My 2023 Orbea Rise H10 - A Full Review of This Amazing Machine

[@jimmyz5831]

Thanks for posting for "the rest of us". I'm 59 and still love to ride. I feel like the lighter e-bikes (Levo SL) allow us to ride the same way but not worry about getting in over our heads. Also I feel like the chance of joint strain and muscle injury is less. I must admit I sometimes turn off the motor when passing hikers because I'm embarrassed still. I'll get over it.

[@yakoridesagain]

Ha I know exactly what you mean - I’ve done the same turning the motor off! Happily I rarely see anyone on the trails so the bike can whirr andI can wheeze to my heart’s content! Thanks for the support.

[@ohiomoto]

Great review! I'm an overweight aging MTB, road, and gravel rider. I purchased mid-power MTB this year. I feel 25 years younger and 50 lbs lighter. I was tired of spending all summer trying to ride myself into shape. I was sick of having "range anxiety" because my legs don't have the power they once had. I want to ride a little further, a little faster than my current fitness allows. I want to enjoy riding while I get in shape. I want to ride my eMTB as much as I can (and can't wait for my eGravel bike to get here.) I rode my non-assisted gravel bike for the first time in months this past weekend and was surprised at how fast I was riding. I didn't think I had any real fitness in my lungs or legs because I have been having fun on the eMTB, but it turns out I was getting more exercise than I realized.

[@yakoridesagain]

That’s exactly it, Ohio…these bikes get you involved and pushing for more fun, and we all know, fun is fast…this morning’s ride left me with shaky legs from the effort, and I ride a lot. Crazy. Good.

[@yakoridesagain]

This was my first proper MTB. How come you lot never told me?! Riding one of these knocks 30 years off your age! If you haven’t tried it, do! Apologies for the booming mic - it wasn’t there during editing, and I’ve only just spotted it.

[@richardpeacock8258]

Had my H15 a while now, great fun and yes you feel years younger. Nice review 👍

[@yakoridesagain]

Many thanks Richard

[@hereditory]

The world is full of e-bikes and this review certainly helps with choice. Well done Gareth, much better then a trip to a bike shop.

[@yakoridesagain]

I hope it helped her hereditory, and many thanks!

[@yakoridesagain]

A superfluous ‘her’. Apologies Brian.

[@nickolp-it7bo]

Great review! They certainly make us older gentlemen feel fantastic! top job ;)

[@yakoridesagain]

Thank you! So, I must ask…do you ride bridlepaths, farmers tracks etc and enjoy your rides, or do you feel the need to shred crazy downhill MTB tracks? I’m just not getting on with really rough loose downhills, and worse, twisty single track downhill footpaths…anything steep and technical really!

[@nickolp-it7bo]

@@yakoridesagain yeah pretty much as you described, nothing extreme around here. I do occasionally go off further afield for bigger more technical terrain but not bike parks/jumps, I'd only break me and the bike if I did!!

[@greg1083]

Looking for reviews on the Orbea Rise , YT suggested yours. While having watched a number of reviews by others with quite a bit more mtbing experience that do get deep into the tech bits of the bike and the whys of it all is something I look for when considering a bike purchase. I found your take on the bike refreshing and also just as informative. It's been a long time since I threw my leg over my first mtnbike so it was fun to hear your take on the Rise as a newb mtnbiker. It's an addictive sport especially when you finally get off the two track and onto that ribbon of single track dirt. Hell, I even ended up employed as a trail builder. At 75 I'm considering the purchase but I'm not there just yet. At my age riding a mtnbike your consideration of the trail difficulty gets more nuanced. With something like the Rise all trails are back on the table for consideration. I just have to wait until they make it legal to ride those trails on state land. Mean while I will just ride my other three mtnbikes. Yeah. That comes with the addictive nature of the sport. Try some single track when you feel comfortable. Buy that Rise. Thanks.

[@yakoridesagain]

Thanks for that Greg! I had the most fantastic time with the Rise, it was an utter eye-opener to what I had been missing. I got to keep the bike for 5 weeks and definitely improved (see my other vids with the Rise, I did quite a few) and got onto singletrack, which basically is scary but around here has a better, more grippy surface. I will never be able to afford one, but my very experienced MTB mate pulled the trigger and it has relegated his other MTB’s E-MTB’s to the furthest recesses of the shed. Happy you enjoyed this! Cheers!

