have a a tighter margin than the Fuji and the dealer just can't move as much and doesn't have to move as much either because the other 3 will move quicker in terms of sales. That is assuming the delaer doesn't push the Fuji's hard juts to get the higher margin. Some shops are so shortsighted they'd rather make a sale than make a customer.

Fit rules as top priority, but all things being equal the Fuji would be at the bottom of the listed choices you wrote. Consider quality, resale value, and other factors and the cliche of getting what you pay for starts to hit home. I'd give the nod to the Onix or the Scott but if you go for budget get the Giant. A Yugo with nice wheels and Recarro seats is still a Yugo.....

Please help me make a difficult decision between four carbon bikes:

Fuji Professional - Dura Ace, MSRP $3500, LBS Price $2300
Giant TCR 1 - Dura Ace/Ultegra 10, MSRP $2800, LBS Price $2600
Orbea Onix - Ultegra 10, MSRP $3000, LBS Price $3000
Scott CR-1 - Ultegra 10, MSRP $3200, Est LBS Price $3000

Fuji is a great value. Really like the Onix, but no discount :( Would mostly be using the bike for centuries and charity rides. Which one would you buy for the price?


i have onix...........a great bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! had juji, no comparison

Isn't the Fuji a steel frame? If yes, that is what I would go with given your expected riding. I have a friend who has a steel Fuji, and he loves it....me, I have 1 steel road bike and 2 steel mtbs.

my $0.02

peace and axle grease

Nope... the last Fuji road bikes other than the touring and track frame to be steel were some of the 2003 models... It's really too bad, they are great frames at a very nice price leaving you plenty of room for upgrades. I have an 03 Roubaix Pro which is Reynolds 853 steel. It's a great frame! If you can find one, grab it. I've found them new via Internet search for under $1K within the last month. Ditch the OEM wheelset and have a really good bike that goes and goes and has a sweet ride... The newer ones don't have the same quality ride...

[QUOTE=
Fit rules as top priority, but all things being equal the Fuji would be at the bottom of the listed choices you wrote. Consider quality, resale value, and other factors and the cliche of getting what you pay for starts to hit home. I'd give the nod to the Onix or the Scott but if you go for budget get the Giant. A Yugo with nice wheels and Recarro seats is still a Yugo.....[/QUOTE]


Excuse me... Fuji is not the bottom of the barrel nor shoud they be compared to a Yugo...
Fuji has some very nice bikes that offer high quality components, well designed frames and great rides. Like everything else out there, there are certain things that could use improvements like the wheelsets or bar choices. But overall quality is not an issue... They use many of the same components as Giant, Onix and Scott use and if you ever get a chance to ride a Roubiax Pro with the Reynolds 853 steel frame, you might just change your opinion...

I just recently bought an Orbea Onix and love it, although mine came with Ultegra 9 components to keep the cost in line for me.

But I saw the Fuji Pro ('04) at Perfermance Bicycles yesterday. Original Price was about $3000, but they had it marked down to about $1600 and I believe there is also an additional $150 instant rebate on top of that. $1450 for a Fuji Pro is hard to pass up. It's worth a test ride if nothing else.

Cheers - Rog

"if you ever get a chance to ride a Roubiax Pro with the Reynolds 853 steel frame, you might just change your opinion"

I have ridden.

"Excuse me... Fuji is not the bottom of the barrel nor shoud they be compared to a Yugo...
Fuji has some very nice bikes that offer high quality components, well designed frames and great rides. Like everything else out there, there are certain things that could use improvements like the wheelsets or bar choices. But overall quality is not an issue."

Of the bikes listed the Fuji's have the lowest finish quality and overall attention to detail. I'm not bagging on anyone's bike here just dealing with the models at hand. He didn't ask about your Roubaix Pro, he asked about 4 distinct models, of which I have considerable experience selling 3 of the 4. Overall Fuji isn't bottom of the barrell, but of the 4 bikes listed it is....

I just recently bought an Orbea Onix and love it, although mine came with Ultegra 9 components to keep the cost in line for me.

But I saw the Fuji Pro ('04) at Perfermance Bicycles yesterday. Original Price was about $3000, but they had it marked down to about $1600 and I believe there is also an additional $150 instant rebate on top of that. $1450 for a Fuji Pro is hard to pass up. It's worth a test ride if nothing else.

