- Intended Use
- Trail, All Mountain, and I guess Enduro
- Motor
- Shimano EP801 RS+ gen2
- Battery
- 420 or 630 Wh plus 210 Wh extender
- Fork Travel
- 140 & 160 mm
- Rear Travel
- 140 & 150 mm
- Weight
- From 16.26 kg (M-LTD size XL)
- Price
- £ 7.999-11.999
A few months ago, I wrote an article about a great bike that didn’t exist and how the Orbea Rise could be that bike. The new Orbea Rise is here, did they hit it out of the park with this one?
With these bigger batteries, surely the 60 Nm RS motor software is gone? No, and yes. The Shimano RS gen2 motors have two profiles. Orbea decided to label them “RS” and “RS+”. The first profile is quite limited at 54 Nm of torque, that can be changed in the app though. The RS+ however, offers 85 Nm! Did Orbea do it? Did they create a lightweight full-power emtb? Can I say “yes and no” again? Torquewise, it’s just as strong as the regular Shimano EP801 motor. But Orbea says the maximum motor power is reduced by 100 W. So, if Shimano claims 600 W, this one should be 500 W.
There is no need to limit the motor for bikes running the 630 Wh battery. The battery can handle it. The big advantage of having a slightly limited motor is it will work with 420 Wh battery. You can choose the lightest possible configuration and still get whats almost a full-power emtb. Another bonus is Orbea doesn’t have to keep track of what models get which software. After all, they’ve forgotten to install the RS software altogether on previous Rise batches.
Rob weighed the lightest Rise SL M-LTD 140mm to 16.26 kg in size XL. And frankly, that’s lighter than necessary for his riding. The heavier Rise LT feels more stable and more familiar. A mild emtb doesn’t have to be superlight, perhaps the sweet spot is around 19+ kg? See Rob’s video for the full story.
The shorter travel Rise head angle is down by 0.5* to 65.5*. Depending on frame size, the wheelbase is up by 13-24 mm. The bottom bracket drop of 37 mm is barely altered. Chainstays have shrunk by half a centimeter to end up at 440 mm. While the frame geometry is relatively similar, it seems more modern.
The new Rise LT seems a great platform for those who want a beefier Rise. The 64.5* head angle is a great choice for a capable yet maneuverable bike. If that is too steep, set the bike to the low position for 64*. The wheelbase is increased by 2 mm in the Low setting, putting a size L frame at 1.260 mm. If you want maximum frame reach, set the frame to High for 485 mm (size L). Chainstays are the same 440 mm as found on the SL. Geometry looks promising for an aggressive, lightweight emtb.
Orbea Rise LT M10: £7.599 / €8.499 / $8.999
Rise SL M-LTD: £10.999 / €11.999 / $12.999
Rise SL M10: £7.199 / €7.999 / $8.699
And technically, they still haven’t. Motor power is still software limited. Does it matter though? Many of us will probably be perfectly happy with this new RS+ motor.Power is likely similar to the old EP8 (800), which everyone considers a full-power motor.
But the new Rise isn’t cheap! Does Orbea plan on keeping the previous model for the lower price points? My guess is Orbea is introducing the more expensive versions first because of limited availability of say the new 5.8 Ah cells. As production ramps up, I hope and expect cheaper models will be available. If you want a bike right away, be quick about it! To my knowledge, bikes are currently being shipped to stores in limited numbers!
The Shimano EP801 RS+ motor and bigger batteries
Let’s start with what’s possibly the most interesting news. The motor and batteries! Orbea is using the same old battery enclosures, but they now contain the new 5.8 Ah cells. The smaller battery is up from 360 to 420 Wh while the 540 Wh pack has been bumped up to 630 Wh. Either battery can be combined with the 210 Wh range extender weighing 1.1 kg.|
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With these bigger batteries, surely the 60 Nm RS motor software is gone? No, and yes. The Shimano RS gen2 motors have two profiles. Orbea decided to label them “RS” and “RS+”. The first profile is quite limited at 54 Nm of torque, that can be changed in the app though. The RS+ however, offers 85 Nm! Did Orbea do it? Did they create a lightweight full-power emtb? Can I say “yes and no” again? Torquewise, it’s just as strong as the regular Shimano EP801 motor. But Orbea says the maximum motor power is reduced by 100 W. So, if Shimano claims 600 W, this one should be 500 W.
