Geometry, profile and motor power remain the same as carbon fiber Rise M
This game is now over
Orbea's Rise H is the latest product in the Spanish brand's Rise series of ultralight electric mountain bikes launched in 2020.
Orbea claims that the 2022 Rise H is the lightest aluminum electric bicycle currently on sale. The Fox 34-clad H10 weighs only 19 kg. The other two models in the Rise H series both claim a weight of 20 kg.
Among the three models, the lowest specification H30 is priced at 4,599 pounds / 5,299 US dollars / 4,999 euros, while the retail price of the H10 is 6,099 pounds / 7,299 US dollars / 6,799 euros.
Considering the H nickname (meaning "Hydro"), since it is made of hydro-formed aluminum, the newly added battery has a lightweight and energy-intensive 540Wh battery, which is higher than the 360Wh of the carbon fiber Rise M.
It is said that a larger battery can provide enough watt-hour power for the 60Nm torque Rider Synergy (RS) Shimano EP8 motor, riding for 5.5 hours, and climbing 3,500 meters on a single charge in Eco mode.
Its geometry, wheel size (29 inches), suspension travel (140 mm) and kinematics remain unchanged from the existing Rise M bikes.
The aluminum tubes of the new Rise H are hydroformed, giving them shape and creating an impressive strength-to-weight ratio.
Allegedly, excluding the battery and motor, the frame weighs only 3,400 grams (medium size), which is only 100 grams heavier than Orbea's Occam alloy frame of the same size.
Its tube adopts double butt joint and triple butt joint design, which can provide strength in necessary areas without adding too much weight where it is not needed.
Each weld of the frame is also highly polished. The smooth welding seam gives it a clean aesthetic, but it is said to also help improve fatigue resistance and is expected to extend the life of the bicycle.
Orbea stated that the system weight limit for Rise H (total weight of rider and kit) is 130 kg. Unlike the system weight declarations of other manufacturers, this figure does not include the weight of the bicycle.
Another result of welding polishing is that the aluminum version looks almost identical to the carbon version. At the press conference, Orbea said that when riding prototype aluminum bicycles, people did not notice that they were not carbon fiber.
Four-bar suspension design, rear wheel travel of 140 mm, using Orbea's concentric rear axle pivot, similar to Trek's ABP or Dave Weagle's Split Pivot system for Devinci bicycles, etc.
It has the same stroke as the Rise carbon fiber and has the progressiveness of this model.
Calculating using the graphs in the printed materials, the increase is approximately 21%. This number should mean that the bike has a poppy feel, with active mid-range support and good bottoming resistance.
Like carbon fiber Rise, Rise H is equipped with Shimano's 2.6 kg EP8 RS motor. RS stands for "Ride Synergy" and is Orbea's expression of the spirit behind its lightweight electric bicycles.
The EP8 RS motor co-developed with Shimano has a different control system from the standard version. According to Orbea, it is said to be more efficient, less resistance, and more natural to ride.
This version of the motor has a maximum torque of 60Nm (lower than the 85Nm on the standard EP8) and provides maximum assistance in the pedal cadence range of 75-95rpm. In addition, the harder you step on, the more power the motor provides.
Orbea claims that this is the time when the motor is operating at its highest efficiency and will pass on the cost savings to the rider while extending battery life.
These changes mean that the cruising range of Rise H is 1.5 times that of an ordinary electric bicycle with the same battery capacity.
The 540Wh battery weighing 2.7kg (360Wh on the carbon fiber Rise M) has enough power to power 5.5 hours of cycling, climbing 3,500 meters in Eco mode, or 1,600 meters in 2.5 hours. Promote.
The battery consists of 21,700 cells, and Orbea claims it is the battery with the highest energy density in the bicycle industry. Orbea said that this battery can retain 80% of its capacity after 500 charging cycles, which is 60% more than the 18,650 battery.
Like the carbon fiber model, Rise H is also compatible with a 1.4kg, 252Wh range extender, increasing the potential total watt-hours to 792.
This makes the potential cruising range of Rise H suitable for 5,000 meters of riding over an increase of 8 hours, and should mean that the endurance anxiety of electric bicycles will be completely eliminated.
Mounted on Rise is Shimano's EW-EN100-a series LED battery and mode display installed with the controller-to-battery cable-or SC-E7000, a more traditional display connected to the handlebar. Both are designed to increase weight reduction.
With the RS Interface Garmin IQ app, you can get more riding information on compatible devices such as Garmin Edge 830 or Fenix 6.
Although the range extender sounds unbelievable and may provide the longest riding time of any electric-assisted bicycle, Orbea's performance has dropped slightly.
The 252Wh extender battery designed for Rise H is not compatible with the current carbon fiber Rise M, and the range extender of Rise M is not compatible with the new Rise H. Unfortunately, Orbea couldn't find a solution for cross compatibility.
Orbea explained that the reasons for the lack of mutual compatibility are the new fast chargers (4 amps for the main battery and 2 amps for the range extender), as well as new connectors and charging ports on the side of the bike.
Although the battery is hidden in the down tube like most other electric bicycles on the market, Rise's down tube does not have doors or windows to speed up battery removal. On the contrary, to use the battery, you need to remove the motor from the bicycle.
This means that the battery can only be charged through the charging port of the bicycle, which may be a problem for some owners.
The geometry of the Rise H is the same as its carbon fiber stabilized version, including compatibility with 140 mm or 150 mm travel forks. Exchanging the fork travel can change the head tube angle and the seat tube angle by 0.5 degrees.
