Orbea Gain E-Road Bike

[Zeek48]

Just got mine today. Can I charge both it and the bike battery at the same time by keeping the aux battery plugged into the bike and the charger to the aux battery? Also, it did not come with mounting screws and washers. I just used the ones that came with the bike. Is that OK and should I have gotten mounting screws and washers with the battery?

Good questions Mike. My understanding is yes you can charge both which be convenient. Is it really heavy? My fear is it is

Would've thought if you needed something other than your bottle cage screws it should've shipped with them.

I'm picking mine up a week this Thursday at the bike shop. Taking my bike in for a check up at same time. Thought I'd get to check out some of the things we have been reading about here. Headsets, spokes etc.

 

[MikeDee]

Good questions Mike. My understanding is yes you can charge both which be convenient. Is it really heavy? My fear is it is

Would've thought if you needed something other than your bottle cage screws it should've shipped with them.

I'm picking mine up a week this Thursday at the bike shop. Taking my bike in for a check up at same time. Thought I'd get to check out some of the things we have been reading about here. Headsets, spokes etc.

It feels like a couple of full water bottles (about 4 lbs.) Let us know if there's a firmware update when you take the bike in for service.

 

[Zeek48]

It feels like a couple of full water bottles (about 4 lbs.) Let us know if there's a firmware update when you take the bike in for service.

 

[MikeDee]

I think the bottle cage screws are aluminum, as they're non magnetic and very light. I think I'll use some stainless screws for strength, since the battery is relatively heavy... The instructions seem to indicate that I should have gotten screws with the battery.

 

[Zeek48]

It feels like a couple of full water bottles (about 4 lbs.) Let us know if there's a firmware update when you take the bike in for service.

Well I got my battery extender today. It is as I feared, a little heavier than expected. Going to give it a test drive tomorrow. Looking forward to doing a Century Ride at the end of November.

Had my selling LBS check out out the bike. Headset was a little loose and they tightened it for me. They mentioned that they felt this is an issue with FSA headsets not unique to the Orbea or the Gain as they have encountered it previously.

Other than that everything checked out. No firmware updates that they were aware of.

 

[MikeDee]

Well I got my battery extender today. It is as I feared, a little heavier than expected. Going to give it a test drive tomorrow. Looking forward to doing a Century Ride at the end of November.

Had my selling LBS check out out the bike. Headset was a little loose and they tightened it for me. They mentioned that they felt this is an issue with FSA headsets not unique to the Orbea or the Gain as they have encountered it previously.

Other than that everything checked out. No firmware updates that they were aware of.

I used my battery 4 times since I got it. One glitch was it didn't display the power remaining correctly on one or two rides. It stayed white until the battery was depleted.

 

[Zeek48]

Question for those with a battery extender... Went for my first ride with mine. About half way through ride my assist button started flashing pink. Turned it on/off a couple times and it quit. This happened 2-3 times during ride. Came home and plugged extender attached to bike in to recharge. Pink flashing on bike started again. Extender shows orange lite as it should. App shows the bike is 99% charged.

Instructions that came with Extender shows graphically that there is an error if bike button is pink and battery is green. It appears I'm going to be returning to shop. Problem is I know almost as much or more than the Lbs does about the Extender.

In the process of contacting Orbea and LBS . Anybody else experience this and if so how was it resolved?

 

[MikeDee]

Question for those with a battery extender... Went for my first ride with mine. About half way through ride my assist button started flashing pink. Turned it on/off a couple times and it quit. This happened 2-3 times during ride. Came home and plugged extender attached to bike in to recharge. Pink flashing on bike started again. Extender shows orange lite as it should. App shows the bike is 99% charged.

Instructions that came with Extender shows graphically that there is an error if bike button is pink and battery is green. It appears I'm going to be returning to shop. Problem is I know almost as much or more than the Lbs does about the Extender.

In the process of contacting Orbea and LBS . Anybody else experience this and if so how was it resolved?

I think I'd charge everything up and try again. If the app shows 99%, isn't the range extender depleted? When I looked at the app once, it showed 109% charge, for example. The range extender works by charging the main battery, so the range extender can be depleted and the main battery would be at 100%, I think.

