I'm starting to regret getting my Orbea Rise...

Tony4wd

Active member
Subscriber
Aug 3, 2022
260
225
Australia
There have been plenty of reports of the hubs Orbea substituted, when they could not get Shimano, were dying. They were covered by warranty, A few reports of EP8's being swapped out. Lets hope after your are replaced thing will be smooth sailing.
All Chosen brand rear hubs on the Rise will fail - it's a known fault on the bikes. If you've got an unbranded hub it's a Chosen hub - the freehub metal slowly deforms over time.

Other than the hub my Rise has been reliable.
 
Apr 4, 2023
50
10
United States
Well it's official, my Orbrea is getting a new motor. I'm really hoping it's the new EP800.5, but I'm not sure if those are in the US yet.

On the plus side, the shop said I'm fine to ride the bike until the new motor comes in, but just to be aware the play will only get worse lol.
 

Stoffel

Active member
Jun 16, 2021
121
201
Cotswolds UK
Try googling "Bosch cx motor problems" - then google "Ebike motor problems" - then accept you're never going to buy an E-bike... Oh and definitely don't buy a car less than 10 years old, modern engines are all riddled with problems.... Google it.... Best buy an electric car.... But you might want to google it first.... :rolleyes: 🤪😂
Yes obviously anything can have problems and you’re only going to read about unsatisfied customers but some have more problems than others.
I have been lucky to have no problems with 4 emtbs so far🤞
However the Rise seems to have multiple problems, replacing frame bearings after a few hundred miles? Hubs wrecked in a month? Problems with the cranks? You might expect this on a budget bike but not something this expensive.
Then there is the issue of the Shimano motor in general. Yes any motor can fail but it’s how it is dealt with and how much time you’re without the bike that counts. I’d be gutted if I had to wait many weeks for a new motor and missed our already brief enough summer.
 

BiGJZ74

E*POWAH Master
Subscriber
Mar 17, 2021
573
444
American Canyon, CA
My H15 had a creaking issue solved easily by using Loctite 638 on the Main Pivot axle. I swapped wheels instantly but a friend had 2 failed Chosen hubs b4 getting warrantied with a new Shimano hub, another friend has 2k miles on his original shimano hub. I have an H15, & friends have an H30. and m20.
 

jcismo1

Member
Jul 22, 2021
52
41
Colorado
I've had the bike for approximately 4 weeks and have had nothing but problems on the little bugger.

1. The charger is terrible quality for a "smart charger". I have to unplug it from the wall every time it finishes charging, or it won't work again. And if I leave it plugged into the bike overnight, it will sap power from the battery. This is compared to my 2 year old Giant ebike charger that will trickle charge my bike with the charger plugged in forever. And the giant charger has a storage mode! Orbea does not.

2. There was a terrible creak in the main pivot. It was silly how loud it was for a brand new bike. I had friends teasing me about my brand new expensive bike popping louder than their 10 year old ones. After back and forth at the shop I had to pay labor for them to regrease the main pivot. It helped a lot, but the creak is still there.

3. My rear hub exploded mid-ride. I was happy I didn't have to hike the bike several miles home, but it did suck the brand new hub just nuked itself. The shop replaced the internals and it seems okay now.

4. Now it sounds like my motor may need replacing. I had a horrible snapping noise while the cranks were level. I already replaced the E13 cranks with Shimano when I bought the bike after hearing it was a common failure point. I took it back to the shop, hoping it was just a loose motor mount, but sounds like it is internal to the motor and I guess Shimano doesn't allow shops to repair them, just send them in and get replaced.

It's great fun when it works, but the dang thing is spending more time in the shop than on the trails. Right now is primo ride time and I'm stuck waiting... This has never been my style, I always preferred older things I can use vs the best of the best that's always in the shop. I'd always take an old Toyota vs a Mercedes.

So if you're looking into an Orbea Rise, buyer beware! These things are finicky as heck.