There is no need to limit the motor for bikes running the 630 Wh battery. The battery can handle it. The big advantage of having a slightly limited motor is it will work with 420 Wh battery. You can choose the lightest possible configuration and still get whats almost a full-power emtb. Another bonus is Orbea doesn’t have to keep track of what models get which software. After all, they’ve forgotten to install the RS software altogether on previous Rise batches.
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Riding the new Orbea Rise
I haven’t ridden one yet, but “Rob rides emtbs” has. The new EP801 RS gen2 feels powerful and Rob doubts many will miss the extra peak power. When riding at below max power, it feels as generous as the EP801.Rob weighed the lightest Rise SL M-LTD 140mm to 16.26 kg in size XL. And frankly, that’s lighter than necessary for his riding. The heavier Rise LT feels more stable and more familiar. A mild emtb doesn’t have to be superlight, perhaps the sweet spot is around 19+ kg? See Rob’s video for the full story.
4 different models
The Rises launched today are the M-Ltd, M-Team and M10. As you probably noticed, that’s only 3 models. The bike comes in two flavors, the Orbea Rise LT and the Orbea Rise SL. They’ve all got a carbon frame, so no entry-level M20 or alloy frames. I’d be very surprised if Orbea have decided to discontinue the cheaper models. The way I see it, those were the strength of the Rise-lineup.An Orbea Rise SL with 140 mm travel
The Orbea Rise SL M-LTD and M10 look very much like the previous Rise with 140 mm rear travel. And I’m happy Orbea is still offering a mid-travel Rise. I think the handling of the 140/140 travel 29er Rise was quite special. The lower font end and bottom bracket gave it a nice connection to the trail. I felt like I was flying low and fast over the dirt and pine needles.The shorter travel Rise head angle is down by 0.5* to 65.5*. Depending on frame size, the wheelbase is up by 13-24 mm. The bottom bracket drop of 37 mm is barely altered. Chainstays have shrunk by half a centimeter to end up at 440 mm. While the frame geometry is relatively similar, it seems more modern.
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An Orbea Rise LT M-Team and M10 with more travel
I’m quite excited to see the old 150 mm forked models being replaced. To me, they fell between two chairs, or categories. Adding a 10 mm longer and burlier fork didn’t make it that much more capable on the descents. It seems Orbea very much fixed that with the new LT. They bump the travel up to 160 mm front and 150 rear while keeping the 29er wheels. The weight remains low with the M-Team weighing in at 17.97 kg.|
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The new Rise LT seems a great platform for those who want a beefier Rise. The 64.5* head angle is a great choice for a capable yet maneuverable bike. If that is too steep, set the bike to the low position for 64*. The wheelbase is increased by 2 mm in the Low setting, putting a size L frame at 1.260 mm. If you want maximum frame reach, set the frame to High for 485 mm (size L). Chainstays are the same 440 mm as found on the SL. Geometry looks promising for an aggressive, lightweight emtb.
Specs and prices
Orbea Rise LT M-Team: £9.999 / €10.999 / $11.999Orbea Rise LT M10: £7.599 / €8.499 / $8.999
Rise SL M-LTD: £10.999 / €11.999 / $12.999
Rise SL M10: £7.199 / €7.999 / $8.699
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My take
My dream bike is currently a lightweight full-power bike with decent battery capacity at a low price. Light, cheap, good range and strong. Yes please, I want my cake and eat it too. Not an original wish, but an obvious one. Orbea could have made that bike a few years ago, when they put the bigger 540 Wh battery in the Rise. But they didn’t. So, I wasn’t sure they would do the right thing this time around.And technically, they still haven’t. Motor power is still software limited. Does it matter though? Many of us will probably be perfectly happy with this new RS+ motor.Power is likely similar to the old EP8 (800), which everyone considers a full-power motor.
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But the new Rise isn’t cheap! Does Orbea plan on keeping the previous model for the lower price points? My guess is Orbea is introducing the more expensive versions first because of limited availability of say the new 5.8 Ah cells. As production ramps up, I hope and expect cheaper models will be available. If you want a bike right away, be quick about it! To my knowledge, bikes are currently being shipped to stores in limited numbers!
