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So age and lethergy are catching up and im very very tempted to get invloved in assisted riding . Im torn between 2 maybe 3 bikes but each have differnt motors . Im after a little extra and range rather than pure power and want something more natural feeling like a strong tail wind rather than a big diesel powered kick up the arse .
This years black and like Range Rovers in Wilmslow is the Amflow but im not sold of their rise to fame and longevity Avinox motor and power levels not needed here .
I already have a Santa cruz and the Vala would fit in well there and the Bosch motor seems to be a big plus but its a mullit and a fair bit weighty on wallet and scales .
And the one that a I reall like is the Orbea Rise lt . Geo seems almost perfect and weight and Shimanos fixes for the Ep801 motor and the rs tune looks like the 630 wh battery would do the job. Full 29 too but just internal headset cable routing .
And real world experience other than the bad press some social media groups post would help a long way to make me cash out .
Just a note that there are a lot of good deals on Vala AL and all manner of Orbea bikes at the moment. Comparable to the cheaper Amflow bikes. Saying that, I didn't particularly like the Bosch CX Vala CC I rented in Massa Maratimma last year. Far prefer the feeling of my Heckler SL (which you get ridiculously cheap at the mo due to the Fazua issues).
Don't fret it too much.... It'll probably spend more time in the workshop than on the trails.
Hahaha Alpin thats the other worry I have . All be a major issue I do my old servicing apart from Full servicing on forks and shocks I do my own . So the first time I see and EML on the bike id loose my rag.
2022 Rise here , never upgraded the brakes though so many " experts" told me it's a must really ought to change the fluid ! 🙄, had a problem with the shock linkage which again " experts" told me was whacking over £300 on a Cascade Link, Orbea were aware of the problem redesigned it sent out new under warranty.
Last year motor was checked by Madison they had some concerns so they replaced it out of warranty FOC with another 2 year warranty 👍
500 odd watts perfectly adequate for me I don't need a full power bike !
I thought the media was all about the latest Amflow and you tune it down to get longer run time rather than even more power...
@Oldfart Reading on Madison are very good at making right motor faults of late . Im not sure about Orbea ive not read that far in yet on warranty back up .
@DickBarton . from the socials and hard sell Avinox is the only company making ebike motors it would appear ..
Gen 4 and Gen 5 Bosch, Shimano 801 motors in my riding group. My older Gen 4 struggles to keep up with the other two but all are great.
@stevedoc if you're anywhere near Somerset you're more than welcome to come and check it out bearing in mind it's 4 years old
Love my 2025 Rise LT H10 (630Wh). Rides like a normal bike.
You'll get more range out of a de-tuned full fat bike though.
And real world experience
A mate waited almost 9 months for a new battery for his Orbea Rise, on warranty after the original stopped charging
Two of my friends have the Vala. One previously had an original Rise. Much prefers the Vala. I was very tempted by one being a bit of a SC fanboy. The only issue seems to be the motor bushings are a bit fragile. They are both very light which may explain why range is just not an issue at all. Most of our riding is in ECO or Tour tho.
My first ebike experience was an original Rise. Small battery/EP801 motor I think. Borrowed off a mate for a weeks tour in the South Tyrol and while it was a bit under-gunned compared to mostly Bosch CX five bikes I was riding with, it was still a fun bike to ride. Bit flexy tho.
The difference between that - 4 year old - motor and the CX5 on my Whyte eLyte is really noticeable tho. The Bosch is a far more natural unit and doesn't rattle. No exp of the newer Shimano motors.
One of the main factors for me was buying local, from a LBS I trusted if/when the motor goes wrong. I also did not want a monster truck/800W bike and the Whyte was pretty heavily discounted (I think a new one is coming) so that hit the sweet spot. With a 400W battery, I can easily get 1000m of climbing and with the PowerMore I was up to 1600m the other week with 30% left. So if you're more about assistance than turbo everywhere, definitely worth considering lower power/weight/battery bikes IMO.
Most people will tell you I'm wrong tho!
Just a note that there are a lot of good deals on Vala AL and all manner of Orbea bikes at the moment. Comparable to the cheaper Amflow bikes. Saying that, I didn't particularly like the Bosch CX Vala CC I rented in Massa Maratimma last year. Far prefer the feeling of my Heckler SL (which you get ridiculously cheap at the mo due to the Fazua issues).
What are the Fazua problems out of interest? Seen the cheap Hecklers etc but also demo'd a Vala (which is top of my list at the minute).
Just a note that there are a lot of good deals on Vala AL and all manner of Orbea bikes at the moment. Comparable to the cheaper Amflow bikes. Saying that, I didn't particularly like the Bosch CX Vala CC I rented in Massa Maratimma last year. Far prefer the feeling of my Heckler SL (which you get ridiculously cheap at the mo due to the Fazua issues).
What are the Fazua problems out of interest? Seen the cheap Hecklers etc but also demo'd a Vala (which is top of my list at the minute).
Porsche folded the company, and most people with Fazua bikes needed at least one replacement motor.