Cheers - Rog

can you tell me how you like your onix?

what size? your height, etc....i have a 57 love it tons, but am thinking i should have purchased a 54 vs a 57, 5' 10 1/2, not very flexible, about 31 inseam on trousers

wdyt??

can you tell me how you like your onix?

what size? your height, etc....i have a 57 love it tons, but am thinking i should have purchased a 54 vs a 57, 5' 10 1/2, not very flexible, about 31 inseam on trousers

wdyt??

Interesting. I was actually getting a 57 when the manager of my LBS determined during my fitting that the frame was too big for me. (It felt good on the test rides though.) They actually went to a lot trouble switching out components with a 54 they had there that was about $400 more expensive than the 57 to get me on the right size frame. You might want to consider a 54 because my dimensions seem very similar to yours: I am 5' 10-1/2" with a 30" inseam.

As for a review of my Onix, I hesitate because this is my first road bike so I can't exactly offer an expert opinion. But I did test ride a bunch of different brands and frame materials. I initially wanted a Cannondale, but determined that the ride of the aluminum frame was much too stiff for my tastes. An aluminum frame with carbon seat stays made it liveable for me, but when I rode a full carbon frame, I decided that that was what I wanted.

The reason I selected the Onix over the others is that it seemed stiffer than some of the other Carbon frames I tried and it was comfortable without being too comfortable. I wanted to leave some room for growth and development as I became more fit. After just a week of riding, I already feel myself riding with a slightly lower body position, so I think I was on the right track with my thinking.

Like I said, I'm no expert, but overall I feel that the bike has responsive steering, accelerates nicely, and is comfortable for longer rides. These are all subjective observations, but the bike just feels "right" to me. Plus, I think it looks sexy. :)

Cheers - Rog

What size stem are you using and how many spacers do you have under it with the 57?

I am 5' 11", 33.5" cycling inseam, and not overly flexible. Based on my measurements I would have to run a 90mm stem on the 57 Orbea frame and that seems too short to me. The 54 would give you more options to change stems lengths if you become more flexible.

I will be purchasing an Onyx next week and have to decide whether to get it with Ultegra 9 for $2600 or Ultegra 10 for $3000. Is the $400 savings for 9 a good deal or should I go with 10. Will parts availability for Ultegra 9 become a problem within 5 years. I have not had a road bike for 15 years and I don't think I will be able to tell the difference between 9/10.
Thanks, Dewolf

Interesting. I was actually getting a 57 when the manager of my LBS determined during my fitting that the frame was too big for me. (It felt good on the test rides though.) They actually went to a lot trouble switching out components with a 54 they had there that was about $400 more expensive than the 57 to get me on the right size frame. You might want to consider a 54 because my dimensions seem very similar to yours: I am 5' 10-1/2" with a 30" inseam.

As for a review of my Onix, I hesitate because this is my first road bike so I can't exactly offer an expert opinion. But I did test ride a bunch of different brands and frame materials. I initially wanted a Cannondale, but determined that the ride of the aluminum frame was much too stiff for my tastes. An aluminum frame with carbon seat stays made it liveable for me, but when I rode a full carbon frame, I decided that that was what I wanted.

The reason I selected the Onix over the others is that it seemed stiffer than some of the other Carbon frames I tried and it was comfortable without being too comfortable. I wanted to leave some room for growth and development as I became more fit. After just a week of riding, I already feel myself riding with a slightly lower body position, so I think I was on the right track with my thinking.

Like I said, I'm no expert, but overall I feel that the bike has responsive steering, accelerates nicely, and is comfortable for longer rides. These are all subjective observations, but the bike just feels "right" to me. Plus, I think it looks sexy. :)

Cheers - Rog

Just returned from a 14 mi ride on a 57, adjusted saddle height and fore/aft, was slighty better but based on the ride and your comments i am pleased that my 54 frame is on the way

when i first looked at orbea's, the 'experts' were split between a 54 & 57, although the local orbea expert is about the same size and rides a 54 and the Orbea usa rep said that he thought a 54 would be better for me than a 57

good luck with your onix!! thanks for your comments

what size? your height, etc....i have a 57 love it tons, but am thinking i should have purchased a 54 vs a 57, 5' 10 1/2, not very flexible, about 31 inseam on trousers
I'm 6'0", 32" inseam on trousers and I ride a 54 cm Onix with a 120 mm stem and 30 mm of spacers.. My LBS spent some time with me because my torso is quite long for my height but the final decision, after some test rides, was the 54. I now have about 2000 miles on it and I'm quite happy with the fit apart from one small problem: because my torso is longer than the usual proportion, it's harder to keep weight off my hands so after a couple of hours in the saddle my hands can get somewhat numb, especially if I'm riding the drops a lot. I'm working on developing better core strength to support my upper body.

