The best e-mountain bike of 2025? Orbea Rise LT M-Team On Test

The Orbea Rise LT M-Team has already dominated our light eMTB comparison test, securing both the Best in Test and Best Buy badges with its Shimano EP801 RS motor, moderate 20.23 kg system weight and countless customisation options of the MyO configurator. But is that enough to outshine 29 competitors in the ultimate eMTB group test? We put it through the wringer to find out!

This bike is part of our big group test: The Best E-Mountainbike of 2025 – Featuring the 30 Most Exciting E-MTBs of the Year. Click here for the full intro, key takeaways, and all the bikes we tested.

A podium sweep for Orbea! The Basque bike manufacturer knows how to build top-tier eMTBs – and they’ve proven it yet again! In our massive e-mountain bike comparison test, the Orbea Wild claimed the Best in Test title for two consecutive years, setting a new benchmark in the industry. And as if that weren’t impressive enough, Orbea also claimed victory in our light eMTB test with the Rise, which also earned the coveted Best Buy recommendation.

Now, the Orbea Rise aims to conquer the flagship class of eMTBs and fight for the crown in our latest showdown. It comes fully equipped with everything a modern e-mountain bike needs: 160/150 mm of travel (f/r), a flip chip for geometry adjustments, and the powerful Shimano EP801 RS motor. As the icing on the cake, Orbea’s MyO configurator allows you to customise your bike down to the smallest detail – whether it’s the components, the look and even the battery size. At just 20.2 kg in size L, the Rise is one of the lightest bikes in this test field. However, with a price tag of €10,189 in the tested configuration, it’s also rather expensive. How did it fare against 29 of the hottest bikes of the year?

What Sets the Orbea Rise LT M-Team Apart From the Competition?

The Orbea Rise LT M-Team stands out from the crowd with its clean lines, and sleek, rectangular frame silhouette. The shock merges seamlessly into the seat stays and top tube, ensuring a dynamic, fast look. In the Tanzanite Carbon View finish, the exposed carbon fibres add a touch of class – but if that’s too much for your taste, the MyO configurator offers you a choice of 34 additional colors to customize your ride.

The Shimano EP801 RS motor is discreetly integrated into the frame, which also contributes to the bike’s sleek aesthetics. Under the RS sticker hides a drive that is nearly-identical to the standard Shimano EP801, except for the lower peak power, which was reduced from 600 to 400 watts to improve energy efficiency. This is particularly relevant given that the 420 Wh battery isn’t especially large – though, as on our test bike, it can be upgraded to a larger 630 Wh version for an additional €200. The charging port is conveniently positioned right above the motor, and is protected by a secure, reliable cover. If you want even more range for bigger rides, you can place the optional 210 Wh range extender in the bottle cage, though attaching it further reduces motor output to a level comparable to the Trail mode of the Shimano EP801 RS. The support modes can be changed via the wired EN600 L remote, which provides only a basic battery status indicator using a single LED. The color transition– from green to orange and then red– happens rather suddenly at 30% and 10%, respectively. For a more precise readout, you can connect the bike to a cycling computer, which displays battery life in percentage increments – that’s what we did with our test bike. However, when mounted on the exposed stem bracket, the computer is prone to damage in the event of a crash. A safer alternative is the SC-EM800 display, which is available in the MyO configurator and is safely tucked away behind the handlebars. Pro tip: when paired with a Garmin watch, you can display the battery status on your wrist in real-time!

Instead of adding multiple mounting points, Orbea take a more minimalist approach, opting for two cleverly integrated tools. A 6 mm Allen key is neatly housed in the thru-axle lever, while a compact multitool is concealed in the rear linkage. The 6 mm Allen key can be used to adjust the flip chip in the shock mount, which allows you to tweak the geometry quickly and easily.
The cables are routed internally and disappear into the frame through the headset, ensuring a clean, tidy cockpit, while a generously sized chainstay protector effectively dampens chain slap, ensuring a quiet ride on the trail.

The Orbea Rise comes equipped with a FOX Factory suspension, which delivers top performance on the trail and offers countless adjustment options. The FOX 36 Factory fork features the latest GRIPX damper, allowing fine-tuning of high- and low-speed compression as well as low-speed rebound. The only noticeable peculiarity is the striking slurping noise it makes, which is significantly louder than with the GRIP X2 cartridge. The fork is paired with a FOX FLOAT X Factory shock and FOX Transfer Factory dropper post – all three components with a fancy Kashima coating, which seamlessly blends into the bike’s premium look. With a generous 240 mm of travel, the dropper ensures maximum freedom of movement on the trail. Shifting and braking is taken care by Shimano components. The electronic Shimano DEORE XT Di2 drivetrain impresses above all with its Auto-Shift and Free-Shift functions, delivering precise, butter-smooth gear shifts. Meanwhile, powerful Shimano XTR four-piston brakes with 203 mm rotors front and rear ensure powerful, reliable deceleration. For the wheels,Orbea rely on their in-house component brand OQUO. The Orbea Rise LT M-Team rolls on an OQUO MC32 TEAM alloy wheelset and a proven MAXXIS tire combination, with an Assegai in the soft MaxxGrip rubber compound and EXO+ casing at the front, and a Minion DHR II in the slightly harder MaxxTerra compound and robust DoubleDown casing at the rear – a top-tier combo!