[@carolinegibson4795]

Bought a hard tail grand canyon ON9 3 years ago couldn

[@yakoridesagain]

Glad to hear it, you’ve bought a couple of cracking bikes there! The Rise is an absolute belter!

[@gregroles69]

Exceptional review. Nice to hear a real world, from the heart, down to earth opinion. I'm an ex roadie, converted to MTB XC racing for a time, now on an Anthem 29er. I'm also kidding myself that I'm still some sort of XC racer, too fat these days! I've been using my Anthem for simple dirt roads and local single track, but it's always such a mission to get out there I tending not to go much anymore. I'm starting to consider drinking the cool aid and getting a mid assist eMTB, purely for the lower threshold of getting out into the areas I want to ride, and I've now got too many "older" friends who all rave about their ebikes and their new lease on life. Appreciate the video from a similar vintage of gentleman, thanks my man.

[@yakoridesagain]

That’s very kind! I do think it’s possible to get the bike’s specs from anywhere so I thought it was better to just rave about it honestly instead! I’ve been out a couple of times on my road bike this week and despite the belief that where I live is about as perfect a spot for that as anywhere, it felt pretty dull after my time on the Rise. I’d love to test ride other eMTB’s for comparison, but from what I’m hearing, Orbea have really stolen a march on the competition in terms of weight, range and that bike/rider integration. And I’m saying that though they’re taking the bike away from me!! I don’t even get a penny in commission! 😀 Drink the cool aid, you won’t regret it!

[@karenwernert1744]

Thank you so much. I’ve watched like 50 videos trying to figure out the electronic control… you finally explained the colors for the levels

[@yakoridesagain]

Glad it helped! You should have come here first ;-)

[@sscott9478]

Ohhh, if only I had a dealer close by. Your videos have certainly proven it is a great bike. (I hope Orbea lets you keep it!) Thanks and best wishes.

[@yakoridesagain]

I hope so too Sharon! I suspect it’s a rather remote possibility - not least because we are discussing what I can so with the next one! Can’t wait to hear your first impressions of your new bike - I think you may have had your first ride yesterday?

[@sscott9478]

@@yakoridesagain Riding Happy!!!!!!! (Never had electronic shifting - amazing.) Hugs and best wishes.

[@yakoridesagain]

Now you're just showing off 😃

[@sscott9478]

@@yakoridesagain lol. Did not mean to. Take care and many best wishes.

[@jerrycampion]

Great review Gareth thank you.

[@yakoridesagain]

My pleasure! Thanks Jerry.

[@tomfer2082]

Nice review mate. Very personal what I like most. Im just waiting for mine Rise M10 and hope I will be as much happy as you 🤜🤛

[@yakoridesagain]

You’ll feel supercharged mate, don’t worry! Thanks for the support.

[@davidjaniec3838]

Excellent job on this Gareth! I'm so happy that you have found the joy of MTB and eMTB! The Rise seems to be the perfect balance of motor and weight - much lighter than my Trance X E.

[@yakoridesagain]

Very kind David! I do wonder if Orbea have knocked it out of the park with this one; I’ve never had so much fun on a bike. I was quite serious about that title…a bike as a fountain of youth? Yes. I just hope my gushing isn’t too OTT - I really can’t help it!

[@DougNordwall]

I got the carbon version almost 2 years ago now because I couldn't keep up with my kid as an older parent with little MTB experience. The Rise has given us MANY hours and 500 miles of enjoyment and having fun together. Now, I still can't really do most of the stuff he can, but he's gone to class, and it's not a competition. I'm dropping on a new rear tire this week in prep for more riding. It's a great bike, worth every penny (and it was a lot of them).

[@yakoridesagain]

Great to hear your story Doug! I agree, these bikes lend new life to us old dogs. Would love to try the carbon, but thanking my lucky stars I got to try any of these great bikes! Very happy they enabled you to have a great time with your kid.

[@gsipp00]

Btw you did a superior job doing the review here without getting too technical. I am certain Orbea if they see this would be thrilled. I really wish that you could have a bike like this permanently in your stable. Hopefully something will come around that will work for you. Living in Florida for our flatter trails a bike like this not essential but for you to explore some new terrain for video content I would think its something you would consider.