Apart from this problem, I'm delighted with the fit and feel of the bike. It's everything I've ever wanted in a bicycle.

Any of the bikes you listed I'd like to have.But not all are going to fit you or me the way we want.I personally love the TCR01 Giant.I bought mine about 9 months ago and have done countless centuries on it along with a few double centuries and I'm in love with it.I previously road a steel bike, which was nice, but the geometery was slightly off and no matter what I did I could not get comfortable on that bike.I sold it and shopped around for months before deciding on the Giant.Very glad I went with this.I've made only a few minor changes and even fewer adjustments.I can't believe how well built these bikes are.I just went over 4000 miles today on the bike and have never even taken it back for the free tune-up as I'm quite happy with the way things are.

I'm 6'0", 32" inseam on trousers and I ride a 54 cm Onix with a 120 mm stem and 30 mm of spacers.. My LBS spent some time with me because my torso is quite long for my height but the final decision, after some test rides, was the 54. I now have about 2000 miles on it and I'm quite happy with the fit apart from one small problem: because my torso is longer than the usual proportion, it's harder to keep weight off my hands so after a couple of hours in the saddle my hands can get somewhat numb, especially if I'm riding the drops a lot. I'm working on developing better core strength to support my upper body.

Apart from this problem, I'm delighted with the fit and feel of the bike. It's everything I've ever wanted in a bicycle.


thanks, makes me even more happy that i am going with 54!!

"if you ever get a chance to ride a Roubiax Pro with the Reynolds 853 steel frame, you might just change your opinion"

I have ridden.

"Excuse me... Fuji is not the bottom of the barrel nor shoud they be compared to a Yugo...
Fuji has some very nice bikes that offer high quality components, well designed frames and great rides. Like everything else out there, there are certain things that could use improvements like the wheelsets or bar choices. But overall quality is not an issue."

Of the bikes listed the Fuji's have the lowest finish quality and overall attention to detail. I'm not bagging on anyone's bike here just dealing with the models at hand. He didn't ask about your Roubaix Pro, he asked about 4 distinct models, of which I have considerable experience selling 3 of the 4. Overall Fuji isn't bottom of the barrell, but of the 4 bikes listed it is....


Excuse me for not being aware of your "considerable experience"... and for expressing my opinion by bringing up the point about "my" Roubaix Pro even though it was not on his list. Isn't this discussion supposed to be for all of us to learn and share opinion? And, if I can be helpful in any way by offering candid response about the same I certainly will. Perhaps you should re-read your initial comment... then except the part that I do not agree. It's simply my opinion about your comments.... and with due respect, you have yours.

What size stem are you using and how many spacers do you have under it with the 57?

I am 5' 11", 33.5" cycling inseam, and not overly flexible. Based on my measurements I would have to run a 90mm stem on the 57 Orbea frame and that seems too short to me. The 54 would give you more options to change stems lengths if you become more flexible.

i have a 110, inverted and 30 mm of spacers...not sure what i'll use when i trade for the 54, but am sure the 54 will work better than the 57

thanks, makes me even more happy that i am going with 54!!

are orbea's really that unvariable? 54 right up to 57? I ride a trek5000 58, and I tried a 56 and it was awfully painful. Am I misinterpreting something here? Orbea is my upgrade goal 5, 6, 7 years out\ (as thingsstand now) and I'm not sure I want something with so little range...

thx

are orbea's really that unvariable? 54 right up to 57? I ride a trek5000 58, and I tried a 56 and it was awfully painful. Am I misinterpreting something here? Orbea is my upgrade goal 5, 6, 7 years out\ (as thingsstand now) and I'm not sure I want something with so little range...

thx

Yup, the Orbea frame range is 48, 51, 54, 57, and 60. I usually fit on a 56 for most other brands (which is why I figured that a 57 would fit better than the 54,) but the 54 ended up being what worked for me.