Orbea Electric Bike Range Guide
Orbea Electric Bike Range Guide
The Orbea electric bike range covers everything from electric hybrids and mountain bikes, through to electric road bikes. Orbea use a range of electric bike systems according to different models. These include Bosch, Shimano and Mahle. Orbea are based in the Basque country and most of their electric bikes are developed and built in their factory there.
H or M?
A lot of Orbea bikes will have a model number such as H30 or M20. Any bike with a H model number will have an aluminium frame. Bikes with an M model number will have a carbon fibre frame. Carbon frames will typically be lighter and smoother to ride but will also be more expensive.
Orbea Electric Mountain Bikes
Orbea Keram – from £2299
Best for – everyday cross country riding and general use
The Keram is the entry level bike in the Orbea electric mountain bike range. It is a hardtail electric bike which uses the Bosch motor and battery system. This is a full power electric bike with plenty of range. The Keram is only available with an aluminium frame and, although a fully capable MTB, can also double up for commuting and general leisure riding, Orbea do a version called the Keram SUV that comes ready equipped with mudguards, panniers and lights. The entry level Keram 30 comes with a 400wh Bosch battery, 100mm travel forks and uses 27.5” wheels on smaller frame sizes and 29” wheels on larger frame sizes.
Orbea Wild FS – from £4599
Best for - aggressive trail riding at full power
The Wild FS has been in the Orbea range for a few years now. It is their full power, full suspension, electric mountain bike and uses a Bosch battery and motor system on most models. The Wild FS is built as an aggressive trail bike. It comes with long slack geometry for stability at high speeds and on steep terrain. 160mm travel suspension, beefy tyres and dropper posts come as standard. The Wild FS is available with either aluminium or a carbon frame.
Orbea Rise - from £4899
Best for – trail handling and ride feel
Introduced in 2021 the Rise now comes in both aluminium and carbon frame options. It is part of a new generation of lighter weight electric bikes that are designed to ride like an acoustic bike. The Rise does this with a custom tuned Shimano motor which gives the rider a continuous level of support on long all-day rides but is significantly smaller and lighter than a normal full power bike. You won’t get as much power from the Rise but as the bike is 6 to 8kg lighter it shouldn’t be needed as much. Both the aluminium and carbon Rise use the same geometry and are built around 140 to 150 mm of suspension travel making them usable for everyday trail riding. The Rise has been a runaway hit since it was launched.
Orbea Urrun – from £3499
Best for – fast XC riding
The Urrun was introduced to the Orbea electric bike range part way through the 2022 season. It can be thought of as a hardtail Rise. It uses the same custom tuned lightweight Shimano motor so you get a bike that handles like a standard, acoustic, hardtail. Although this is a lightweight electric bike it can still go for 8 hours at a time. Urrun means ‘far in Basque’. With 120mm forks the Urrun is classed by Orbea as being suitable for XC, trail and adventure riding.
Orbea Hybrid Electric Bikes
Orbea Kemen – from £3599
Best for - Longer distance rides on mixed terrain
The Kemen was launched part way through the 2022 season and at the same time as the Urrun. It uses the same basic frame and the same Shimano motor as the Urrun but is setup for city riding. Orbea describe the Kemen as a Trekking bike and it comes with mudguards, panniers racks and lights fitted. To tailor it for city use it uses different tyres from the Urrun and has a shorter travel fork (100mm rather than 120mm). These changes do shorten the battery life a little, down to 5 hours from 8.
Orbea Vibe – from £2399
Best for - zipping around town and short commutes
Like the Kemen the Vibe is a lightweight electric hybrid bike. It uses a different type of electric motor which makes it about £1000 cheaper. While the Kemen has the mid-step Shimano motor which powers the cranks the Vibe uses a rear hub motor. The downside of the rear hub motors is that they don’t feel as smooth, they tend not to be as reliable long term. If you are doing short distances around town and want a bit of extra help the hub motors are absolutely fine and do the job. So the Vibe is a good option for this type of use. It is available as a standard bike and also as an EQ (equipped) bike that comes with mudguards, rack, lights and stand.
Orbea Optima – from £2099
Best for - leisurely riding around town
The Orbea Optima is a traditional style shopping bike with a low step through frame. Like the Vibe it comes with a rear hub motor which helps to keep the price down. It gives you just enough power for getting around town and running errands. The Optima has been built very much for practicality with mudguards, lights, luggage rack and stand all fitted as standard plus an enclosed drivetrain. As well as having a traditional upright riding position the Optima comes with really wide 50c tyres so it is super stable at slow speeds.
Orbea Katu - £2199
Best for - small flats and tight, narrow streets
The Orbea Katu is a bit of an odd bike at first glance. It looks like it should be a folding bike but isn’t. It uses small 20” wheels (compared to 27.5”, 28” or 29” on most standard adult bike) but is designed for adult riders. This type of compact adult bike is very popular in Japan where small streets and small houses make a smaller bike easy to ride and easy to store. The Katu fills that same brief but adds electric power from a Bosch motor and battery. So it’s ideal for city dwellers who want an electric bike but have limited storage space at home or at work, but which they can still haul their shopping on.
Orbea Electric Road Bikes
Orbea Gain – from £2499
Best for - extending your road rides
Orbea have been one of the pioneers of electric road bikes and the Gain has been in the Orbea range for a good few years now. It uses the same rear hub motor as bikes like the Vibe with the battery hidden away inside the frame. So at first glance you might miss that it is an electric bike at all. The rear hub motor on the Gain is designed to give you a little extra help when you need it rather than being a full power unit, this helps to keep the overall weight of the bike down so it rides more like a standard acoustic bike. The Gain is available in a range of models using both aluminium and carbon fibre frames.