[@yakoridesagain]

Wow! Well let’s hope they listen to reason @gsipp00! I have SOOO MANY routes already planned for this bike! So much of Spain’s history is on tracks, up mountains and in generally out-of-the-way places…I could get there to make vids with this bike! Fingers crossed, but I feel uncomfortable asking…

[@orbea]

We are thrilled! Amazing bike review Gareth :)

[@yakoridesagain]

@@orbea Absolutely my pleasure. It truly is a thrilling bike. What I’d dearly love to review though, and the most requested, is the X20 Gain. I was due to come to Mallabia in January to test ride it but fell ill…if there is any possibility to have a few weeks with one that would be amazing…

[@yakoridesagain]

@@orbea ooo! And remember to like and subscribe!

[@chrisdorrell1977]

Fantastic review. Thank you.

[@yakoridesagain]

Glad you enjoyed it Chris! It’s a great bike.

[@terryb392]

Nice unbiased review very interesting, the Rise has the motor in the crank where as your Gain has a rear hub motor which is better or are they very similar. I hope you don't have this relentless wind in Spain we have in the UK. I've just got back from a ride and the wind is horrific i could have done with a motor this morning as it was hard work. Have a great Sunday with your family

[@yakoridesagain]

Thanks Terry. Both motors are extremely good, but the hub motor is generally lighter, is less noticeable and puts less strain on the drivetrain, whereas the mid-motor is far better when you really need grunt on steep hills. You can also swap wheels out more easily with the mid-motor and choose whatever wheels you want. The very latest hub-motors use power and cadence sensors like this Rise which makes them feel very natural like mid motors. With my Gain the power is pretty much either on or off. On the lowest setting though, you wouldn’t notice the wind. I used to put off riding in big winds, now I don’t.

[@bangwen1213]

Great review. - Yes, I prefer the "Rise" as well.

[@yakoridesagain]

Many thanks. I thought it was flawless, frankly! (That might come out in all the vids I made with it!)

[@cyclopath9491]

Good review indeed bud - sounds like a cracker of a bike 🙂

[@yakoridesagain]

It is! Thanks mate. Can’t believe that I’ve not realised how much fun they are until now!

[@grahambarker3845]

...rear suspension is everything and enables climbing up just about anything even without assist....i would never return to a hard tail even though my full suspension is now 30 years old...its still going strong....rear suspsension is king.......great review without being too techy.....

[@yakoridesagain]

I’m finding the only problem with climbing is that my belly gets in the way when you crouch really low to keep the front wheel on the ground! Still not used 1st or 2nd gear yet. Is 32 front 51 rear unusually large Graham?

[@RobertAdams-ly5ku]

What bike is it you are riding, sounds interesting

[@TRCiano]

Thank u for super review.

[@yakoridesagain]

My pleasure 😊 can you help me out and subscribe? Trying to get to 1000…

[@randyeller8139]

My gripe with the Ancheer that I’m currently using in that while my display tells you a lot if you’re riding after dark it can blind you. I agree though, a phone app isn’t the answer either. The Orbea is a beautiful looking thing!

[@yakoridesagain]

That sounds a pain. If you have the 27.5 blue spark, this may help…kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIfJZ2aKnqaqec0

[@FloppyWaffle]

I just got this bike in the color and year but it was on sale at 35% off so I upgraded everything and lied to my wife about it. Only done a few short rides as here in Canada, winter is still here but I'm really excited to get out and do some exploring this season.

[@yakoridesagain]

Though I wholeheartedly approve of your choice, lying to the wife is a slippery slope my friend, as there are always more upgrades…but I think you’ll love it. Could you tell I did? 😀

[@caahacky]

Great review Gareth you should ask for a discount code from Orbea to give to your viewers then if enough buy one you'll get yours free! I feel I may be needing about 75% off though.

[@yakoridesagain]

I will John. Last count was 32 viewers buying a Gain after I repeatedly banged on about them (and let me know of their purchase). We won’t mention those that bought Trek, Lapierre or Willier! Thanks mate.

[@normankrisher8084]

Great review. Take it from an experienced tubeless rider and drop down to 25 PSI and you’ll really get the benefit.

[@yakoridesagain]

Thanks Norman! I’ll definitely play with pressures next time I’m sent an emtb to review; I’ve got lots of requests out.

[@gsipp00]

Mostly ride mtb these days primary because my kid prefers the fun factor. We mostly do road rides only to tune up the fitness.

[@yakoridesagain]

Sounds like a good mix. Have you seen the GCN vid where they get a roadie to do Megavalanche? He struggles until they hit a fire road and then he’s GONE. Horses for courses etc. But there is no denying the huge fun factor in MTB. I truly can’t believe I’ve spent decades not knowing.

