Orbea Gain

[Storck]

Sounds good. I'm going to give it a try if the headwinds ever die down here since I've been using the lowest level just to make up for the wind. That's yet another good thing about the Gain, when the electric part dies it can still be used as a real bike unlike the heavier ebikes. As I learned in the past buying an ebike with a battery that just snaps on isn't much help if in a couple of years when the battery needs to be replaced it's no longer available from the manufacturer. Even companies like Bosch keep changing the shape of their battery packs so that old models no longer accept the new battery pack.

Sol, isn't there anti-trust laws in the States that should cover that scenario from not happening?

 

[Solom01]

One would think, but basically everyone has turned an eye when it comes to "hi-tech" companies. There was a US federal law that required land-line wireless phones to have replaceable batteries - since otherwise they end up in landfills. But starting with Apple all the idiotic green nuts have no issue with using gadgets that not only have proprietary parts but are specifically built to prevent repairs by third parties. I guess no one cares about their gadgets polluting so long as they can send them off to some other country and it's not their kids pulling them apart under horribly unsafe conditions to salvage a bit of gold or copper. It's like seeing movie stars crying about poverty and climate change as they wear 100k designer dresses and fly private planes. Sorry, didn't mean to get political, but the hypocrisy is hard to take at times. If anything it's getting worse, my wife's BMW has so many specialized parts that it's next to impossible to get it serviced anywhere but a BMW dealer - and they charge insane prices.

 

[Storck]

One would think, but basically everyone has turned an eye when it comes to "hi-tech" companies. There was a US federal law that required land-line wireless phones to have replaceable batteries - since otherwise they end up in landfills. But starting with Apple all the idiotic green nuts have no issue with using gadgets that not only have proprietary parts but are specifically built to prevent repairs by third parties. I guess no one cares about their gadgets polluting so long as they can send them off to some other country and it's not their kids pulling them apart under horribly unsafe conditions to salvage a bit of gold or copper. It's like seeing movie stars crying about poverty and climate change as they wear 100k designer dresses and fly private planes. Sorry, didn't mean to get political, but the hypocrisy is hard to take at times. If anything it's getting worse, my wife's BMW has so many specialized parts that it's next to impossible to get it serviced anywhere but a BMW dealer - and they charge insane prices.

Excellent reply, share your feelings, Ps. My BMW service, repair dealership charge £60ph labour cost.

 

[CXRAndy]

Excellent reply, share your feelings, Ps. My BMW service, repair dealership charge £60ph labour cost.

Data from 2014, show BMW average repair rates of £75/hr and some London based stealers £200/hr.

So glad my car only needs servicing around 2-3 year mark when it decides. I know its going to be expensive but not the usual yearly or 10,000 mile bumf

 

[Skanker]

Data from 2014, show BMW average repair rates of £75/hr and some London based stealers £200/hr.

That’s crazy!
I could replace my entire inboard boat engine for £400, and that includes someone removing old one and lowering new one in with a crane!

 

[Tenkaykev]

Data from 2014, show BMW average repair rates of £75/hr and some London based stealers £200/hr.

So glad my car only needs servicing around 2-3 year mark when it decides. I know its going to be expensive but not the usual yearly or 10,000 mile bumf

My daughter worked for many years as a " Service Receptionist" for a variety of motor franchises ( Peugeot, Audi etc)

The " Service Technicians" had an allocated time for routine tasks such as servicing, the trainees would be given the simple stuff like oil changing etc.

As the jobs were so routine they could usually be completed in less than the allocated time. This made the Service Manager happy as he could book more hours, and the apprentices happy as they got a bonus related to hours booked.

( as an aside, when my daughter worked for Audi she said that the customers were in the main " lovely", but this started to change with an influx of customers switching from BMW.)

