JCW’S ORBEA RISE H10 £6,623 (with upgrades)

Our editor’s been getting up to speed on his new eeb

The Rise got its first proper outing – beyond blatting around my local woods – on our team trip to Cwmcarn. On the Pwca blue trail it did indeed feel pukka (assuming I’m not horribly mangling the Welsh pronunciation!), with a great blend of suppleness and support from the suspension that made it brilliant fun to pump through the berms and rollers, and even double up the odd one or two. Its lighter weight, compared to the Whyte E-160 I had last year, definitely made it easier to reach the downslopes, as well as giving it a livelier feel overall.

Earlier in the week, I’d had the foresight to have a play around with Shimano’s E-Tube Project app. This revealed that, even in the more powerful of the bike’s two assist profiles – designed for “more demanding activities and steeper climbs” – the Orbea’s detuned EP8 RS motor wasn’t configured to deliver its maximum 60Nm of torque (already throttled back from the standard EP8’s 85Nm). I can see the benefits of this, in terms of keeping the ride feel more natural and increasing the battery range. However, I knew I’d be riding with several people on full-fat e-bikes, so decided to unleash its full climbing potential. Seeing Jimmer and Julia’s faces at the top of the Cafall climb – both of whom had ridden up using leg power alone, on one of the hottest days of the year so far – I was glad I had!

Taking the Pedalhounds track back down, the Rise’s more trail-orientated design focus, compared to the burlier E-160, became apparent. It never felt out of its depth, and was easier to loft skyward, but didn’t feel as planted. The suspension, which had dealt with the trail chatter and smaller bumps of the blue trail excellently, wasn’t as plush over the rocks and matted roots of the DH track, and reached the limits of its travel more readily. Some chunkier, better-damped tyres and a bit of shock fettling would improve that, though.

Comfort isn’t helped by the stiff, lowrise Race Face Next carbon bar and solid-feeling grips (or the fi’zi:k saddle), so I plan to swap those out. A bigger front brake rotor would be good, too – 180mm is small by e-bike standards and reduces the power of the four-piston calliper, leading to increased hand fatigue on descents.