Orbea Rise or Trek Fuel EXE (i know again!) Buying advice

xbenx

New Member
Subscriber
Oct 27, 2024
4
0
Wales, UK
Hi guys, so i'm new around here but i'm jumping straight in.

So roughly a year ago i had my specialized levo sl stolen from my backgarden by some lowlifes and it was never recovered, thankfully after a year of saving i'm in the market for another mid assist (low power?) Emtb. I'm looking at around the £3k mark here in the uk and i've got my eyes fixed on either the Orbea Rise h20/h30 or the Trek Fuel EXE 9.5. There's some really good deals on either bike at the moment and i can get either for around the £3k mark.

I'm after some advise or experience on owning either/both.

I've scoured pretty much every thread on this forum tbat mentions both but there isn't anything particularly current.

As i understand though the Orbea Rise is slightly lighter, louder less reliable but more powerful and a longer range. I'd also say the spec on the orbea rise h20 is a lot better than the Trek Fuel exe 9.5. The trek however is more natural to ride sleeker, better looking, quieter and more modern in terms of it's tech amd more reliable? I'm currently edging toward the Orbea Rise, but the age of the motor being the ep600-rs does put me off it slightly.

Anyway this is a way too long a post for a simple question, but Orbea Rise h20 or Trek Fuel Exe 9.5?
 

DirkWisely

New Member
Jun 14, 2024
100
91
California
I've only ridden the Fuel of the two, but it's a nice bike. Quiet and feels good to ride. It was a loner, so for my tastes the lack of power and range was an issue, but it sounds like you're looking for a low power short range bike.
 

Mteam

E*POWAH Elite
Aug 3, 2020
1,883
1,820
gone
Rise will go much further due to its 540wh battery compared to the Trek 360wh battery. And the motor is a bit more powerful.

The exe has a more aggressive geometry though, and should have the capability to go downhill a bit better as a result,but maybe you don't care about this?

The big issue with the 9.5 fuel exe is that out of the box the spec is very poor, and very limiting if you want to ride fast downhill. You might end up wanting to upgrade some components quite soon,making the exe quite a lot more expensive than the rise.

Probably worth paying a bit more for the exe 9.7 or 9.8 if you were going to upgrade a 9.5 straight away.

Trek has removable battery, which has some benefits, plus the range extender is small enough to go on a plane.

The tq motor in the Trek is very nice and quiet, which is a very good thing.


I have a fuel exe 9.5 (upgraded virtually everything before the first ride) , and a friend has a rise M10 (the first 2022? model though).

tough choice, maybe try and ride both and buy the one you prefer.

I think the rise is better value for money, no question.
 

xbenx

New Member
Subscriber
Oct 27, 2024
4
0
Wales, UK
Rise will go much further due to its 540wh battery compared to the Trek 360wh battery. And the motor is a bit more powerful.

The exe has a more aggressive geometry though, and should have the capability to go downhill a bit better as a result,but maybe you don't care about this?

The big issue with the 9.5 fuel exe is that out of the box the spec is very poor, and very limiting if you want to ride fast downhill. You might end up wanting to upgrade some components quite soon,making the exe quite a lot more expensive than the rise.

Probably worth paying a bit more for the exe 9.7 or 9.8 if you were going to upgrade a 9.5 straight away.

Trek has removable battery, which has some benefits, plus the range extender is small enough to go on a plane.

The tq motor in the Trek is very nice and quiet, which is a very good thing.


I have a fuel exe 9.5 (upgraded virtually everything before the first ride) , and a friend has a rise M10 (the first 2022? model though).

tough choice, maybe try and ride both and buy the one you prefer.

I think the rise is better value for money, no question.
Thanks very much for the info. The step up to the 9.7 on the trek side is quite steep at least in an XL size its about another £2k. I'm not a particularly adventurous rider tbh mostly sticking to the reds, maybe the rise would be the best fit for value and riding capability
 

michael_bc

Member
Sep 4, 2023
47
46
Laax, Switzerland
I'm not sure what you mean by the "age" of the motor. The EP6 is the same motor as the EP8.01 just using steel instead of magnesium housing - making it cheaper but heavier.

The Orbea has more battery for the same weight. I think it matters - or you could get the Orbea with the smaller battery option and go even lighter.

I have the Rise H10 and am very happy with this bike.