Edit1: Well it's official, my Orbrea is getting a new motor. I'm really hoping it's the new EP800.5, but I'm not sure if those are in the US yet. On the plus side, the shop said I'm fine to ride the bike until the new motor comes in, but just to be aware the play will only get worse lol.
Just curious. What brand is the hub that nuked itself?
 

Roundbadge

Member
Jan 9, 2022
52
52
Los Angeles
I've had the bike for approximately 4 weeks and have had nothing but problems on the little bugger.

1. The charger is terrible quality for a "smart charger". I have to unplug it from the wall every time it finishes charging, or it won't work again. And if I leave it plugged into the bike overnight, it will sap power from the battery. This is compared to my 2 year old Giant ebike charger that will trickle charge my bike with the charger plugged in forever. And the giant charger has a storage mode! Orbea does not.

2. There was a terrible creak in the main pivot. It was silly how loud it was for a brand new bike. I had friends teasing me about my brand new expensive bike popping louder than their 10 year old ones. After back and forth at the shop I had to pay labor for them to regrease the main pivot. It helped a lot, but the creak is still there.

3. My rear hub exploded mid-ride. I was happy I didn't have to hike the bike several miles home, but it did suck the brand new hub just nuked itself. The shop replaced the internals and it seems okay now.

4. Now it sounds like my motor may need replacing. I had a horrible snapping noise while the cranks were level. I already replaced the E13 cranks with Shimano when I bought the bike after hearing it was a common failure point. I took it back to the shop, hoping it was just a loose motor mount, but sounds like it is internal to the motor and I guess Shimano doesn't allow shops to repair them, just send them in and get replaced.

It's great fun when it works, but the dang thing is spending more time in the shop than on the trails. Right now is primo ride time and I'm stuck waiting... This has never been my style, I always preferred older things I can use vs the best of the best that's always in the shop. I'd always take an old Toyota vs a Mercedes.

So if you're looking into an Orbea Rise, buyer beware! These things are finicky as heck.

Edit1: Well it's official, my Orbrea is getting a new motor. I'm really hoping it's the new EP800.5, but I'm not sure if those are in the US yet. On the plus side, the shop said I'm fine to ride the bike until the new motor comes in, but just to be aware the play will only get worse lol.
Sounds like the creaking is an internal frame flaw
I had a brand new Nukeproof Giga last year that did that.there was a crack internally on one of the cable guides.
They replaced the entire bike.
 

faberle

Active member
Jun 29, 2021
89
84
France Haute Savoie
My rise is two years old now and not a single issue. Zero regret here, that little thing rocks like the first day (even better thanks to few upgrades) Hope your problems get resolved soon.
 

gsum

Member
Jul 31, 2021
40
13
Lake District
You have my sympathy. My wife's 2021 M20 is currently in for a motor replacement due to a failed speed sensor. We are thankful that the fault has occurred a few months prior to end of the warranty period.

Apart from that there have been several annoying niggles due to the bike's heath robinson features. The charge door seal, which is held in place only by friction, has fallen off whilst riding with the door open and battery extender fitted. The charge socket latch of one of our extenders has broken off resulting in poor security for the connecting cable. Also, I'm pretty unimpressed by the rubber ring which secures the battery extender in the flimsy bottle cage.

Other irritations include the excessive walk assist speed. As my wee legs cannot take me up steep loose unrideable sections of trail at the walk speed of 3mph, the assist mode is useless just when I need it. No doubt a minor software tweek could solve this problem by making the speed selectable. Finally, there's the ridiculously low BB height mentioned elsewhere on this forum.

It's a pity that these problems, which have simple solutions, negatively affect an otherwise excellent bike.
 

Easy.rider

New Member
Jun 10, 2023
2
1
Oz
Yeah I bought into the hype and the people saying they're crazy reliable. It's only after I bought it and joined the forums that I realized the mistake I had made lol. It's really the only bike that hit all the marks for me - Well known company, locally sold and serviced, lightweight, and affordable. I bought a 2022 model to get that sweet 20% off, but now I kind of regret it lol. Cause with full price they have a love it guarantee, but with marked down items they don't 🙃
I would contact Orbea in Spain as guarantee shouldn't change if on sale.
 

