would I always regret not having bought the Wild FS instead?

Yes

And I’d have to listen to you telling me so every time we went out

Nah just get the rise. It looks awesome. Same geometry as the Occam which I ride. And it doesn’t look like an ebike which is a bonus. Just to provide a counter argument!

But I guess it really depends on whether you want longer travel and burlier. Only you know the answer…

Just changed my wild fs for a rise. The answer is no. Not saying the Rise is definitely better for you, just that I can’t see anyone being disappointed with it. Personally I found the Wild FS too much, the Rise is more my style. With a Rallon as my other option.

Not ridden the rise yet due to lack of demo bikes available… but as Doug says I also found it too much

I went from a Wild FS to a Levo SL, which is less power than the Rise, best decision I made around ebikes.

If it’s your first eeb after riding for years on a normal bike, then no.

I’ve just done that, can pedal it easy with motor off, feels like a normal bike. First ride on it, admittedly with my mate, who was pedalling a Jeffsy, 20k, 750m and only used 20% battery!

The battery is probably the decision you need to make, right? Do you need the extra range/power or are you happy with less assist/less time.

Rise has less torque, but unless you’re using higher power modes a lot, that might be moot

One other factor is the Wild has a Boach motor vs the Shimano in the Rise, I’d prefer the Bosch myself (although I’d probably choose the Rise out of the two)

The battery is probably the decision you need to make, right? Do you need the extra range/power or are you happy with less assist/less time.

I think that is a common misconception. The Rise has more range than the Wild FS in the real world. It´s because you are doing some of the work too (plus it is more efficient and lighter). Of course, if you use the Rise in turbo all the time then no but it’s not really the point of that bike. I find I use the Rise in Eco / Trail mostly and get 1700-1900m uppy-downy. The Wild FS I just use Turbo or e-mtb and I get 1000m-1200m.

What size are you on Doug as I think I would opt for a L for the Rise and an XL for the wild. I reckon we are fairly similar stature (i’m 182cm)?

EDIT: My big issue is that I am unable to test ride either of them. So if anyone in S Wales area has either and is about 6 foot then maybe you could help me out 😉

I’m not in South Wales but we have 2 rise’s in the fleet. I’m 6’2 and on an XL with 20mm of post out from collar of dropper, the other in a medium with a 5’6 rider with 20mm of post from collar.

@welshfarmer: There’s an xl rise for demo in Leisure Lakes, High Cross, Newport. They may have a large also – not sure.

Through the Orbea website you can arrange a demo – 80 quid a day (or 2 days if you hire on Saturday as shop is closed on Sunday 😉) Or you could just ask nicely for a sit on it in the shop.

I’ve been out on my wild fs today.
It is a weapon for sure.
You can put as much in as you like though. A lot of the flatter bits I’m in eco, then emtb for steep climbs.

Did 31 miles and 4100 feet on my 625 battery, plus some of my legs obvs.

The good thing about the Wild is it’s more of an uplift replacement if that’s your thing. You can bang out runs then stick another battery in and bang out some more (if you can afford two batteries)

I considered the Rise but decided it was probably a little spindly for the riding I tend to do. Also, because the battery is fixed you’re limited to that and it’s not so great if you keep it in a cold shed/garage.

That’s not to say the Wild can’t go on a mellower trail run though. That’s what I did today.
It’s a great bike.

I have the Wild and had a shot on a Levo sl and I think if I had went from trail bike to the lighter eebs then I would have loved it but if I was to jump down to the lighter from the wild it would take me a while to adjust
The wild just sails everything and and feels so planted

Thanks for all the replies so far. Really useful.

I’m 179cm and on a L which fits like a glove.

The fixed batteries is the future, when you start to realize how much weight you need to add to make the battery removable it’s crazy. Material to get back the 70% stiffness you remove by opening the down tube, drop test requirements for the battery, mounts etc etc.

Edit, if you’re near here you can try mine.

Same as Kayak23 for me, if you’re doing enduro or heavier trail style stuff that’s basically fireroads up and downhill runs then the wild will be a better fit, more range for what you want to do and a bit sturdier for hitting bigger stuff, it really is built around an enduro chassis.

If you’re doing blue or red xc routes, then the rise would work well, the weight and 2x power gives you what you’d need for those days where you’re hitting big routes, say the available trails at afan/cwmcarn/etc (i.e. all of them in a day at one centre), as it’s built around a trail chassis.

Of course there’s a huge grey area where crossover can occur, that’s where your preferences will come in, i have seen the rise and given them a bikeshop sit and look, they are nice, but i enjoy enduro stuff, i also enjoy trail, but the enduro stuff edges it so i’m overbiked for trail days, but just slightly less lethal on enduro stuff!

