2024 eMTB LITE GROUP REVIEW

ORBEA RISE LT M TEAM REVIEW

Words by Staff  |  Photos by Dusten Ryen

Updated earlier this year, the new Orbea Rise LT eMTB brings features first seen on the Orbea Occam all-mountain bike. Along with updated frame features, the Orbea Rise LT reviewed here also features the updated Shimano EP801 RS system with the full 85Nm of torque and more battery conscious 60Nm settings. Could these changes push the new Rise LT to the top of our list in this years’ SL eMTB Shootout? We were very excited to find out.

We’d like to offer a huge thank you to our sponsors: Outdoor Research, Schwalbe Tires, Ride Concepts and the Running Y Resort. Without their gracious support, these types of content series would not be possible. Give them a thanks down below!

ABOUT THE ORBEA RISE LT M TEAM

Orbea didn’t want to lose sight of the original idea behind the Rise for its latest revision, so continue to use their “RS-Tuned” Shimano EP801 drive unit to deliver the power to the pair of 29” wheels. New for the Rise is a distinction between a lighter weight, more trail-friendly “SL” model and the harder hitting “LT”, which lets every rider obtain a bike that’s closer to their preference of handling.

DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | Orbea uses a custom-tuned version of Shimano’s popular EP801 drive unit, with the moniker “EP801RS” thanks to Orbea’s Rider Synergy tweaks. Unlike the outgoing Rise – which was de-tuned down to a maximum of 60Nm – the new EP801RS features a RS+ mode, which allows the rider to unlock the full 85Nm of torque for the steepest climbs. In this mode, Orbea’s tune still attempts to eke more range from their batteries and obtain a more natural feeling on the trail, but the peak torque is still there. Peak Power is limited to 500W, opposed to the standard EP801’s 600W, and weight is the same 2.7kg of the standard drive unit.

Orbea gives Rise customers the choice between a 4.3lb (1.96kg) 420Wh or 6.35lb (2.88kg) 630Wh fixed internal battery at the time of purchase. This allows riders to tailor their preference of range or handling agility. Both can be boosted by 210Wh using the Range Extender, which is a touch over 2.2lbs.

On the bars, Shimano’s simple EN600-L remote offers the control of the drive unit and two simple color LEDs to indicate the mode selected and a simple overview of the state of the battery charge (green=21-100%, Red=11-20%, Flashing Red=10% or less). Customers can choose to equip a display on the handlebars in Orbea’s MyO bike spec customization program if desired.

The Shimano E-Tube App allows riders to switch between standard RS (limited to 60Nm) and RS+ profiles, as well as customize each of the power modes within these profiles to deliver the power and feeling desired. Updates can also be performed in the app, as well as viewing the battery percentage and much more.

FRAME AND FEATURES | Orbea Rise customers have the choice of both SL (140mm F+R) or LT (150mm R / 160mm F) platforms, with frames made from either OMR Carbon Fiber (on “M” builds) or High Polished Alloy (on “H” builds).

These frames share much of the same components and features, with the key distinctions being the travel, geometry, and shock link. The LT’s alloy shock link features their innovative “Quick Flip” flip chip, allowing for switching between the two geometry positions very quickly and easily, with a 0.5° change to Head Tube and Seat Tube angle. The SL features a carbon fiber shock extender with fixed geometry, shaving notable weight.

Regardless of the model selected, the same features carry through. There’s internal cable routing through their SIC headset system; double-sealed suspension pivots to keep them running smoothly; and a multi tool in the main suspension pivot.

Carbon frames receive Orbea’s Second Skin frame protection as standard.

Orbea’s Steep And Deep philosophy ensures that on all sizes, the seatpost insertion is extra-long, letting riders get their saddles out of the way on the descents.

SUSPENSION | Regardless of the choice between the Rise SL or the Rise LT, Orbea uses a Linkage-Driven Single Pivot suspension design with a pivot on the rear axle, which Orbea calls Concentric Boost. The SL features a 140mm rear end and fork, whereas the LT features a 150mm rear end and 160mm fork.

GEOMETRY | Focusing on the Rise LT tested, the geometry strikes a good balance of agility and stability that makes for a well-rounded all mountain eBike.

In the low position on the Quick Flip Flip Chip, headline figures are a 64° Head Tube Angle, 77° Effective Seat Tube Angle, and 440mm Chainstay. Reach figures on the Small to XL size range span 430mm to 505mm; with Stack heights ranging from 619mm to 642mm.

BUILD SPECS | Orbea’s MyO program offers one of the most comprehensive custom-builders in the industry. Within MyO you can tailor most of the components on the bike out with of the standard build range, as well as customize the color of the frame in two separate zones and the painted decals.

Standard builds range from the Alloy SL H20 at $5,899 to the full-bling Carbon SL M-LTD at $12,999. We tested the LT M10 for this shootout, which starts at $9,199 with the 630Wh battery as tested. Our test bike retailed for $10,833 as built with upgraded options.

