I've had Blumels fitted to my bikes for about 30 years. They will break, but you do have to directly abuse them - the road has never done that on it's own. I broke one pair after ~15 years. I jammed a lot of fairly solid mud in it if I remember rightly, and distorted it (riding off-road with very tight clearance on a 28mm tyre - all my own work).
Orbea Gain
- Thread starter youngoldbloke
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Southernguns
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Uk
Cheers Richtea. I had pretty much made up my mind to go with the Edge model but now you have me thinking about the Bluemels again - hehe! I think they may be slightly longer than the Edge and have a flap as well which will offer a bit more protection.
Scaleyback
Veteran
- Location
- North Yorkshire
Neil, never underestimate the flap ! everyone needs a flap.
NickWi
Guru
Anticipating the weather to be a bit kinder (relatively speaking) last Sunday I pumped up the tyres and charged both the main and extra range battery ready for a ride. As happens, life bit me in the bum, that ride never happened and here I am left with two batteries charged at 100% and with no immediate prospect of being able to go out for a ride to use up a bit of power to get below the 80% or so much bantered about safe maximum percentage for storage. To slightly mis-quote Meatloaf, "All charged up with no place to go".
So, is there a way of discharging the battery on a Gain other than the bleeding obvious of going out for a ride (which because of what else happened on Sunday just isn’t going to happen next weekend or for several weekends to come)?
So, is there a way of discharging the battery on a Gain other than the bleeding obvious of going out for a ride (which because of what else happened on Sunday just isn’t going to happen next weekend or for several weekends to come)?
Get a 3 car lamps Headlamps. Wire in series and connect to battery terminals. Keep connected for a few hours . That will discharge them
Or find a 100W resistor around 100 Ohms
Or. Let someone else ride your bike for an hour on full assistance. That will drop voltage sufficiently
Or find a 100W resistor around 100 Ohms
Or. Let someone else ride your bike for an hour on full assistance. That will drop voltage sufficiently
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OP
OP
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
NickWi - excellent question. Buy a set of rollers maybe?
DeeBy
Member
First post and ready to go down the LBS with a credit card this week for a Gain D40 2021 spec. However, the LBS can't offer trial rides right now (understandable). So looking for advice if I may (newbie alert)...
Probably worth some background first... Trying to get fit at 60yrs and over 100Kg (but falling). Currently on a 16Kg MTB with a 1:0.9 ratio bottom gear (which I do use to keep going on gradients above 6%) and 26"x2.1 wheels. I can do 20 mile runs but still struggling above those 6% climbs of any length. Getting better every week and working to improve my fitness, so don't want a free ride up hills, but I'm hoping the Gain will mean I can be less scared of the climbs.
However, I'm becoming a bit concerned the Gain won't help me enough on hills (I read about low cadence reducing assistance plus larger wheels and the higher 1:1.1 bottom gear ratio). Would you guys say the Gain would give me "two gears worth" of assist on hills?
Any other advice from "less fit" (OK, very unfit) riders of my size before I part with cash?
Probably worth some background first... Trying to get fit at 60yrs and over 100Kg (but falling). Currently on a 16Kg MTB with a 1:0.9 ratio bottom gear (which I do use to keep going on gradients above 6%) and 26"x2.1 wheels. I can do 20 mile runs but still struggling above those 6% climbs of any length. Getting better every week and working to improve my fitness, so don't want a free ride up hills, but I'm hoping the Gain will mean I can be less scared of the climbs.
However, I'm becoming a bit concerned the Gain won't help me enough on hills (I read about low cadence reducing assistance plus larger wheels and the higher 1:1.1 bottom gear ratio). Would you guys say the Gain would give me "two gears worth" of assist on hills?
Any other advice from "less fit" (OK, very unfit) riders of my size before I part with cash?
Scaleyback
Veteran
- Location
- North Yorkshire
I hope you get more replies DeeBy, I found this forum very helpful 2 years ago when I got my D30 Gain.
I honestly don't feel able to advise you, I am a relative lightweight of 70kgs, 74 years of age and the bike is perfect for me but
" Would you guys say the Gain would give me "two gears worth" of assist on hills? "
I don't know. By your words you obviously know that the Gain's motto is:-
" ENHANCE YOUR RIDE. We designed Gain to improve your rides, not dominate them "
Ergo, the somewhat low 40nm of torque.
Good luck, it's a great bike . . . if it's the right bike ?
I honestly don't feel able to advise you, I am a relative lightweight of 70kgs, 74 years of age and the bike is perfect for me but
" Would you guys say the Gain would give me "two gears worth" of assist on hills? "
I don't know. By your words you obviously know that the Gain's motto is:-
" ENHANCE YOUR RIDE. We designed Gain to improve your rides, not dominate them "
Ergo, the somewhat low 40nm of torque.
Good luck, it's a great bike . . . if it's the right bike ?
DeeBy
Member
Yes, I know I need to work alongside the motor (I'm trying to get fitter) but just don't want to go backwards in terms of "scary climbs". TBH I think I'll take the risk... Thank you! Fantastic thread and resource for folk like me (now read every page).
