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With the Denna, Orbea continues to explore the eRoad category, offering a bike designed for gravel enthusiasts and adventure lovers in general. This bike, equipped with Shimano EP8 electric assist, stands out for its motor’s capabilities and exceptional range, tailored for demanding terrain and tackling significant elevation gain. We had the exclusive opportunity to test this new electric Orbea Denna a few days before its official release.
By Guillaume Judas – Photos: Orbea / NVCR 
Long viewed as a way to keep up with the pack or ease back into cycling, electric road/gravel bikes (or eRoads) are now appealing to a much broader audience: those who want to redefine how they ride and have fun.
Different philosophies clash among market players, but Orbea is one of the pioneering brands in this field. With the Denna—the result of experience gained with both the Terra (the traditional gravel bike) and the Gain (the lightweight eRoad)—the Spanish brand offers a bike that combines power, versatility, and fun.
Customised Assistance
While the Orbea Gain—introduced two years ago and available in both road bike and off-road configurations—uses a motor mounted in the rear hub, the Denna features a Shimano EP8 mid-drive motor. This is a very powerful motor, with a maximum torque of 85 Nm, ideal for tackling steep climbs and unstable surfaces, but its settings have been customized by Orbea.
The Orbea Rider Synergy concept is designed to provide excellent synergy between the rider and the bike, thanks to specific software settings. The goal is to offer smooth and natural assistance, as well as a very long battery life—with plenty of power in reserve when needed.
Out of the box, the Denna offers two assistance modes that can be easily selected via the switch on the handlebars:
- Gravel: Designed for rolling terrain, this setting prioritizes a natural cadence for a trained rider and an authentic riding experience—much like riding on a day when you’re in top form.
- Gravel+: This setting maximizes traction with more torque at low cadences.
Each of the two assistance types offers three modes—Eco, Trail, and Boost—whose torque settings are defined by Orbea to deliver the ride characteristics the brand intends. It’s also worth noting that, in combination with the Shimano motor, the Denna uses an internal 420 Wh Orbea battery (with latest-generation cells), which is rated to provide up to 3,500 m of elevation gain on a single charge. An optional Range Extender mounted in the bottle cage can even increase this range by nearly 50%. 
One of the major strengths of this Shimano motor is its customization options. Using the Shimano e-Tube app, you can tweak the assist settings—for example, by utilising the motor at its maximum capacity of up to 85 Nm of torque to tackle any challenge that comes your way.
Stability and traction
The Denna is built with an OMR carbon frame to take advantage of what Orbea calls “controlled flex.” The tube shaping allows vertical flex to cut vibration and boost traction on rough ground, while resisting lateral flex to keep power transfer efficient.
The Denna’s geometry makes pedalling on rough surfaces easier. Four key features ensure handling, comfort, and stability:
- A longer-than-usual top tube paired with a shorter stem for better control on rough terrain.
- Optimized chainstays—long enough for good weight distribution, yet short enough to maintain the bike’s responsiveness.
- Fork offset tailored to each size, for a customized experience regardless of the rider’s dimensions.
- A lower bottom bracket and a longer wheelbase than a conventional bike increase stability on rougher surfaces.
The Orbea Denna adapts to a wide range of riding styles. It can accommodate both relatively narrow tires and wider tires up to 50 mm in width for wild or very rocky trails. Fender mounts, two bottle cage mounts, and a frame built to handle any conditions make the Denna not only a sporty e-gravel bike but also a bike ready for adventure.
Finally, its weight of about 14 kg for our test model obviously promotes stability and traction in certain conditions. Even though the bike isn’t as nimble as a lightweight, motorless gravel bike, the electric assist more than makes up for the extra weight by making any slope that comes your way easily conquerable.
Intuitive handling
The Shimano EP8 mid-drive motor requires a single-chainring crankset, paired with a 12-speed drivetrain identical to those found on modern mountain bikes or gravel bikes. Paired with the Di2 electronic derailleur and dedicated shift levers, the system lets you switch between assist modes using the left shifter (which is usually reserved for chainring changes, but serves no purpose here).
Assistance data can be monitored in real time using the Shimano EN600 display or a connected Garmin bike computer, so you can keep an eye on everything: battery level, mode, and more. The Shimano EP8’s ultra-precise sensors and RS Gen2 firmware ensure impressive responsiveness.
Among the major highlights of the Shimano electric assist system paired with a Di2 derailleur are the Free Shift (gearshifting while coasting) and Auto Shift (automatic gear shifting) functions.
While I wasn’t able to fully test the latter feature—since I didn’t take the time to configure it in E-Tube—I found the ability to shift gears without pedaling on a descent or a technical section using Free Shift to be very convenient. This lets you anticipate when you’ll need to start pedalling again, which is a real advantage off-road.
