From Romance to Reality: Living with the Orbea Rise LT

The Orbea Rise platform has captured the hearts of American riders, consistently ranking as the best-selling lightweight e-MTB since it first launched back in 2020. After riding three different iterations, I understand why – a journey of which has been paired with a few revelations.

Before we dive in, I want to give a huge shoutout to Jenson USA, who made this Orbea Rise review possible by sponsoring the video. Jenson USA is the largest online retailer of mountain bikes, parts, and accessories, and they are a well established dealer for Orbea bikes. In addition to Orbea, Jenson also caries lightweight eMTBs from brands like Pivot Cycles, Santa Cruz Bikes, and Cannondale- among many others.

By the way, using any of the Jenson USA links in this post helps support my channel. Any purchases through these links contribute significantly to our ability to create content like this review. A sincere thank you to everyone who supports us this way, and special thanks to Jenson USA for backing this video!

Now let’s pedal in. Romance or Reject? Let’s see where we end up.

Editor’s Note:
These articles are adapted by Savannah from Jeff Kendall-Weed’s YouTube videos for riders who prefer reading over watching. They’re written in Jeff’s first-person voice to stay true to the style and storytelling of the original content.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIKCj7TZtSo&ab_channel=JeffKendall-Weed

The Evolution of Rise

Earlier this year, Orbea announced a much-anticipated update to the Rise, forking the family into two distinct models: the SL and the LT. While the SL caters to different riders in different places, the LT? Well, it’s basically built for exactly what I do – treating trails like they’re dirt jumps and pump tracks.

A Heritage of Innovation

Before diving deeper, let’s take a quick trip across the pond to explore where this bike comes from. Orbea, an employee-owned cooperative from Spain’s Basque region, has been in business since 1840, though their bicycle focus didn’t begin until the 1930s. Back in the 2000s and here on American soil, Orbea was best known as a road bike brand. By 2008 or so, you couldn’t fail to spot pods of the carbon Orca model in front of coffee shops across the country. 

But – back over the Atlantic, Orbea has had an active presence in the European mountain bike scene for decades. The company really hit their global stride as the Enduro World Series gained momentum about a decade ago. 

Today, Orbea’s US headquarters is home to Boulder, Colorado, where they have enjoyed international success on the dirty – and dare I say funner? – side of the sport. The ambassadors to this success have mainly been represented by two models: the Rallon enduro race bike, and the Rise lightweight eMTB. 

Curious about more of the history behind Orbea? Head on over here for a little history lesson I wrote about back in 2020.

Pioneering Light eMTBs

It’s worth noting that Orbea was the third company ever to venture into the world of SL eMTBs, following only Lapierre and then Specialized. Late in 2020, Orbea made waves with the debut of the original Rise Carbon.

Being an early adopter – as with any technological advancement – means the first generation won’t be perfect – but over the last four years, Orbea has consistently fine tuned updates to the Rise platform, solidifying their position as a market leader with SL eMTBs.

Understanding the Rise LT’s Purpose

To truly appreciate the Rise LT, let’s look at its acoustic counterpart – the Occam.

(And yes, I could make a pun about Occam’s razor here, but given some of the bike’s complexities – ahem… headset cable routing – the irony might be too much, considering the most shoplifted book happens to be the bible.)

The Occam predates the Rise by over a decade, serving as the foundation for adding a motor. Both bikes are mid-travel, all-around trail machines. Having first ridden an Occam in 2020, I found it had more in common with bikes like the Ibis Ripley or the previous Santa Cruz Hightower – even with longer travel. These lightweight trail bikes excel equally in backcountry adventures and more common trail networks.

Generally speaking, these bikes sport enough suspension travel to deal with unmaintained rock-strewn trails, geometry that climbs with efficiency, all while being able to descend steep and unpredictable pitches. At the same time, they aren’t too much to handle on flat, technical segments of trail. The Occam fits this usage incredibly well… which is to say:

This is not an enduro bike!

If you ask it enduro-related questions, it will reply in lightweight, trail bike answers. Sometimes clever, sometimes cantankerous. Either way, you’ll feel like you are speaking a different language – because you are. 

For 2023, Orbea segmented the Occam into two more specific builds: the SL (lighter weight and oriented for distance) and the LT (more stout and robust). For my riding style, I prefer the LT. 

Fast forward a year later, and we see the Rise follow the same trajectory as the Occam: splintering into SL and LT versions. Once again, the LT is the model that I love riding – with enough bike to conquer local trail networks and level up to rugged, backcountry explorations. 

The Orbea Rise is a special bike: not billed as an enduro race bike, nor as a bike park slayer.