NickWi
Guru
Hi Deeby, I was in exactly the same boat as you when I bought my Gain in 2018. a bit overweight (still am), was fine riding on the flat and could cope with 20 or 25miles, but any more than that and even the slightest hint of a hill and that was me done and out he back of the group. The Gain answered all my needs. Riding on the lowest power is like riding with a gentle breeze behind you, sure you still have to pedal, but it's just easier and you roll over those little undulations. Real hills, no the Gain won't power you up, but it takes the sting out of them. You still need the lower gears and I still huff & puff, but I now get up the ones I used to get off and push. You mentioned cadence, the trick with the Gain is to keep it spinning. Use your gears, keep your legs turning and it assists. High gears and expect it to power you us and it'll bog down.
Looking at the longer term benefit of having a Gain, I guess I've riden more miles in the two & half years since i got my Gain than I had in the previous five put together. Despite what people say about electric bikes I am fitter than I was, I ride further, hill don't frighten me (as much), but maybe what more important of the lot is that I enjoy riding it. I go out more, go futher and with less trepidation of what if... I even do short Audaxs now on it which was pipe dream stuff only few years ago.
Buy one, you'll enjoy it.
DeeBy
Member
Big thanks for this. Just the input I was looking for and what I was hoping would be the case.
Well, stop press, I went and did it... Just come back from the LBS. I pick up my white 2021 D40 on Sunday!
Thanks again to everyone on this forum. It's a treasure trove of info for folk like me...
It will.
110Kg, 6'4", 60 years - Orbea Gain D50. You can probably get up any hill, but anything more than 10% and you do need to put significant effort in. However it makes hills ridable. In 26 years of living near Edge Hill (as in Battle of), I've never managed to get up it - until the Gain. I was properly knackered at the top, but I (we?) got up it. Quite satisfying. With lesser hills you can choose your assistance, but that one is full power all the way.
Only one minor word of warning - the rear wheel of my D50 (not a D40) isn't that well built, so you may want to put £100-150 away in case of needing a stronger rear wheel. But try it first - you may get a better wheel than me.
I think you'll like it.
NickWi
Guru
That's great and welcome to the club, now though a couple of the little foibles people don't tell you about. The top tube mounted power setting button takes a little getting used to and you have to scroll through the power settings, via off, just to go down a setting. You get used to it, but be warned you've got to take a hand off the handle bars to change assistance level, so don't do it over rough roads, at speed etc (and you will need to look down to start off with). Another good tip is if you see a hill coming up is to go up a power level before you need it, as I said previously, the motor likes you to spin the pedals. Lastly, at some point you will suffer from a new cycling problem for us ebikers, range anxiety!
You (or rather, the dealer) can add the iWoc Trio handlebar controller, if you don't get on with the single button. They're fitted to the flat bar Orbea Gains, and have Power up/down, and off buttons. One press for each power level, as you might normally expect. It also has haptic feedback so you don't have to look down.
DeeBy
Member
Got it today and have done 10 miles and a few (previously unmanageable) hills. It's far exceeded my expectations. The iWoc button has given me no problems, was able to switch levels without looking down after 30 mins of practice. Planning a long ride tomorrow to get a good feel for it but so far...
Hills: I feel it subtracts about 5-10% off of a gradient (depending on the level of assist you ask for). So a 15% gradient is now do-able for me (albeit still out of breath). 20% still a struggle for me but I reckon I can just avoid them.
Overall avg speed: I ride 25% faster without the motor on (just due to it being a faster bike than my old decrepit MTB) and around 50% faster with the motor on level 2 (of 3). I averaged 12.5mph on my regular hilly route (normally 8.5mph).
Speed on flat: I think about 33% faster. My average on flat was 15mph (previously 10.5mph).
So, in summary, perfect for my needs (and my knees)... If any other beginners like me are wondering about bogging down on steep hills... Don't, it's fine unless you're looking at a monster hill.
PS, I had my LBS put 32mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres on (don't want punctures). They feel nice too.
Finally, if anyone has questions about the 2021 specs or whatever, happy to contribute if I can.
Hills: I feel it subtracts about 5-10% off of a gradient (depending on the level of assist you ask for). So a 15% gradient is now do-able for me (albeit still out of breath). 20% still a struggle for me but I reckon I can just avoid them.
Overall avg speed: I ride 25% faster without the motor on (just due to it being a faster bike than my old decrepit MTB) and around 50% faster with the motor on level 2 (of 3). I averaged 12.5mph on my regular hilly route (normally 8.5mph).
Speed on flat: I think about 33% faster. My average on flat was 15mph (previously 10.5mph).
So, in summary, perfect for my needs (and my knees)... If any other beginners like me are wondering about bogging down on steep hills... Don't, it's fine unless you're looking at a monster hill.
PS, I had my LBS put 32mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres on (don't want punctures). They feel nice too.
Finally, if anyone has questions about the 2021 specs or whatever, happy to contribute if I can.
