Originally Posted by
Wildwood
Maybe time to try electric assist.
Seeking any experiences with Orbea.
Especially the road bike model Gain. Which I like because of the clean (no external cables) front end on the lesser models.
GAIN D40 20mph — Orbea
this is the 10spd Tiagra on an Al frame = $3700
or perhaps the D30 with 105 11spd = $4000
Sorry but just an observation. I wanted to look at Orbea but there was nothing to look at in my area. The only road E-bikes I could find was a lone Treak ALR model some 40 miles away. I went over and took a test ride and bought it.
What you are going to find is that availability is extremely limited. That was in March. There is a large Specialized dealer in my area and right after I bought the Trek, they got a shipment in of road E-bikes. I had previously test ridden one of them a few months prior but they were sold out back in March too.
Long story short, I opted for the Trek since it was available. The top speed for assist is lower than the Specialized but it works really well for me. Trek has a removeable battery that is on the underside of the down tube and it does not stick out like a tumor. Other manufacturers have the battery inside the down tube like Specialized. Now that I have this Trek, it makes more sense to me to have it removable. A bit more of a hassle but in the long run, easier to replace the battery if I need to and then if Fazua upgrades, mine is an easy swap and I do not have to take it to the shop and have by bottom bracket removed.
To be fair, I liked the looks of the Orbea too, but there is just so limited quantities of all these bikes it is really frustrating. As for riding, I am 67 and ride strictly road. It has been a life saver for me and I only use the lowest setting for assist but it does help quite a bit overall.
Have fun with your research but be open to another model due to availability.
john