[@anthonykahwati5999]

Hi. Great video. Can you tell me the computer mount you have on there please?

[@yakoridesagain]

Hi Anthony. Orbea are kind enough to provide one - it comes with the bike. If you already have a Rise they may be available direct from Orbea. And thanks!

[@renlee1001]

Really enjoyed your videos. I have the same Orbea bike and want to add a display. See you have a Garmin connected. Will this just pair with the bike or do I have to connect some kind of transmitter like the dfly. Can’t seem to find any info about it. Your help would be much appreciated, thanks

[@yakoridesagain]

Many thanks! I didn’t pair mine with the bike as I only had it for a month, but I believe Orbea cover how to set up your Garmin for the Rise here:www.orbea.com/content/RISE-2021-QUICKSTART-GUIDE-EN-ES-DE.pdf. this should let you set up fields for battery remaining,for example, on your Garmin.

[@Bogdan_Ch]

How the heck you mounted a light on the dropper stanchion ? WTF ?!?!?!

[@yakoridesagain]

well spotted! I found I was uncomfortable with the seat fully dropped as I found it hard to hard to grab the saddle with my legs with it that low, so for the few weeks I had the bike I used the light as a stopper so the saddle dropped around 110mm not 150mm.

[@gustifer0311]

Did it come with the Garmin mount?

[@yakoridesagain]

Hi again; it did, yes. It was built in. I still think about this bike, months later. It was utterly awesome. If you have any others questions, just ask. And no, Orbea didn’t pay me!

[@gustifer0311]

@@yakoridesagain I’ve been going back-and-forth between this one and the trance elite. However, my current giant rain has tons of pedal strikes and it seems to be a reoccurring issue on the trans X elite. reviews that I’ve watched did you get a chance to ride this bike through any kind of rock Garden terrain and did you notice pedal strikes often?

[@lawrencekennedy1123]

Super review, thanks. Was the motor noise and rattling obtrusive?

[@yakoridesagain]

Rattling? None. They’ve fixed that (after the complaints about the 1st gen!) The motor itself is much quieter than the tyre noise! You can listen for it on the steeper bits of my Rise ride videos.

[@lawrencekennedy1123]

@@yakoridesagain thanks for responding. I live in northern Arizona where it is very mountainous and at altitude. A lot of my riding involves 1 mile or more climbs and I am over 70 years old and that cranks up my heart rate big time. I don’t want to buy any bike that rides like a tank, so any Enduro or downhill builds would not be for me. I am strictly a trail rider at this time in my life who does small jumps, and drops

[@yakoridesagain]

Then you should def consider this bike. My H10 was 19kg, but the carbon versions come down to 15.9kg/35lbs…for a full suspension eMTB. I do wonder if we need a bike as capable as this though for the riding we do…but boy is it fun to ride!

[@yakoridesagain]

Being curious - Did you choose a bike, Lawrence?

[@Rockinbiker1946]

Congrats! Nice bike. Are you still going to ride the Gain?

[@yakoridesagain]

Absolutely yes - I don’t know how long Orbea will let me keep this beauty - it’s on loan :(

[@mtb246]

How is you paint holding up? I have the H30 in matte Boabab Brown and the paint seems to come off easy.

[@yakoridesagain]

Like scratches, you mean? or stone chips? I ‘ve had neither, and really should have plenty of both, I’ve come off 4 times, and every ride except my first was over rocks. Just about every one I know uses protective film though, so take a look into that.

[@philjlo7560]

The rear suspension link looks like it's from a 2022 model. What's up with that?

[@yakoridesagain]

Hello. Are you talking about how often that linkage needed to be lubricated?

[@stephenbarnes5850]

The new lighter weight link is only available on the carbon m series models and not on the alloy h series models for 2023 hope this helps

[@CopperCityPatriot]

And how many times did you have to record the opening?

[@yakoridesagain]

I was reading it! (hence it seeming a bit stilted)

[@gustifer0311]

What size did you test?

[@yakoridesagain]

Hi Gus. I rode the L, I’m 183cm, felt good.

[@gustifer0311]

@@yakoridesagain thank you for replying my friend I am 5 foot nine. 176 cm. I’ve always fit right in between a medium and a large because I have short legs and a long torso. I usually get mediums but I’m considering getting a large in this bike because they look to run a little smaller than most other brands.

