Orbea Rise – real world experience?

Hi, I’m on the cusp of maybe going for a e-bike.

For a long time I’ve been thinking along the lines of Santa Cruz Heckler based on my love of my Hightower.

But, I can’t help but be interested in the Orbea Rise. 150/140 with gate friendly weight could be just the ticket for Lakes days out. I’m assuming more than capable enough although not the steeper than I’m used to H/A. From what I can gather the reduced torque and lighter weight give it similar range to a 500w battery…and then with a range extender for bigger days out. I’ve read some pretty unbelievable to me figures for range and elevation gain for the Rise.

Anyone have any real world experiences/opinions?

Thanks.

I bought the alloy version (H15) back in May as I couldn’t stretch to the Carbon M series.

I have used it mostly for longer days out in the lumpy hills of the Southern Uplands here in Scotland – longest ride was over 60km and I don’t use Eco mode and still had juice left. Our typical rides have 3000-4000 ft in them. I realize this may be irrelevant if you are looking at the carbon models.

Some good pricing on the M series just now as the new model comes out shortly (mate just ordered M10).

I bought the base model H30 (540wh battery) a couple of months ago. I also have a Gen4 Tallboy and Cotic Solaris.

I love the Rise!
I get two good rides out of single charge; so probably 70+km with 1500+ metres of climbing; mainly using boost on the climbs and eco (or off) on the flats.
I’ve done a simple mod to weather proof the on/off button, upgraded my brake discs, Invisiframed, fitted shorter cranks and changed the tyres about. Ready to ride with Minions, Stan’s, SPDs, 2xMudhugger guards, etc… it weighs 21.5KG on my scales. Well, it probably weighs a lot more now as I prefer riding to cleaning!

It rides really well, although I might upgrade the basic Marzocchi 140mm fork in the future. It’s much harder to manual than my other bikes and, obviously, heavier to lift over gates and the like. It weighs the same as when my Tallboy is loaded up and used for my bikepacking missions. The motor became quieter over the first few rides and the assistance feels quite natural. I much prefer it to the E-Sommet I had a couple of years ago.

If it was stolen tomorrow, then I’d be buying again. Great stuff. Cheap too at the moment.

I have a Rise H15 with 150 Fox 36s. Great bike in all respects. Have no issues taking it down anything, and although the HA is a degree or more upright than my last Enduro bike, it rides better and gives me far more confidence on the steeps. However, by the time it is kitted out with decent tyres it is almost 22 kg as a large.

IF I was to buy again I think I would get a base carbon model, fit the same 150 forks and upgrade the tyres and brakes as and when, and then buy a range extender. I very raely use more then 50% of the battery on the H15 and usual rides are in the order of 20-30 km and 800-1000m climbing. The bike has now done well over 1100 miles of trouble free riding in some testing conditions in the Brecon Beacons

In terms of stats so far the best I’ve recorded was 11,213ft of climbing and 64.42 miles across three rides and I still had 23% left on the H15 and only change I’ve made is chucked the dissector on to the rear and fitted a minion on the front. There’s no way I’d be lifting it over the gates in the lakes though so I would stay away from any hike a bike stuff on the alu model at least unless you’re a professional weight lifter mind!

Quick answer to a pm’d question regarding the on/off button mod…

No worries…
I had applied Invisiframe (paint protection film) to the entire bike. I had a bit left over.
I cleaned out the button really well, and cut out a circular piece of Invisiframe about 10mm greater diameter than the button. I then stuck it straight over the button. The film has enough give in it for the button to work perfectly, whilst also sealing it up. You almost can’t see the film.
I also made a neoprene and velcro wrap to go around the frame covering the charging point.
Hope that makes sense.

I’ll take some pictures later

Appreciate all the replies 🙂

Well, seems to be a lot of love for these. The stats you guys are giving arn’t a million miles away from what I’d guess a full fat ebike has to offer – so thats making me less anxious.