The fixed batteries is the future, when you start to realize how much weight you need to add to make the battery removable it’s crazy

Can’t imagine it being a big factor on an eeb.
Depends what you do.
Bikepark Wales for example you can easily rinse two batteries getting in all the runs you want and can do over a day.
Last time I went to BPW as an example,on my two batteries (625 + a 500wh) I did just under 38 miles and 6750 feet of climbing.
I was knackered, but, I don’t think you’d do that on a Rise with a single battery unless you turned it off! Happy to be proved wrong though.

A normal day of off piste in the fod for example, we’ll do a battery before lunch, then one after.
That’s a lot of riding.
I don’t think you’d do that on a fixed single battery. You’d end up expending all your effort going back up, or having range anxiety most of the day.

Having said all that, I’ve not ridden a Rise, but saving a couple of hundred grams on an eeb with a fixed battery which arguably you’d never notice, over one that’ll do the same ride but that you can chuck as many batteries as you’ve got the stamina for at it? Hmmm 🤔

Yeah, it’s quite a lot more than a couple of hundred grams. I know what you mean though but I think we will start to see fast charging. Rinse a battery before lunch, charge it and then ride again.

The rise would do that but only if you were light or using eco the whole time. To do that in trail you would need to do the first few runs with the range extender. But if you’re self shuttling bike parks then you’re going to be happier with a bigger bike, like the WildFS in the original post. Me? I’d take my Rallon and pay the uplift! When they make an ebike that is as fun to ride as a good normal enduro bike I’ll reconsider.

I’m not a huge fan of fixed batteries either, more down to the issues around lithium ion batteries and things like thermal runaway, removing the battery, keeping it discharged until needed and then being able to inspect it and the connections gives me a little confidence it’s all ok.

My big issue is that I am unable to test ride either of them. So if anyone in S Wales area has either and is about 6 foot then maybe you could help me out 😉

@welshfarmer Cycle Solutions in Uplands, Swansea have a demo Rise, in Large I think. Might be worth giving them a call.

Over the last year or so my health has taken a turn for the worse so started looking at ebikes. A friend persuaded me to go with the Rise and ime glad i didn’t go for a full fat bike. Very manageable weight wise but its also a great bike to ride. Ive had it on full boost and you can get 20 miles out if it with quite a bit if steep climbing.

I have had my Rise for about 4 months, I had an e-Sommet before that!, I am running the Rise 160mm up front, it’s a very capable bike you could run it as an Enduro bike with coil & beefy wheels & light wheels & air shock as a trail bike, I am 181cm with long torso & the size large bike is a fantastic fit, an amazing bike

I had a wild FS and really liked it.

I’m 186cm and had an XL which fitted well.

I fitted a 170mm airshaft to the fork just to raise the front a bit.

It was a great bike and inspired me to ride stuff I was scared of trying before.

The only thing that put me off it was how flexy the rear end was. It always felt like the rear tyre was low and moving about.

There has been lots of reports of chainstays cracking on the aluminium frames and could see why. With the rear brake applied you could physically see the stay bending slightly.

If you are a lighter rider you may find it fine. If you are over 105kgs then you may want to get the full carbon version or a different bike.

I’ve now moved to a 2022 levo expert.

Just to conclude this thread. I have now taken delivery of a alloy Rise in Large from Zero bikes near Ross on Wye. The whole buying process has been great and the guys in the shop have been brilliant. Very recommended if you want an Orbea or a Rocky Mountain. Back when I started this thread the alloy Rise hadn’t even been announced. So how is the bike. Well it is a bit heavier than the carbon one obs but also has a larger 540Wh battery. I opted for the 150mm Fox Factory fork upgrade and a few other bits and bobs but the price was still more than competitive with any other quality Ebikes out there. And what is more I ordered it online from Orbea at the start of January and am riding it now, even though delivery was scheduled for next week.

Not had a chance to ride it much other than twice round the farm checking the sheep, but fit is spot on and it seems to ride really well, even without the motor turned on. I will do a better review after a few2 more rides.

Not had a chance to ride it much other than twice round the farm checking the sheep

‘Quad bike for sale’ 😄

I love a bit of thread conclusion. If I was buying an eeeb, Rise would be top of my list in part due this thread.

Nice one. Be interested to hear your thoughts when you’ve had a razz or two.

Nice one +1, I wonder what the range difference will be compared to the carbon rise, for example, with the range extender (so 615whr in total) rode Cwmcarn yesterday, 25 miles and 4300’. Had two bars of the bikes battery left and range extender was done.