 

[Zeek48]

I think I'd charge everything up and try again. If the app shows 99%, isn't the range extender depleted? When I looked at the app once, it showed 109% charge, for example. The range extender works by charging the main battery, so the range extender can be depleted and the main battery would be at 100%, I think.

Mike, when I used the app, I had the extender removed and charging on its own. I wanted to see if the pink flashing would cease if extender removed. When I turn off and on bike it goes white/green/flashing pink. Weird.

Heard from LBS. To their credit they admitted no experience but will also contact Orbea. Crazy thing is, I would suggest it's an ebikemotion issue.

 

[ThierryGTLTS]

Hello from Belgium,


Anyone who has disassembled the Gain motor wheel and give me some advices?

3 screws to remove, OK, but after?!


Have a Nice Day.

Thierry

 

[Solom01]

Hi Zeek48, just wondering if they ever found out what was going on with the battery extender? I know this is kind of a dumb theory, but Orbea has so much tied into their app including requiring the dealer to note when a major component is replaced that even though this shouldn't apply to the extender battery it makes me wonder. I'm kind of thinking of getting one of these, but I'm nowhere near an Orbea dealer and if I got a defective battery trying to return it would be a nightmare.

 

[Zeek48]

Hi Zeek48, just wondering if they ever found out what was going on with the battery extender? I know this is kind of a dumb theory, but Orbea has so much tied into their app including requiring the dealer to note when a major component is replaced that even though this shouldn't apply to the extender battery it makes me wonder. I'm kind of thinking of getting one of these, but I'm nowhere near an Orbea dealer and if I got a defective battery trying to return it would be a nightmare.

Hey Solom,
Haven't heard from Orbea as of yet. Had a message from my LBS this AM and neither have they.

Its really weird the way things are happening. First time I charged I got the flashing pink on the bike and then again as I rode. Same thing 2nd charge and ride. I am resolving by turning both the bike and the extender off and restarting. It happened several times during the rides and again when plugging in the charge. Have been charging bike and extender separately after rides. 3rd ride and charge everything worked as it should. At the end of the ride I plugged in the extender which was still plugged into the bike and no flashing pink.

Yesterday I thought my issues were over only to return today. Rode this AM for the 4th time and no issues until right at the end of a 50mi/80 km ride when pink light on bike started flashing. Did the same when I plugged in to recharge. It is plugged into the extender only right as I sit here writing this message.

AM sending this info to Orbea as well. Will let you when I hear from them.

Other than this I love the battery. It's giving me to freedom to ride further and use A2 on occasion not have to worry about running out.

 

[Solom01]

Thanks Zeek, I really appreciate it. I'll hold off buying one until you find out what's going on. It's hundreds of miles to the nearest dealer and if I have a problem trying to ship a large lithium battery is going to be a nightmare. There's also a part of me that realizes I'm basically lazy. One of the things I like about the Gain is that it forces you to work, the battery is too small to use it often. If I had the extender I'd be so tempted to use it on days like today. It's the latter part of October and it's still 90 odd degrees outside and 85 percent humidity - I wouldn't trust my self-control if I could use level 2.

 

[Zeek48]

Thanks Zeek, I really appreciate it. I'll hold off buying one until you find out what's going on. It's hundreds of miles to the nearest dealer and if I have a problem trying to ship a large lithium battery is going to be a nightmare. There's also a part of me that realizes I'm basically lazy. One of the things I like about the Gain is that it forces you to work, the battery is too small to use it often. If I had the extender I'd be so tempted to use it on days like today. It's the latter part of October and it's still 90 odd degrees outside and 85 percent humidity - I wouldn't trust my self-control if I could use level 2.

I hear you. I have been playing with it these past 4 rides and probably have used the assist about 75% instead of 25-30% before I got it. I need to get back to my original intent too.

 

[Zeek48]

I hear you. I have been playing with it these past 4 rides and probably have used the assist about 75% instead of 25-30% before I got it. I need to get back to my original intent too.

Update on Battery Extender issue:
I have heard from Orbea USA re my LED lite on the bike occasionally flashing pink. While they didn't have any specific resolve, they did report their data base shows this is the first issue of this type that has been reported to them. They are researching it further and have promised to get back to me. They seem to think at this point it may be in the connection between the two batteries.