Suppose going ebike feels like a big decision in inself – and started freting that if I did get a Rise, would I always think I should have gone for somethging like the Heckler.

One that I’m looking at is the M10 carbon, full XT and factory Fox in a lovely blue colour – they have one in a shop not too far away so think I’ll nip up on Saturday morning before making any decision.

A mate who I go biking with has a rise m10 with the 360wh battery, he gets about 3000 feet of climbing over 15-20 miles out of the battery. He also bought the range extender, which takes him up to 5000+feet of climb.

think his M20 model weighs about 19kg all up, he fitted shorter cranks as he found he was always hitting rocks with them, and tougher tyres, and better brakes.

BTWI think the updatd rise is about (ie in the next week or so) to be announced, I suspect no significant changes to the frame, but possibly a larger battery in the carbon models – probably 500wh to match the alu.

I had a teaser/marketing email from orbea about it a couple of days ago.

I bought an H30 in March. Its just fabulous and I would buy another. Brakes are not good enough, and suspension is too firm and I’ll upgrade a bit next year. But as a thing, the battery, the motor the reliability, the price. Its a great package.

Upgrading to 203mm discs has made a world of difference to my H30. Under£80 for two discs and two adapters.

We’ve got a brace of M10’s in the garage. Mrs BS has hers as standard other than the grips. Mine has had a tyre change to DHR on the front, dissector rear with a Minion to go on for the slop, and bigger rotors (200mm). we put the Display JB on rather than the inline jobbie as I just couldn’t see it.

I pretty much match my mates Moustache full fat eeeb for battery life, actually, he probably runs out slightly earlier than me. With a range extender it’ll last as long as I have interest in riding for! mine is the nice blue colour version. it’s a very excellent bike.

Surely there are some bad bits about it – I’m seeing nothing but love here

If I’m being honest, the headset is crap and will want replacing at some point, the paint is a little ‘soft’ so invisiframe is a good idea, the grips are meh and the saddle is unusable. We also swapped out the droppers to transfers as they are a bit smoother. Other than that colour me completely content for now.

https://www.emtbforums.com/forums/orbea.63/
Lots of info on emtb forums

Does anyone ride one of these with people on “full” e-bikes ?

Can you keep up just by trying a bit harder, or not without them backing off ?

Bargain here Danny!

https://startfitness.co.uk/products/orbea-rise-m10-electric-carbon-mountain-bike-2022-green

Extra 10% off puts it at £5400. Can you do it through C2W?

Does anyone ride one of these with people on “full” e-bikes ?

Can you keep up just by trying a bit harder, or not without them backing off ?

Not a chance/close … I’ve got an old Gen 2 Bosch 2017..my mate has a new Orbea…
One of our playgrounds has a loop and I’ll get easily 5-6 runs to his 3 to mate on mechanicals 1.
He’s blowing and breathless, I’m not even trying on EMTB mode…
Loads of stuff it just won’t go up as well.

To be fair he’s a lot bigger than I am but its not all fat..

Can you keep up just by trying a bit harder,

Assuming equally fit people on the full fat bike and the rise, you won’t stay with them for long. The full fat bike puts out 500-600 watts peak, versus 350w peak of the rise.

Surely there are some bad bits about it – I’m seeing nothing but love here

My mate with the rise has had 4 new motors….

They all failed in quick succession one after the other,for different reasons,, the latest one has been fine for ages now,so hopefully he was just really unlucky.

Plus some people say the frames are a bit flexy , I guess that could be considered good or bad depending on what you want

I’m assuming more than capable enough although not the steeper than I’m used to H/A.