Real-World Performance

My journey with the Rise LT began at Orbea’s press camp in the Pyrenees, where I was invited to create a first look video announcing the SL/LT updates. Not only was it awesome to ride the new bike, but we got to ride on trails that had hosted an EWS (Enduro World Series) event back in 2015. It was obvious that the rugged, rocky terrain was the inspiration for the bike and matched the bike’s intended purpose – a perfect landscape to represent the trail flavors that best appease the appetite of the Rise. 

A significant detail to the story behind the Rise LT is that the bike uses a Shimano motor (full disclosure: Shimano sponsored me at the time of this video) with a unique approach to power delivery. Rather than maxing out power – and therefore, significantly increasing the weight of the bike you’ve got to muscle around – Orbea opted for lightweight efficiency, requiring riders to contribute more to the climbing effort. 

The result? A more centralized weight distribution (less weight extending up the downtube, with any extra weight centralized around the cranks) makes the bike feel remarkably similar to an analog when it’s time to hit the jumps. 

With this lighter battery, you’d zoom back up to the top of the mountain for lap two, feeling like Lance circa 2005 – zipping uphill at double your natural output, but still with more effort than the chairlift sensation we get on full-power eMTBs. 

In concept, the idea for the Rise is a win-win, and you don’t need to worry about paying an Italian doctor with the same name as a particular car company. 

Battery Life and Range

• Base 420Wh battery: at least ~2 hours, 3,500′ climbing in trail mode, enough for my average daily ride.
• With 210Wh range extender: ~3 hours, 5,000′ climbing, enough for my “Saturday exploration but still need to hang with kiddo” type ride.
• Potential for 6-8k feet with 630Wh battery plus extender, enough that I’m late for dinner.

The Rise LT I’m riding here in the PNW in 2024 came from Orbea with a small 420 watt hour battery, but I was fortunate to quickly secure a 210 watt hour range extender. 

While I have not yet done a scientific range test, I can confidently say that with the 420 battery (without the extender), the bike is good for a two hour ride, with approximately 3500 feet elevation gain, when used in Trail Mode. I did get some 4500′ days in, but that was warm, 65° days with dry trails. Colder and sloppier trails will reduce range.

Adding the extender, we’re looking at close to three hours of riding time, summiting around 5000 feet of vertical. But, the numbers are not set in stone. Variables like temperature and your personal pedaling cadence will have an impact on the numbers you see for yourself.

After wrapping up video footage for the 2024 review of the Orbea Rise, I got my hands on a 630 wh battery, but as of this moment I have yet to install it. Stay tuned for a follow-up video diving in to a full-on range analysis of battery comparisons. Based on years of experience and experimentation, my guess is that with the larger battery and extender installed, I’ll easily summit between 6-8,000 feet of vertical. 

Motor Performance

The Shimano motor on the Rise LT proves itself to be the best I’ve experienced compared to the plethora of other Shimano ebike motors I’ve tried – quieter than the Bosch alternative on the Norco, delivering power more smoothly and with impressive intuition. I’ve ridden the EP8 RS in full power mode – an absolute hoot on such a light bike – but 85nm of power is a bit too much for the 2.5” rear tire to handle dirt eloquently in techy situations. Range isn’t optimal in full boost, but it’s fun to have that trick hidden up your sleeve if needed.

In my real world, day-to-day riding, the extra power doesn’t seem worth it, so I keep it downshifted to the same 60nm output that I use on the Shuttle SL. When it comes to riding SL eMTBs, range is way too impacted by using Boost Mode; and the middle power, Trail Mode, ends up delivering plenty of assist for my tastes.   

The Reality Check

After extended time on local Pacific Northwest trails, some issues rose to the surface, giving me a few complaints about the bike:

My biggest complaint is that there is no way to check out much battery you have left, without connecting your phone. It’s a tedious, two-minute long process, which while it seems like a smidgen of time… adds up over the length of a ride. Living in that unknown, especially when you’re out in the wilderness, can gnaw at your mind. 

There is an indicator light that remains green until you have 20% battery remaining – and then it will turn red – but that doesn’t really help you make decisions mid-ride about dropping into another lap. 

There is a delay between pressing the button and the light turning on, and the button itself is hard to get to. 

Let’s dig deeper into these last two points, as I’d say the stiffness and suspension really are what matters most. 

Frame Stiffness: A Tale of Two Territories

For my first Orbea Rise video, I put a lot of time on the bike, but it was all on unfamiliar, foreign territory for the press event in Spain. Not only was it a new bike under my feet, but new trails under my tires – incredibly rocky, and in a natural style that I’m not used to in my daily life. 

Where I ride most locally at home, trails are heavily built up with an abundance of berms and jumps to play around on. In that video in the Pyrenees, I did allude to frame stiffness, but on that terrain, I didn’t see it as a significant problem. 

