If there is one thing an ebike doesn’t want, it’s to look like an ebike. Needless to say, that is a pretty tough task to complete — after all, the battery and motor that define an electric bicycle are rather difficult to hide. But now, it seems that one company has managed to do the semi-impossible. Meet the new Gain by Orbea, an ebike that looks like anything like one.
By hiding the battery in the down tube and fitting a rear hub motor, the Gain looks much sleeker than many other options on the market, and should also handle a lot more like a traditional bike. Weighing in at just 13 kilograms (under 29 pounds), the Gain is meant to help you out on a tough ride, but not necessarily take all of the work out of it.
Orbea says that the battery is capable of sustaining you on a 62-mile bike ride, or just under a mile of climbing if you’re maintaining a steady speed of 15.5 miles per hour. That said, if you need more power, there is also the option for an external booster battery (which will certainly make your bike look more like an ebike). Orbea says that the new Gain is designed to add enough power to enhance your ride without dominating it. One outcome of this approach is that the bike is light at around 13 kilograms, another that it looks more like a normal road bike.
Because the battery pack is enclosed in the down tube and is coupled with a motor driving the rear hub, the Gain can use a standard chainset. Plus, reviewers have noted that there is no drag to speak of in the drivetrain when you’re riding the bike as you would a motorless version.
That said, there are certainly technical bells and whistles. For example, a set of color LED lights will let you check your motor-assist levels as well as determine how much battery you have left. There is also a charging port built into the bike’s down tube, which lets you run system diagnostics. Of course, there is a companion smartphone app that lets you track your rides, upload routes, and generally keep tabs on your bike.
The Gain bike starts at $2,365 for the entry-level hybrid model and can be as expensive as $4,175 for more advanced options.
