Can you outlast the battery range of the Orbea Gain ebike?

Michael with his Orbea Gain F30 ebike

Michael rides an Orbea Gain F30 for his 65km daily commute from the Hills District to the Airport. When we asked him about battery range, our most common question with the road ebikes, his response leaves you in no doubt there's plenty in the tank.

"I can confidently say that the Orbea Gain’s battery has a longer range than my backside!"

We talk to Michael on why he opted for the Orbea Gain F30 as his commuter ebike of choice and how his ebike commute compares to his non-ebike commute from a speed and health and fitness perspective.

EBB: What got you interested in an ebike?

[Michael]: I live in the Hills District of Brisbane and work near the Airport. Depending on traffic, commuting by car takes anything from 40 minutes to over an hour, plus tolls, each way.

For the past few years I’ve been trying to ride my bicycle to work a couple of days a week to keep fit while also saving money and avoiding ‘traffic stress’. But I’m not an avid cyclist and it’s a long ride for me at 32km each way. I was finding it quite exhausting and I was only riding once or twice a week.

The hills and wind were what really made it tough, especially in the afternoons, and that’s when I started researching ebikes.

Why did you choose an Orbea Gain flatbar ebike?

Orbea Gain F30 set up in garage

I test road a couple of ebikes but to me most of them felt bulky and unnatural. I was looking for something minimalist that felt like a ‘normal bike’ but could assist with hills and headwinds. The picture above is how I set it up on my garage. It's light enough to do this.

Without the power on it feels the same as my non-ebike and with the power it feels the same until the gentle motor assistance kicked in when needed. I especially like the fact that they have this minimalist hybrid style (flat bar) model.

Has it lived up to your expectations?

I’m now commuting on my Orbea Gain three to four days a week. Interestingly my ride data (below) hasn’t changed drastically.

	Time	KJ burned	Heart Rate	Ave Speed
Non-ebike	1h 30	3,900	137 bpm avg	21.9 km/h
Orbea Gain F30	1h 20	3,800	132 bpm avg	23.7km/h

I’m still getting a good workout, but the big difference is how the assistance helps in the hills and headwinds and doesn't tire me out so much.

"When I get home I’m not exhausted and I can now ride on consecutive days, something I hadn’t been able to do in the past. I’m now enjoying the ride home, not dreading it!"

The big question on this new type of ebike - how does the battery hold up?

As far as the battery range goes, my commute is 65km total and the lowest my battery has been is 30%. That day it was very hot and windy so I had the assistance on medium for most of the ride home.

"Normally the battery is around 50% when I get home after riding 65km."

I can confidently say that the Orbea Gain’s battery has a longer range than my backside! Its great for casual weekend rides which I now do too.

Australia Day ride coffee stop

Any tips you have for others considering getting an ebike?

For anyone considering an ebike my advice would be to test ride before you buy. I thought I knew what I wanted after some online researching, but it changed when I actually tried the bikes.

"As far as the cost goes, riding saves me at least $20 a day (fuel and tolls) so the bike will pay for itself within 12-18 months, and the physical and mental health benefits of riding are immeasurable."