£3608

Power comes from a 250-Watt, 40Nm hub motor by Spanish bike specialist eBikemotion. The battery is built into the downtube and charged in situ. Sensors in the hub detect the rider’s power and speed and deploy help as required. The system is controlled by a button on the toptube and is a little fiddly to operate on the fly. Like the Cube, 250W of max power makes hills a doddle, though there is a momentary lag before it’s felt. It’s not as quiet as the Cube either – the hub motor whirrs. But a big plus is the battery life – the Orbea did two two-hour, hilly commutes on full power before the system was flashing red. The Cube only managed half that. The relaxed geometry of the Orbea gave it a cruisy feel that was at home in country lanes. It might be aluminium, but the bike is still lighter than the Cube and the difference could be felt on hills when the power is turned off. Bosses for mudguards and racks, generous tyre clearance, excellent battery performance and the high spec make this a versatile machine for club runs and commutes.