Endurip,
Which model/travel fork and shock do you currently have on your Rise? Also, what is your weight, including ride gear? I can help you better if I know what you current setup is.
I have a large group of friends as riding partners. Many have had Rises at one time or another. I'm currently riding a Levo Carbon Comp with Zeb 170 fork and Fox X2 rear shock.
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Dirty Harry once said, "A man's got to know his limitations", no shame in walking a section. Saint George Utah, Barrel Trail, the "Waterfall" section. The picture doesn't adequately show how steep and technical this section is. I'd describe it as a "High Consequence" feature.
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My friends and I have learned a lot about the Rise and what it's capable through much experimentation. Interestingly, none of us ever used the exact same combination of components, everybody has a different setup. The type of terrain you ride and how you like to ride will dictate what works best for you.
Orbea identifies the Rise as a "Trail" bike. Orbea has stated it does not want Rise owners to increase fork travel to 160mm. In particular, the Rise Blue Paper (Owner's Manual) specifies a maximum fork length which is measured from the center of the fork axle to the top of the fork crown. Exceeding this maximum distance will void the frame warranty. Increasing fork travel to 160mm will exceed the maximum specified length. Sometimes, you just have to say the hell with it and roll the dice, live large, ya know.
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There are several reasons for the 160mm fork travel prohibition. Any increase or decrease in fork travel will alter the Rise's head tube angle and thus impact the bike's handling characteristics. Additionally, increasing the Rise's travel to 160mm can increase stress loads on the frame's head tube. I ran a 160mm fork on my Rise. I beat the living shit out of my Rise and it's doing fine. However, if the frame cracks at the head tube, I'm guessing I'll be ass out in the warranty department.
You may wonder how the head tube angle impacts a bike's handling abilities? A steeper head tube angle will give a bike a quick steering response. The bike will handle tight turns and switchbacks better and will climb steeper terrain better. A steeper head tube angle will place the center of gravity on a bike more forward. There are negative aspects to a steep head tube angle. A steep head tube angle will cause a bike's steering to become twitchy or unstable at high speed. Additionally, a steeper head tube angle pushes the bike's center of gravity forward and creates a potential to go flying over the handlebars on a steep descent if you stick a wheel. A less steep "Slacker" head tube angle tends to slow a bikes steering response. This makes the bike very stable at higher speeds. A bike with a slacker head tube angle will descend better than a bike with a steep head tube angle. There are negative aspects to a slack head tube angle. On steep climbs, the bike's front wheel will become light and want to lift up off the ground or get twitchy. A slack head tube angle will cause a bike to be less nimble on tight turns and switchbacks.
So, what's a good fork travel and head tube angle for the Rise? It all depends on where you ride and how you like to ride.
The Rise M20 and Rise LTD come stock with a 140mm travel fork. The 140mm fork gives the bike a 66 degree head tube angle. By modern mountain bike standards, a 66 degree head tube angle is fairly steep. A steeper head tube angle is ideal for light duty, cross country, flow trail, type of riding. The Rise M10 or Rise Team model comes stock with a 150mm travel fork. This gives the Rise a "Trail" bike feel with a 65.5 degree head tube angle. 65.5 degrees isn't considered overly "Slack" by modern standards. A 65.5 degree angle is perfectly acceptable for "Trail" type riding where occasional chunk or slightly technical descents or climbs are encountered. Increasing fork travel to 160mm will give the Rise a head tube angle of approximately 65 degrees. For most trail conditions a 65 degree head tube angle will provide a happy medium of steering nimbleness and good descending capabilities.
If your home trails are mostly flow with tight turns, switchbacks and steepish climbs, I'd run a 150mm Rockshox Lyrik. The Lyrik with it's 35mm stanchions is slightly lighter than a Fox 36. If your trails tend to have some gnar, the occasional drop or jump and steepish technical descents, I'd run a Fox 36 160mm.
