Here's my new Orbea Rise... Bought an M10, stripped it, did a full custom build exactly as I wanted it to be and sold all the original Shimano/Raceface parts on etc...
Give it a like here on Vital MTB if you would be so kind...
Quick 20 mile shakedown ride and yeah... Wish I'd done it sooner! Tried full fat eMTB, they're too big, too cumbersome, too heavy for me in general. But can't really ride conventional MTB for now due to ongoing injuries and physio so the Rise makes a lot of sense. 👍🏻
I'm still awake!
Didn't realise it was even electric at first bud!👍
Nice build mate. You did the right thing ditching all the Shim stuff too. Sorry guys, I'm an sram fanboy.lol
I hit like on Vital.
What’s the vital thing about? I did it but was just wondering.
Very nice. 👌
Orbea definitely make the best looking ebikes as you can't really tell at a glance
Looks really nice that - as ebikes go if I were to get one it’d be top of my list.
I think I’d want some slightly more powerful brakes - probably Code RSC’s and would up the rotor size.
Otherwise that doesn’t want for anything!
Not keen on the yellow hubs personally. Apart from that it looks ACE.
That looks great for an eMTB. Mainly because it's not got a great lump of battery.
Interested in if the 'concept' works for many people. An ebike with half (roughly) the battery capacity of a traditional emtb to get back a bit of the weight disadvantage (with a side portion of better aesthetics).
How are you going to use it - on shorter rides with the same amount of assistance that people with a bigger battery would on a longer ride? Or do the longer rides anyway and be very selective about where there assistance is deployed?
I can't work out if it is the best or worst of both worlds compromise. I suppose there is the optional extra battery to add to make you up to a standard battery size (or thereabouts).
An aside - the Orbea website is truly woeful - all style over substance. I went on to see if I could find the bike spec and gave up. No idea how to find the model specs, the geometry etc - just countless lifestyle images and generalised statements. Found it on a shop website in the end.
Looks great and woo finally ridden it! In a similar position having had a H model finally arrive all be it with therefore a bigger battery so for me it’s going to be about being able to do further rides as well as being able to ride consecutively with it with those bigger rides. So for example I did a 13 mile ride with a manual bike at 3300ft climbing, then did my first ride with the rise at 32 miles and 4500ft with an enormous 70% battery remaining, then my standard 20 mile road ride and then an easy 20 mile turbo fat burn ride all consecutively.
Which Mavic wheels are they? I can't immediately see them on their website..
Pretty sure their an older set of Mavic Deemax Pro‘s.
Bikes looking good Mark, what’s it final weight looking like?
Yeah they’re 2019 Deemax Pro’s. I found them in a shop I visited, were selling them clearance as they were ceasing with Mavic. Had considered a pair for a while, so far really like them.
Bike is 19.3kg all in (pedals etc included) so not quite as light as I’d hoped (my mates Levo SL is 16.5kg!!!) but respectable nonetheless. It feels quite a bit lighter to ride than it’s weight though, barely distinguishable from my old Evil Offering or Geometron G15 in terms of throwing it about on the trails.
For me it’s a fantastic best of both worlds situation. I dislocated my knee 9 months ago, recovery has been slow, I struggle to ride a normal bike as I can’t put any pressure on it really so have to sit and spin. An eBike really helps in this respect, but I don’t need massive torque at all. I also didn’t really enjoy chucking a 25-26kg bike about as it felt too much on most trails. With this I’ll be able to ride it in Profile 1 with other people on lightweight eBikes or normal MTB’s and be able to keep pace, or can use profile 2 and the range extender (already purchased) if going out with mates on full fat bikes… 👍🏻
As for the SRAM. I really don’t like 12spd Shimano stuff, quality is very poor IMO. Also don’t like brakes with wandering bite points. This was meant to have Code’s on, but I couldn’t find a suitable length hose in time for the rear brake so slung my G2’s on. To be honest I much prefer modulation over outright power anyway, I don’t have an issue with the G2’s with 200/180 rotors even at 90kg+ with decent pads fitted. But then I also don’t ride alpine descents at the moment. May well fit the Code’s in the future though, but the G2’s are enough for now.
