EBR’s Orbea Rise First Look Review:
The new Orbea Rise is an exciting eMTB, no matter which build you look at. The fact that they stuck with 29-in. wheels and didn’t go with a mullet setup is gratifying to those of us who want a nimble climber and ride in places with a surplus of rock—because the bigger the wheel, the more easily it rolls over obstacles.
The criticism of the previous version of the Orbea Rise was how their special edition of Shimano’s EP8 motor, the EP8 RS produced only 60Nm of torque. In a vacuum with no other riders around, no one would complain about an eMTB that offers 60Nm of torque. The problem comes in riding with others on eMTBs with motors that produce more torque. Riding with someone on an eMTB equipped with a Bosch Performance Line CX motor would see the rider with the Bosch pull away on the steeper climbs because the Bosch Performance CX motor produces 600W to the EP8’s 500W and 85Nm to the old EP8 RS’s 60Nm.
Now that Orbea’s new version of the EP8 RS produces 85Nm of torque, it is on a better footing with the Bosch Performance Line CX motor. But when we compare the Shimano EP8 RS to the new Bosch Performance Line SX motor, Bosch’s new, lighter, housingless motor aimed at eMTBs, the EP8 RS looks even more attractive.
Orbea says the new Rise won’t weigh any more than the old Rise, and that’s no small achievement. Previous versions weighed between 35 and 41 lbs., depending on the build. Let’s take the highest weight we’ve seen published: 41.4 lbs. The new Rise at 41.4 lbs. with a motor that produces 500W and up to 85Nm of torque will be competitive against other lightweight e-bikes with the new Bosch Performance Line SX motor. The new Canyon Neuron:ONfly weighs 44.8 lbs., while the Norco Fluid Vlt weighs 42.5 lbs. Both the Canyon and the Norco feature the Bosch Performance Line SX motor, which produces 600W, but only 55Nm of torque.
With competitive weights, what’s the functional difference? Based on our experience, many riders will be able to coax more power from the Orbea Rise because the Shimano EP8 RS motor can respond with more torque when a rider has a low cadence, such as when you’re on a steep climb and have run out of gears. It’s in climbing that our cadence is most likely to drop, and that’s when we need the most torque. EMTBs with the Bosch Performance Line SX motor offer a bit more raw power, but to draw that performance out, it will be important to keep your cadence up, in the neighborhood of 100 rpm, which is something that demands a fair amount of experience.
This new edition of the Orbea Rise is an exciting new chapter for this eMTB. The improvements over the previous rise—better motor, bigger battery, longer dropper post and improved geometry—make this an eMTB we are metaphorically dying to ride.
