# New bike ordered. Am I living on Fantasy Island?



## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

Hi all. I’ve just ordered an Orbea Rise M20. I’m nearly 52 years old and 225lb. Been riding since I was 18.

I can do ok on the flat, but I’m the slowest rider I know, going up hill. A typical BIG ride for me is 40-45 miles with up to 2000ft of climbing. By the end of that, I am knackered, but could do it again, 2 days later.

My reason for the low power e-bike is that I really only want assistance up hills, and that when the battery dies (usually with mostly flat or downhill to home, I live in a dip) I can continue to ride the same as I would any other fairly heavy full sus bike, so I can get home even with zero power.

I don’t want to change the kind of riding I do, because I love it, but I’d like to do it a bit more often.

Am I kidding myself that the battery is gonna last long enough for what I want to do?

Thanks for your guidance.

Chris


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

No experience riding e-bikes...

Whatever keeps you riding 

Ride it like ya stole it!! 

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## MX9799 (Feb 11, 2018)

I'm a bigger guy myself at 215. I don't think you're going to get 40-45 miles on that ebike with that much climbing. 

I can get about 20 miles on a battery on my giant reign e+ 1 with a 500Wh battery, and that's only riding in the normal mode the whole time. I might could squeeze out a few more miles if I rode in eco+ mode the whole time. I live in an area without much elevation though, so it seems like I'm always pedaling hard, and there isn't many descents I can coast and get some free miles out of the bike. For big rides, I have an extra battery that I leave in the car and switch out when the first battery gets low. If you're not doing a big ride where you can circle back to the car to to switch out the battery, you'll have to carry the extra battery somehow.

For your situation, it's all going to depend on how many miles you're willing to ride without power. I can't speak for the orbea rise, but my bike without power is like pedaling through half dried concrete. It's not fun.

Congrats on the new bike though. Ebikes are a blast, and I have a lot of fun riding mine. My last ride was a three hour ride, 31 miles, with an average HR of 147. I'd never have been able to do that many miles in 3 hours on my regular bike.


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## andytiedye (Jul 26, 2014)

I only weigh around 150 and a 500wh battery lasts about 20 miles with much of it in eco mode. TWO batteries might last 45 miles if it isn't too steeep.


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## Fat&SkinnyCO (Nov 23, 2014)

The only way to know your range is to ride because there are too many variable factors. By doing this I now know my range on various trails that I ride and I often push the limits. Last Sunday I rode my e fat hardtail, 600Wh battery, eco (35% of total power), 30 degrees F, windy, 50/50 snow/dirt, 34 miles with 5,800' of climbing - I was working hard. When I do this ride more mellow, my range is naturally less because the motor is working more.


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## Fat&SkinnyCO (Nov 23, 2014)

Continued...
160lbs with pack.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

Rotund said:


> Hi all. I've just ordered an Orbea Rise M20. I'm nearly 52 years old and 225lb. Been riding since I was 18.
> 
> I can do ok on the flat, but I'm the slowest rider I know, going up hill. A typical BIG ride for me is 40-45 miles with up to 2000ft of climbing. By the end of that, I am knackered, but could do it again, 2 days later.
> 
> ...


Great bike, I own one. I think your going to be living in "Fun Island!"


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## waltaz (Oct 14, 2004)

I've got an Orbea Rise M-Team ordered, with a current date of April 9th. I'm pretty - no, ridiculously - excited about it.

I'm 56, and extremely fit. I'm an endurance SS and XC rider, and do 12/24-hour solo events, in addition to the long Epic Rides races. I have zero need for an e-bike.

But after a ton of long rides, and structured training, and hammering this, that and the other thing, I just want to have some fun. I got an SB130 Lunch Ride last fall as a fun bike, to goof around on, but then read about the Rise in January. And the more I thought about, the more I figured, if I want a fun bike, why not a light e-bike, with the same/similar travel and components as my Yeti? Makes sense to me...I don't have anything to prove to anybody...

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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

waltaz said:


> I've got an Orbea Rise M-Team ordered, with a current date of April 9th. I'm pretty - no, ridiculously - excited about it.
> 
> I'm 56, and extremely fit. I'm an endurance SS and XC rider, and do 12/24-hour solo events, in addition to the long Epic Rides races. I have zero need for an e-bike.
> 
> ...


Good shot! It's nice to see hardcore fit racers wanting an ebike for fun. At the end of the day, if your hobby isn't fun, why do it? If you want to hammer a workout, just ride it turned off. Congrats on your new ride!