Bear in mind Orbea’s quoted geometry is with a 140mm Fox 34 fork fitted… Not the 150mm Fox 36 or equivalent most people are running… I’ve got a Reverse Components Angle Spacer fitted to the top of my 150mm Fox 36’s (wanted a bit more static ride height rather than more sag, hence went this way rather than 160mm shaft) and the static HA measurement is a 2 way average of 64.9deg on mine… So its certainly in the ballpark geometry wise…

Here’s mine…

https://www.vitalmtb.com/community/TheMissingLink,48768/setup,45990

From what I can gather the reduced torque and lighter weight give it similar range to a 500w battery…

From my limited experience (illness and injury has kept me off a bike for a large part of the year), with the 360Wh battery on my Rise @ 19.3kg I’m getting near enough the same stats both distance and climbing wise out of a battery as I did on my old 504Wh battery in my Vitus eSommet at 25.5kg. Those being around 20 miles and 1400m of climbing until battery depletion with 92kg of me plus equipment on using a combination of Eco and Trail.

The Rise feels a lot more organic, you don’t notice the relative lack of torque because actually, you don’t need it! To me it just feels like a really good trail bike with a 5kg weight penalty low down where you don’t really notice it. Unlike on bigger eBikes where they start to get front heavy too because there’s so much heavy battery right up by the head tube, the balance of the Rise always feels spot on to me.

I have bought a Range extender for as you describe, haven’t had the opportunity to use it yet though due to illness. Hoping for some decent days in the saddle next year though.

IF I was to buy again I think I would get a base carbon model, fit the same 150 forks and upgrade the tyres and brakes as and when, and then buy a range extender

For this reason, I ummed and ahhed for a while before ordering the carbon version. I figured I would rarely use the extra 50% battery capacity on the alloy bike, and I would benefit from the 2kg+ weight saving more often. My decision has been justified, as mine is a good 2-2.5kg lighter than any similarly specced alloy version I have come across.

One that I’m looking at is the M10 carbon, full XT and factory Fox in a lovely blue colour – they have one in a shop not too far away so think I’ll nip up on Saturday morning before making any decision.

Good idea, best overall compromise on spec/price too…

think his M20 model weighs about 19kg all up, he fitted shorter cranks as he found he was always hitting rocks with them, and tougher tyres, and better brakes.

Shorter cranks are a good idea, as are better ones… The stock E13 cranks aren’t the best to be honest, heard a number of horror stories. I managed to source some Shimano EM900 crank arms (kind between XT and XTR level) in 165mm to replace the 170 E13’s and they’re much better… I’d be tempted to try 160’s if I had the option to though.

Does anyone ride one of these with people on “full” e-bikes ?

Can you keep up just by trying a bit harder, or not without them backing off ?

Bit of an “it depends”, but given the EP8 RS motor is just a software limited EP8, if your full fat ebike mates are typically running in eco or trail modes then you’ll have no issues if you’re running mostly in trail with occasional use of Boost mode. You might want to use a range extender though…

But if your full fat ebike mates are on 700+Wh bikes that have been derestricted, and they ride them like motorbikes not mountain bikes, then you’ll probably get left behind…

I can tell you that my Rise is far easier to pedal above the 15.5mph assistance threshold than any full fat eMTB I have ever ridden though, if that is of any concern.

Surely there are some bad bits about it – I’m seeing nothing but love here

All minor niggles rather than any significant issues or deal breakers as far as I’m concerned…

Rear tyre clearance isn’t up there with most full fat eBikes… I wouldn’t go fitting anything larger than a 2.4″ in there in UK conditions myself. You can probably physically fit larger, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Front ends are relatively low, quite a low stack height compared to many of their competitors. Next mod for mine is going to be a 38mm rise bar to replace the 25mm rise one on there right now.

Stock tyres are typical paper thin Maxxis OEM affairs. Worth upgrading immediately…

Depending on which model you go for, be aware of some component shortcuts… The Shimano M400 spec hubs on cheaper M20 and H30/15 bikes aren’t fit for a £500 bike, let alone a £5k one! Likewise cheap 3 finger levers on the lower end Shimano brakes on the entry level models aren’t up to much either.

People who ride harder have complained about performance drop off on Float DPS shocks (non piggyback) on longer descents. Not an issue on higher spec models with better shocks seemingly.

Stock saddle is fit only for the bin… Shame as being a Fizik, it’s nicely made, but shape is horrendous.