 

[Mainiac]

Greetings all. Newbie here. Lifelong rider progressing from 70's peugeot to 00's Moots to carbon roubaix. No longer able to physically climb or keep up with my homies. Rented an e-bike this summer in Victoria, BC and Banff, AB and loved the ease and distance over some glorious terrain. Both rentals were heavy, glommy and ugly but enough to convince me to go to the dark side. Hours of on line research led me to order the Gain F20. Patiently, not really, awaiting delivery. Chose the flat bar because one of my issues is poor circulation in my hands/fingers resulting in complete numbness. While I read most of the posts in this thread, I did not see any that referenced the Gain F models.

Looking forward to sharing my experiences, but still 6-7 weeks out.

Peace out and off to spin some miles on flat terrain.

 

[G3CWI]

Greetings

Enjoying my M21i. It’s a different way of cycling.

 

[Storck]

Greetings all. Newbie here. Lifelong rider progressing from 70's peugeot to 00's Moots to carbon roubaix. No longer able to physically climb or keep up with my homies. Rented an e-bike this summer in Victoria, BC and Banff, AB and loved the ease and distance over some glorious terrain. Both rentals were heavy, glommy and ugly but enough to convince me to go to the dark side. Hours of on line research led me to order the Gain F20. Patiently, not really, awaiting delivery. Chose the flat bar because one of my issues is poor circulation in my hands/fingers resulting in complete numbness. While I read most of the posts in this thread, I did not see any that referenced the Gain F models.

Looking forward to sharing my experiences, but still 6-7 weeks out.

Peace out and off to spin some miles on flat terrain.

Won't just be FLAT terrain. Stick it in max assist and you will get up most hills comfortably. Welcome.

 

[NickWi]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Orbea-Ga...402646?hash=item1f03014b56:g:2P8AAOSwwN1dmg78
Call my suspicous if you like, and apologies all round if the above is 100% legit, but a few things raise the alarm.

Firstly the selling is advertising the bike as having a new battery (and charger). Gains come with a two year warranty and as they havn't been available in the UK for that long, why isn't the owner claiming for this under warranty? (Unless the warranty isn't transferable to the second owner. Anyone know if it is/isn't?).
Two, we now know the cost of a replacement battery, £180 + VAT (but the attached invoice doesn't show any labour charges and I though all Orbea electronic had to be paired & registered and that was via dealers only).
Three, the charger is also allegedly new, but no invoice for that. What happened to the original?
The condition of the bike. Gains aren't cheap and tend not to be bought by the throw away generation, yet this seller is happy to sell it with squeaky brakes, wonky gears and admits the paintwork isn't good.
Lastly cash on collection.

Or am i just getting a suspicous and cynical old git?

 

[Scaleyback]

NickWi said " Or am i just getting a suspicous and cynical old git? "

Well, I think that is a good approach to take when buying any used bike. Are you thinking the bike may have been previously stolen ?
I doubt that, these are still pretty rare bikes and any 'legal owner' would presumably be watching ebay / gumtree etc and this bike due in no part
to it's 'hard life' is easily identifiable.
The seller, who is probably 'kosher' and sells a lot of bike related stuff would have to be wary of taking in stolen goods ?
Some makers do allow warranties to be transferred to 2nd owners but it is the exception.
I do agree that Gain's would usually be purchased by owners who would look after them, this certainly 'smacks' of a much younger owner.

I'm guessing you were just browsing and came across this and no real intention to buy ? personally I wouldn't go near it, just for the condition alone.

 

[Storck]

NickWi said " Or am i just getting a suspicous and cynical old git? "

Well, I think that is a good approach to take when buying any used bike. Are you thinking the bike may have been previously stolen ?
I doubt that, these are still pretty rare bikes and any 'legal owner' would presumably be watching ebay / gumtree etc and this bike due in no part
to it's 'hard life' is easily identifiable.
The seller, who is probably 'kosher' and sells a lot of bike related stuff would have to be wary of taking in stolen goods ?
Some makers do allow warranties to be transferred to 2nd owners but it is the exception.
I do agree that Gain's would usually be purchased by owners who would look after them, this certainly 'smacks' of a much younger owner.

I'm guessing you were just browsing and came across this and no real intention to buy ? personally I wouldn't go near it, just for the condition alone.

