£9,299 Premium lightweight e-road machine
Weight 11.7kg (XL) Frame Orca carbon Fork Orca carbon Gears Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (50/34t, 11-30t) Brakes Shimano Dura-Ace hydraulic disc Wheels Orbea Carbon 42 rims, Mavic front hub, Mahle rear hub Motor system Mahle X20 250W motor, 353Wh battery, Mahle Pulsar One display, LEV Remote1, iWoc integrated controller Finishing kit OC Performance RP10-R carbon bar, OC Performance RP10 stem, OC Performance RP10 seatpost, Fizik Antares R5 saddle, Pirelli P-Zero 30c tyres
ORBEA CLAIMS THIS NEW THIRD generation Gain offers a ‘pure road’ ride experience, rather than being an ebike that looks like a road bike. Indeed, the frame mirrors the brand’s race-orientated Orca OMR, though the Gain’s geometry is a little more endurance-styled. There’s a little more stack (613mm on the XL compared to 590mm on the OMR), less reach (402mm from 404mm) and 32mm more length on the wheelbase, extending it to 1,036mm. The ride position is further relaxed by using a bar with a 15mm rise (though using Orbea’s excellent MyO online customised ordering system you can opt for a bar with no rise).
Orbea has been careful not to slow down the handling, however, and the 72.2° head angle combines with the 50mm fork rake and 30mm tyres to create a 57mm trail. This gives the Gain a nicely balanced character with fast steering at slower speeds matched to a stable feel at speed.
Clean lines
It’s a clean-looking frame, thanks to Orbea’s ICR internal routing system on the frame and stem that fully encloses the brake hoses. In fact, it’s only the slight oversizing and constant diameter of the down-tube that tell you it’s an ebike. Neat hidden mounts for mudguards add all-weather appeal and the finish is superb. You can choose the build and specification plus the colour and graphics.
The Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain is faultless, the braking is the best you’ll find on the road, and the 50/34 chainset and close-ratio 11-30 12-speed cassette is a great complement to the motor system. Orbea’s 42mm-deep carbon rims with 21mm internal width shape the tubeless Pirelli tyres well, and our riser road bar and Fizik saddle both get high marks for comfort.
The Gain’s ride feel outclasses every e-road bike I’ve tested, thanks to how Orbea has tuned the motor system plus the optional extras included as standard. The way in which the motor mirrors your input in a linear path as your power increases gives the Gain an incredibly natural ride feel. Even in the highest mode where it gets up to full power quicker, the Gain never surges ahead of your pace. Kudos to Orbea for not simply fitting the
