Orbea Gain M20i review: carbon e-road bike with subtle support and serious range
Electric assistance is no longer limited to mountain bikes and cargo transporters. Over the past few years, road-focused electric bikes have quietly carved out their niche, offering subtle support rather than brute force, and extending the ride rather than replacing effort entirely.
The Orbea Gain M20i sits firmly in that camp, aiming to look, feel and ride like a regular hard road bike while adding enough support to flatten climbs and stretch big days in the saddle.
Spanish brand Orbea has approached electrification with restraint, and the Gain M20i is a great example of that philosophy. At first glance, it’s hard to tell there’s a motor or battery involved at all, with a clean tubular shape, a lightweight carbon frame and none of the visible bulk often associated with ee bikes.
Orbea Gain M20i review
Price and availability
The Orbea Gain M20i is priced at £6,999 in the UK, €7,599 in Europe and $7,599 in the US. It is available directly from Orbea and its authorized dealer network, and is available throughout the UK, the wider EU (including Germany), the US, and Australia.
The bike is offered in two standard colors – purple and orange, or silver and blue – and can be ordered through Orbea’s MyO system, which allows riders to tailor the colors and finishing kit to their liking.
Design and build quality
The main feature of any bike is the frame, and in the case of the Gain M20I, it is a full carbon monocoque that keeps the weight down to 11.5kg, making it among the lightest in its class.
From the side profile, you’d be hard-pressed to tell that this bike packs a lot of power. Hidden in the downtube is a 353Wh battery that provides a range of up to 140km in the lowest mode. This battery is paired with a Mahle X20 motor that replaces the rear wheel hub and delivers 50 Nm of torque.
(Photo credit: Matt Buckley)
The only indication of electrical assistance is a small control pad embedded in the upper pipe. One press unlocks the bike, and another press cycles through the assistance modes, with a row of flashing LEDs to indicate the amount of assistance to be delivered.
Elsewhere, a set of lights is integrated into the seat collar and the front of the front computer, meaning you’ll never forget the lights again, and best of all they’re powered by an internal battery, so you’ll never have to charge them either.
(Photo credit: Matt Buckley)
As for charging, the battery took about 4 hours to fully charge from empty and reached about 80% in 2 hours. Orbea says the full charge will provide about 4,000 m of support.
The 12-speed Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset handles shifting very well. Gear changes are smooth and crisp with no hint of hesitation or hesitation, and I haven’t experienced any missed shifts in another 3 months of testing.
(Photo credit: Matt Buckley)
Even shifts that would have tripped up even the best teams were easily dispatched; from large to small chain under heavy loads can often lead to a fall, but not here.
The finishing kit for the seatpost, saddle and handlebars are all taken care of by Orba’s in-house brand. The bars and handlebars are carbon fiber, so they’re reasonably stiff but absorb highway vibrations.
Performance and ride feel
I am a newbie to electric bikes; my first taste was only last year riding a Scott Solace eRide dirt bike, which I praised for being a great amount of off-road fun.
The Orbea Gain M20I is a different beast in being a road bike with 30mm wide tires; without assistance, the extra weight over a ‘normal’ bike is noticeable.
(Photo credit: Matt Buckley)
Acceleration is a touch sluggish, and the overall ride experience is a little less engaging. Fire up the engine, though, and it’s suddenly fun and reasonably fun to get out of corners… until you reach the EU-imposed top speed of 28km/h.
It is at this time that M20I goes back a little and becomes bloated. On flat roads, it’s still possible to hold a good speed, but it’s in the twisties that it’s really difficult.
(Photo credit: Matt Buckley)
On the hills, it picks up speed well, but riding uphill on the other hand, the weight is very noticeable and makes the bike feel even heavier than it already is. This is not so much a criticism of the M20I as a general observation about the 28km/h speed limit.
Mahle (which supplies the battery and engine) offers an app that allows the rider to tune the car’s features to their heart’s content. By default, there are three levels of help, but within the app, you can adjust the amount and how it’s delivered.
In the lowest assist mode, it’s a gentle push when riding, and it’s barely noticeable; the ride suddenly feels easy, and you don’t need to push the pedals for a lick. Move to the highest assist mode, and the power input is very noticeable.
(Photo credit: Matt Buckley)
Moving away from meets and going out of corners, there’s a definite surge of energy that can surprise you if you’re not paying attention.
It’s the steady climb where the electric motor kicks in and shines, giving you help when the gradient kicks in and leaving you feeling refreshed at the top of the climb, even if you’re still ahead of your lighter friends, and I think that’s where the M20I and electric road bikes in general start to make sense.
(Photo credit: Matt Buckley)
The electric installation will keep older or less powerful riders on two wheels and be able to ride with a fast group without fear of being left behind on the hills, which is probably the point where many riders hang up their wheels, so, in that, they are an amazing piece of technology.
For riders who want to go fast and think the engine is the limiter, I would argue that the current crop of high-end road bikes offer a very engaging and rewarding ride, especially when pushed hard.
The decision
The Orbea M20I is a very well-specced electric road bike, sporting Shimano’s highly recommended second groupset and a smooth motor and battery system from Mahle. In full assist mode, the engine provides a loud whine, making the speed out of the corners a hoot, and on steep inclines, a noticeable effort is required.
(Photo credit: Matt Buckley)
It certainly won’t be the right bike for most cyclists, but for those who want to keep up with their fit (and maybe little) riding buddies, an e-bike can be a good investment, and the Orbea M20I is one of the best.
Think again
I was very impressed with the Scott Solace eRide I tested last year, and by all accounts, the Addict eRide rides very well. It looks like a road bike but packs the same motor and battery setup as the Orbea, yet manages to shave ½kg off the weight. Check out the bike at Scott.
For absolute performance, the BMC Roadmachine AMP One is up there. Packing a bottom bracket motor powered by a 360Wh battery, the AMP One uses individual setups and an array of integrated lights to smooth out the entire gradient. See the bike at BMC.
