Fuel EXe Thoughts on a Fuel EXE when I have a Rail ?

[Link]

All,

As you will all know there are some good deals at that momen as dealers shift 2023 models. I have been mullling over a lighter weight bike for a while. With that in mind I have my Rail down to below 21kg with choice parts, smaller battery and custom made battery cover etc. I tend to complete all my rides (around 2-3 hours) with around 40% batter left (even with the smaller 500 battery)

What are your thooghts on the EXE or even the Orbea rise for example ?. I can't really fault the Rail, esp now it's much lighter, however it's still a big bike and doesn't feel playful. Also the motor whine feels like old tech these days....

How does the motor power feel on the EXE of Rise compare ?

Thx all !

 

[Cell4soul]

All,

As you will all know there are some good deals at that momen as dealers shift 2023 models. I have been mullling over a lighter weight bike for a while. With that in mind I have my Rail down to below 21kg with choice parts, smaller battery and custom made battery cover etc. I tend to complete all my rides (around 2-3 hours) with around 40% batter left (even with the smaller 500 battery)

What are your thooghts on the EXE or even the Orbea rise for example ?. I can't really fault the Rail, esp now it's much lighter, however it's still a big bike and doesn't feel playful. Also the motor whine feels like old tech these days....

How does the motor power feel on the EXE of Rise compare ?

Thx all !

I owned a Rise for a little over a year and now I've owned the EXe for the same amount of time. The Rise is noticeably more powerful and has better range. The EXe is stealthy with the motor being well hidden and small. It is true the motor is silent. I need to be in boost mode and cranking on the pedals to hear the bike....even then, the sound of the tires on the ground are louder.

Both bikes have their advantages. I really love the EXe for the overall riding experience. It just feels and sounds like a regular MTB. I am able to ride the EXe anywehere, without question if it is an EMTB.....I take it to places like Sedona.

It would be hard not to get the Rise in an M-Team edition with a 540 wh battery. It is XT components with the new Linkglide transmission. With the 540 wh battrery, you would easily get 40 miles and 5,000' elevation on just the internal battery. The Linkglide transmission allows you to shift while coasting. I think if you want a feeling closer to a full powered bike and don't care about stealth looks, the Rise is the better choice for you.

I'd consider the new Heckler SL also, but not sure I trust the Fazua motor. There will be some Bosch powered lightweight bikes coming out soon. There are a lot of great options now for the consumer.

 

[Link]

Thanks, I feel the Rise is the way to go, some great deals on lower models (M20, M10) then will move over AXS along with any choice upgrades I want to make. Already have some nice lite wheels to go on, so getting heavy wheels on the bike spec is not a issue.

 

[irie]

... There will be some Bosch powered lightweight bikes coming out soon.

This ^^^

 

[JayGoodrich]

I have both the Rise and an EX-e. They are kited with the same top end components - XTR on the Rise and SRAM Transmission XX on the EX-e. I will tell you straight up the Trek has dust on it and the Rise is covered in mud.

My personal pros and cons of each…

Trek Fuel EX-e:
- descends better than any other bike in the garage.
- Love the blue paint even though it seems to scratch when grass touches the bike.
- It’s so quiet you can ride it just about anywhere and no one will notice.
- The app connectivity is really nice. You have all the info you need to know. It was user updatable until just recently which now makes me mad.
- On steep climbs the motor definitely gives out.
- Battery life is about 30% less than the Orbea both having 360kw batteries.
- The motor is gutless in all modes.
- The shifts are flawless with SRAM T-type.
- Did have the SRAM dropper fail after 2 rides-they warrantied it, but it took a month.
- Trek didn’t install crank arm on drive side correctly at the factory and it fell off mid-season. Then I hooked a rock on a descent and pulled my pedal out of the cranks. Not a huge fan of SRAM’s current carbon cranks.
- Had to buy a second battery because the range is so short, but also because the range extender is literally not available anywhere
- The Trek quits giving you any type of usable power when the battery hits 10%.

Orbea Rise LTD:
- It’s a ridiculously fun bike to ride. Though it descends with much less control and speed than the Trek.
- I get almost 20 miles of range out of the bike in full boost mode.
- Its lighter than the Trek by about a pound.
- The motor is definitely louder and it rattles when descending. I have been told that the latest gen doesn’t rattle but haven’t been able to confirm it.
- Getting the Rise with a Fox 36 fork makes it a much better descender.
- XTR shifts great but has miss-shifts and it seems to be wearing way faster than the T-type. I have already replaced the rear cassette and I am on my 3rd chain.
- The Shimano app sucks. You need one app for motor adjustments and another for ride tracking. Neither of which give you battery percent, just bars. I do have a Garmin watch which connects and gives me battery percent but the whole system is a bit ghetto. It’s like my teenager built and designed it.
- The overall ride quality of the bike is good. If the Trek had the Shimano motor, it would kill the competition.
- Bike climbs up ANYTHING.
- I got way more performance out of the suspension when I tuned it with a Shock Wiz.
- Range extenders weren’t available all year.
- Design is definitely less integrated and thought-out compared to the Trek.

Hope this helps. I am seriously looking at the Heckler SL, but I have also been told that a Rise replacement is coming.

The Rise gives you the power to crush long, technical, and steep rides right out of the box and in my opinion, that’s why I own this bike. The ride is less supple than the Trek for sure, but a trade-off I can live with for now.

I thought the Trek would be a contender but it’s not. The battery dies so much faster, the motor just cuts out on anything steep, and the bike goes into safety mode at 10% battery life.

Both bikes, do however, make you feel like you are riding an old fashioned analog bike—just with your best friend behind you pushing.

 

[Link]

Thanks for all that info, really appreciated!

I ordered the Rise in the end, it has the new motor so interested to see what noise levels are like. Tbh it can't be louder than the rail, that whines like hell and also rattles a fair bit on the way down. Interesting to hear your views on the EXE motor, confirms all I have read that it's just not that powerful. I went with the 360 battery in the Rise, looks like extender batteries are available now if I need one. But I usually ride for 3 hours and in the rail come back with at least 40% or so left as I only really ride in eco and tour, so really looking forward to a lighter bike !

 

[Plummet]

My daughter has a Rise and my mates have rails. The rise is super fun and playful. But its not in the same league as the Rail as far as capability is concerned.

If you are cruising greens/blues and not hitting big features or really chunky terrain then you will enjoy the extra playfulness of the rise.

But, if you are a sender and like to charge hard down black/double black tracks then the rise will disappoint and reach its and your limit alot sooner.

Also smashing a technical up on boost on the Bosch motor is sublime. You can't hammer and attack the up as well on the rise.

So there is a compromise/reduction in performsnce going to the mid power rise compared to the Rail. It depends on your riding style if any of those compromises matter.

 

[Link]

Yep, great points, I Def don't do full send downhill, I am a ex xc racer and tend to ride trails with the odd jump etc, where I ride tbh there are no narly rides, would have to travel a distance for something really challenging