Even if you're someone who doesn't look carefully after a bike. How does one end up looking like that?

 

[Widge]

Greetings all. Newbie here. Lifelong rider progressing from 70's peugeot to 00's Moots to carbon roubaix. No longer able to physically climb or keep up with my homies. Rented an e-bike this summer in Victoria, BC and Banff, AB and loved the ease and distance over some glorious terrain. Both rentals were heavy, glommy and ugly but enough to convince me to go to the dark side. Hours of on line research led me to order the Gain F20. Patiently, not really, awaiting delivery. Chose the flat bar because one of my issues is poor circulation in my hands/fingers resulting in complete numbness. While I read most of the posts in this thread, I did not see any that referenced the Gain F models.

Looking forward to sharing my experiences, but still 6-7 weeks out.

Peace out and off to spin some miles on flat terrain.

Hi Mainiac,
I hope everything works out well for you with your Gain F20.......I was lucky enough to get the one I wanted instantly thanks to help from my eagle-eyed Gain aficionado friends here....but it is fairly par-for-the-course to have to order in advance and wait impatiently! I don't think Orbea can make 'em fast enough!!
I don't think think the 'F' version will really turn out to be much different to the drop-bar versions we all (mostly) ride and love? Apart from the flat bars and flat bar shifters and brakes they all follow the same design pattern as far as I can see-and certainly-mine has given me a splendid time in the few short weeks I have been riding it. After a years worth of dodgy health and advancing years it was heaven sent as I was losing the 'oomph' to wind my regular road bike up hills.
enjoy.....
And don't forget to keep us informed?

Best

Widge

 

[Widge]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Orbea-Ga...402646?hash=item1f03014b56:g:2P8AAOSwwN1dmg78
Call my suspicous if you like, and apologies all round if the above is 100% legit, but a few things raise the alarm.

Firstly the selling is advertising the bike as having a new battery (and charger). Gains come with a two year warranty and as they havn't been available in the UK for that long, why isn't the owner claiming for this under warranty? (Unless the warranty isn't transferable to the second owner. Anyone if it is/isn't?).
Two, we now know the cost of a replacement battery, £180 + VAT (but the attached invoice show any labour charges and i though all Orbea electronic had to be paired & registered and that was via dealers only).
Three, the charger is also allegedly new, but no invoice for that. What happened to the original?
The condition of the bike. Gains aren't cheap and tend not to be bought by the throw away generation, yet this seller is happy to sell it with squeaky brakes, wonky gears and admits the paintwork isn't good.
Lastly cash on collection.

Or am i just getting a suspicous and cynical old git?

Yup.... As NickWi says...Gains haven't really been around long enough to wear out their new Batteries/Chargers yet -unless something went horribly wrong- and these scenarios should be covered by warranty. It is also pretty scuzzed-up for a bike that cost a lot (although this is reflected in the price) and can only be 18 months or so old at most . There are of course no rules about keeping yer bike in showroom condition! Gains aren't 'cheap' though (although they ARE good value IMO) and as such I reckon are probably molly-coddled to death by most proud new owners! I don't think the warranty is transferable - but would have to re-read the small print. As far as I can make out, the electronics are closely matched and paired to individual bikes/registered owners and replacement needs to be performed and matched by authorised dealers ATM. (This is a double edged sword but potentially might work to the advantage of owners who might have had one nicked....the moment a dealer plugs in his diagnostic app it will tell him who the real registered owner 'should' be?)

While I'd like to think that there could be a market in 'pukka' pre-loved 'Gains' I too would would feel a little uneasy about this one if only because it already seems to have had an unexpectedly hard life. YMMV.
Of course....it could equally well be perfectly legit and I would not like to be accused of maligning the vendor.The vendors appraisal and description seem up-front. As with anything - caveat emptor.
Widge

 

[G3CWI]

I reckon are probably molly-coddled to death by most proud new owners!

I’m not molly coddling mine. It’s a gravel bike and it’s being ridden as such.