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## waltaz (Oct 14, 2004)

Gutch said:


> Good shot! It's nice to see hardcore fit racers wanting an ebike for fun. At the end of the day, if your hobby isn't fun, why do it? If you want to hammer a workout, just ride it turned off. Congrats on your new ride!


Thanks, man...exactly my perspective! I'll still be riding my SB100 and SS, and can easily pedal the 38.5 lb Rise (M-Team build) whenever I want or need to! Zero concern about losing any fitness or becoming complacent.

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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

Gutch said:


> Good shot! It's nice to see hardcore fit racers wanting an ebike for fun. At the end of the day, if your hobby isn't fun, why do it? If you want to hammer a workout, just ride it turned off. Congrats on your new ride!


This is exactly my point. It's not THAT heavy, and I can get home on it even if the battery dies. I'm not ultra fit, sadly, but I'm sure I'll get fitter, riding more at a heart rate around the weight losing range. I've got stamina.

I've gone for the M20 and it's due within the next week, Brexit allowing.

Literally cannot wait.

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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

Gutch said:


> Great bike, I own one. I think your going to be living in "Fun Island!"


Have you gone for the range extender? Are able to give some details like weight, climbing distance, whilst still having battery support?

Sorry, but there is no prize at the end of this quiz. 

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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

Try thinking about your usage in terms of wattage and hours, rather than mileage and elevation.

If the motor uses 250W on average, and your battery is 360 Wh, then you can expect 1.44 hours of assist.

If it normally takes you 5 hours to ride 50 miles, you should be very selective with how you use it. Maybe use it as a bail-out gear. Consider the potential energy you are basically putting into the bike as you climb as a gravity-assisted "battery", and use your pedal-assist accordingly. Consider planning in a way that avoids dumping all that energy wastefully into your brakes, on top of the energy needed to overcome consistent rolling drag and aero drag.


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## JKA (Jul 26, 2006)

I have a Rise and my last ride was 14 miles with 1400 ft of climbing for 1.5 hours. I rode in profile 2 (higher assist) mostly in Eco which was just fine for me and used 27% of battery. If you drop it down to profile 1 and ride on a mix of Eco and Trail settings, you could do even better than that. The bike is fine to ride without any battery assist if you run out and need to get home. I'm 62 y/o and about 195 lb riding weight and I absolutely love it. I still ride my non-e bikes a lot too. I was initially planning on getting a range extender, but I have no need for it. I rarely ride more than 2 hours at a time and the battery will get me WAY more than that.


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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

JKA said:


> I have a Rise and my last ride was 14 miles with 1400 ft of climbing for 1.5 hours. I rode in profile 2 (higher assist) mostly in Eco which was just fine for me and used 27% of battery. If you drop it down to profile 1 and ride on a mix of Eco and Trail settings, you could do even better than that. The bike is fine to ride without any battery assist if you run out and need to get home. I'm 62 y/o and about 195 lb riding weight and I absolutely love it. I still ride my non-e bikes a lot too. I was initially planning on getting a range extender, but I have no need for it. I rarely ride more than 2 hours at a time and the battery will get me WAY more than that.


JKA, thank you so much for this. It's exactly the real world experience I was looking for. I feel more confident that this is the right bike for me, now.

I'm also considering the range extender. 3 or 4 times a year I'll do a 50 mile + ride with 2500 ft of climbing, only experience will tell me if I need it.

That said, it ain't here yet, due no later than tomorrow! But I think this is pretty normal.

Thanks again

Chris

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## JKA (Jul 26, 2006)

Rotund said:


> JKA, thank you so much for this. It's exactly the real world experience I was looking for. I feel more confident that this is the right bike for me, now.
> 
> I'm also considering the range extender. 3 or 4 times a year I'll do a 50 mile + ride with 2500 ft of climbing, only experience will tell me if I need it.
> 
> ...


Happy to help. Post up a report after you get it and get a ride or two in. I think you're going to love it.


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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

JKA said:


> Happy to help. Post up a report after you get it and get a ride or two in. I think you're going to love it.


Picked the bike up this afternoon. Got it home, and charged up for its first ride.

Managed 22 miles with a bit of climbing and a couple of boost sessions, just for a laugh. Hurricane force wind, lots!

Still got at least 21% battery left ( still on green). Need to work out how to connect my phone to see exactly how much I've got left. ...

Awesome experience and
I really think this is the right ebike for a larger lad trying to gain fitness, lose weight, and still have a riot riding.

