Just Released: the All-New Denna, Orbea's Barrier Breaking Gravel e-Bike

Today, Orbea is dropping its latest addition to a growing lineup of compelling e-bikes: the Orbea Denna, a barrier breaking gravel bike designed to help drop bar riders go further and faster, be it on dirt or road. For a breakdown of what you should know about this all-new e-bike, including why Contender added it to our in-store and online arsenal, please read on. 

Setting the Stage | Why We Chose This Bike

Several years ago, Orbea was one of the first movers in the e-road bike category, with the release of the Orbea Gain. Building on that expertise, Orbea planted a clear flag in the e-mountain bike world with the launch of the Orbea Rise, which featured the powerful Shimano EP801 motor, known for its natural motor feel and best-in-class battery range. Now, Orbea is now applying its hard-won expertise (and the EP801 motor) to the gravel genre and the Denna. 

With numerous rides of the Orbea Rise under our collective belt, Contender has found the Shimano EP801 motor to be an exceptional platform for electronic assisted riding–smooth, reliable, powerful. What’s more, the Rise has also grown to be our top selling e-mountain bike. With the EP801 now crossing over to the Denna and gravel riding, we’re excited to offer such a proven platform to our customers. In our view, the Denna is an excellent value for the price point, able to support the full gamut of gravel bike ambitions–from newbie or cross-over riders to urban commuting in harsh conditions, and from chunkier, more technical trails to one day epics across a variety of surfaces and grades. 

What’s New? Key Features of the Orbea Denna

So let’s get into it–what exactly is new and different about the Denna? In our mind, three core features rise to the top: 

• Motor and Battery: as noted above, Orbea chose to power the Denna with the Shimano EP801 motor, which pairs with Orbea’s RS Gen2 RC Firmware. Diving deeper, the EP801 motor tops out at 350 watts, with 85Nm in torque, and an exceptional 11,000 feet (3,500 meters) in elevation gain. On the bike, we think this translates into the ability to push past mental and physical barriers, attempting steep grades and technical terrain that were once out of reach, riding and hanging with the fittest of friends, or stretching a 40-mile ride into 50, 60, or 70. The Shimano EP801 comes with two pre-configured settings: 1) Gravel (GR), which offers the most natural ride and longest range; and 2) Gravel Plus (GR Plus), which provides more power for steeper surfaces and looser terrain. Users also have the option to further customize their preferred settings within the Shimano E-Tube App, which our staff has found easy and intuitive to use.

• Stable, Modern Geometry: at first glance, one will notice that the Denna has a more relaxed, endurance oriented geometry. But look a little closer, and additional touches start to emerge, including a longer reach, lower bottom bracket, and a longer wheelbase. The result is a geometry that is closer to a mountain bike feel, with increased comfort and greater stability on rough, technical surfaces. 

• Wide Tire Clearance: as gravel riding trends toward increasingly rocky and challenging terrain, more and more riders are seeking out wider, more stable, more knobby tires. The Denna delivers on this in spades, with clearance for up to 50c tires.

Spotlight | Models of Note

In total, Orbea is offering the Denna in 7 different build kits, across both carbon and aluminum frame types. Carbon builds are available immediately, with aluminum to follow. Specifically, Contender has handpicked three different carbon models, which we believe offer the greatest combination of value and performance: 

• M30, with Shimano GRX Mechanical: $5,599.95
• M20i, with Shimano Ultegra Di2: $7,599.00
• M11E, with SRAM RED XPLR: $9,999.00

Odds & Ends

• Drivetrain: 1x only (single chainring) 
• Groupset: available in both Shimano and SRAM build kits 
• Frame Mounts: 2 water bottle mounts; fender mounts and bag mounts (under toptube), to accommodate greater gear storage
• Cables: full internal cable routing (ICR)
• Sizes: 6 sizes, from XS to XXL 

E-Gravel Bikes | What Else is Out There? 

For those interested in kicking the proverbial tires on the full range of e-gravel bikes before landing on a chosen rig, Contender has additional options that are worth a look or test ride: 

• Moots Express: a higher end, higher price point option, the Moots Express features the same motor as the Denna (Shimano EP801), and comes in both drop bar and flat bar options, with wider tires (50c) on the factory build.   

• Santa Cruz Skitch: available in drop or flat bars, the Skitch skews towards mountain bikers who are looking to cross over to gravel, or for those craving a fun, zippy way to get to work or around town. Features a Fazua motor, which offers 430 watts, and a 1x drivetrain.

• Specialized Turbo Creo: a more direct competitor to the Denna, the Creo features Specialized’s proprietary motor, the Turbo SL 1.2, which offers 320 watts and 50Nm in torque. Also comes with an integrated shock (Future Shock 3.0)--a nice touch for those aspiring to rocky trails, or anyone wanting to smooth out the ride feel.

Learn More

Any questions about the Orbea Denna? Interested in learning more or taking one out for a test ride? We’d love to help out. Feel free to drop by the shop, send us a message, or give us a call at (801) 364-0344.