I probably wouldn't be happy with the spec of the Trek. I could live with the Fox 34 fork on the H20 - it's a great fork. That said I'm happier with the Fox 36 fork with slightly more travel on the H10. It depends on the type of riding you will be doing.
 

Wolf_Trek

New Member
Sep 23, 2024
11
10
Colorado
I have a 9.7, and mainly because I got it on a great sale. There's no way I'd get a 9.5 and ride it as such, it's just too low spec, which is why I think they are dealing more on those than others. No opinion on the Orbea, though, but looks like a fun bike.
 

Al-ec

Member
Subscriber
Mar 4, 2024
61
149
West Wales
Don't know where you are in Wales, but if you wanted to try another similar-ish option you can have a wee play on my Haibike Lyke to get an idea / comparison. I'm in Pembrokeshire.
 

xbenx

New Member
Subscriber
Oct 27, 2024
4
0
Wales, UK
Don't know where you are in Wales, but if you wanted to try another similar-ish option you can have a wee play on my Haibike Lyke to get an idea / comparison. I'm in Pembrokeshire.
Cheers that's really kind, i'm in South Wales near Merthyr, i've just noticed the Electric Bike Shop near me has Haibike Lykes in stock as well the 2024 model so could be worth a look.
 

smuddy

New Member
Apr 11, 2024
13
4
Jupiter
I’ve had both. I had the trek first, but in the 9.8 spec. it was very plush, bombed downhill and was a very natural feeling. I ended up returning it as I just couldn’t justify the cost at the time. At least in my normal size large it didn’t feel as playful as other bikes i've ridden but looking back at the geometry, I should’ve gone for the medium large. I did find a deal for half the price I paid for the trek on a rise H20. It’s been great so far although they seem to run a little small and the large seems a little small for me. I probably should’ve gone with XL. I’ve had it for about four months. The power delivery is very natural feeling and the battery life has been great with the 530 W battery. Rode it in the mountains last weekend in a mix of Eco trail and boost and after 20 miles I still had over 20% battery left and I weigh 200 lbs. The only real issue I’ve had is that the rear hub bearings exploded. Took pictures and video and Jensenusa sent me out a new hub. I didn’t have to rebuild the wheel. I just swapped out the free hub body. I feel like it’s a great bike for the price that I got it for though I never would’ve paid full price for this. I paid US$3900.
I do worry about the warranty though. I’ve had trek analog bikes in the past and I’ve broken two frames and they were both replaced without issues from trek. From what I’ve read that might be a problem with Orbea.
 
Last edited:

Weeksy

Well-known member
Subscriber
Dec 13, 2019
537
560
Reading
Cheers that's really kind, i'm in South Wales near Merthyr, i've just noticed the Electric Bike Shop near me has Haibike Lykes in stock as well the 2024 model so could be worth a look.
I'm taking my Rise to bpw on the 16th, you're welcome to take it down a run
 

Tomash

New Member
Sep 19, 2024
9
5
South Africa
Can't really comment (a newbie) but after extensive online research (I publish in academic journals so it is natural for me to dig deeper), it was always between the Levo and Orbea. Over here in South Africa, and it may well be dealer-related, Trek is not a favourite. No wonder they are dropping prices. Why move away from the Levo?
 

wanderingjim

New Member
Jan 9, 2024
7
7
Tucson, AZ
My wife's 2023 Rise M20 has 500 trouble-free miles on it so far. I've had it out for a couple rides and I think it's a really good trail bike. The Fox 34 works well, it's a pretty balanced package, the motor is pretty quiet (I can't hear it 20 feet away when I'm following her on my own bike). A 10 mile ride at my wife's beginner pace uses about 10-15% battery; I used around 25% in 10 miles at a relaxed fun pace with 1000 feet climbing. The Shimano SLX drivetrain and brakes work great. I've never ridden the Trek but unless you're looking to charge hard and fast on big downhill chunky stuff and really need an enduro-style bike, the Rise is a great option.
 