Some of the pivot bolts are known to creak and come loose quickly if not correctly torqued and threadlocked.

Direct fit bearings into the headtube on the carbon models (no press in headset cups) is an annoyance if you had visions of headset upgrades and/or an angleset.

Seat tube is overly long on the XL size… I know of a few people for whom the seat tube length on the XL has meant a no go purchase wise as it was simply too long to fit anything longer than a 150mm dropper post despite the fit being spot on otherwise.

Also the reach/sizing is a little small compared to some. Which may or may not suit. I’m often inbetween a medium and a large in many brands, which is good for me here as the Large Rise fits me spot on. Worth trying for fit though, as you may find you want a size larger than you’d expected as many people have done.

Oh, and having to remove the motor to get the battery out is a minor bind for some, but not a deal breaker.

Surely there are some bad bits about it – I’m seeing nothing but love here

Didn’t shimano motors get absolutely panned on the forum recently for repairability/ warranty…

Can’t remember the post, but if certainly put me off.

Didn’t shimano motors get absolutely panned on the forum recently for repairability/ warranty…

The general rule with eBike motors is the lower the torque, the lower the weight of the bike, the lower assistance modes it is being used in etc… The more likely the possibility of a reliable experience with it.

I know people who’ve killed a few EP8 motors now. None in Orbea Rises!

EMTB motors are very much the new dropper posts in that they all have their own inherent issues, pick your poison and deal with the limitations…

For most people with a Rise, the significant benefits vastly outweigh the minor drawbacks of Shimano motor ownership I’d say… Were I buying a full fat eBike right now, I’d probably be more inclined to recommend a Bosch or a Yamaha setup, but the EP8 suits the lighter bike setup very well in my experience.

Surely there are some bad bits about it – I’m seeing nothing but love here

The (unbranded) alloy freehub on the lower end model rear hubs are not great. Warranty replacement was steel freehub so maybe no longer an issue.

There were issues with the e13 cranks and Shimano/e13 had a little blame-game going on. The common fix at the time was to ditch the e13 cranks and bung genuine Shimano crank arms on.

yoshimi
Full Member
Surely there are some bad bits about it – I’m seeing nothing but love here

I thought there were murmurings of little frame bearings that weren’t lasting, but interesting that there is no mention here. There’s also the Shimano knock from the motor, but I suppose that’s just something to live with

There’s also the Shimano knock from the motor, but I suppose that’s just something to live with

yeah, thats not specific to the rise, any bike with the shimano ep8 does it (as does any bike with the bosch gen4 motor), its not a fault as such, just a characteristic of the motor.

Reading some of the replies on here where people have swapped umpteen parts it suggests to me that maybe you’ve bought the wrong bike in the first place perhaps? I was advised by a mate who knows suspension inside out and back to front if I could afford to go for the H15 over the H30 . He told me don’t think the new Bombers are anything like those of old . So I stretched that far , shop where I bought it tried to persuade me I should upgrade to 4 pot brakes . So far 3 months in I’ve not found it difficult to stop !
So far all I’ve changed is the saddle , personal preference, having read about the spat between E13 and Shimano over the crank arms I decided it was prudent to get Shimano crank arms put on before I bought it .I’m guessing at some point the stock tyres might prove ” interesting” if this rain continues 🙄but beyond that for my once a week big days out I’ll keep riding it as is .

Re the mashed freehub… I could imagine that low cadence + max power through a low gear = max stress on the freehub. Even worse with a Brose or full fat motor. Lazy peddling based on low cadence and max power = broken bits.

FWIW, I changed some stock Shimano pawl based freehub to DeeMax and a DT Swiss style ratchet hoping the longevity is improved, as well as changing to a spinny style of peddling.

Reading some of the replies on here where people have swapped umpteen parts it suggests to me that maybe you’ve bought the wrong bike in the first place perhaps?