All four sizes in this range-from small to large-have a chainstay length of 445 mm, a head tube angle of 66 to 66.5 degrees, a seat tube angle of 76.5 to 77 degrees, and a bottom bracket height of 336 mm. The stretch range ranges from the small 425 mm to the super large 500 mm.
Rise’s geometry is absolutely trail-oriented, and sits comfortably in the middle between extreme and conservative.
There will be many riders asking for bicycles of this nature to have more aggressive geometric shapes, and maybe Orbea is developing such a bicycle.
However, Rise H and Rise M are currently designed for off-road riding rather than hardcore endurance racing.
The top Rise H10 claims a weight of 19 kg (medium size), which is only 1.5 kg heavier than the Rise M10 of the same specification.
Rise H30 starts at 4,599 GBP/5,299 USD/4,999 Euro, and Rise H10 starts at 6,099 GBP/7,299 USD/6,799 Euro.
The specifications of the Rise H10 focus on reducing weight as much as possible. In the front is Fox's Factory 34 front fork with a lightweight Float Factory DPS rear shock. It mainly uses Deore XT M8100 transmission system (except Deore M6100 chain) and XT two-piston brakes.
To further reduce weight, it is equipped with Maxxis Dissector EXO front tires and Rekon EXO+ rear tires. This model also has an EW-EN100 online display instead of a dedicated strip-shaped installation unit.
Provide a more robust inventory model disguised as H15. There are Fox Performance 36 front forks and Float X Performance rear shocks, which are more powerful than the 34 and Float DPS shock absorbers. The tires are the same as the H10, but this model is upgraded with four-piston Deore M6100 brakes and XT M8100, SLX M7100 and Deore M6100 drivetrain combinations. The model is said to weigh 20 kg.
H30 stands for value for money. It is equipped with Marzocchi Bomber Z2 front fork and Float DPS Performance shock absorber, as well as SLX/Deore transmission system. However, the tires remain unchanged again. Like H15, H30 also claims to weigh 20 kg.
MyO is Orbea's in-depth consumer customization product, which can be used on the new Rise H. Options include fork and shock absorber upgrades, brake replacement, and tire and seatpost replacement. Each upgrade has associated costs, but the specifications of the three stock models look good, so it remains to be seen how popular the MyO solution is in Rise H.
The lightweight electric bicycle market is not yet full of competition.
The most famous models are from Specialized. Turbo Levo SL-essentially an electrified version of the brand's Stumpjumper-stands out in this category.
Specialized's idea is to add electric assist to the lightweight 150mm forest road bike kit to enhance the riding experience, instead of using heavy motors and batteries to reduce weight. When we tested the Levo SL Expert in 2020, we claimed that it "handled like a traditional off-road vehicle."
We found that the XL size version of SL Expert weighs only 18 kg, although this model is made of carbon fiber instead of the aluminum frame on the Rise H.
The 320Wh battery of Levo SL can last about 3.5 hours in maximum assist mode, which is slightly longer than the battery life claimed by Rise H.
Specialized's Kenevo SL inherits the handling and suspension of its popular Enduro, and adds a lightweight motor and battery. After extensive testing, we know that this reduces the effort required to reach the top of the trail without sacrificing the ride feel when going downhill.
Lapierre's eZesty AM is another bike in this SL category, equipped with a modular Fazua motor.
The system essentially combines two bicycles into one, removing the battery and drive unit-a quick and simple process-to reduce the bike's weight by 2.8 kg from the already impressive 18.5 kg (large size).
The Fazua system has a 250Wh battery, which is much less than Levo SL or Rise H, but as I found when I tested Kinesis Rise, it is still good for climbing 600 meters in hybrid mode.
When competing with competitors, the weight and range balance of Orbea Rise H is an attractive proposition, but compared to full-fat electric bikes, is it light enough to guarantee reduced motor torque?
The Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo that I recently tested without money weighs 22.36 kg, making its large size and weight only a slim tire upgrade compared to Orbea Rise H15 and H30 models.
Although the cost of S-Works has doubled, with a 90Nm motor and 700Wh battery, and a more powerful (regardless of terrain type) specifications, is the 2.36kg weight loss worth it? It can be said that I would rather bear the extra weight for the extra climbing and downhill performance, although I believe many people will disagree.
Alex Evans is BikeRadar's Mountain Bike Technical Editor. He started downhill racing at the age of 11 and then continued to participate in competitions across Europe. At the age of 19, Alex moved to Morzine in the French Alps to work as a bicycle tramp and did a lot of cycling. For eight years, he rode those famous tracks day after day, and he broke more bikes than he remembered. Alex then moved back to the UK, where he took full advantage of his extensive knowledge of mountain biking by working as a feature editor for MBUK magazine. Since working for MBUK, Alex's focus has shifted to bicycle technology. He is one of BikeRadar's chief testers, knows how to push bicycles and products to the limit, and hopes to find the best value-for-money equipment. Alex is also a frequent visitor to BikeRadar Youtube channel and BikeRadar podcast.
Subscribe to Cycling Plus Magazine to save 35% + get Lezyne Mini Floor Pump HP!
Subscribe to British mountain bikes now and save 30% + get Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL headlights
Sign up to receive our newsletter!
Thanks! You have subscribed to our newsletter.
Already have our account? Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences
By entering your details, you agree to the BikeRadar terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Subscribe to British Mountain Bike Magazine and save up to 51%
Subscribe to Cycling Plus Magazine and save up to 51%