Tuning Tip:If you have a Garmin watch, pair it with the motor system to see the battery charge status directly on your wrist.

How Did the Orbea Rise LT M-Team fare in our test?

Get in the saddle and feel at home – the Orbea Rise LT M-Team welcomes you on board with a comfortable, upright pedalling position, with the weight evenly distributed between the hands and saddle. On fire roads, the Rise climbs effortlessly, and for even more efficiency, you can easily access the climb switch. The Shimano EP801 RS motor delivers reliable support and plenty of oomph. However, on technical climbs, the slightly reduced peak output becomes noticeable. In direct comparison, bikes like the Thömus Lightrider E3 Pro, which have a standard Shimano EP801 drive, climb with slightly more confidence. That said, the Rise LT still impresses with solid uphill performance within its category. Thanks to the grippy rear end, it ranks in the midfield of the test group in this regard, right alongside the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL. On steep and demanding climbs, however, it demands more physical effort and an active riding style, requiring you to actively weight the front wheel to keep it tracking.

Thanks to the extensive MyO configurator, you can customise both the spec and look of your new Orbea Rise LT down to the smallest detail and according to your budget.

As soon as you drop into a trail, the Orbea Rise LT M-Team impresses with intuitive handling, making you feel at ease from the get-go. With a light touch on the brakes, you’ll be diving into the first corners, kicking up dirt with confidence and a massive grin on your face, picking up speed quicker than you can say. The Rise LT literally rockets down flow trails, delivering an agile and playful ride in the process. It makes it easy to lean into corners and handles quick, tight direction changes without batting an eyelid. While it may not be quite as flickable as the Canyon Spectral:ONfly and the Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo SL, it still delivers incredible amounts of fun. Thanks to the right tire choice, the Orbea Rise LT also excels with impressive traction, which makes it easy to control even in loose terrain.

When you switch from a smooth, flowy trail into a rough, technical section, you barely need to back off the pace – the Rise LT inspires confidence with its low center of gravity and secure ride feel. The Orbea tracks through rock gardens with reassuring precision, always feeling composed and at the same time controlled, even with heavy impacts. The suspension is among the best in this test, striking the perfect balance between sensitivity and support. On the trail, it feels as if you had more than 160/150 mm of travel on tap, so even bigger hits are smoothed out effortlessly, allowing you to stay in control. While the Orbea Rise LT doesn’t quite match the uncompromising, downhill-focused competitors in this test, like the Ghost E-Riot, UNNO Mith, or the Santa Cruz Vala, it still ranks among the most capable eMTBs in its category.

The Rise LT M-Team combines playful handling with impressive composure , proving both quick and extremely agile on flow trails while remaining composed and controlled in rough terrain.

The only real downside is the noticeable clunking noise of the Shimano motor, which becomes especially evident on descents. A shame– because aside from that, the Orbea Rise LT delivers top-tier downhill performance, even in this competitive test field.

Who Should Take a Closer Look at the Orbea Rise LT M-Team?

The Orbea Rise LT M-Team is a perfect match for riders looking for a lightweight, agile, and highly customisable eMTB with playful handling and top-tier suspension. It excels on flow trails, delivering pure riding fun, and yet remains composed and stable on rough terrain. If you’re after an e-MTB that’s lively, intuitive, and versatile, the Orbea Rise LT is a reliable partner for all trail adventures.

Conclusions about the Orbea Rise LT M-Team

Even without a podium finish in this test, the Orbea Rise LT M-Team remains a mind-boggling fun machine, combining a low system weight, playful handling, and strong suspension. It shines with impressive all-round capabilities, dominating flow trails while staying stable and controlled on rough terrain. Uphill, it requires more physical effort but rewards with excellent traction. The high-end spec is another highlight, and thanks to Orbea’s MyO configurator, both the components and look of the bike can be customised down to the smallest detail. The only real drawback? The clunking noise of the Shimano motor.

Tops

• Great all-rounder
• Excellent suspension
• Extensive MyO configurator
• High fun factor

Flops

• Annoying clunking noise of the motor on descents

More info at orbea.com

The test field

For an overview of the test field head to our “Best E-Mountainbike of 2025” comparison test – 30 of the most exciting trail bikes in our 2025 group test

All bikes in test: AMFLOW PL Carbon Pro, Canyon Spectral:ONfly CF LTD, FOCUS JAM² 6.0, GHOST E-RIOT LTD, Haibike HYBE CF 11, MERIDA eONE-SIXTY SL 10K, Orbea WILD M-LTD, Orbea Rise LT M-Team, R RAYMON Tarok Ultra, Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL, Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV, SCOTT Patron ST 900 Tuned, Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4, Transition Regulator CX XT, UNNO Mith Pro, YT DECOY SN MX CORE 3.

Words: Benedikt Schmidt Photos: Peter Walker