New Kinesis Aithein v CAAD12 or keep 2007 Orbea Opal?

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overture
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:55 am

by overture

What are people's opinions on selling the Orbea and either building up a Kinesis Aithein, or going with a stock CAAD12 ultegra?
Appreciate that they're completely different beasts, but my thoughts are along the lines of current alu engineering having an edge over 10 year old carbon?



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Last edited by overture on Mon Aug 08, 2016 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Marin
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Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

Do it. It'll be fun.

by Weenie


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MikeyBE
Posts: 244
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2014 6:59 pm

by MikeyBE

I've got an Aithein. It will certainly have an edge over decade old carbon. This is top flight alloy, and it is better than my 2012 carbon Cinelli.

fignonsbarber
Posts: 146
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:24 pm

by fignonsbarber

Get rid of that Orbea Opal. I raced on one of those from 2006-2009. It was not a great handling bike, to put it mildly. You will be pleasantly surprised to get on any modern performance bike. Never ridden an Aithein, but looks nice.

overture
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:55 am

by overture

MikeyBE wrote:I've got an Aithein. It will certainly have an edge over decade old carbon. This is top flight alloy, and it is better than my 2012 carbon Cinelli.


Cheers - it's become a toss up between the Aithein and caad 12. With club riders raving about both in equal measure.

fignonsbarber wrote:Get rid of that Orbea Opal. I raced on one of those from 2006-2009. It was not a great handling bike, to put it mildly. You will be pleasantly surprised to get on any modern performance bike. Never ridden an Aithein, but looks nice.


In what way did you find it handled poorly? What are you riding these days?

Broady
Posts: 676
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:02 pm

by Broady

CAAD and Aithein are both great, go with which one suits your fit best.

fignonsbarber
Posts: 146
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:24 pm

by fignonsbarber

overture wrote:
fignonsbarber wrote:Get rid of that Orbea Opal. I raced on one of those from 2006-2009. It was not a great handling bike, to put it mildly. You will be pleasantly surprised to get on any modern performance bike. Never ridden an Aithein, but looks nice.


In what way did you find it handled poorly? What are you riding these days?


On fast downhills, especially on rougher roads, it was almost uncontrollable. Neither overly comfortable nor responsive.There are a couple other guys here who road them as well, and we still talk about those bikes. It was my first carbon bike, and my first sloping tt bike, ( had always ridden traditional tt's).
Now, I ride Canyon Ult CF SLX, Cyfac Proxidium, and Bixxis Prima.
I think you will really like a more current bike.

overture
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:55 am

by overture

fignonsbarber wrote:
overture wrote:
fignonsbarber wrote:Get rid of that Orbea Opal. I raced on one of those from 2006-2009. It was not a great handling bike, to put it mildly. You will be pleasantly surprised to get on any modern performance bike. Never ridden an Aithein, but looks nice.


In what way did you find it handled poorly? What are you riding these days?


On fast downhills, especially on rougher roads, it was almost uncontrollable. Neither overly comfortable nor responsive.There are a couple other guys here who road them as well, and we still talk about those bikes. It was my first carbon bike, and my first sloping tt bike, ( had always ridden traditional tt's).
Now, I ride Canyon Ult CF SLX, Cyfac Proxidium, and Bixxis Prima.
I think you will really like a more current bike.


That's interesting to hear. I built the frame up after buying it NOS a couple of years back to start racing on. My other bikes are steel, which are incomparable but a joy to ride. But have done a few hundred miles on a friend's Ritte, which felt much more ride-able despite being much more stiff, responsive etc.

Nice line up of bikes you've got! Bixxis Prima are particularly gorgeous.

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