Orbea Gain E-Road Bike

[oswaldr2]

I just recently purchased a new 2019 Orbea Gain M30 (size Medium) on eBay for $2,900 all in. I feel pretty good about the price and am looking at possible carbon wheelset and cockpit updates. Whether it's actually worth the $$$ to shave roughly .5kg / 1 lb of weight and to improve the feel, who knows. That's not really what I'm asking to be debated though.

I did a full Syncros carbon wheelset and cockpit upgrade to my Diamondback Century 6c last year and it was well worth it, but I also found a guy locally on Craigslist dumping the whole Syncros setup for $750 all new off his bike so it was a no-brainer to trade out my aluminum parts for the beautiful carbon. The weight savings were awesome getting me from 19lbs to slightly below 18lbs and the performance is noticeable.

Before I keep rambling on, I guess the questions that I have are this regarding my Gain M30:

1. Has anybody changed out the Aluminum wheelset and/or cockpit to full carbon, if so has it been worth the money to you?
2. I see that the M10 comes with the Mavic Carbon wheelset. Can other carbon wheels be used on the M30, or is the Mavic carbon the only option due to the Ebike Hub Motor?

 

[Zeek48]

I just recently purchased a new 2019 Orbea Gain M30 (size Medium) on eBay for $2,900 all in. I feel pretty good about the price and am looking at possible carbon wheelset and cockpit updates. Whether it's actually worth the $$$ to shave roughly .5kg / 1 lb of weight and to improve the feel, who knows. That's not really what I'm asking to be debated though.

I did a full Syncros carbon wheelset and cockpit upgrade to my Diamondback Century 6c last year and it was well worth it, but I also found a guy locally on Craigslist dumping the whole Syncros setup for $750 all new off his bike so it was a no-brainer to trade out my aluminum parts for the beautiful carbon. The weight savings were awesome getting me from 19lbs to slightly below 18lbs and the performance is noticeable.

Before I keep rambling on, I guess the questions that I have are this regarding my Gain M30:

1. Has anybody changed out the Aluminum wheelset and/or cockpit to full carbon, if so has it been worth the money to you?
2. I see that the M10 comes with the Mavic Carbon wheelset. Can other carbon wheels be used on the M30, or is the Mavic carbon the only option due to the Ebike Hub Motor?

I'm not the expert on this issue but have a m20i and have wondered about switching to carbon wheels too. I think I have read that because of the spoke configuration for the extra weight the Mavic Carbon wheels may be the only option. And they are not inexpensive. I considered buying the m10i when I bought my m20i but but between the availability timing and the cost difference went with m20i.

I sure there are some much more knowledgeable people than I am on this.

 

[Jaxx]

I just recently purchased a new 2019 Orbea Gain M30 (size Medium) on eBay for $2,900 all in. I feel pretty good about the price and am looking at possible carbon wheelset and cockpit updates. Whether it's actually worth the $$$ to shave roughly .5kg / 1 lb of weight and to improve the feel, who knows. That's not really what I'm asking to be debated though.

I did a full Syncros carbon wheelset and cockpit upgrade to my Diamondback Century 6c last year and it was well worth it, but I also found a guy locally on Craigslist dumping the whole Syncros setup for $750 all new off his bike so it was a no-brainer to trade out my aluminum parts for the beautiful carbon. The weight savings were awesome getting me from 19lbs to slightly below 18lbs and the performance is noticeable.

Before I keep rambling on, I guess the questions that I have are this regarding my Gain M30:

1. Has anybody changed out the Aluminum wheelset and/or cockpit to full carbon, if so has it been worth the money to you?
2. I see that the M10 comes with the Mavic Carbon wheelset. Can other carbon wheels be used on the M30, or is the Mavic carbon the only option due to the Ebike Hub Motor?

I have the Mavic carbons, great wheels. Also changed over bars and stem to carbon, got the bike just under 24lbs. Any decent wheel builder, should be more than capable of building new rear wheel around the hub motor.

 

[oswaldr2]

I have the Mavic carbons, great wheels. Also changed over bars and stem to carbon, got the bike just under 24lbs. Any decent wheel builder, should be more than capable of building new rear wheel around the hub motor.

wow nice, what model / size do you have?

 

[Jaxx]

wow nice, what model / size do you have?

M20i Medium (I'm 5' 11")

 

[oswaldr2]

M20i Medium (I'm 5' 11")

Do you recall the weight prior?

 

[Jaxx]

Do you recall the weight prior?

27lbs. Also replaced cassette with a Dura Ace 12-28 along with Conti 5000 tyres, Xpresso Titan Carbon pedals. When lockdown is finished (I'm isolated for 12 weeks because of transplant) I have a Rotor Elliptical chainset to replace the Ultegra. One area I don't compromise though? Saddle, got my favourite Brooks on. Ps. I also have a Gain D20, use it during winter and on my trainer too.

