Gain manages to surprise journalists around the world

When we made the worldwide presentation of Gain at Unibike, the most important trade fair in the bike industry in Spain, the most common impression among the journalists was:“Are you sure it’s electric?” and “Does it really have a motor?”.After trying it out, the media published other questions:“Could the Orbea Gain be a sign of what the future has in store for e-bikes?”;“Is the Orbea Gain the most beautiful road e-bike around?” Decide for yourself after discovering it in this article that describes the new model.

Jack Luke, editor of Bike Radar, says we are nearing a “turning point” in which e-bikes will seem more and more like conventional bikes.“And I think that the Orbea Gain is on the cutting edge of this movement,” he indicates. Luke, who had the opportunity to try out the Gain in Madrid, is “impressed” by its performance. Although he confesses that he was initially skeptical about the rear axle motor, after trying it, he defines it as “every bit as refined” “and maybe even easier to use” than other systems in which the motor is built into the bottom bracket.

Besides the cycling media, the Gain also captured the attention of the mass media, among them two of the most read newspapers (with the most visited websites) in Spain: EL PAÍS, where the Gain formed part of a broader article on the “fever” caused by e-bikes and MARCA, whose editor Juan Castro stresses that our hybrid “is very well thought out in terms of its weight distribution and gear transitions.”

Juan claims that the three gears on the Gain “are very smooth, very well graduated” and “they provide the added benefit of a comfortable, pain-free ride.” Other mass media sources, such as the website for the TV channel Cuatro, have pointed out that with the launch of Gain “Orbea has revolutionized the e-bike market.”

In its latest issue, the German online magazine Gran Fondo dedicates an in-depth analysis to our road hybrid, which it defines as “a very simple, but very capable electric road bike.” “The well designed and clever integration is neat,” going on to also stress its “good handling” and “extremely versatile range of application.” Gran Fondo stresses among the other strong points of the Gain, its “natural motor control” and its “smooth and easy gear changes under power.”

Hannah Troop, from the same magazine, had already taken a first look at the Gain, which she calls “The 13 kg featherweight.” Hannah highlighted its light weight and a totally integrated design, which she defined as “super slick.” She also calls attention to the iWoc ONE interface, “which has a super clean look,” which she goes on to describe as “nicely integrated into the top tube which keeps the handlebars clutter-free for other technology.”

Bicifácil, sister magazine to more veteran publications like “Ciclismo a Fondo” and “Bike”, had a similar impression to that of Bike Rumor. That’s why the headline of their review says “Are you sure it’s electric?”After trying Gain, they highlight its “minimalist design that is both light and sporty,” emphasizing that its 13.2 kg make it “lighter than many mountain bikes without pedaling assistance.”

“Its great virtue is how it eases the toughest climbs,” they, indicate, and also stress the good performance of the components mounted on the Gain:“Its powerful SRAM Force hydraulic disc brakes let you easily maintain control and its wheels with 40-mm thick Schwalbe G-ONE Allround tires absorb bumps fantastically.”

As the leading magazine for those who want to lead an active lifestyle, Sportlife also wanted to try out new assisted pedaling bicycle. Juanma Montero, its tester, declares he is “seduced” by “its simplicity and the way its motor helps you, naturally, smoothly and an in a way that is unobtrusive” so that you “continue to feel the bike at all times.”

Bicisport, through its tester Joaquín Calderón, entitles its test “Does this have a motor?”. It especially noticed how the Gain behaves on the downhill descents.“We were pleasantly surprised by how it behaved coming down from the mountain pass, with a noble ride, thanks to its low center of gravity and the concentration of its weight on the bottom bracket, where the disk brakes and 28-mm tires proved to be sufficient.”

Iñaki Gavín, from the online magazine Maillot Mag, also had the chance to try out the Gain in the mountains around Madrid, and he can attest to the sensations of the rest of the media. After evaluating the “final result” of the bike as “impressive,” Iñaki emphasizes that, on the trail, the assistance modes are “as easy to operate as it seems.”

In the unassisted mode, the Maillot Mag tester indicates that “the position is comfortable and they rhythm and pace are maintained smoothly.”Once the motor is connected, Iñaki highlights that the X35 motor “gently, consistently and noiselessly propels the bike forward.” “When you stand on the pedals while climbing, the bike is stable and neutral, super controlled,” he insists. The Maillot Mag test finishes by emphasizing that “the sensations and ride are the same as on a traditional bike.”

The simple fact that one of the world’s most prestigious road cycling magazines even asks this question is a good sign of the level of expectation that the Gain has managed to create. Rob Spedding, the author of the article, defines the bike as “a pretty cool concept.”

This expectation has spread throughout the specialized media around the world.“The Future Of Bikes?”, asks Bicycling Australia. “Offers a glimpse of an e-bike future,” they claim in the United States, in road.cc. In the United Kingdom, Cycling Weekly spotlights the light weight of the bike, which it claims “another that it looks more like a normal road bike.” In France, “Le Cycle” goes even further with the title “le VAE sportif par excellence !”.

Along these same lines, BikeRumor, one of the cycling technology sites most often consulted by fans, says that Orbea has taken the concept of integration in road hybrids “to the next level.” Cory Benson acknowledges that the first time he saw it, he “didn't even notice it had a motor.”