Last edited:

discdigger

Member
Dec 29, 2022
18
9
Worcester MA
I bought the 2023 Orbea H20 and I like it. But I wasn't happy about their proprietary stem and head set spacer's or their weird handlebar. So that all had to be replaced. I've always been between a Lg & XL. I'm 5'11, 32 inseam. I got the Lg. But put 100mm stem on it and I have a good fit. I guess I would have liked to try the Xl as well. But that wasn't an option. In hind sight, I think the 360 battery would have been enough for me. I ride eco 95 % of the time. And that gives you over 100 miles of ride time. I still have a Norco sight vlt that is a hunk of crap. But I put slick tires on it and turned it into my around town bike. So at least it's good for that.
 

webman

Member
Apr 13, 2022
62
34
Sydney
I'm not sure what you mean by the "age" of the motor. The EP6 is the same motor as the EP8.01 just using steel instead of magnesium housing - making it cheaper but heavier.

The Orbea has more battery for the same weight. I think it matters - or you could get the Orbea with the smaller battery option and go even lighter.

I have the Rise H10 and am very happy with this bike.

I probably wouldn't be happy with the spec of the Trek. I could live with the Fox 34 fork on the H20 - it's a great fork. That said I'm happier with the Fox 36 fork with slightly more travel on the H10. It depends on the type of riding you will be doing.
The EP6 is NOT the same as the EP801. It is the newer gen but missing features like increased peak power, more aggressive boost and overrun.
 

Seraye

Member
Sep 8, 2020
66
48
Portland
Very different bikes. If you were happy with the power of your SL (32nm) then you will be happy with the Fuel Exe. The Exe is one of the slowest (lowest powered) emtb emtb's on the market. Also, the ep801 motor can be updated wto allow for more customization, while the ep6 cannot be updated. I own the H10 with the ep801 and I love it. It is almost on par with a full power emtb (inride with fast bosch cx risers). Also, the Rise is indeed less aggressive than the Exe, if you just ride up yo ride down, you may prefer the exe. But if you like xc type backcountry exploring, or prefer flow trails, the Rise is your bike.
 

Seraye

Member
Sep 8, 2020
66
48
Portland
Sorrry for typos. All thumbs...

Very different bikes. If you were happy with the power of your SL (32nm) then you will be happy with the Fuel Exe. The Exe is one of the slowest (lowest powered) emtb emtb's on the market. Also, the ep801 motor can be updated wto allow for more customization, while the ep6 cannot be updated. I own the H10 with the ep801 and I love it. It is almost on par with a full power emtb (inride with fast bosch cx risers). Also, the Rise is indeed less aggressive than the Exe, if you just ride up yo ride down, you may prefer the exe. But if you like xc type backcountry exploring, or prefer flow trails, the Rise is your bike. For y
 

Superses

Member
Mar 20, 2023
19
20
England
Hi guys, so i'm new around here but i'm jumping straight in.

So roughly a year ago i had my specialized levo sl stolen from my backgarden by some lowlifes and it was never recovered, thankfully after a year of saving i'm in the market for another mid assist (low power?) Emtb. I'm looking at around the £3k mark here in the uk and i've got my eyes fixed on either the Orbea Rise h20/h30 or the Trek Fuel EXE 9.5. There's some really good deals on either bike at the moment and i can get either for around the £3k mark.

I'm after some advise or experience on owning either/both.

I've scoured pretty much every thread on this forum tbat mentions both but there isn't anything particularly current.

As i understand though the Orbea Rise is slightly lighter, louder less reliable but more powerful and a longer range. I'd also say the spec on the orbea rise h20 is a lot better than the Trek Fuel exe 9.5. The trek however is more natural to ride sleeker, better looking, quieter and more modern in terms of it's tech amd more reliable? I'm currently edging toward the Orbea Rise, but the age of the motor being the ep600-rs does put me off it slightly.

Anyway this is a way too long a post for a simple question, but Orbea Rise h20 or Trek Fuel Exe 9.5?
I have a Rise and am content with it,mainly riding XC. Battery with range extender gives more than enough range for me.One downside I had not considered is not being able to remove the battery as some accomodation owners dont allow ebikes into their storage with battery attached.Storage on trips is an issue with the amount of theft going on Removable also makes loading onto cars a bit easier
 

