Hi from West Yorkshire

[Dadam]

Hi all, I joined this forum a few months ago but not posted until today.
Just turned 54 and now have 2 (very different) ebikes, an Orbea Gain D40 and a Cube Reaction Race 625. They're both fantastic in different ways.
Up until November I just had a normal hybrid bike for commuting and although I still used to go out for leisure rides too, I subconsciously kept them quite short, the hills were a bit of a psychological barrier. I got the Gain on the cycle scheme and it's been a revelation, the hills just aren't the obstacles they once were!

 

[Peter.Bridge]

The Orbea Gain D40 - that is very light for an e-bike ! On the flat, do you find that you are riding above the 15.5 mph assist speed limit and just use the assist on hills ?

 

[matthewslack]

The Orbea Gain D40 - that is very light for an e-bike ! On the flat, do you find that you are riding above the 15.5 mph assist speed limit and just use the assist on hills ?

That's their USP, and very good for their role. They don't suit riders who need assistance all the time as the battery is rather small.

 

[Dadam]

The Orbea Gain D40 - that is very light for an e-bike ! On the flat, do you find that you are riding above the 15.5 mph assist speed limit and just use the assist on hills ?

Absolutely. On the flat unless there's a strong headwind I'll be spending most of the time over the cutoff speed. I did a 60 mile flattish ride and only used 22% as I realised I was doing this and turned the assist off for most of the ride. Conversely a couple of hilly 30-35 mile rides used 75%

 

[Dadam]

I bought the Gain to gain fitness with a view to ultimately getting a non electric road bike.
The Cube is more of a fun toy as the Gain has limitations off road. It's not terrible if I fit the 35mm gravel tyres, but it's no MTB.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

Absolutely. On the flat unless there's a strong headwind I'll be spending most of the time over the cutoff speed. I did a 60 mile flattish ride and only used 22% as I realised I was doing this and turned the assist off for most of the ride. Conversely a couple of hilly 30-35 mile rides used 75%

That's a clever concept - does the extra weight / resistance of it being an electric bike slow it down much when you are not using assist compared with a non electric bike ?

 

[Dadam]

That's a clever concept - does the extra weight / resistance of it being an electric bike slow it down much when you are not using assist compared with a non electric bike ?

If it's completely flat the weight of the bike is more or less irrelevant to how fast it can go, that's just physics. But very few places are completely flat so add in a slight uphill and the weight starts to have an effect.

For resistance I assume you mean motor drag? When the bike's on a stand if you spin the rear wheel and let it coast down it does slow down a bit faster than a normal bike but it's not something I've noticed when riding. I understand the Gain has a geared hub motor with a clutch that disengages when the motor is off, so doesn't have as much drag as some hub motors.

To be honest to me the Gain with the assist off feels like a normal bike but if you were used to lightweight carbon road bikes I guess it would feel a bit of a lump.