8,000 kilometers away in the Northwest, it turns out to be a different story. The lack of torsional frame stiffness is much more apparent, feeling more pronounced. 

Compared to my main SL eMTB this year, the Pivot Shuttle SL, the Rise’s softer frame feels less confidence-inspiring. Previous Rise models weren’t particularly stiff either, but they didn’t have geometry this capable. Because of that, I am riding this newer bike even harder than before, handling the bike with more aggressive terrain and technique – which makes this characteristic more noticeable. That brings us back to the point: each bike has an intended use, and if you use it outside of that container, you’ll likely find yourself with complaints. At 175lbs (79kg), I’m also likely heavier than the expected average rider for this platform.

Suspension Solutions

The stock coil shock presented constant bottom-out issues during jump sessions. The solution came in the form of a Fox Float X upgrade with a 0.8 volume reducer – both a massive sized spacer and improvement in ride quality – I feel ready and more confident to send substantially more. While I explored options with Cane Creek, they confirmed the Rise LT isn’t compatible with their Tygon shock (unfortunately, as this would have been an ideal application).

The Low-Down on Being Low

The bike’s low stance – both in front end and bottom bracket height – creates some challenges. Pedal strikes became frequent, even leading to one memorable off-trail tumble courtesy of a rock-meets-crank arm encounter. With a 440mm rear end that isn’t particularly short, I found myself wanting more front-end height to make it easier to pull the bike onto the rear wheel. The Rise’s low stack height, combined with the internally routed wiring, makes fitting taller bars a hassle. One Up carbon bars with 35mm of rise helped, but I’m still craving more elevation. I’ll try 55mm bars soon.

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E-Bikes Are Not, In Fact, the Devil Incarnate

By Savannah Wishart

As a beginner in mountain biking for just a year and a half, I have an advantage: seeing the sport through a lens of purity, free from built-up biases about gear or anything else. This perspective has been particularly valuable when it comes to one of the sport’s most contentious topics: the dreaded e-bike (based on complaints from analog bikers, you might think the “e” stands for evil).

 

Throughout my first year of pedaling, I heard endless griping about e-bikes as they zoomed past on climbs, kicking up equal amounts of dust and complaints. Were people just jealous? Since their biking experience didn’t impact my own, that was my only guess.

 

Ignorance can be bliss, but at its root, it’s still ignorance. As a lifelong stranger to motorsports, I had zero understanding of what it means to navigate a machine with a motor: dirt bikes, snowmobiles, ATVs, e-bikes… If it has a motor, it’s just like riding in a car, right? How hard could it possibly be to sit on something that propels you forward without your own power? As it turns out, the beginner’s mindset can be humbling.

 

What I immediately learned was: e-biking isn’t easy.

 

My first ride was on the Orbea Rise on a crisp autumn day. As we prepped for the ride on local Bellingham trails, Jeff advised: be cold, start bold. But my motor-focused mind protested, and I ignored the advice. Up we went, and like any analog ride, I found myself overdressed within minutes. Reality hit: e-biking isn’t a magic pill of ease. It’s just as challenging as an analog bike – you just go faster and therefore, further. Four hours later, we had covered 18.5 miles and 5,000 feet of vertical.

 

A few weeks later, I discovered another e-bike benefit: that motor gives an unexpected boost when learning to wheelie, making it easier to pull up the front wheel.

As it turns out, e-bikes offer several perks – and from my experience, none of them equate to being lazy.

 

Soon after that local expedition, I was invited on two backcountry filming campouts (the other featured over here). 

 

During this initial phase of e-bike battery testing, there was a lot of uncertainty about how long the charge would last. The solution? For Logan to tow two bikes and their riders behind a mini-moto, connected by tow ropes secured by empty tires. A scene that I imagine looked incredibly entertaining. 

 

Larches were few and far between, and we eventually found ourselves high above them, with minimal hopes of many sightings on the descent. With plenty of stops for filming, the question of racing darkness began to pop up more frequently. We were all time optimists, with few concerns about how long the route down would take. In hindsight, a little bit foolish as we came without bike lights. 

 

Racing above the treeline, we descended through meadows, fields, sandy pits that felt like waves on the ocean made solid(ish), and eventually along a benchcut section on the edge of a mountain. This was the moment when I thought to myself, “I’m glad I love suffering,” because I would spend the next hour trying not to fall of the side of the mountain in the dark. Spoiler alert: I almost succeeded, but did topple down the side once. 