In regards to your rear shock. The Rise utilizes a 210mm x 55mm rear shock. 210mm refers to overall eye to eye shock length. The 55mm refers to shock stroke. As Remote Juggernaut says, you cannot increase rear shock travel by simply increasing shock length. To quote Juggernaut, "It doesn't work like that", the linkage arms ain't having it. There is a hack which BigJZ74 mentions. You can slightly increase rear travel by utilizing an offset rear shock bushing. A modified linkage arm option is offered by Cascade Components that will increase rear travel on the Rise to 150mm.
Our renowned link for the 2020-2022 Orbea Rise is designed to enhance the ride characteristics like no other modification. It increases travel to 150mm while significantly boosting progression. The increase in progression allows you to tune in a super light off-the-top feel while simultaneously...
cascadecomponents.bike
If your Rise came with the Fox DPS shock, then you need to give it a good cleaning and put it up for sale on Pink Bike. In truth, the DPS is a good shock, however it's a light duty shock, ideally suited for cross country trail riding. Unlike the DPX2 or Float X rear shock, the DPS does not have a piggyback reservoir which stores additional suspension oil like an enlarged radiator on a car. Without the piggyback reservoir, the DPS will overheat on prolonged technical trail. Once the oil becomes overly heated, the shock will lose it's suspension efficiency, i.e. you'll bottom out like a good thing.....
If your Rise came with the Fox DPX2, you need to give it a good cleaning and put it up for sale on Pink Bike. Okay, the DPX2 is a good shock provided you're a lightweight whippet thin rider whom anybody over 45 secretly hates. The DPX2 doesn't support the weight of a heavier rider, i.e. 190lbs and over. A heavier rider will need to add maximum air pressure or modify the shock either through custom tuning or volume spacers to get the shock to work. In 2019, I had a bad accident and nearly amputated my right foot. I couldn't walk for 18 months. At the time of my accident, I weighed 172 lbs at 6' 1" tall. The DPX2 worked really well for me. When I finally got back on my bike, I weighed 230 lbs. As a side note, you can't watch 18 months worth of Netflix and not gain weight...jus sayin....The DPX2 on my bike wasn't having it. To reach sag, I had to add maximum air pressure. The shock was crap and it felt like I was riding with locked out suspension. I messed with custom tuning via valving shims, I installed volume spacers, the works. It was a no go. Enter the Fox Float X.
As a side note, I now weigh 183 lbs. I canceled Netflix. Wahoo!
Fox realized they had a problem with the DPX2 supporting heavier riders. Enter the Fox Float X with it's larger piston and air can. The Float X has several other features that the DPX2 does not have. The Float X works well for heavier riders without having to max out air pressure on the shock.
Several of my buddies are running either a "Push" or Fox DHX2 coil shock. Coil shocks offer a superb plush ride. Unlike an air shock, once you dial in the spring rate on a coil shock, you can pretty much forget about the shock. They only real negative I see to a coil shock is the added weight of the shock and expense of buying/finding the correct spring. Also, coil shocks tend to be less "Poppy" than an air shock. This isn't a problem, unless you like to boost it off of every rock on a trail. You're on an eBike, who cares about weight....
In summation...hell this is a long message.....If your trails are fairly normal and don't look like the gates of hell, then go with 160mm cranks, a 150mm travel front fork and Fox Float X or equivalent Rockshox air shock. If your trail resembles the gates of hell and you routinely like to run over hikers, then go with a 160mm crank arm, Fox 36 160mm fork and a 210mm x 55mm coil rear shock.
My buddies in Hurricane Utah, on a Gooseberry Mesa group ride.
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Monica with her M20 Rise on Gooseberry Mesa. Her husband Saul is rockin a Trek Rail
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Saint George Utah, the Zen Trail. I'm on the left trying to suck in my stomach. My hair is sticking out of my helmet like a horn. Smooth operator....eMTB forum user Rusty Iron, Aka...Skinner, is in blue and riding a Santa Cruz Heckler. We felt sorry for Skinner and let him ride with us. Three Rises and a Santa Cruz Heckler.
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