Orbea Gain

[eBikeWhisperer]

Hello all,
I have had a few good days out now on my new D30

I wonder if anyone here could help me with a couple of questions?

A few days ago I noticed a little play in the headset...nothing too drastic.....so, (as I have done many times on other bikes) I duly loosened the stem bolts and snugged down the top-cap to remove the play. All well and good now.

BUT.....after I retightened the two stem-steerer bolts I noticed there were no 'Nm' torque settings marked anywhere on my 'Orbea'branded stem.

I'm afraid I have always tightened these sort of 'slip-critical' joints by 'feel' on my other (non carbon equipped) bikes. Poor practice I know! Nipping up tight with just 'wrist action' on a Y shaped multitool. Now I am panicking since It crossed my mind that I did not know whether the forks have an alloy steerer tube or 100% carbon steerer (in which case my 'nip-it-tight-until-it's-right' protocol may prove lack-a-daisically inadequate). I wouldn't want to over (or UNDER) do it!

I've read a few horror stories involving cracked tubes/or catatastrophic slippage

Does anyone know off-hand what the steerer tube is made of before I faff about redoing it all to find out?? Any advice re; specific torque settings?
I am sending away for a small torque wrench this weekend but I hope I haven't gone and overdone it already! But I am still unsure what torque setting I should use. Perhaps I am overthinking as usual?
I've never fettled anything involving carbon components before,

Many Thanks

Widge

Hi Widge.

Don't be overly concerned about manufacturers not putting their torque settings on the parts. Mostly it is to protect the stem in this instance. Remember there are two components being affected. The handlebar and the stem. If both have an nm marking and they are different, then go the lesser of the two. In the event of no markings, the standard used in workshops is 5nm. This should be more than enough to hold any bar onto a steerer or handlebar. Just always make sure that all the bolts are done to the same torque and do a visual inspection of how close each bolt has pinched the stem together. There should be equal spacing for each bolt.

Good luck

 

[Southernguns]

Not on the stem itself? saddle side, between the 2 bolts.

nope - but my eyesight is not the best

 

[Ckspark]

My wife just rode her Orbea Gain F40 up Alpe D Huez in the French Alps with me and our son on our standard road bikes. It took her 1 hour 45 minutes to get to the top keeping the EBM in level 2 orange all the time. She had 17% battery left at the top so just enough juice. The descent didn't use any battery.
This is something she could never do on a standard road bike and has enhanced our holiday as she can now join in on some of our rides.

 

[Scaleyback]

My wife just rode her Orbea Gain F40 up Alpe D Huez in the French Alps with me and our son on our standard road bikes. It took her 1 hour 45 minutes to get to the top keeping the EBM in level 2 orange all the time. She had 17% battery left at the top so just enough juice. The descent didn't use any battery.
This is something she could never do on a standard road bike and has enhanced our holiday as she can now join in on some of our rides.
View attachment 480716

Well done to all of you, it is a very tough climb on any sort of bike. Chapeau !

 

[CXRAndy]

My wife just rode her Orbea Gain F40 up Alpe D Huez in the French Alps with me and our son on our standard road bikes. It took her 1 hour 45 minutes to get to the top keeping the EBM in level 2 orange all the time. She had 17% battery left at the top so just enough juice. The descent didn't use any battery.
This is something she could never do on a standard road bike and has enhanced our holiday as she can now join in on some of our rides.
View attachment 480716

Congratulations to your wife. Im hoping that my wife will cycle up an iconic climb like the Alp or Ventoux. She has an shopper ebike with gearing, so should have enough to assist her for a couple of hours

 

[derrick]

My wife just rode her Orbea Gain F40 up Alpe D Huez in the French Alps with me and our son on our standard road bikes. It took her 1 hour 45 minutes to get to the top keeping the EBM in level 2 orange all the time. She had 17% battery left at the top so just enough juice. The descent didn't use any battery.
This is something she could never do on a standard road bike and has enhanced our holiday as she can now join in on some of our rides.
View attachment 480716

It's what ebike are made for. I wish my wife would get one. It would make family rides stress free.

 

[Widge]

Riding up Alpe de Huez on anything is a gob-smacking achievement!!

Chapeau indeed!

I'm just gobsmacked by being able to crest a few hills around my neck of the woods (Dartmoor) without the aid of a nurse.

Awful sporadically rainy moments at the moment though. (These bikes are water-proof aren't they?

Best

w

 

[Southernguns]

My wife just rode her Orbea Gain F40 up Alpe D Huez in the French Alps with me and our son on our standard road bikes. It took her 1 hour 45 minutes to get to the top keeping the EBM in level 2 orange all the time. She had 17% battery left at the top so just enough juice. The descent didn't use any battery.
This is something she could never do on a standard road bike and has enhanced our holiday as she can now join in on some of our rides.
View attachment 480716

 

[Southernguns]

Out of interest did you fly the bikes out or drive? Or are you from that part of the world already? I only ask as I am interested to know if airlines will take electric bikes?

 

[CXRAndy]

Out of interest did you fly the bikes out or drive? Or are you from that part of the world already? I only ask as I am interested to know if airlines will take electric bikes?

Speaking to a co pilot recently, they said to carry battery with you and not into cargo hold. Its about being able to put out fire

 

[robgul]

Speaking to a co pilot recently, they said to carry battery with you and not into cargo hold. Its about being able to put out fire

That's a bit of a problem with an Orbea as the battery isn't (easily) removable.

It would be interesting to get the absolute answer on flying with an electric . . . probably a bit like the urban myth about letting the tyres down when flying?

Rob

 

[Ckspark]

Out of interest did you fly the bikes out or drive? Or are you from that part of the world already? I only ask as I am interested to know if airlines will take electric bikes?

We drove from the UK so I'm not sure about flying. However we stayed in Bourg osains at the bottom of Alpe d Huez. There are a few good bike/hire shops which may even hire ebikes.

 

[Solom01]

Hi. I'm not sure what the law is in the EU, but in the US it's pretty clear: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security...g/items/lithium-batteries-more-100-watt-hours . So anything over 100 watts (which includes both the built-in and water bottle Gain batteries) is a no-go, unless you somehow got the internal battery out and it's doubtful if even then they would be allowed because they are way over the limit. That doesn't mean that you may not be able to "sneak" one on if someone at the gate doesn't realize that it's an electric bike, but if I certainly wouldn't want to risk that knowing that even if it did get through you may not be so lucky on the way back. And God forbid if something did go wrong on the flight and the battery ignited you'd have the book thrown at you for endangering a flight. That's one of the disadvantages of a bike with a non-removeable battery. If you could remove the battery you could ship it ahead of time by paying for hazardous transport but I don't think it would be easy with a Gain. Your safest bet would be to rent one locally if possible.

 

[Southernguns]

We drove from the UK so I'm not sure about flying. However we stayed in Bourg osains at the bottom of Alpe d Huez. There are a few good bike/hire shops which may even hire ebikes.

Thank you - worth knowing!

 

[CXRAndy]

That's a bit of a problem with an Orbea as the battery isn't (easily) removable.

It would be interesting to get the absolute answer on flying with an electric . . . probably a bit like the urban myth about letting the tyres down when flying?

Rob

Its not a myth, but unlikely a non deflated tye will pop. I drop mine half pressure to keep bead in place-using tubeless