New Orbea Gains (2020 model?)

[bsurf]

Hi All

In my LBS today and they had a cracking looking Orbea Gain M10 in - a bit above my price range though.

I currently have a Cube Hybrid with the Bosch CX motor, but want to venture into road biking. However the shop assistant was a bit mixed in terms of his view of the Orbea and said it didn't really help your overall average speed as the motor kept cutting off (which I knew). My assumption is that the Orbea is 1/2 the weight of the Cube, is a road bike and has better gearing for speed so even with a Hub motor I should get power on the hills but be able to self power well over the 15mph cut off limit whilst on the flat and even gentle gradients.

He then went on to say there were new models out soon with a more tuned/optimised motor and might be worth waiting for them. So any views/rumors on new models? And will the Orbea increase my overall average speed compared to the Cube (I am averaging around 16.5mph over 20 mile runs at the moment)

B

 

[Nev]

I don't have an Orbea Gain but I do have an e-mtb and an e-racing type pedelec so should be able to give you some useful information.

If I am doing about 17 mph on my e-mtb then I would be able to do about 19 mph on my e-racing bike for the same physical effort. However that does not mean I can be 2 mph faster on the racer compared with the mtb all the time. It depends on things like gradient and wind direction and strength.

So if I am going up hill on the mtb at 16 mph I might only be able to do the same hill at 15 mph on the racer as the mtb has a more powerful motor (Bosch CX) compared with the racer.

In answer to you question about would your average speed be higher with a racer then yes I imagine it would be, unless your route consists of lots of steep hills. In reference to waiting until a new motor comes out, remember there is a legal cut off that manufacturers have to provide of about 15.5 mph so a more powerful motor may get you up steeper hills quicker but you are still not legally going to get past that limit while the motor is assisting.

If you are averaging 16.5 mph for 20 miles then I would not be surprised to see you increase this to about 18 mph on an e-racer but its unlikely you would do much better than that, well if you can then you probably dont really need an e-bike. In fact if you can do much more than that, then provided the course is fairly flat and there is not much wind, you would almost certainly be able to do an even better average speed on a conventional light weight racing bike.

 

[anotherkiwi]

My assumption is that the Orbea is 1/2 the weight of the Cube, is a road bike and has better gearing for speed so even with a Hub motor I should get power on the hills but be able to self power well over the 15mph cut off limit whilst on the flat and even gentle gradients.

On the flat last year I averaged 32 km/h on the trike without a motor.

I have been mucking about with a hub motor recently and unfit average 35km/h on the same run. Does that answer your question?

 

[georgehenry]

Hi anotherkiwi, off topic but I spotted you in the channel 4 Tour de France highlights program yesterday during the closing credits at the end with ZZ top being played, ie a red bent on a cycle/footpath shown briefly cruising along beside the peloton.

I don't know if you can get a chance to see that program in your location? Made me giggle.

Perhaps naughty to imagine it but I think the Cannondale Synapse Neo that Nev rides would be a very quick A to B machine if the motor assisted above the cut off.

 

[Nev]

Perhaps naughty to imagine it but I think the Cannondale Synapse Neo that Nev rides would be a very quick A to B machine if the motor assisted above the cut off.

Yes I am sure it would be. I wonder if any manufacturers will consider putting the new CX motor which is both lighter and smaller than the old one into racing type bikes. If so then one of those with the motor hacked would even leave Soundwave for dust.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Hi anotherkiwi, off topic but I spotted you in the channel 4 Tour de France highlights program yesterday during the closing credits at the end with ZZ top being played, ie a red bent on a cycle/footpath shown briefly cruising along beside the peloton.

I don't know if you can get a chance to see that program in your location? Made me giggle.

Perhaps naughty to imagine it but I think the Cannondale Synapse Neo that Nev rides would be a very quick A to B machine if the motor assisted above the cut off.

There are some lycras that were getting in the wind of my trike last year when I was in top form. So even an old guy in baggy clothes can join the fun. When the motor is working properly I'll be able to tag along with the local cycling club I guess. They do a 70 km run up and back my flat training route a couple of times a week. That will be for next year when I adopt normal hours again.

The image you describe above is an illustration of how the UCI blew it all those years ago banning bents. Imagine the progress that could have been made in bent technology if major bike manufacturers were throwing big bucks at research - we have to move out of the cottage industry niche we are in now. All the UCI had to do back then was start a separate class for bents, natural selection would have done the rest and in racing on the flat and track racing at least the upright bicycle would be a quaint gadget from the past.