The Dawn of the Lightweight eMtb - Orbea Rise vs. SCOTT Lumen
If you'd have told us five years ago it was possible to get a full-suspension eMtb under 36 pounds, we'd have said, respectfully, “not a chance”. But now here we are with not one, but two full-suspension production eMtb’s under the 36 pound mark - the Orbea Rise and the SCOTT Lumen.
Just like with “analog” bikes, shedding weight off your eMtb yields lots of benefits. One of the biggest improvements is found in the handling. A lightweight eMtb will still feel more like a normal bike, making it fun to ride trails and easy to handle over jumps, which is one place where more weight can severely affect the handling. In addition to the on-bike advantages, having a light eMtb makes it easier to load, work on, and transport. Plus, who’s ever known anyone that actually wished for a heavier bike?
While the Lumen and Rise may look similar on paper, both bikes have different characteristics and traits that suit different types and styles of riding. As such, we would recommend each bike to different people based on the riding they are planning to do. We will break down the similarities and differences of each bike, to help guide you through finding the right one. 
TQ VS. SHIMANO
One big difference between the two bikes is the motor. The Orbea Rise features a Shimano EP801-RS motor, whereas the Scott Lumen features the TQ HPR50 motor. The first main difference between the two motors is the power; the Rise offers up to 65 nm of torque while the Lumen will max out a little lower, at 50 nm. While this difference in max torque is noticeable, it’s not as crucial as you might initially think. In our experience riding both bikes on the trail, we’ve found that the higher torque you’re pushing, the more likely you are to get some wheel spin when the surface gets loose. So in some cases, higher torque can equal less traction.
The next difference is the battery size…sort of. Orbea offers the Rise with a lighter weight 360wh battery or a higher power 540wh battery, allowing the rider to choose if they want more range or less weight when selecting the bike. The 540wh battery does add a couple pounds, so if you are trying to lose as much weight as possible, make sure to get the 360wh battery option. The Scott Lumen is only offered with a 360wh battery, making your choice a bit easier. The good news is an optional external range extender battery is available for both bikes. The range extender for the Rise is 252wh, the Lumen’s extender is only 160wh. When both equipped with the 360wh battery, the bikes will have a similar battery life and range as you are riding. This of course increases for the Orbea Rise if you opt for the larger 540wh battery. Granted, range is ultimately dependent on how hard you ride the bike, but you will be able to comfortably get 2-3 hour rides on either bike (unless you are in boost mode the entire time).
DISPLAYS
The Scott Lumen frameset comes equipped with the TQ Display built into the top tube. This allows you to see your range, assist level and battery life, among other things. This display is clear, easy to operate and is easy to read at night, or when light levels are low. The Orbea Rise does not have a built-in display like the Lumen, but rather relies on a junction box that uses LED lights to indicate assist level and battery life. If you would prefer a display unit for the bike, it is available, but it needs to be added on as a surcharge to the cost of the bike. Both motors are fully customizable via the Scott or Orbea apps, allowing you to customize torque, sensitivity and assist levels to your preferences.
FRAMESETS
The Scott Lumen is only offered in a fully carbon, 130mm travel frame. This is paired with a 130mm fork, which gives you enough travel to handle most trail conditions, while not over-travelling the bike and making it too heavy to have fun on. The frameset itself is very similar to the Scott Spark frame, which is intended to cover the range from XC race to Trail. This versatility translates well to the Lumen, allowing it to be responsive and playful pretty much everywhere. The Lumen frameset also features the Scott Twinloc system. Twinloc allows you to remotely control both the front and rear suspension to be either 130mm, 90mm or fully-locked out. This is a wonderful addition to a bike that you’ll likely spend a lot of time climbing on. Another big benefit; the Lumen can accommodate two water bottle cages, helping to ensure you stay hydrated throughout the ride.
The Orbea Rise offers much more versatility in regards to the frameset. Their 140mm travel frameset is offered in Carbon or Orbea’s special Hydroformed-Alloy, both being offered with either a 140mm or 150mm fork. The 140mm fork option is recommended for people who just want a daily trail rider, and the 150mm fork is for those who really want to push it on the descents. The multiple options available on the Rise allow you to fully configure the bike to you, so you can always be confident that you have the perfect bike for how you ride. If you are after the lightest Rise possible, the Carbon frame, 140mm front and rear travel, with the 360wh battery will be the lightest configuration, which will allow you to get the weight down to the mid-30lbs mark.
RIDE QUALITY
Scott and Orbea emphasize different ride qualities inherent to each bike. The Lumen is intended to be an all-day trail killer. The TQ motor emphasizes a natural ride feel, so the optimal assist will kick in at a cadence between 75-100 rpm. Because of this, at low cadences the bike will bog down a bit and take some leg power to get going again. This also means the bike avoids the ‘surging’ feeling often associated with ebike motors. The Lumen seeks to be the most ‘natural’ feeling eMtb, and these characteristics help with that.
The EP801 motor featured on the Orbea Rise will feel more like a traditional ebike motor. When accelerating, you will feel a surge of power before it evens out as you find your cadence. The benefit of this is it allows you to ‘cheat’ yourself out of sticky situations. You are able to rely on the motor more to help push you over when you need it, compared to the Lumen, where you’ll rely on your legs a bit more. What it boils down to is that the Lumen will feel more like a normal, non-assisted bike, and you’ll be more noticeably reminded that the Rise is an ebike.
One more consideration when comparing the Rise and Lumen is the difference in rider position between the two bikes. When comparing the geometry numbers, you’ll notice that both bikes are pretty similar on paper. There is a key difference however, in the cockpit setup of the two bikes. The Scott Lumen comes equipped (in size medium) with a 60mm stem and a 760mm, flat handlebar. The Orbea Rise, on the other hand, specs a 40mm stem with an 800mm wide, 20mm riser bar. These two different setup choices greatly affect the rider positioning and thus the handling characteristic of the bike. The Lumen will put you into more of an XC riding position, allowing you to squeeze maximum power out of your legs, while putting your center of gravity forward. While a big benefit when climbing, this can cause the descents to be a little more sketchy. The shorter stem and bumped-up bars on the Rise leave you in a more upright position. This will give you a much more comfortable and stable descending position, but will decrease the amount of power you’ll be able to put into the pedals.
Conclusion
The Scott Lumen and the Orbea Rise are both great options for a lightweight full-suspension electric mountain bike. The Lumen is perfect for those who love to ride cross-country but just want to have a little extra help, or even as a bike option for “days off”. The Rise is perfect for riders who are less concerned with speed or distance, but just want a bike able to make it up any trail and capable enough to handle any descent. The Rise might also appeal to a wider audience, given the frame and fork options available.
Come check out both these bikes in our Park City and Salt Lake City shops. If you have any more questions, or want to check out some other full-suspension eMtbs, feel free to call or email with any questions.