Glad you are sorted. Looks good and a nice spec.
We were riding with friends whist our daughter was competing at Vallelujah a couple of weeks ago and they both have Rises. Didn't have any problems up hill or down hill and still had loads of battery left at the end of the day. They lent one out next day for one of the other riders in the group to try. Looked like he was going to order one on the back of the experience.
My S Works Turbo Levo supposedly weighs in at just under 23kg but it does feel a lot heavier to pick up than our Levo SL. I don't notice the difference in weight when out riding.
Wish I’d done it sooner!
On other bike and ebike forums when a new member or owner posts their initial experience, that phrase comes up a lot.
On other bike and ebike forums when a new member or owner posts their initial experience, that phrase comes up a lot.
This isn’t eBike hype, far from it… I wish I’d got the Rise sooner rather than trying to enjoy riding full fat eBikes and not managing to…
I still prefer riding unassisted, always will. Unfortunately for me that’s not really an option with ongoing knee and other health issues (which I won’t go into here) for most of my MTB riding any more. The Rise really does feel like a proper “normal” trail bike in the best way it can, but just has a little bit there to help me get back up the hills without damaging my knee or causing other issues… 👍🏻
Bike is 19.3kg all in (pedals etc included) so not quite as light as I’d hoped (my mates Levo SL is 16.5kg!!!)
Sounds a bit unlikely. Is that on the same scales?
Yeah same scales. The Levo SL’s are 1kg or so lighter spec for spec than Rises, and he’s got a full lightweight carbon build on his pretty much too… I could drop mine to 18.5kg without too much trouble, albeit I’d start sacrificing some strength in places of course. More important to me is how it feels when riding it, and it feels light enough and I’m not compromising its capabilities as it is with the spec… 👍🏻
Ive recently got the H30 model, loving it so far. Battery seems really good and lasts a decent amount of time. Did a big ride in the lakes, we were out for 7 and a half hours ( including rests) and still had 2 bars of battery left at the end.
I had an M10 a few weeks ago, absolutely loving it and yes, wish id done it earlier etc....
I also have a new 9.8 Remedy for days when I ride with other groups or just fancy a blast on that. I do a lot of road miles and was just feeling jaded/cba for midweek mtb rides so the Rise is perfect for that and fast becoming my goto bike almost like recovery riding. Had the weekend up at Fort Bill for the racing and stopped off at the Golfie on the way back for a short session, 5 up and downs in under 2 hours, perfect.
i love the de-tuned motor. i`ve long said my motor is totally over powered (it is)
if you can even pedal a little bit then boost is pointless.
I'd sacrifice ultimate power for battery all day.
I'm amazed at the weight though! my focus is 22kg with a smaller battery. to lose 3 kilo i'd have to start cutting limbs off!
Lovely job! I've had my M10 for about 3 weeks now and love it. Similar position to you in that I bought it due to health issues but I can honestly say it's one of the best bikes I've ever ridden both downhill and up!
I tried a full-fat before settling on the Rise and I've not looked back. I done 5 hour rides and still had a couple of bars left. It's about 19kg on the scales and doesn't mind leaving the ground when asked. I bought the piggyback battery too for really long trips but haven't needed to fit it yet.
Just writing this is making want to nip out on it now... Back in a bit.
i love the de-tuned motor. i`ve long said my motor is totally over powered (it is)
if you can even pedal a little bit then boost is pointless.
I’d sacrifice ultimate power for battery all day.
Completely agree with these statements…
I’m amazed at the weight though! my focus is 22kg with a smaller battery. to lose 3 kilo i’d have to start cutting limbs off!
Orbea designed it ground up to be a lighter bike. The 360Wh battery is much more compact than you expect, very well thought out. Allows the frame to be narrower in cross section etc… I’m surprised given they quote the bike is only just over 18kg stock, and I’ve mostly saved a few grams on my build, that it comes out as high as 19.3kg… Mind you my pedals are over 500g of that too I guess.