 

You might wonder why anyone would love suffering, but it often serves as a catalyst for profound transformation. When we choose to step into a challenge that will stretch us, we build a stronger foundation of resilience to handle the challenges that life throws at us… the ones that we would rather not face. But because we did the work to step into challenges of our own choosing, we are equipped to handle them with a little more ease. We bend, rather than break. 

 

These are the moments. When you’re zooming down the side of a mountain in the dark, with a very inadequate headlamp lighting your way. Even better: because there’s a dirt bike ahead, what little light you have to see is merely highlighting the clouds of dust hanging in the air. 

 

But these are the moments when we surrender to the situation that is – a situation that is far from ideal. Stripped away from control, comfort and certainty, we are invited to rise to a new level of growth: digging deep to find the mental fortitude to continue onward. One pedal, one step, one curve at a time. 

 

With every backcountry adventure, the container of “what I don’t know I don’t know” grows smaller. I saw firsthand how a motor can expand your access to less trafficked places in the backcountry: seeking solitude and a more expansive feeling of adventure. But, I also learned that it can create additional limitations in where you can go. Not everywhere is motor-friendly: not just in terms of the abrasive noise of the mini-moto, but inclusive of the almost-silent e-bike motor. 

 

So, in the end, the choice to e-bike invites some questions. 

 

Where can I go? 
If I can go there, am I accepted with a smile or a frown? 
And can my analog friends come? 

 

I can see the powerful appeal of covering longer distances and accessing more remote adventures. But the reality is more nuanced than the “lazy versus pure” debate I first encountered. E-bikes don’t make the sport easier – they just change its shape, expanding some possibilities while creating new limitations. 

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Bike reviews, while necessarily technical, are about the adventures they enable and the moments that happen between the filming. The Orbea Rise LT, with its ability to explore dusty single track and remote mountain passes, is more than a collection of specs and components. Let’s dive in to see how it compares to its competitors…

Comparing Contenders

The Norco Fluid VLT Perspective

The sizing difference between these bikes is striking – at 5’8″ (174cm), the S3 Fluid stretches 18mm longer than my medium Rise LT. Orbea’s sizing better matches my own personal preferences, with smaller gaps in the range, and a reach around my sweet spot of 460mm. The Norco carries its weight further forward, making it feel heavier than reality, while the Orbea maintains better balance. However, the Bosch SX motor can’t match Shimano’s refinement. That said, the Fluid has its merits – more stout and bomber. It’s my pick for riders weighing in over 200lbs or those seeking more aggressive terrain. I’ve even taken it through Whistler Bike Park with confidence – something I’d hesitate to do with the Rise.

The Pivot Shuttle SL Match-Up

Ah, my beloved Pivot Shuttle SL! This bike holds a special place in my heart, though it required some setup finesse. With a 160 fork and 1-degree angle adjust headset, it’s become a more competent descender. Despite 20mm less rear travel, its solid feel inspires more confidence to push my limits. The Shuttle SL’s shorter rear end – typically a Pivot trait I critique – works awesome here, enhancing the bike’s lightweight feel. Pivot nailed the weight distribution too.

The Shuttle SL’s main drawbacks? Range and power. Fazua has yet to deliver on their long-rumored range extender (will it ever appear?), and the lower-power motor (necessary for the smaller battery) might leave heavier riders wanting more. The Rise LT counters with 85nm potential and up to 840Wh of total battery capacity.

Choices, choices. What would you choose?

The Verdict

The Rise LT is a weapon for its intended use: traditional trail riding. But, for my particular style, it feels slightly undergunned. 

Is it a deal breaker? Absolutely not! 

There is more than one way to crack an egg, and Orbea has crafted a wonderfully unique omelette with their recipe. 

It’s just important to understand both its strengths and limitations before making the investment. And as usual, that means sharing my complaints with transparency, before you decide to shell out the coin. 

Like many great relationships, the Rise LT teaches us that perfection isn’t about being flawless – it’s about finding the right balance of qualities that match our needs. For many riders seeking that sweet spot between traditional trail bike feel and e-bike assistance, the Rise LT might just be that perfect match.

Huge thanks to my friends of at Orbea for lending me the Rise LT – and in a rad desert rose color, I might add! Not only have I enjoyed riding trails for this video, I’ve used it to tow uphill when shooting analog bikes. It makes getting out into the backcountry with heavy camera bags a lot easier.

And, as always, thanks to Jenson USA for making it possible to live the dream.

Peace & Wheelies!

Check out the full Orbea Rise range at Jenson USA by clicking over here. Your purchase helps support the channel, and I genuinely appreciate it.

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Extra thanks to Endura for supplying me with a few of my favorite riding kits, which you can find over here.

And thanks to LMNT for keeping my hydrated with plenty of electrolytes! Get a free sample pack with your purchase here.