Thrön2

Member
May 3, 2021
19
15
Norway
You have my sympathy. My wife's 2021 M20 is currently in for a motor replacement due to a failed speed sensor. We are thankful that the fault has occurred a few months prior to end of the warranty period.

Apart from that there have been several annoying niggles due to the bike's heath robinson features. The charge door seal, which is held in place only by friction, has fallen off whilst riding with the door open and battery extender fitted. The charge socket latch of one of our extenders has broken off resulting in poor security for the connecting cable. Also, I'm pretty unimpressed by the rubber ring which secures the battery extender in the flimsy bottle cage.

Other irritations include the excessive walk assist speed. As my wee legs cannot take me up steep loose unrideable sections of trail at the walk speed of 3mph, the assist mode is useless just when I need it. No doubt a minor software tweek could solve this problem by making the speed selectable. Finally, there's the ridiculously low BB height mentioned elsewhere on this forum.

It's a pity that these problems, which have simple solutions, negatively affect an otherwise excellent bike.
Have you tried upshifting to a lighter gear?
 

b33k34

Member
Apr 15, 2021
270
99
UK
You have my sympathy. My wife's 2021 M20 is currently in for a motor replacement due to a failed speed sensor. We are thankful that the fault has occurred a few months prior to end of the warranty period.

Apart from that there have been several annoying niggles due to the bike's heath robinson features. The charge door seal, which is held in place only by friction, has fallen off whilst riding with the door open and battery extender fitted. The charge socket latch of one of our extenders has broken off resulting in poor security for the connecting cable. Also, I'm pretty unimpressed by the rubber ring which secures the battery extender in the flimsy bottle cage.

Other irritations include the excessive walk assist speed. As my wee legs cannot take me up steep loose unrideable sections of trail at the walk speed of 3mph, the assist mode is useless just when I need it. No doubt a minor software tweek could solve this problem by making the speed selectable. Finally, there's the ridiculously low BB height mentioned elsewhere on this forum.

It's a pity that these problems, which have simple solutions, negatively affect an otherwise excellent bike.
I know it's always the case that YMMV but our two Rises (acquired spring 2023) have been problem free. Mine has done over 3000 off road km and the other similar. Charge door seal would be annoying to lose, but ours have stayed in place and we've had no issues with the range extenders (though we've not used them exptensively).

Agree on the socket latches (which rely on bending a bit of plastic rather than a mechanical hinge) but treated with care ours have lasted (and Orbea supply a wide range of spares direct to consumer which is more than most other companies do)

The cage seems more than strong enough and the rubber ring works fine (I think it's extra security rather than absolutely necessary. you can easily buy spares (I bought a pack of 10 for £2.60 on eBay) - I've not heard of any lost batteries or broken cages.

Walk assist speed can be adjusted by shifting gear.

Also - the solutions to these things used by Orbea are the same as other bike manufacturers. Specialised's battery extender sits in a bottle cage. Charge port seals are a real challenge - I've seen them missing on Spec's. The UK made Whytes have their charge port facing upwards on a part of the bike that collects mud with a rubber cover that falls off...
 

Don805

Member
Oct 11, 2022
11
9
United States California
I have had no problems with my 2022 M-Team with over 900 miles on it so far. Ride the bike hard on rough rocky Enduro type single tracks. Though my ride with gear is weight is 170 lbs. I agree you have to a bit careful with the charger door when in the open position.

For me upping the the fork to 160mm travel and changing the rotors to 203 was a must.

Not sure what everybody else dose but I use a WIFI plug at the wall socket to start the charger from my phone. Phone app lets you set charge durations, start stop and keeps me from over charging when i forget its on the charger.
 

gsum

Member
Jul 31, 2021
40
13
Lake District
I know it's always the case that YMMV but our two Rises (acquired spring 2023) have been problem free. Mine has done over 3000 off road km and the other similar. Charge door seal would be annoying to lose, but ours have stayed in place and we've had no issues with the range extenders (though we've not used them exptensively).