They and the LBS have both offered to replace the extender and its been my decision to see if it can be resolved without that as my LBS is 1.25 hrs each way. Right now it's more of an annoyance then anything and not interfering with my rides.

Will keep you posted.

 

[Solom01]

Thanks Zeek. I'll wait until there is some sort of answer. I'm much further than 1.5 hours from a Gain dealer so it would be a real problem if it didn't work. I'm also confused by other members with Gains who have turned their engine power down to 30 or even 10% in level 1 and reported plenty of power and longer range. I tried reducing my power to 90, than 80, and 70% on level 1 and it definitely felt like it was a lot less power. It also didn't seem to increase the range by much at all. I wonder if I'm just hopelessly out of shape since my experience is so different, but also wonder if maybe it has something to do with being a US bike (thus a 20mph cut off instead of 15.5) and riding on absolutely flat terrain? I can't see why that should make any difference but what else could it be? I know it isn't linear, but it's only a 250 watt motor anyway. If you cut it down to 10% wouldn't one be getting such a small amount of power as to be essentially nothing?

 

[Zeek48]

Thanks Zeek. I'll wait until there is some sort of answer. I'm much further than 1.5 hours from a Gain dealer so it would be a real problem if it didn't work. I'm also confused by other members with Gains who have turned their engine power down to 30 or even 10% in level 1 and reported plenty of power and longer range. I tried reducing my power to 90, than 80, and 70% on level 1 and it definitely felt like it was a lot less power. It also didn't seem to increase the range by much at all. I wonder if I'm just hopelessly out of shape since my experience is so different, but also wonder if maybe it has something to do with being a US bike (thus a 20mph cut off instead of 15.5) and riding on absolutely flat terrain? I can't see why that should make any difference but what else could it be? I know it isn't linear, but it's only a 250 watt motor anyway. If you cut it down to 10% wouldn't one be getting such a small amount of power as to be essentially nothing?

Ha. I have experimented with turning it down a bit too. Not sure why one would buy this bike only to turn down level one. Would suggest maybe one really didn't need ebike to start. I have my level two at 75% but rarely use it anyway. As mentioned previously the biggest downside of the extender is I no longer have the need to turn off the battery and ride with no assist. I need to get back to that.

I am planning on a flat century ride at end of November. Thinking I will be in level one for most of the ride simply because of the distance and time involved. Am curious to see how the batteries hold out.

 

[Jaxx]

Thanks Zeek. I'll wait until there is some sort of answer. I'm much further than 1.5 hours from a Gain dealer so it would be a real problem if it didn't work. I'm also confused by other members with Gains who have turned their engine power down to 30 or even 10% in level 1 and reported plenty of power and longer range. I tried reducing my power to 90, than 80, and 70% on level 1 and it definitely felt like it was a lot less power. It also didn't seem to increase the range by much at all. I wonder if I'm just hopelessly out of shape since my experience is so different, but also wonder if maybe it has something to do with being a US bike (thus a 20mph cut off instead of 15.5) and riding on absolutely flat terrain? I can't see why that should make any difference but what else could it be? I know it isn't linear, but it's only a 250 watt motor anyway. If you cut it down to 10% wouldn't one be getting such a small amount of power as to be essentially nothing?

Sol, I as you may know? I have 2 Gains an M20i and a D (for winter) if on both I lowered the assist to 10%? I may as well switch it off (on both of them) turning the power down to 50% in level 1 reduces the amount of help considerably. Let's face it level one just about makes up for the extra weight the bike is. Ps. The demo I had on trial last year for a few days, offered exactly the same assist settings as the two bikes I own.

 

[MikeDee]

Sol, I as you may know? I have 2 Gains an M20i and a D (for winter) if on both I lowered the assist to 10%? I may as well switch it off (on both of them) turning the power down to 50% in level 1 reduces the amount of help considerably. Let's face it level one just about makes up for the extra weight the bike is. Ps. The demo I had on trial last year for a few days, offered exactly the same assist settings as the two bikes I own.

Hmmm... I would have to disagree that L1 just makes up for the added weight of the bike. It gives me a significant boost and I do my rides mostly in L1.

 

[energy11]

Is it possible to remove the down tube battery and just run the extender?