 

[oswaldr2]

27lbs. Also replaced cassette with a Dura Ace 12-28 along with Conti 5000 tyres, Xpresso Titan Carbon pedals. When lockdown is finished (I'm isolated for 12 weeks because of transplant) I have a Rotor Elliptical chainset to replace the Ultegra. One area I don't compromise though? Saddle, got my favourite Brooks on. Ps. I also have a Gain D20, use it during winter and on my trainer too.

wow dropping 3 lbs is impressive. Yes i'm right around 27lbs on the 2019 M30 Medium as well.

 

[Jaxx]

wow dropping 3 lbs is impressive. Yes i'm right around 27lbs on the 2019 M30 Medium as well.

It's easier and cheaper though, to lose it of your weight!

 

[oswaldr2]

I just took it for a very short test spin, i live in a Denver neighborhood so didn't go very far as I was trying to figure out the iWoc. For some reason I could only get it to go green or turn off. I was able to get orange and red to blink, but then they wouldn't stay there. Is cadence an issue as I wasn't pedaling too fast, or am I missing something?

 

[Jaxx]

I just took it for a very short test spin, i live in a Denver neighborhood so didn't go very far as I was trying to figure out the iWoc. For some reason I could only get it to go green or turn off. I was able to get orange and red to blink, but then they wouldn't stay there. Is cadence an issue as I wasn't pedaling too fast, or am I missing something?

While the relevant light is blinking you give it another short press to move up to the next assist level. Once at level three, you press again to come back down to level 1. It's not possible to drop from 3 to level 2. Hope that makes sense?

 

[oswaldr2]

I think the issue is that I confused the lighting system, user error. I even read about this before.

I forgot that the light always goes back to green when the charge is over 50%.

 

[the.chase.pilot]

Can an Apple Watch act as a heart rate monitor with the ebikemotion app? Just started riding an Orbea Gain M20. The app says ‘disconnected’ in red, I understand the HR monitors are separate equipment. But, my watch is capable of monitoring heart rate for other health applications, etc.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Works with Ride With GPS app

 

[Jaxx]

Can an Apple Watch act as a heart rate monitor with the ebikemotion app? Just started riding an Orbea Gain M20. The app says ‘disconnected’ in red, I understand the HR monitors are separate equipment. But, my watch is capable of monitoring heart rate for other health applications, etc.

To register HR on the app you must have a Bluetooth HR strap.

 

[taylorpetie]

Hi. new member here and I have a question regarding the Orbea Gain. I'm looking to purchase an e-Bike for my wife to help her climb on steep climbs, 10% - 15% gradients. Her current speed on these gradients is around 4mph, with a low cadence of 45-60 rpm. On climbs with 4% gradients, her speed is around 6-7mph. Would the Orbea Gain be able to kick in and assist my wife up these climbs? Please advise, much appreciated. I've read conflicting comments, etc. where some folks say the motor doesn't work with this profile (low speed, low cadence) on steep climbs. My wife would be happy if it helped her gain additional 2mph up these climbs. She currently rides Specialized Ruby, with a 34/32 combination.

 

[MikeDee]

I would look to a bottom bracket motor bike. The Gain doesn't work that well at low and high speeds because of the hub motor. I've been on 15% grades at max power and am only doing about 5 mph. It helps but bogs down at slow speeds.

I have to preface this by saying that I've not ridden a bike with a bottom bracket motor. If you can keep your cadence within the power band of said motor, it would work much better, I would think. The Creo may have a problem there because it likes high cadence and the gearing is not that low. I'd love to ride one someday and compare to my Gain.

Another bottom bracket powered bike is powered by the Fazua motor (e.g., Focus Paralane2, Trek Domane+ LT...). However, I read a test report that compared the Gain to the Focus, and they said the Gain had more power in the climbs, so go figure.

 

[taylorpetie]

I would look to a bottom bracket motor bike. The Gain doesn't work that well at low and high speeds because of the hub motor. I've been on 15% grades at max power and am only doing about 5 mph. It helps but bogs down at slow speeds.

I have to preface this by saying that I've not ridden a bike with a bottom bracket motor. If you can keep your cadence within the power band of said motor, it would work much better, I would think. The Creo may have a problem there because it likes high cadence and the gearing is not that low. I'd love to ride one someday and compare to my Gain.

Thank you for the response. I was looking at the CREO as an option as well, but the stand-over height would be a little high for her (even in XS size). Her inseam is around 27 inches. Plus, the reach is slightly longer, and the Q-factor is wider on the CREO. Yes, my wife is on the petite side. If Specialized made an ebike with the Ruby geometry, it would be perfect for her... but I guess that's wishful thinking.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Or a regular Vado. That would certainly do it. Court has a video on YouTube from maybe a year ago of a group Press ride when the Vado was introduced, including a section of riders, male and female, riding up some very impressive hills around Palo Alto. Very compelling.

Found it. It’s long, but the climbing stuff starts around 56:30 or so. The whole second half of the video is pretty entertaining. Court did a very nice job on it.

 

[Sewnsurg]

I test rode an Orbea Gain today. I rode both the classic road version and the gravel grinder All Road model. Both were bottom of the line bikes, but with the same motor and battery as the higher level models. They are all disappointingly limited to 20 mph. The local dealer was only allocated these two bikes.