Agree on the socket latches (which rely on bending a bit of plastic rather than a mechanical hinge) but treated with care ours have lasted (and Orbea supply a wide range of spares direct to consumer which is more than most other companies do)

The cage seems more than strong enough and the rubber ring works fine (I think it's extra security rather than absolutely necessary. you can easily buy spares (I bought a pack of 10 for £2.60 on eBay) - I've not heard of any lost batteries or broken cages.

Walk assist speed can be adjusted by shifting gear.

Also - the solutions to these things used by Orbea are the same as other bike manufacturers. Specialised's battery extender sits in a bottle cage. Charge port seals are a real challenge - I've seen them missing on Spec's. The UK made Whytes have their charge port facing upwards on a part of the bike that collects mud with a rubber cover that falls off...
I'd like to add that Orbea and Shimano have been absolutely excellent at providing fixes to most of these problems and that overall I'm very happy with the bike. Swapping the 170mm cranks for 155mm Mirandas has dealt with the low BB. Pedal strikes are now much less frequent. As the speed sensor uses a magnet attached to the brake disk, changing gear has no effect on walk assist.
 

b33k34

Member
Apr 15, 2021
270
99
UK
As the speed sensor uses a magnet attached to the brake disk, changing gear has no effect on walk assist.
You're right - the magnet location as speed sensor is the only input the motor has. It can't know what gear your'e in I've definitely perceived that it has an effect.

And all e bikes use a wheel speed sensor - but here are some instructions for the Bosch that say changing gear DOES affect the speed.

Actually - thinking as I write - couldn't the 3.7mph max speed be set based on a fixed motor speed and one of the smaller cogs on the mech. That way as you changed to a larger cog the speed would drop.
 

Planemo

E*POWAH Elite
Mar 12, 2021
605
706
Essex UK
And all e bikes use a wheel speed sensor - but here are some instructions for the Bosch that say changing gear DOES affect the speed.
Yes, because I'm fairly sure the Bosch has a cadence sensor running off the crank rotation too. From this, plus road speed, the motor knows what gear you are in.

I'd be surprised if the Shimano motor doesn't have it as well.
 

b33k34

Member
Apr 15, 2021
270
99
UK
Yes, because I'm fairly sure the Bosch has a cadence sensor running off the crank rotation too. From this, plus road speed, the motor knows what gear you are in.

I'd be surprised if the Shimano motor doesn't have it as well.
of course it does - if you use a Garmin to STEPS info Cadence is one of the data fields.

So we're concluding changing gear DOES have and impact on walk mode
 

FLOCO

Member
May 11, 2022
16
28
Manitou Springs
I think you got the lemon. Your experience has clearly been unacceptable and I hope they can get you sorted out so you can actually enjoy the bike. Mine (2022 H30) has been nothing but fabulous over 500 hard mountain miles. So hard in fact that I need a big puffy gel seat cover! :ROFLMAO:

IMG_4225.jpeg
 

gsum

Member
Jul 31, 2021
40
13
Lake District
of course it does - if you use a Garmin to STEPS info Cadence is one of the data fields.

of course it does - if you use a Garmin to STEPS info Cadence is one of the data fields.

So we're concluding changing gear DOES have and impact on walk mode
You are correct. I was having a brainfail, possibly. I'm already in lowest gear whenever I get off the bike to use walk assist, so hadn't tried it in higher gears.
 

LeeS69

Member
Aug 27, 2022
96
107
Yorkshire
I think you got the lemon. Your experience has clearly been unacceptable and I hope they can get you sorted out so you can actually enjoy the bike. Mine (2022 H30) has been nothing but fabulous over 500 hard mountain miles. So hard in fact that I need a big puffy gel seat cover! :ROFLMAO:

View attachment 119368
You just need a decent saddle... those gel covers are for total newbies....