As for losing 3kg of your body… Well I’ve got 15kg I could lose, I could probably lose 3kg this week if I tried. But that’s besides the point…
Nice bike. Have a scan on the web for an article on E13 cranks and the EP8 motor axle failures. I'm not 100% sure but it does look like your cranks are Shimano. Been a few cases of axles failing and Shimano have recommended only using Shimano cranks with the EP8 motor whilst E13 commissioned an independent investigation into said failures.
Good that you've found your sweet spot 😊
For me the ebike has to be full fat though - I've got a 25kg Kenevo, 180mm travel steamroller. To be honest the only time I notice its heft is lifting it over gates etc.
I actually ride it 95% of the time in eco (set at 20% assist). It flies along in any situation, but on steep uphill techy climbs it's great to have the extra boost
Your bike looks great though!
Like MTBs, what suits us as eMTBs varies a lot.
“For me the ebike has to be full fat though – I’ve got a 25kg Kenevo, 180mm travel steamroller.”
I’m one of these people - it might only be a Levo but it’s 160mm front, 157mm rear, 29” wheeled ~25kg steamroller and full power gets used plenty, as does zero power.
My other bike is now a singlespeed hardtail (also a 160mm forked steamroller in its own way) so it’s not like I can’t pedal, I just like turbo mode and don’t care that my alloy Levo takes a fair bit of effort to manhandle.
I have a faulty knee myself which seems to be working functionally at the moment but is permanently sore to the touch (sufficiently so that I avoid wearing (non-short) trousers as much as possible) so I’m thankful that we have eMTBs in case my knee does degenerate and stop me pedalling the way I like to. Glad your new bike is letting you keep riding!
I’m not 100% sure but it does look like your cranks are Shimano.
Preventatively changed them to Shimano EM900’s (and reduced the length to 165mm) before it turned a wheel, I’d done a huge amount of research and didn’t want to end up with a bike I couldn’t ride waiting for a warranty claim again if I could help it at all… Cheers though. 👍🏻
For me the ebike has to be full fat though – I’ve got a 25kg Kenevo, 180mm travel
Tried it a few times, it’s not for me… I’d rather add another 80kg and ride a 450cc KTM than a mountain bike that feels, to me, as unwieldy as one…
Got a H15 due next month 😎 still wondering if I should order up a Shimano chainset in advance?
Cracking bike Mboy, I love mine, don't quite see the point in a non assisted bike for the similar money and negligible difference in handling. If you want to push yourself you can ride it uphill with the motor off. If you want to enjoy the riding more you turn it on. Best of both.
My other bike is now a singlespeed hardtail (also a 160mm forked steamroller in its own way) so it’s not like I can’t pedal, I just like turbo mode and don’t care that my alloy Levo takes a fair bit of effort to manhandle.
I've got a 170 forked 26" wheeled hardtail, but couldn't cope without gears. Still enjoy riding it, but each bike is so wildly different it's a completely different experience whichever I take out.
As for riding the Kenevo turned off - Jesus, no. The battery died half a mile from home on a flat railway path and I almost got off and pushed 🤣
Did a 20 mile local loop of mostly bridle paths and a bit of road on it this evening as an alternative to taking the gravel bike out. Used ECO the whole way, only used 1 bar of battery (so 20%) for the whole ride, which was pretty impressive. Hopefully get a chance to ride some more challenging stuff when I'm up @ EWS weekend after next, albeit won't be able to ride the race stages but will get out and ride some of the other trails up there when I can I hope... 👍🏻
Great looking bike I am on my 2nd E Bike gone with Cube Stereo 160 TM not to sure how heavy but you hardly notice the weight anyway. I personally can't see me ever going back to a non assisted bike I am having so much fun just one more rider left in our group to convert.
I’d rather add another 80kg and ride a 450cc KTM than a mountain bike that feels, to me, as unwieldy as one…
Yes I often think this is just like an MX bike when I'm riding my Kenevo. 😂
Had a conversation with Wyn Masters yesterday and he said his Eeber was his favourite bike out of his DH, Enduro and Eeber.