The guys over at Zero Bikes are top top people, wish I could get a RM off them but over budget. My rise is on order for February some time but no update just yet as to when but from MTB monster as zero are too far away from Cumbria! Be good to hear what you think about it, which colour way did you opt for?

Will be taking delivery of my Large M10 any day now. Decided to go carbon cos it’s about 2kg lighter, albeit only about 1.5kg of that is actually battery. But for most of my rides, 360Wh will suffice and I’ll just fit the 252Wh range extender for the odd ride out with full power bikes as and when required.

Also waiting on my H15 arriving at MTB Monster @GolfChic. Hopefully soon, Orange XL. Would have preferred local LBS but they quoted December 2022 when I ordered before Xmas!

I think that is a common misconception. The Rise has more range than the Wild FS in the real world. It´s because you are doing some of the work too (plus it is more efficient and lighter). Of course, if you use the Rise in turbo all the time then no but it’s not really the point of that bike. I find I use the Rise in Eco / Trail mostly and get 1700-1900m uppy-downy. The Wild FS I just use Turbo or e-mtb and I get 1000m-1200m.

Ymmv. Doug and I have discussed this and I get a chunk less climbing. Cant work out if it’s climate, cadence or fitness. However, adding the hop up and i heading for some way over 2000m climbing (so enough for that BPW day above.)

Sunday I got 38km 1400m (nearly all on eco with a very little trail) and finished on under 15%. The Wild riders with us (all e-MTB I think) ended with more battery than me.

@welshfarmer – how you getting on with the alloy Rise?

Yes interested in an update too !

Some are getting slightly discounted at the moment, and I have had a quick ride around a car park. On a high end model which was super light.

I’ve sat on an H30 in a shop… that wasnt quite so light, I am guessing not just down to components but a bigger heavier battery ?

Well I have put almost 1000 miles on it since end of January and few complaints so far. I ended up changing the brakes to Maguras as the stock Shimano ones were not up to the job and the Zees I fitted from my old bike started playing up (microleaks and NOISY). I have upgraded the wheels for sumer and refitted the stock tyres which have been great in this dry spell. I still have the HD winter tyres on the stock wheels which will go back on for winter, I have yet to get range anxiety and happily do 45 km rides with 1200 m of climbing. So much so that I cancelled my order for the range extender and bought the new wheelset instead. There have been reports of noisy and poorly greased pivots form the factory. I took mine apart last weekend to check and it was all good. But peace of mind and all that. Also horror stories regarding the E13 crackset, but again mine has been no problem yet!
As a bike it rides really well, I use it as a trail bike and a dodderers enduro sled, i.e. I will take it down anything including the gnarliest off piste stuff around the South Wales valleys, just not especially fast lol It is confidence inspiring and has got me out of trouble several times. And whilst I can’t keep up with my mates on full fats going up long steep climbs, that really is the only time it shows the difference.

I bought an H30 in April. Faultless mechanically apart from the dropper which failed and needed a £10 fix (bottom cap came off). I can’t stress how much I love it, how its made me ride more, for longer distances, how its capable up and down, the range is great and it does much of what my old AM9 did (mostly) on the rough stuff.

It was such a gamble to buy it. Its 2.5 times what i’ve spent on a bike before and i was so nervous, so there is a sense of relief that I’ve not spaffed 4.7k on something that rubbish. Cycle to work was a massive help in that regard.

I’m looking at new brakes because they are adequate but underpowered. The Shock and fork on the H30 are basic and acceptable but i’ve had to take a lot of air out to get any level of plushness.

I’d be interested in keeping the conversation going on upgrades 1. A new shock 2. Some better brakes 3. Interested in running a Magicshine emtb light that uses the internal battery so if anyone has done that would be good to get reflections.

hb, have you upgraded the front rotor to a sturdy 203 yet? The Deore 6100 brakes are fine (for me) with a proper rotor.

6 weeks on, a couple more mates have jumped in and we’ve now bought SEVEN of these things between us!

Only upgrade I made to mine when I had it was to update the brakes/rotors and change the tyres. I’d agree with previous comments, check the bearings as defo a weak point, mine went through two sets in a year, but I suppose that’s Innerleithen in winter, just kills stuff. Although I think it’s also the back end which I found way to flexy hence now having a Wild.
Got one for sale in classifieds if anyone fancies one 😉

Also really enjoying my H15 that arrived 3 months ago.
I’m finding the 2-pot Deore brakes fine (with a 203 now fitted on front).
I even stuck with the Dissector/Rekon tyres and had no issues other than couple punctures (rare for me) that the jiz fixed.

Blew the freehub up but Orbea warranty have replaced it with a steel one (should really come as standard on a eeb maybe?).