Ready for Adventure
After exploring the Denna’s technical capabilities and versatility, it’s time to get down to the essentials: how it really feels once you’re in the saddle. I got to test it on two 60-km rides of pure gravel, with plenty of dirt roads and rockier sections, plus a fair number of small, consecutive bumps.
The Orbea Denna quickly proves reassuring on loose terrain. The lightweight, stiff carbon frame provides an immediate sense of stability, even on a somewhat unpredictable gravel path. Unlike my very first experiences a few years ago with a mid-drive e-bike, there’s no sensation of slackness in the crankset when the motor isn’t active. This proves that it’s perfectly integrated and secured within the Denna’s frame.
It’s the wider Q-factor—greater than that of a standard gravel bike or the Gain—that reminds me I’m riding a mid-drive e-bike.
In Gravel mode, the EP8 motor kicks in with an almost disconcerting smoothness: no sudden jolt, just a natural boost that accompanies every pedal stroke like an invisible teammate.
Eco mode is enough to take the weight off the bike, which then rides just like a traditional gravel bike. Trail mode provides a definite boost, but always progressively: the more you put in, the more the motor gives back. This is especially true here thanks to the software settings, which prioritize electric assistance at a cadence close to what you’d naturally choose on the road.
In other words, the rider is always engaged, but doesn’t necessarily feel limited by their own muscle power. 
Finally, Boost mode is more like a backup option for when the going gets really tough. The assistance settings chosen by Orbea don’t utilize the motor’s full capabilities—far from it. But I noticed that on climbs with very steep gradients, all you need to do is lightly push the pedals to feel the bike climb almost on its own. It’s not exactly a speed demon—you’re looking at roughly 10 or 11 km/h—but that’s more than enough on a slope steeper than 15% over loose gravel.
Switching assistance modes with the left brake lever? It’s as simple as shifting gears for an experienced road cyclist.
Power for the Love of Adventure
What’s also very surprising is how virtually inaudible the motor is. Barely a whisper, drowned out by the faint crunch of gravel under the tires. Combined with the Denna’s impressive range, you’d almost forget to recharge the battery. After a total of 120 km and 2,400 m of climbing—and I certainly didn’t go easy on the bike—I had barely used up half the battery’s reserve.
Knowing that the Range Extender is also available as an option is like having a safety net in your pocket: no more need to do the math—just ride.
Still, we have to admit that our little group didn’t exactly take it easy—we averaged close to 25 km/h on both rides, both of which were on trails. In practical terms, this means that every time we exceeded 25–26 km/h (which was often), the motor didn’t kick in.
When the assistance cuts out, it’s very gradual, and you don’t suddenly feel the bike’s weight or the slightest resistance. This proves that the power delivery is very well balanced.
But this assistance obviously gives you a boost when you’re facing a series of short, steep climbs and tight turns. The extra power makes any challenging terrain more manageable. And it opens up new horizons.
Gravel: the ultimate fun experience
Weighing in at 14 kg (including pedals and a bike computer, but without the Range Extender and a bottle) and with its longer wheelbase, the Orbea Denna isn’t the most agile at first glance, especially when compared to a Gain, which is much more nimble and responsive when changing direction.
But on descents over loose surfaces or gravel that shifts beneath the wheels, it excels and offers total control. The geometry, the 45-mm-wide tires on this test model, and the frame’s shock-absorbing capabilities let you link corners with an ease that quickly becomes extremely reassuring.
Thanks to the MyO configurator, the Orbea Denna offers yet another kind of enjoyment. In addition to certain accessory options, you can customize the color scheme. It’s a small detail, but one that makes every ride a little more personal. The bike can be tailored to your preferences and your vision of gravel riding. A bike that reflects who you are, starting at €5,499 and going up to €9,999.
An Explosion of Sensations
The Orbea Denna offers a cocktail of emotions. The power that energizes, the comfort that reassures, the freedom that exhilarates. Every ride becomes an adventure where you find yourself going further, daring more, all while staying connected to what matters most: the joy of riding.
So, of course, it’s a bit heavy. Its mid-drive motor also changes your pedaling style slightly. It’s pricey, though when you compare it to a high-end conventional bike, you realize the built-in technology isn’t that expensive after all.
But it also proves that even an experienced and fit cyclist can have a lot of fun riding it. Ultimately, it’s an electric gravel bike that appeals to a very wide range of riders.
The ORBEA DENNA M20i at a glance…Pros: natural-feeling assistance, power reserve, XXL range, stability, comfort, integration. Cons: weight, wider Q-factor. Frame: Orbea Denna Carbon OMR monocoque. Fork: Denna OMR Carbon.
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Other versions: Denna M30: Shimano GRX RX610, Oquo Road Control RC25 PRO wheels – €5,499 Denna M20: Shimano GRX RX820, Oquo Road Control RC25 PRO wheels – €5,899Share the post "Exclusive Test Ride of the New Orbea Denna: The Gravel Bike with No Limits"
