Posted by Paul Hoyle on 22nd Oct 2020

Before we get into how amazing the bike handles its worth having a look into what Orbea has achieved with this state of the art design and who this bike will inevitably excite.

In the world of e-MTB's there is a definite movement to produce the next powerhouse e-bike which focuses on taking the lead in terms of torque, big hitting suspension, and high wattage batteries. These bikes tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people and are undoubtedly fun bikes to ride, but they are not for everyone.

There are still a large number of riders who struggle to get on board with the concept of an e-bike. At MTB Monster we meet and talk to many mountain bikers who are toying with the idea of an e-bike but have come to the conclusion that its simply not for them just yet as it is too far from a standard MTB. If this is you then the Orbea Rise is here to change your mind. Let's take a look at the game changing set up that makes the Orbea Rise one on its own.

The Weight

The average non-electric, full suspension, trail bike weighs 14-15kg. These bikes allow you to climb hills comfortably and come alive on the descents. An experienced rider can throw a bike down a trail, pick a line and feel in complete control. These bikes are light enough to do mid-line adjustments on the fly and behave in a nimble and playful manner. When in complete control of your bike, you often find yourself in the zone and pushing the limits.

For a lot of people this zone is the holy grail of mountain biking and is an absolute buzz whatever your experience level. This weight category is where the Orbea Rise sits. Unlike its current competition weighing in at an average of 23kg. The Orbea rise starts at a mere 16.3kg so you get the benefit of assistance without the compromise of a significant weight increase.

The Power

Unlike its competition the Orbea Rise can be easily used without assistance but has the power there to help you up the climbs meaning you can gain altitude far quicker than normal, giving you plenty of time and energy left to enjoy bigger and longer descents. It also has the added bonus that you don't need to be concerned of running out of battery.

The product development team have worked exclusively with Shimano to create the Shimano RS, a motor that works seamlessly with the riders effort levels. The more you put in, the more you get out. So you still feel the burn and get your heart racing.

Test time :)

On The Trail

This bike has the potential to deliver on so many fronts. So when presented with the chance to be one of the first dealers in the UK to test ride the Orbea Rise Team Edition at the Forest of Dean, we jumped at the chance. At 6ft 2" I went for the XL. Straight away I picked it up to double check the weight, and yep it's seriously light!

Next up was the mandatary car park spin, setting off without any power on I realised this bike was in a league of its own. I felt completely at home, the geometry was spot on. It felt easy and entirely natural to ride without power.

The uncluttered cockpit design is very sleek, with discreet assistant buttons you would be hard pressed to identify it as an electric bike at all.

For the first mile or so I kept the power off to see how feasible it was to climb on the bike, no problem at all. With the suspension design working efficiently to reduce pedal bob and light frame weight we were climbing with ease.

With that box ticked it was time to introduce power to the ride, so whenever we faced a steep climb, assistance was introduced. Without any surging moments power was delivered in the most subtle way when you needed it. At 60nm of torque its more than powerful enough to propel you up the hills. However, what does make this motor special is the way in which the power is delivered. It feels completely natural, as you put down the power Shimano echo's your efforts in a seamless fashion.

So everything that the bike did to date was great, but in the back of my mind, the real test for me was how it would perform on the downhills. The conditions as you can see from the pictures were wet, muddy and slippery. Perfect UK testing conditions. This bike did not disappoint in any way. After a first few descents, what struck me was the familiar feeling of a typical trail/enduro bike; the geometry, the playfulness, the control, and the ability to readjust your line with short, sharp movements on the fly. Once you realised the capability of this bike, the fun really begins as you enter every decent - treating it like your typical full suspension mountain bike.

This bike did not disappoint, it handled like a dream. We rode for nearly 3 hours, climbed 3000 ft and did around 20 miles covering loads of natural, steep technical terrain, testing the bikes capabilities throughout. Blown away, I've ordered one for myself. Demand for this product will undoubtably be huge. The bikes come in four models the Orbea Rise M10, M20, Team (which I tested) and the LTD edition.

Click here to view the full range of Orbe Rise Bikes. At MTB Monster we offer 0% finance upto 48 months with Free UK Delivery. If you have any question about the range please contact us here.