I'm very happy with my Vala AL70, yes it's heavy but it rides lighter (if that makes sense) and much more fun than my Kenevo was. The spec is good for me (the DB8's are much better with Galfer pads/rotors) and I prefer the Rockshox suspension. The CX motor works well with more than enough power in its standard settings. I have a range extender but the 600w battery lasts about as long as my knees do!
My brother bought a Rise on my recommendation, he was in Spain so Orbea seemed the obvious choice. He's moved back, so I had a go on it. I was impressed. The geometry was spot on, felt like the perfect size bike for me straight away. And the EP801 motor tune is fab. In 'green' it just provides a really nice level of assistance, tuned in to how strongly you pedal. The "turbo" isn't as whizzy as my Cannondale's but doesn't really need to be. I'd be happy with one.
Ive missed a couple of demo days the Ard rock would have been ideal for a lego over . The Valas are coming down in price now for the guccier models . As I said before what ever i end up getting it will be from a local shop because I really down fancy any arse with a problem bike ..
And real world experience other than the bad press some social media groups post would help a long way to make me cash out
A mate has an orbea rise for the last 3 years. His battery failed a couple of months ago so out of warranty.
Mtbmonster contacted orbea and they replaced the battery foc. He was without his ebike for 4 weeks.
Another issue was the linkage which he fixed himself.
Apart from that no other issues to report.
Buy local as you will end up with an issue at some point.
I've got the orbea wild and 12 months in I've had no issues.
Some cracking deals on the Wilds atm too
I've got a 2025 Rise and had a mk1 before that. It's a nicely put together bike and it looks good. Headset routing is definitely a negative for me, but it's really not something you have to deal with very often at all. Replacing headset bearings is the nightmare job but I've not done that on any bike I've had lately (the mk1 Rise I had that for 3+ years they were still running smoothly). It *is* neater with less cable flapping around.
The Bosch motor does seem to ride very differently to the Shimano. My experience is that it delivers much more power at lower cadences so you don't have to change gear as you do on a regular bike. For me that makes it feel much less natural. Get a demo if you can.
I've unlocked the regular 600w power output on my Rise - you need to buy or borrow the shimano PC kit, but then theres free software that does it. I've not got the regular RS+ and a 4 level 600W profile (and fitted the shimano screen so you can easily switch between them without the slow process of opening and linking a phone). It rides really well as a full power bike and the battery is large enough to get a decent ride with people on full fat bikes. If you're riding in Trail and 'making progress' I reckon it's about 12/1300 in full power and 1600m or more in RS+ modes.
However, if you take it easy on the climbs in full power you can still get close to the RS+ range. IMO the bike is better with the full power option and it's worth thinking with other bikes that most can be customised to limit power and torque - you can stretch range and make yourself work harder on something with an Avinox if you want to.
I'm with you that the full Avinox power seems completely un-necessary - with the full power rise I basically alternate between a 42nm Trail and 50ish nm 'Trail+' and almost never need any more than that. More power just gets you to the limiter quicker (unless you unlock the speed limit too) but I kind of like to take time to enjoy my rides too...
Some good deals on Rise's at www.e-bikeshop.co.uk
It's not like any other bikeshop I've dealt with, but the support I've had when there have been any issues has been really good - they've sorted out stuff very quickly and been quite happy to ship stuff to me for me to fit myself.
Cheers chaps .. might have a pop up to MTB Monster Friday
Bit of an update, did my biggest ride so far on the 2022 Rise yesterday. 25 miles on Exmoor, over 5,000 feet of elevation, needed Boost on quite a few occasions! Descended all the way down to Porlock Weir which meant an over 2 mile climb back out ! Finished the ride with 2 bars left , last part was a long descent so how much longer before it would have dropped to one who knows but I was more than pleased with the range . Guy I was riding with was analogue! He will be getting a full powered E Bike next year so that will change things for the worse but for now 👍
As I've mentioned before some of the really steep climbs on loose shale has me spinning out if I'm not careful so not sure having 3 times the power would help?
Orbea Rise LT here.
Id be buying an DGI bike next without shadow of a doubt
if you are buying an assisted bike just get as much power as you can and then you can turn it down, but power is good when you want/need it
Secondly the Orbea is archaic compared to DGI bikes in how the tech is deployed. The headset is also a thing of hate .
Luckily mine doesn't have headset routing 👍
Think the latest wild / rise don't have headset routing looking at the images of the new range.
And some of the new wilds have the dji motor if thats your thing.
Yep after my last post yesterday I looked further into the Wilds coming in later this year with the DJI and the ability to de tune theres down further. That and the Myown avalibility on the M10 version . This isnt everyones up of tea But my neon Orangefive 9 from a few years ago would love it
Id much preffer a rise with a dji motor more all mountain than dh sled
If you can wait until end of 2026/start of 2027 then Trek are meant to be bringing out bikes with a new TQ 120nm motor and modular batteries. They haven't been announced to the public yet, but they're available for dealer pre-order and some dealers have given people a sneak preview on their Trek ordering systems.
