JCW’S ORBEA RISE H10
£6,623 (with point-of-sale upgrades) Time for some more tenacious tyres and a bit more bar height
I mentioned last time that I wanted to link up a Garmin GPS unit to the Rise H so I could view more ride and battery data. Well, it took a while (top tip – make sure to follow Orbea’s video guide rather than just attempting to download the Orbea RS toolbox in Garmin’s Connect IQ app) but I’ve now got it up and running. I feel much happier having more detailed battery info (also attainable by fiitting a Shimano E8000 head unit), and I’ve been having fun playing with the Edge 530’s other functions, too.
Before fitting the Garmin, I swapped the stock Race Face Next R bar for a Nukeproof Horizon Carbon V2 with a higher rise (38mm vs 20mm). I’d been meaning to do this for a while, as on descents I felt like my weight was too low over the front. The original bar was also narrower than I like, at 780mm, giving a slightly cramped feel on flatter sections. Hopefully this will fix that.
On the subject of spec changes, with summer drawing to a close it’s time to switch out the Orbea’s low-profile tyres – which are more suited to the brand’s sunny Basque homeland than the often dank UK – for something a bit toothier. Extra UK have sent me a Maxxis Assegai for the front – with tacky 3C MaxxGrip rubber, so it’ll be interesting to see how that affects rolling resistance. That allows me to move the stock Maxxis Dissector to the back, where it should be more capable in damp conditions than the Rekon.
I’m worried its EXO Protection casing may not be man enough for the job, though, so I’ll be fitting a Rockstop Rim Protector as a precaution (and because I’m interested to try out this UK-made product). Just in case the insert still isn’t enough to safeguard the thin sidewalls, I’ve got a neat, frame-mounted Topeak Tubi Pod X tyre-plug kit and a tiny Tubolito inner tube as back-up. The chunkier-treaded tyre and Rockstop insert will add weight, but still leave the Rise H a lot lighter than any other e-MTB I’ve tried.
For now, though, I’m putting off that workshop time and making the most of the still-dry trails, where the Rise H really excels. It’s got plenty of pop, even with all the extra gubbins I’ve fitted!