2023 Orbea Wild H10 review

The Orbea Wild caught a lot of attention when it was updated for 2023, mainly because the top-of-the line model was a sub 21 kg bike. That’s very light for a full fat emtb. We’re not testing the most expensive carbon version though. We’re sort of testing the opposite model, the heavier Orbea Wild H10. Watch the video review or keep reading below.

A Wild refresh​

We’ve previously tested the old 2020 Orbea Wild FS H25, the entry-level model equipped with the bigger 625 Wh battery. We very much liked that bike. There was nothing groundbreaking about the specs or the handling. It was a stable 29er with good range weighing in at 25 kg without pedals. The price was very competitive though. At least it was here in Norway.

The new Orbea Wild does slightly resemble the old one. It's still a 29er, and it keeps the characteristic triangle just above the motor. But the brace creating a triangle on the top of the frame is gone, and the toptube kink is gone. It has perhaps lost a bit of character, but it looks more aggressive and cleaner.

Geometry​

Changes in frame geometry contribute to the more aggressive look. The old Wild FS had a fairly compact frame, which was normal for many of the continental Europe bike brands. By compact I mean the reach wasn’t very long, and the seattube could be on the long side. It’s difficult comparing the old geometry figures to the new ones because the Wild is now available in four sizes, compared to three previously. Which is a good thing.

Our test bike is a size L with a 1.277 mm wheelbase definitely doesn’t look compact. That’s 45 mm longer than the old Wild FS in size L, and 9 mm longer than the old size XL! The new model has a 64* head angle, down by 1.5*. The seat angle too is altered by 1.5*, now measuring a nice and steep 77.5*.



The bottom bracket height is 353 mm, up by 8 mm. I’m not necessarily a fan of a taller bottom bracket, but I know many are. Then there’s the chainstay length, down by 7 mm, now measuring 448 mm. Perfect, according to me, and that goes for pretty much the rest of the geo-figures too. The new Wild appears to be a much more capable bike than its predecessor. And thanks to the shorter chainstays, it might also be a bit more playful.

Orbea Wild H10 specs​

The Wild H10 has the components to go with the new enduro-inspired geometry. The Fox Performance 38 160mm is a rugged and confidence inspiring fork. The Fox Float Performance X with a piggyback is the first step into gravity-oriented shocks. This is great suspension at this price-point.

And the Wild H10 has the brakes to back it up. The dual caliper Shimano Deore M6120 brakes are powerful and good value. The Shimano 12-speed drivetrain consists of an XT derailleur, SLX cassette and Deore shifter. This shifts nicely under load.



The Oquo MC32 wheels seem very stiff and solid. And they’re fitted with Maxxis Maxxterra EXO+ rubber. It’s the Assegai 29x2.5 up front and the Minion DHR 29x2.4 on the opposite end. Allthough our bike had the Minion DHF upfront. Regardless, it's a very nice setup. One could go with the DoubleDown version of these tyres to unlock even more downhill performance. But I’m happy with these components. The burly suspension and stiff wheels is a great match for the new frame.

Price and weight​

The Orbea Wild H10 comes in at €6.999 and 26 kg on our scale. That’s including the composite Burgtec pedals, so it should be just over 25.5 kg without pedals. Compared to the old H25 with a smaller battery and less burly suspension, the new one is only half a kilo heavier. In that sense, the weight isn’t bad. And compared to the competition, neither is the price.

Motor system​

Orbea sticks with the Bosch Performance CX 85 Nm motor. After the Smart System update, the Performance CX has become easy to control when riding with maximum assistance. It’s just a great motor. Orbea is of course using the new 750 Wh battery. The previous model had detachable batteries with either 500 or 625 Wh capacity. For 2023, we get the option of 625 or 750 Wh. And they’re non-detachable... To some, that will be a deal-breaker.

If you leave your bike outside in sub 0*C temperatures, you won’t be able to charge the bike. And it can be an advantage removing the battery when loading the bike onto the bike rack on your car. If you can live with this, there’s basically only upsides to choosing an internally fixed battery. It saves weight and it saves money. Also, there are no mounts that can fail and it’s less likely the battery will rattle. Bolting these big batteries to the frame seems the safest option.



The mentioned Smart System is kind enough to record all our rides for us. To me, it’s nice not having to worry about power, or gps coverage for my Garmin Venu watch. The bike just records the ride, and I can access it or just forget about it. Orbea decided to keep things clean and not install a display. The panel on the top tube has lights to indicate battery charge and assistance mode. The Mini Remote, which is the name for the Bosch handlebar remote, connects wirelessly. It adds to the clean cockpit layout.

Climbing​

Considering the specs and geometry, expectations were high as I took the Wild H10 to the trails. Sure, the rear-end is 7 mm shorter compared to the old model. And I guess it can be noticed, but it didn’t bother me one bit. We seeked out all the steepest climbs and the Wild did great. I could easily move around and find a nice climbing position despite of the shorter stays. The Performance CX motor offers lots of climbing assistance, quite a lot if you manage to keep the cadence up.

Flatter trails​

On a big 25 kg+ emtb, the weight is usually felt on the flatter trails. Combined with 160 mm suspension travel, such bikes need some speed to come alive. The Wild H10 isn’t bad though. The shorter chainstays make the front end feel lighter than on the old H25. Despite the slack head angle, the steering was surprisingly light and quick. Sure, this isn’t the bike you buy for flat out flat trails fun. It’s more of a capable bike that can be ridden fast on bumpy trails. The Wild H10 is a comfortable and stable bike also on the regular, mellow forrest trails.

The noise level was a pleasant surprise. There is no rattle from the battery as it's bolted to the frame. And allthough the Bosch motor can rattle a bit when coasting, it wasn't bad. The bike was surprisingly silent when pedalling too. I guess there could be differences between bikes due to integration and frame material because the Orbea Wild H10 wasn't as noisy as I expected it to be.

Descending​

A heavy emtb isn’t automatically fast on the descents. But the Wild H10 is. The long wheelbase and slack head angle make the new Wild an even more stable ride. We point the bike down some of the steepest terrain we’ve ever ridden, and this relatively heavy bike is just so confidence inspiring.

The wheelbase length combined with the shorter rear end means the balance of the bike is slightly altered compared to its predecessor. Now it’s less work lifting the front when dropping off ledges or jumping obstacles. Sure, it’s still a bit of work lifting and positioning the bike, especially on longer descents. But just by altering the frame geometry a bit, this new and heavier Wild might even have a lighter handling than the old one.

Conclusion and my thoughts​

The new Wild H10 is a modern emtb with enduro-oriented geometry that also inspires us to play and be creative as we quickly cover ground. It offers great downhill performance with a dash of nimbleness. And I can only speculate how much more fun the lighter carbon version would be. The H10 can hold its own on the climbs too. It’s not just the geometry that makes the Wild H10 ride this way, it’s also the suspension.

Even though the H10 is competitively priced, at least it is in Norway, it’s not a downright cheap emtb. There are less expensive versions, but for some reason Orbea specced them with a much cheaper fork. Both the H20 and H30 get the Rockshox 35 Silver TK, and I find that strange. The fork alone will very likely cause a huge difference in high-speed trail performance compared to the H10. That’s okay for the entry H30, but the H20 should should offer better trail performance while still saving a chunk of money over the H10. Sure, you can order the bike with a better fork, but it's another €299, eating up much of the price difference up to the H10