[@yakoridesagain]

I think you sit squarely in the size L band for the Rise. Do you have any dealers locally where you can test ride?

[@gustifer0311]

@@yakoridesagain yes but only on the parking lot :(. Did you by chance weight it? Did you notice any pedal strikes in rocky terrain? Thank you for taking the time to answer all my questions

[@yakoridesagain]

No problem Gus…but it may be time for a bit of self-promotion! I’ve made quite a number of vids during the time I had the Rise. You will honestly get a pretty good idea of the bike watching them! You could subscribe! If you don’t fancy that, the bike weighed 19kg/bit under 42lbs, which is crazy for a full suspension eMTB. If you took out a second mortgage and went carbon, that would drop to 16.5kg/36lbs, and then people customise to drop even more. I did get a couple of pedal strikes (that was in “Addicted 2 - My Orbea Rise 2023” - quite fun, I crashed in that one!) and the cranks are a little too long, but also I’m a rookie so partly down to me.

[@nitraM321]

try ergon grips for your carpal tunnel

[@yakoridesagain]

I looked at those, and they seem promising. The Kemen that Orbea loaned me next had similar grips to those and were a bit better, for sure. Thank you.

[@nitraM321]

its a very good brand, i have their grips, and also a backpack that i used to go from Nice to Napels, almost 3000 km, (i didn't take the shortest route), i never had any pain, awesome design.@@yakoridesagain

[@leepaton9002]

Does the new remote come on the h30?

[@yakoridesagain]

According to the spec sheet Lee, the 2023 H30 DOES come with that great remote. In case you were in any doubt from the vid, I think it’s a brilliant bike!

[@leepaton9002]

Thanks, ordered it today. Coming next few days

[@yakoridesagain]

Lucky you! Send me a quick comment after y our first ride and tell me what you think. Also, make sure you download the Shimano app so you can adjust the 3 levels of assist - mine came set to 47Nm max, and you will want that 60Nm.

[@richardlj13]

Is is still a great bike in 2022 form? Thinking of going in on one

[@fwoltman1]

What is the "remote" you were speaking of? Is that the little display on the handlebars? I'm looking at a 2023 H30 currently.

[@roygumpel8415]

Where is this location you're riding?

[@yakoridesagain]

Southern Catalunya, NE of Spain, Roy. My channel is mostly a travelogue of this cycling paradise where I’m lucky enough to live. Take a look - and if you like, subscribe! I post weekly.

[@nitraM321]

it's possible to unlock the full 86 newton meters of torque, and remove the speed limiter.

[@yakoridesagain]

Thanks for the info!

[@ianp7557]

What a great video, how about the H30 for shall we say a less enthusiastic novice rider who just fancies getting in the game.

[@yakoridesagain]

You may be less enthusiastic now Ian...but just you wait! I had more fun on this bike than any other before or since (check out my other Rise videos - I made quite a few!) The Rise has been given a power increase for this year, this should mean that great deals could be found for '23 models with what I found to be plenty enough at 60Nm. The H30 will be a great ride. Let me know what you decide!

[@tomaszszymanski7301]

I am the user of this bike and the bike would be perfect but unfortunately the construction of stem/bar and spinlock is defective. One of the elements is made of plastic and is breaking even after minor crash. All the parts used are proprietary and cannot be replaced by common parts and are also unavailable for order causing the bike unrepairable at all.

[@yakoridesagain]

what country are you in Tomas? I’ve just checked Orbea and they have the stem in stock. I do know that the designers, like many now, are integrating the cables and this leads to parts which are unique to the bike, but the same can be said for a great many manufacturers as they try to get a ‘cleaner’ look. I do know that other Orbea owners are working around this same issue, but admittedly not on the Rise. Could you ask in one of the Facebook groups or online forums to see if these are other solutions?

[@juanajimenezromero1053]

🇪🇸👍

[@nitraM321]

avoid Garmin at any cost, it's unusable rubbish, a much better option is to get the Shimano display.and use a phone for routing, Garmin should go bankrupt, their products are horrendous awful for routing, and, isn't that the main reason to get a Garmin ? just use a phone + quadlock

[@yakoridesagain]

I’m looking at alternatives currently Martijn. I used my phone before the Garmin but back then battery life wasn’t so good and I was concerned about being left lost AND having no phone. These days that’s not the case, but I suppose on long rides I’d prefer route finding and emergency calling to be on separate devices. On normal rides you are right though, beautiful big screens for routes.