Have to agree with him the extra weight gives so much extra grip.
I've only had a quick go on a couple of light weight Eeber but don't really get them at all.
I'd rather ride one of my unassisted bikes than a light weight.
Each to their own though, horses for courses and all that.
Each to their own though, horses for courses and all that.
Absolutely, the choice for us is definitely a good thing. I’m firmly in the SL camp, having owned a few & ridden a lot of other full power ebikes. I rarely rode them at full power & everything other than Turbo was turned down, so I ended up lugging a big, heavy bike around, rarely using even 50% of the battery, that didn’t ride that well down hills.
My Kenevo is only a few kilos more than my normal bike, and it rides pretty damn close to it on the important bits.
Still gives enough on the ups & can still do a big day on it. If I’m out doing a big 2-3km vert loop, I don’t need (or want) to do it in 2-3 hours 😆
I rarely rode them at full power & everything other than Turbo was turned down, so I ended up lugging a big, heavy bike around, rarely using even 50% of the battery, that didn’t ride that well down hills.
100% everyone's choice and different needs etc, so I'm not disagreeing when I say this, just giving my personal experience....
My Kenevo is faster DH than my YT Capra was, it's more planted and honestly, the only time I ever notice the weight is when I'm off the bike
Yes I often think this is just like an MX bike when I’m riding my Kenevo.
All depends what you’re used to I suspect. I can chuck a 250kg BMW R1200GS around far more easily than I ever expected to be able to, but I also know its limits are much lower than a proper Enduro bike off road.
Had a conversation with Wyn Masters yesterday and he said his Eeber was his favourite bike out of his DH, Enduro and Eeber.
Have to agree with him the extra weight gives so much extra grip.
And he’s certainly not the only one. There’s plenty out there that feel the same.
Don’t make the mistake of believing that because something has a much better sprung/unsprung mass ratio and therefore the suspension is working more effectively that grip in all situations is automatically improved. You simply can’t get past the extra weight sometimes, especially when it comes to fast changes of direction. I found larger, grippier tyres made a big difference on a full fat eBike so that I didn’t risk locking the front up in particular under braking, something I wasn’t used to on a normal MTB.
I’d rather ride one of my unassisted bikes than a light weight.
And so would I… Which is where you’re mostly missing the point here. I can’t ride an unassisted bike for anything more than a pootle or on very gentle climbs these days, I’ll be lucky for my knee to make a full recovery ever, but right now 9 months and plenty of physio after dislocating it, it’s still only back to about 50% strength so I NEED some assistance on the climbs! Other health issues have conspired and meant I can’t chuck a bike around in the same fashion I might have done a few years ago, so I was feeling a bit of a passenger on full fat eBikes. This, to me, feels spot on for my requirements. That and it’s the goldilocks 140/150mm travel category for me too, as any time I’ve had anything longer travel I always end up regretting it in the end and wishing I’d gone for something just a little shorter travel and more lively. I did consider a KSL like HobNob has and was agonising over how I could potentially decrease the shock and fork stroke and run the headset cups in the steeper position, all to make it feel a little more like a trail bike, before realising I was better off just buying a trail bike…
Life would be boring if we were all the same!
All depends what you’re used to I suspect.
In my case riding MX/Enduro bikes and Eebers. They aren't even close to the same feel.
Don’t make the mistake of believing that because something has a much better sprung/unsprung mass ratio and therefore the suspension is working more effectively that grip in all situations is automatically improved.
I haven't.
Just commenting on how I love the way it generates more grip for me.
I've been riding Eeber for long enough to know what I like about them.
One of those things is the extra weight over my unassisted bikes.
Different bike different feel. Still ride the same stuff on either though and also run the same tyres.
There is no right or wrong just what suits each person no need to justify any kind of Ebike.
How do Orbea manage to make these so efficient !!
I get that I'm fat and unfit but my levo has a 700w battery and I reckon that would last around 30 miles around our local woods(Wyre)
Nice looking bike though Mark !