Want to go back out now! (It's 10.34 here, local time)

Cheers

Chris

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## JKA (Jul 26, 2006)

Awesome!! The Shimano e-tube ride app will give you battery level on your phone. If you have a compatible Garmin device, you can connect that and see your battery level as you're riding. You can adjust the assist levels with the Shimano E-tube app. Profile 1 an 2 are very different in feel. I use profile one for mostly flat rides and profile two for rides that are more climbing or if I'm riding with my son on his Orbea Wild so I can keep up with him better. Either way, it's loads of fun.


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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

JKA said:


> Awesome!! The Shimano e-tube ride app will give you battery level on your phone. If you have a compatible Garmin device, you can connect that and see your battery level as you're riding. You can adjust the assist levels with the Shimano E-tube app. Profile 1 an 2 are very different in feel. I use profile one for mostly flat rides and profile two for rides that are more climbing or if I'm riding with my son on his Orbea Wild so I can keep up with him better. Either way, it's loads of fun.


JKA, apologies, but I promise to stop stalking you soon.

So I put the bike away last night, and didn't charge it. Connected up the app like you said this morning, and the battery was showing as full(or 5 bars to be more precise). Assumed that had to be wrong, as I'd riden it 22 miles the night before. Rode it up and down the street adjusting stuff, and then had another look at the app.









Can't be right, surely? Was the full battery it showed this morning saying 100% of what is available, because it was the first time the app connected, or have I really still got 54 miles in eco, and 80% of a full battery?

If the second is correct, I'm even more impressed.

Cheers

Chris

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## JKA (Jul 26, 2006)

Haha. No worries. I think the 100% right off the bat was like you said, first time connect and it took a few minutes to register. I find the "bars" reading to be less than precise. Four bars can be anywhere from 60% to 80%. The "range remaining" is also less than perfect, but on profile 1 (default) and in eco, it wouldn't surprise me if you got another 50 miles. It's quite battery friendly. I use a Garmin to give me exact percentage of battery remaining.


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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

JKA, again, thanks for your real world experience. I use a Wahoo gps device, so will investigate if it supports Shimano motors/batteries.

Also, I noticed from your profile that your in Henderson, NV. We had an interesting MTB guided tour out of there a couple of years ago, but the highlight was the private guided riding we did at Blue Diamond. Lovely place to ride a bike off road.

Small world....

Chris


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## JKA (Jul 26, 2006)

I have no idea if a Wahoo will work. I kind of doubt it as Orbea only lists Garmin devices for the app. 
All the way from the UK just to ride in Vegas. You probably used Escape or Mcghies for the tour. That's awesome...definitely a small world.. I'm sure there were other reasons for the trip as well, but riding was the most important. The Blue Diamond area is one of the absolute best for MTB. It's a little far for me to get to on a regular basis. There are a lot of nice trails very near where I live. I can ride my bike from my house and be on trails in less than 10 minutes so I'm pretty spoiled.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Rotund said:


> Hi all. I've just ordered an Orbea Rise M20. I'm nearly 52 years old and 225lb. Been riding since I was 18.
> 
> I can do ok on the flat, but I'm the slowest rider I know, going up hill. A typical BIG ride for me is 40-45 miles with up to 2000ft of climbing. By the end of that, I am knackered, but could do it again, 2 days later.
> 
> ...


Order a range extender (shipping in March) and you should be good to go!


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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

RickBullottaPA said:


> Order a range extender (shipping in March) and you should be good to go!


I'm becoming happier and happier as I ride this bike.

I full charged it Friday, and over the weekend, I've ridden 42 miles in 2 rides, and climbed 1800ft. I still have 2 bars of battery on the e tube ride app. Gonna try and use that with another 15-20 miles tomorrow morning.

At least 80% in eco, and maybe 7-8% in boost for a couple of steep hills. All in profile 1.

Had a quick play with profile 2 today, and think that would be a load of fun at a trail centre like FoD or BPW.

Maybe I won't actually need a range extender...

Chris

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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

So, 3 rides from 1 charge. Total distance 51.93 miles, pretty windy, some gloopy, heavy, wet grass, some paved and some hard Rocky off road trails. 2218ft of climbing. Almost all in eco, maybe up to 5% of time in boost/trail. 

The green light turned red about 6 miles before I finished the last ride. It wasn’t flashing by the end so does that mean I still had at least 5% battery left?

In dry, warmer, less windy weather I guess I may get close to 60 miles or more? I am still putting in a load of effort, but that’s exactly what drew me towards this bike. 

Cheers

Chris. 


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## MX9799 (Feb 11, 2018)

That's really good mileage. I'd be pumped with that.

FWIW, I weigh a little less than you, around 215, and I can't get near that many miles with two batteries at full charge on my Giant Reign E+1.


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## Rotund (Jun 24, 2012)

Here's the bike with me this morning.

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