Orbea Updates the Rise

Orbea Rise Review: Specs & Features

Frame and fork

Orbea makes the Rise in two different configurations and each of those configurations comes in two different builds—one north of $10k and the other south of that mark. As we mentioned in the opening, the Rise rolls on 29-in. wheels front and rear on both versions. Both the frame’s main triangle and rear swingarm are constructed of carbon fiber to keep weight as low as possible while maintaining necessary stiffness.

The frame is made in four sizes and is reasonably estimated to fit riders from as petite as 4 feet 11 inches up to 6 feet 6 inches, with each size accommodating a roughly 7-in. range of height, which seems rather generous.

The Rise SL—as in Super Light—features 140mm of travel front and rear. This version gets a fairly slack 65.5-degree head tube angle, roughly where most trail bikes are being built currently. What this does is make this eMTB very calm and stable in rowdy terrain, especially rock gardens that might otherwise twist the bar from the rider’s hands.

The Rise LT—Long Travel—uses the same frame, but makes a few tweaks that result in a substantially different ride. Travel grows to 160mm in the fork and 150mm in the rear and thanks to a difference in how the suspension is set up, plus some adjustability, the head tube angle slacks out to either 64.5 or 64 degrees, a big enough difference to allow the notion of “rowdy” to be redefined.

Motor and battery

The single biggest change from the previous edition of the Orbea Rise comes from the new version of the Shimano EP8 motor. Previously, Orbea’s EP8 RS, a special version of Shimano’s top-of-the-line motor with special software tweaks to make the pedaling feel more natural for experienced mountain bikers. It also dialed the torque down on the EP8 motor, from 85Nm to 60Nm. They did this for two reasons: 1) the aforementioned natural pedaling feel and 2) to increase range.

With the new edition of the Rise, Orbea is unveiling a new version of the EP8 RS. This one gives riders the full 85Nm the motor is capable of delivering, while still offering highly tweaked software, as well as an app that allows riders to adjust just how the motor responds to rider input.

The RS designation refers to Orbea’s Ride Synergy. It denotes the company’s tweaks to Shimano’s firmware, which is designed to give the rider a more natural pedaling feel. Riders can make adjustments to the motor’s performance in a smartphone app.

Previously, the Rise came with a 360Wh battery standard, with an option for a 540Wh battery. The new Rise comes with a 420Wh battery, with an option for a 630Wh battery, plus a 210Wh range extender option. Orbea estimates that the 420Wh battery will give riders up to two hours of riding in Boost mode, three hours in Trail mode and four hours in Eco mode.

Componentry

The biggest news on the componentry front comes as a result of a change to the Rise’s frame design. Orbea’s “Steep’N’Deep” design results in a shorter seat tube than on the previous frame. What this means is that riders can choose to run a 230mm-long dropper post—a length very few frames can accommodate.

All of the Rise builds are spec’d with a carbon fiber handlebar, save the Rise SL M10, which comes with an aluminum bar.

Drivetrain, brakes and wheels

The builds for the four versions of the Rise are mouth-watering dreams that make riders clear their Saturday schedule.

The Rise SL M-LTD is built with a wireless SRAM XX 12-speed drivetrain and Shimano XTR 4-piston brakes with 180mm rotors.

The Rise SL M10 comes equipped with a 12-speed Shimano SLX drivetrain and Shimano Deore XT hydraulic disc brakes and 180mm rotors.

The Rise LT M-Team receives Shimano’s top-of-the-line XTR Di2 electronic drivetrain (12 speed), along with XTR 4-piston brakes and a 203mm rotor from and 180mm rotor rear.

The Rise LT M10 opts for the same Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain but goes for the stouter 4-piston Shimano Deore XT brakes with 203/180mm rotors.

EBR’s Orbea Rise First Look Review:

The new Orbea Rise is an exciting eMTB, no matter which build you look at. The fact that they stuck with 29-in. wheels and didn’t go with a mullet setup is gratifying to those of us who want a nimble climber and ride in places with a surplus of rock—because the bigger the wheel, the more easily it rolls over obstacles.

The criticism of the previous version of the Orbea Rise was how their special edition of Shimano’s EP8 motor, the EP8 RS produced only 60Nm of torque. In a vacuum with no other riders around, no one would complain about an eMTB that offers 60Nm of torque. The problem comes in riding with others on eMTBs with motors that produce more torque. Riding with someone on an eMTB equipped with a Bosch Performance Line CX motor would see the rider with the Bosch pull away on the steeper climbs because the Bosch Performance CX motor produces 600W to the EP8’s 500W and 85Nm to the old EP8 RS’s 60Nm.

Now that Orbea’s new version of the EP8 RS produces 85Nm of torque, it is on a better footing with the Bosch Performance Line CX motor. But when we compare the Shimano EP8 RS to the new Bosch Performance Line SX motor, Bosch’s new, lighter, housingless motor aimed at eMTBs, the EP8 RS looks even more attractive.

Orbea says the new Rise won’t weigh any more than the old Rise, and that’s no small achievement. Previous versions weighed between 35 and 41 lbs., depending on the build. Let’s take the highest weight we’ve seen published: 41.4 lbs. The new Rise at 41.4 lbs. with a motor that produces 500W and up to 85Nm of torque will be competitive against other lightweight e-bikes with the new Bosch Performance Line SX motor. The new Canyon Neuron:ONfly weighs 44.8 lbs., while the Norco Fluid Vlt weighs 42.5 lbs. Both the Canyon and the Norco feature the Bosch Performance Line SX motor, which produces 600W, but only 55Nm of torque.

With competitive weights, what’s the functional difference? Based on our experience, many riders will be able to coax more power from the Orbea Rise because the Shimano EP8 RS motor can respond with more torque when a rider has a low cadence, such as when you’re on a steep climb and have run out of gears. It’s in climbing that our cadence is most likely to drop, and that’s when we need the most torque. EMTBs with the Bosch Performance Line SX motor offer a bit more raw power, but to draw that performance out, it will be important to keep your cadence up, in the neighborhood of 100 rpm, which is something that demands a fair amount of experience.

This new edition of the Orbea Rise is an exciting new chapter for this eMTB. The improvements over the previous rise—better motor, bigger battery, longer dropper post and improved geometry—make this an eMTB we are metaphorically dying to ride.