Our build features a Factory level Fox suspension package, with a 160mm 36 GripX fork and Float X shock. Shimano provides their XT Di2 12spd drivetrain and brakes as an accompaniment to their drive unit.

The cockpit and dropper post are provided by Orbea’s in-house OC components, and there’s a Fizik Terra Aidon saddle. Oquo MC32 LTD wheels are wrapped in a Maxxis Assegai/Dissector EXO+ combo as standard. These tires were replaced with our Schwalbe Albert Radial Trail control tires with Ultra Soft rubber compound, providing an even playing field.

The Orbea Rise LT M10 in size Large with our Schwalbe control tires weighed in at 43.8lbs (19.9kg).

TESTING THE ORBEA RISE LT

SETUP | Getting our test bike up and running was fairly simple for the most part as Orbea gives the bike a nice basic tuneup before shipping. Shimano’s drivetrain and brakeset held up without any fuss or need for adjustment during our test period of several months.

The most time consuming part of the setup was swapping steer tube spacers due to the headset routed cables. After that the next most time intensive aspect was playing with the Shimano app. Not in a bad way, but in a fun way. We had a blast and really enjoy the Di2 Auto and FreeShift features, a lot more than anticipated.

ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | Speaking of apps and electronics, the Rise LT’s integration of tech and features were quite seamless. Some riders liked the sleek handlebar design where other would have preferred a Shimano display to show battery bars in a simpler, larger way.

CLIMBING | Our crew enjoyed climbing on the Rise LT for the most part. The power of the drive unit and Shimano’s very natural assist feel delivered each rider the experience they wanted. Whether it was the lower 60Nm setting with economical assistance, or if it was hot lapping tracks in Turbo mode.

Depending on each rider’s preferred suspension settings, some found the bike to be plusher than others, however it was definitely in the middle of the pack, if not higher in terms of comfort and climbing performance from a handling, suspension and comfort perspective. Our only real criticism is that when run with more sag, to combat the slightly stiff feel of the bike overall, we regularly hit cranks and pedals while pedaling in chunky terrain.

DESCENDING | Without a doubt the Orbea Rise LT is one of the best descending and all around handling lightweight eMTBs in our test. It strikes a nice balance of confidence, composure and comfort to keep our riders charging down the mountain. It took some riders a bit more time to unlock the ideal suspension settings as the stiff frame did mean it could cause a bit of fatigue or drifting in the loose-over-hard conditions we experienced this summer.

Our suggestion if you’re not just riding blue-groove flow trails with big berms and jumps, is to air down the rear shock and give yourself a little softer suspension feel off the top. This aided in traction and overall comfort as well as extending our ride time due to the smoother feeling bike. It did slightly take away the poppy playfulness that the bike has, but depending on the terrain at hand, it was a worthwhile tradeoff.

In short, this bike likes to have fun, slap corners, charge chunk and it loves flat high speed turns. It’s a lot of fun.

FINISH AND VALUE | Orbea’s bikes look luxurious. They emit a certain caliber of pedigree, from the paint to the frame lines and tube shapes. In our opinion, Orbea do a good job focusing on most of the smaller details, barring the hotly debated headset cable routing. Another thing we have to note is the regular commenting we see about people having less-than-desirable experiences from Orbea’s customer service/support team. While our own experiences with the brand have been great, we fully acknowledge that our line of communication is far different from a customer’s taking their bike into a shop. There’s always a vocal minority to consider, but we’ve seen it enough to feel it should be pointed out.

Aside from that, the bike is dialed, it looks good, has a nice spec list and performs. That said, we wouldn’t say Orbea is regularly leading the charge in terms of great deals or value, at least not in this price range.

COMPARISON AND RANKING?

This mid-travel category is a hot one, with so many bikes sitting in the 150/160mm range. Our test crew felt like the Orbea Rise LT was constantly a solid performer in every category. It’s versatility make it a very easy bike to recommend from a performance standpoint. When looking at other similarly-traveled bikes like the Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Devinci E-Troy Lite, Amflow and Cannondale Moterra SL, it’s easy to see why the decision to pick a winner is so tough. With an impressive weight of 43.8lbs with a large 630Wh battery, more powerful drive unit than most other SL bikes and the capability to handle a wide range of trails with ease, our entire crew feel solid in saying the Orbea Rise LT is worth considering. In fact, one of our close friends purchased this bike after the review was done.

The Wolf’s Last Word

If you’re looking for a bike that weighs in competitively against low-powered eMTBs but packs a full-power drive unit and has the geometry and travel to handle just about any trail to aggressive all-mountain riding you can throw at it, the Orbea Rise LT should be on your list. It’s not perfect, it can rattle a bit, which could require some time consuming hunting down of the noise source, but it’s absolutely a beast in the trees.

Price: $10,833 as Tested
Weight: 43.8 lbs (as tested)
Website: Orbea.com

Thanks again to our amazing sponsors who made this group test possible.

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