If it's the factory saddle it should be in the bin, not wrapped in gel :p
 

b33k34

Member
Apr 15, 2021
270
99
UK
You are correct. I was having a brainfail, possibly. I'm already in lowest gear whenever I get off the bike to use walk assist, so hadn't tried it in higher gears.
Don't worry - I was sure it did make a difference (and trying to get my wife to change gear in her walk mode because she says it's too fast) but had always been pushing up a steep hill when I was trying to think about it and hadn't got my head around how it could actually work.
 

winsail

Member
Aug 23, 2022
7
10
95073
I'm sorry to hear about the problems you've had with your Rise. We have two in our family a 2022 H30 That I completely built up to better than Orbea's highest spec. No rear hub issue 3600 miles on EP8 absolutely no issues and the 540wh battery is still going strong. Main Pivot squeak was an issue but plenty of youtube workarounds out there that are easy to do. Our 2022 M20 also running flawlessly for over 1500 miles. That bike was also upgraded to better than best spec. EP8 and 360wh battery working perfectly. The charger for the M20 is simpler and works better overall. On the M20 I upgraded the linkage to the Cascade Designs 150mm upgrade and it made it super quite and was a great improvement. We also have the range extender for our two bikes but we rarely need them or use them and have had no issues. We ride 100% on singletrack trails, no street riding. I have talked four of my friends into buying one after they test rode mine and they have loved theirs. One bought a 2022 m20 2nd bought a 2022 Orbea Rise M-LTD third bought a 2023 H20 and fourth bought a 2023 M10. None of them have had motor or battery issues. Besides the terrible stock seats they sell with the bikes I cannot say enough good things about the Rise. Again both customer service, small parts purchases and detailed manual make this bike a joy to ride and work on.
If I personally compare it to a Specialized Levo or Levo SL or Kenevo SL for motor problems there is no comparison. I have 5 friends and my brother that ride these bikes with the Brose motor and Here's their motor count. My Brother 3 motor replacements on Turbo Levo. My neighbor 2 motor replacements his Turbo Levo SL, 3 motor replacements on his Kenevo SL, My Friends wife 1 motor replacement on her Turbo Levo. His Turbo Levo SL two motor replacements. In fairness I have two friends of the 6 that have never had to replace the motors in their Turbo Levo SL. They also ride their pedal bikes most of the time. Overall it seems like sometimes there are lemons out there but Orbea Rise is a pretty reliable bike and I would buy another when I finally wear mine out.
 

TimC7

Ovine Assaulter
Apr 22, 2023
274
1,058
UK
Rise H15 - the seat is a marmite thing; I find it fine @68kg but YMMV.

Currently at 1500 miles and fine - I'm more nervous about the frame cracking around those drain holes than the motor, but at least it has a lifetime warranty.
 

gimmick_82

Member
Oct 6, 2019
41
35
Vienna
"I'm starting to regret getting my Orbea Rise" ... yeah, me too

bought in May 2023 - a week after the purchase I noticed a crack in the lower engine mount - so I complained. No response from the dealer until July, then it was confirmed that a new frame was coming. I have to pay the costs for the conversion myself, according to Orbea, even though I was sold a bad bike...wtf... Then I converted the fork - and for whatever reason, the screws on the headset kept coming loose. they came lose even with screw lock.
Only when I removed the rubber thing in the headset, then the screws stay tight, but then - the stem cracked, but anyway, the handlebar clamp had a cracking noise and at the head tube clamp too.
The cables in the bike always rattle anyway....and yeah the motor ....pffffff

In March 2024 I asked when the new frame would be coming because the dealer hadn't gotten in touch. he told me he got the frame allready.
Unfortunately, he's sick now and hasn't been available for 3 months sinve march. The damage to the engine mount has gotten worse - now I don't dare ride anymore - but the dealer ist not avaliable. perfect!

Today there was also a new bad cracking noise from the headset. I took everything apart again and the cables that run through the headset look realy bad. But I couldn't find the cause of the new noise, damn.
In general, the cable routing is extremely crappy. To change the bearing you have to open all the cables...why on earth would they build such crap?

20240606_231048.jpg


... omg....the bike just annoys me more and more....

luckily I still have a Levo SL since 2021 with absolutely 0 problems....

Thanks Specialized, fuck you Orbea.
 

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