Orbea Carpe (2026 – ) review

The Carpe is built around a distinctive, well-finished and good-looking aluminium frame packed with thoughtful design features. Some money has been saved over the Diem in the exposed welds and similar but it’s been designed with the same mindset and rigour. Available in four sizes, all are low enough to be considered ‘step through’ designs with what Orbea describes as a Twin Glide Flex arrangement where the seat tube attaches to the main frame, this and the carbon fibre fork intended to take the edge off bumpy city streets without resorting to heavy and expensive suspension. To help with performance and portability all Carpe models use a relatively small battery hidden in the frame, the mid-mount Shimano EP6 motor driving the cranks directly. Integrated lights and built-in mounts for mudguards, racks and other accessories are also included.

While more serious cyclists may consider the Carpe a little short and upright for an urban-focused commuter bike the Orbea is still relatively sporty, with flat mountain bike style handlebars. For the intended use this strikes a nice balance between comfort and speed, the size Medium we tried perhaps on the smaller side for your 5’ 11” tester. Small, Large and XL options also available. A bit odd that for all the practical features and thoughtful touches there’s no quick-release for changing the saddle height, which is a pain if the bike is shared between riders of different sizes. It’s something that could be swapped out cheaply by any bike shop, so more an annoyance on an otherwise carefully-specced bike.

Our Carpe 25 lacked commuter-friendly features like mudguards and a side-stand but this at least gives you the option of a more minimalist and lighter bike if that’s to your tastes. And you don’t mind a wet bum on rainy days. If that doesn’t sound much fun the more expensive Carpe 20 and Carpe 10 come as standard with a stand, full-length mudguards and a rear rack, though you’ll need to invest in compatible bags from Ortlieb or others using the MIK quick-release system to really benefit. There’s also the option of a front rack if you need more carrying capacity. All Carpes get built-in lights powered from the main battery as standard, which is a great feature for city riding. We also appreciated thoughtful little touches like clear frame protection film on areas vulnerable to chips and scratches when locking the bike to street furniture while the optional quick-release handlebar and flip-up pedals fitted to our test bike are a great feature if you store your bike in a hallway and want to avoid conflicts with your flatmates. There’s also a phone mount and a USB-C charging point if that’s your bag.

While the top-of-the-range Carpe 10 gets hub gears and a maintenance-free belt drive the 20 and 25 use a more conventional chain and gears arrangement, powered by a combination of your legs and the Shimano EP6 motor mounted in the frame. This has three assistance levels selectable from the handlebar, which we usually ran in the highest level. In our defence much of our test with the Orbea was for bakery runs up the side of a steep Alpine valley, where we needed all the help we could get! Like all e-bikes with frame-mounted motors the assistance feels a lot more natural, Shimano’s engineering muscle working in harmony with your own, at least until the mandated 15.5mph cut-off. Given the Carpe’s natural speed this came in rather abruptly, after which it feels like you’re pedalling into a headwind. This is common to all legally certified e-bikes, and can be frustrating for keener cyclists easily capable of going faster on a conventional bike. At least on the flat. Admittedly, our mountainous pastries run was probably more demanding than most regular commutes but the small battery drained surprisingly quickly on sustained climbs, and we needed to recharge every five or six runs up the hill. If you think you need more juice an additional range-extender battery is available, but it’s not cheap. If you ride a lot of steep gradients and lean hard on the assistance there may be better options with greater endurance.

The Carpe might be intended as a city-friendly commuter but Orbea hasn’t dumbed down the handling, and one benefit of the smaller battery is a livelier and more responsive riding style than some heavier alternatives. The low-slung frame, battery and motor help by keep the weight favourably placed in the bike, making it confidence-inspiring in the turns for commuters and more enthusiastic riders alike. And it feels fast and agile for an e-bike, which we appreciated. Like the Diem we were still a little disappointed at the harshness of the ride quality, the bumps buzzing through the frame and getting a little jiggly at speed even with the fancy sounding Twin Glide Flex design. We dropped the tyre pressures a tad, which helped. But that does run the risk of punctures, and on broken surfaces you can take a bit of a pounding. For the riders the Carpe is aimed at that’s likely an acceptable trade-off for the sense of speed.

The stripped-back Carpe 25 tested here is a useful £600 cheaper than the next model up at the time of writing, it being a case of pays your money and takes your choice on whether you consider the premium for the mudguards and other practicalities worth paying. Even so, the Orbea is a relatively expensive e-bike from a premium brand but you get what you pay for and the quality and finish is above-average. With their conventional chain and gears this and the Carpe 20 are going to cost a little more to keep running in terms of maintenance, the belt drive and hub gears of the Carpe 10 cutting cost and faff. But, again, the parts are all decent so should stand up to the rigours of commuting and city life better than those on cheaper alternatives.

Where many e-bikes use parts of unknown provenance and quality we’re reassured at the sight of Shimano-supplied brakes, gears and motor system for the fact the brand has a reputation for solid engineering and an established support network of spares and replacement parts. So, if anything does go wrong you (or any competent bike shop) should be able to fix it.

If you register your new Orbea within 30 days of purchase you benefit from a lifetime warranty for the frame and forks, which is generous. As is the three-year cover for everything else, wear and tear excepted. Servicing-wise the conventional chain and gears will need regular upkeep in terms of cleaning and lubrication, but that’s the same as any bike. If that all sounds like too much work the more expensive version with the belt drive won’t need more than making sure the tyres are pumped up.

We’ll give the Carpe range as a whole a 5/5 here, though the Carpe 25 seen here is probably more a 4/5 for its more minimal spec. But that at least gives you the choice, and if you want the lightest, raciest and most affordable version you can forgo the mudguards, racks and other accessories fitted to the other models. The fundamentals on all grades are all solid, though, thanks to the high-quality frame, decent components and integrated lights. We also like Orbea’s approach of offering mix-and-match options on its configurator like the folding bars and pedals on our test bike, which you can spec if you need them or swerve (and save cost) if you don’t.

Fun to ride, stylishly put together and built to a very high standard there’s a lot to like about the Orbea Carpe. True, it’s not cheap. But you see where the money goes and if you’re able to ‘buy’ on a Cycle To Work scheme the additional expense can be spread across your pre-tax salary, leaving you to enjoy the looks and ride quality. Just make sure you invest in a decent lock, given some of those envious glances the bike attracts may not be entirely wholesome in their motivation…