Cyclopath1000

Active member
Apr 26, 2019
313
125
Davis Ca
I bought the 9.8 gx axs and I would only buy a “low” power ebike with a t type sram axs system because the shifts under extreme load is flawless. That lets you shift to bigger cog while climbing the most extreme steeps. In my COMMENCAL meta power shifts happen before the hill. But the exe allows shifts under full load with the axs. That makes the tq motor shine. The issue with the battery extender on trek is that then you lose the water bottle because it’s one or the other. I put I. A debonair 160 airshaft, assegai 2.6 front and recon 2.6 rear. The intermediate knobs are best for usual riders vs the OEM bontragers which will need ya to slide into turns. While it’s light it is not equivalent to an analogue bike such as my ripmo. Some of the orbea bikes are Bosch equipped which is a plus over the Shimano because of warrenty issues. I wouldn’t want to ride either of these bikes with a cheap setup. But did I overpay ?? Yes but they were cutting me some deals so it wasn’t list price. It’s going to be a while
Before dji and pinion in USA is an additional decision.
 

hilbil-E-bikr

Member
Sep 7, 2021
32
9
Alabama USA
I have a Rise H15 and recently got an exe 8 XT. Both great bikes but for my riding I like the exe more. My rides are typically 15 miles or less and little elevation gain here. The trek will still have 50% battery left for my typical rides. I also like that you can remove the main battery and ride with the range extender only, making a 42.5 pound alloy EMTB. The user interface is also more refined on the exe. If I was doing bigger rides in the mountains I’d lean toward the H15 though.
 

Ally

New Member
May 29, 2024
1
1
Spain
Hi guys, so i'm new around here but i'm jumping straight in.

So roughly a year ago i had my specialized levo sl stolen from my backgarden by some lowlifes and it was never recovered, thankfully after a year of saving i'm in the market for another mid assist (low power?) Emtb. I'm looking at around the £3k mark here in the uk and i've got my eyes fixed on either the Orbea Rise h20/h30 or the Trek Fuel EXE 9.5. There's some really good deals on either bike at the moment and i can get either for around the £3k mark.

I'm after some advise or experience on owning either/both.

I've scoured pretty much every thread on this forum tbat mentions both but there isn't anything particularly current.

As i understand though the Orbea Rise is slightly lighter, louder less reliable but more powerful and a longer range. I'd also say the spec on the orbea rise h20 is a lot better than the Trek Fuel exe 9.5. The trek however is more natural to ride sleeker, better looking, quieter and more modern in terms of it's tech amd more reliable? I'm currently edging toward the Orbea Rise, but the age of the motor being the ep600-rs does put me off it slightly.

Anyway this is a way too long a post for a simple question, but Orbea Rise h20 or Trek Fuel Exe 9.5?
Hi. I'm also a newbie here. I bought the H30here in Spain 5 months ago and really love it. It's a relatively "light bike" as far as emtb's go which when riding gives the feel of riding an analogue bike. Even though you have the modes at your disposal you still get a workout and use a bit of effort which for me I like. You also have the walk mode which I find really handy if needed. Yesterday I rode a 38k loop using all 3 modes on a mountainous loop and got home to still 50% battery left. My model has the Marzzochi bomber fork not the fox although I understand fox have taken them over. I can't comment on the trek as I don't know anything about it but can only give you my own experience of the rise. I also use the shimano etube app which lets you adjust the power outputs to your style of riding and logs all rides, uploads to strava and can be used similar to a garmin. Orbea for the win.
 
Last edited:
Feb 6, 2023
152
55
Uk
I looked at both and went for the rise… or was the rise out first in 22 and looked at the exe thinking that no better and more money. But if your buying a rise used look out for the wheels on the rise h30 and 20 as they are week and the alloy free hub destroys itself on the no name hubs and the rims are way too flexy. But if it’s had the wheels upgraded that’s good. H30 shock has no rebound but again likely upgraded same with the poor bomber forks

But I’d still take the rise over the trek as the motor battery out performs the trek as said
 

webman

Member
Apr 13, 2022
62
34
Sydney
Does this matter if both motors have the RS tune?
I did not know there was a EP6 RS. Anyway, technically, the rune is just settings and profile options. These can be set to the non-RS values pretty easily. If both motors are configured to identical, reduced settings then I guess it does not matter much.
 

Smeer

Member
Mar 2, 2020
114
80
Vancouver
I've had a Rise but bought it a size to small, got a Fuel EXe for about 2 years and just sold it to go back to the rise. The Fuel EXe has MUCH less range, even compared to the 2022 Rise I had. I'd say I get about 30-40% less range, and the difference in power was noticeable for me. I'm only a 135lb rider, but I could barely 15km/1000m elevation with the Fuel EXe. I'd empty the battery almost every ride. Great bike, but for range and power, I'd go with the Orbea!
 

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