Both bikes are exceedingly stealthy and sexy. It is impossible to tell they are ebikes other than the small illuminated control button on the top tube. It is the only control on the bike—a fatal shortcoming. More on that later. The motor is in the rear hub, which is discreet. There are no visible wires. The pleasing aesthetics are undeniable. The 250Wh battery is hidden away in the small down tube. On appearance alone these are sleek, standard road bikes.

The aluminum road model was fully charged but unfortunately the motor didn’t work. I rode it around the block, then the dealer took it out. It powered up, changed power levels, but never engaged the motor. Apparently it worked the day before.

The All Road model was outfitted with an off-road 1x crank and knobby tires. The motor worked. It is agile, lightweight at ~25 lbs, and fun to ride as far as it goes. Both come in aluminum and carbon fiber versions.

The problem starts with changing power levels. It reminds me of the original Specialized Turbo Levo eMTB. The power level button was located out of sight on the side of the down tube—dangerously requiring one hand off the handlebars to blindly change levels. Who would design that into a mountain bike?

Orbea takes reckless to the next level. On the Gain you change the power level by briefly pressing the top tube button, waiting for it to blink, then within two seconds pressing it again. So one hand off the handlebars and both eyes off the road.

This cycles through low, medium, and high one at a time. To go from high back to medium, say after cresting a hill, you repeat this process three times. From high mode you take one hand off the handlebars, both eyes off the road, press the button, watch to see if it is blinking, then press again to turn the motor off. That’s right, off follows high. You’ve just turned the motor off. Now repeat the process twice more to move from off to low and from low to medium. I found this completely unworkable and dangerous, having to look down at the top tube with one hand off the handlebar keying in an obscure sequence of push button Morse code.

Aside from the terrible user interface, the bike was underpowered. Orbea markets the bike for those who want to feel the road, essentially making a feature out of the lack of power. Does anyone buy an ebike and not want to feel the power? Maybe. No one I know. I found the Orbea Gain slow off the line, plodding on hills, and feeling lively only in a small cadence/speed sweet spot.

I’m not sure who will be happy with the Gain. Experienced ebikers demand safe, informative controls along with power which the Gain just does not deliver. Aging roadies with creaky knees will need usable power, not just stealth for their egos.

The Orbea Gain is a self-loathing e-road bike v1.0. It is the victim of roadie navel gazing, deep philosophizing about stealth, fretting over the 28 mph speed limit, and justifying low power by purporting to put “you” into the ebike. In reality the Gain’s frustrating design won’t please anyone looking for a fun way to combine the freedom of ebike speed, range, and acceleration with a light weight and agile road bike. Roadie bike manufacturers need to get over themselves and uncork a full fledged e-road bike that isn’t ashamed of its genetics. Specialized did it with the Turbo Levo v2. I went to the bike shop today to buy an Orbea Gain. Instead I’ll wait for v2.

I am new to this group but would like to respectfully disagree with the above review and offer another view of the Orbeo Gain. I am a new owner of an Orbea Gain M20i and have ridden it about 300 miles in the past 3 weeks. I love, love, love the bike. There is a learning curve and it takes about 2 rides to become comfortable with its functions, but it is a dream. My favorite things about the bike: 1) It is very swift (without the motor) and nimble. I am 80, and not a strong rider, just enjoy bicycling recreationally. That having been said, I use the motor only about 10-20% of the time because of the nimbleness of the bike. I rarely need to use the smaller front chain ring; only if there is a greater than 4% grade. 2) the motor is a pleasant and unobtrusive assist, as it should be. I have done up to 7%, brief, grade without ever using more than the lowest level of assist. With a longer 7% or more grade I would use a higher level of assist and it would be more than adequate. 3) using the motor as described (only 10-20% of the time and on lowest level of assist) I easily bicycle 50 miles and the battery remaining will be 25-50%. 4) the Shimano electric gear shift, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless tires, light weight (for an e-bike -- 28#), and overall efficiency of the bike make for an outstanding experience. 5) I never look down to turn the electric assist on and off, though of course I do need to briefly (2 seconds), reach slight with one hand to turn the motor on or off. Because the motor/assist is automatically activated when turning on, there is no necessity to cycle through the levels of assist to get back to no assist. Simply turn on the assist when you need it, and off when you don't. Now for the not so wonderful: 1) the charge cord is a nuisance to plug in properly. 2) the manufacturer's literature says to not charge for more than 5 hours and hence I need to set my alarm to remind me to unplug the charger; I don't know the reason for this but suspect this is unnecessary. 3) If you want a powerful assist from lowest level, you will not be able to get it; you will need to go to a higher level of assist and of course a shorter range. However, who is going to want to use a higher level of assist constantly on an efficient road bike. Such a person should be purchasing a heavy hybrid with a large motor, not this clearly advanced road bike. That's all for now, but if you want the alternative of a more powerful, but yet lightweight road e-bike, look for my review of a Cytronex e-bike kit added onto an existing Trek carbon road bike.