Whilst only Specialized (and only @ S-Works level at that) have decided it prudent to offer eBike framesets for sale and everyone else continues to offer off the shelf full builds only with compromised specs, I’ll defend mine and anyone else’s choices to heavily customise their own bikes as they see fit… Certainly my own experience of Shimano’s latest 11 and 12 speed groupsets has been so bad, I would never buy it, so I ripped the XT off mine (alone with anything else I didn’t want to keep) before it even turned a wheel and sold it on…

If the stock specs work for you then brilliant… You did absolutely right going for the H15 over the H30 regardless as the suspension is that much better, but I suspect if you’re happy on 2 pot brakes on an ebike, you’re probably quite a bit lighter than I am and/or not riding the same terrain… Likewise the stock tyres! I’ll agree if we were discussing some of the bikes I’ve seen on the facebook group though, people mulleting them with a long stroke coil shock, fitting 170mm travel forks etc, and coming in around the same weight as many full fat ebikes…

Does anyone ride one of these with people on “full” e-bikes ?

Can you keep up just by trying a bit harder, or not without them backing off ?

If it’s another Shimano powered bike, maybe.

If it’s a Bosch/Brose, absolutely no chance. But, from experience, the full power EP8 also is noticeably underpowered compared to the former also (and more hungry in battery use).

here’s mine after nearly 2yrs of abuse

M10 carbon
range extender
santa cruz reserve carbon wheels
push 11-6 shock
160mm lyrik with push ACS3 coil and HC97 damper
X01 gearing
220mm disc up front

love this bike. it did get a new motor after about a year though due to a cracked axle with the e13 cranks. orbea replaced with a new motor and shimano cranks

Similar to @oldfart I was all ready to swap out the 2-pot Deore brakes and the tyres but was really impressed with the stopping power (after upping the front to 203 spare rotor I had) of the stock units. Also been impressed with what the stock tyres can handle and have only just now swapped the Rekon out for something slightly grippier. H15, Southern Scotland.

Just to mention…
My bottom of the range H30, bought from Tredz about 6 weeks ago, came with genuine Shimano hubs, upgraded levers and hoses and the Steps 7000 computer.
Didn’t expect any of those!

I think that changing to Shimano cranks is a good move on any of these bikes. I was changing them anyway as I prefer shorter cranks 👍

Is swapping cranks just a matter of a straight swap or is there a lot of faffing with the bikes sensors configuration?

Just got an H30 and I have been seriously impressed. It replaced an E8000 equipped bike and I was a little bit worried in case I would notice the drop of 10nm, but I havent. The EP8 RS is very effective and behaves impressively well. The lighter weight and extra gearing obviously helps but I have found the Rise performs very efficiently on my local trails compared to the E8000. I tried a couple of very steep climbs by way of comparison and the Rise climbed without anymore noticeable effort than the E8000. Battery life/range is also noticeably better on similar rides. I changed the front rotor to 203 and I think the Deore brakes work perfectly well for my type of riding so Ive no plans to change them.

Is swapping cranks just a matter of a straight swap or is there a lot of faffing with the bikes sensors configuration?

straight swap, just unbolt old cranks, bolt on new ones, there are no sensors on/in the cranks, or any reconfiguration to be done

Didn’t shimano motors get absolutely panned on the forum recently for repairability/ warranty…

It’s not really the reliability that’s the issue, it’s that it can not be repaired, only replaced.
There are no shops or service places that will fix them.

Outside of the 2 year warranty, it’s about 1,000 gbp for a new motor.

I think this is now reflected in the used prices too.

Shimano have really set themselves up to get (deservedly) humped on right to repair issues

Shimano have really set themselves up to get (deservedly) humped on right to repair issues

Unlikely,ebikes are not a category of product that falls under the right to repair regulations.

The regs apply to primarily household appliances,eg washing machines etc

Indeed, but I’m sure that will be expanded to other high expense, high environmental impact items before long

Why worry,
2 year warranty then, if your are a worrier, sell for close to what you paid 2 years previously.