Orbea Wild FS M10
Trail Bike

Whether it’s their Grand Tour-level road race bikes or World Cup-winning mountain bikes, Orbea’s wide line of pedal bikes has remained some of the most beautifully designed bikes on the market. With a passion for detail and creativity, the Spanish company has offered an array of premium-quality bikes for years. As opposed to just slapping a battery on a frame and calling it an e-bike, Orbea maintained their tradition of thoughtful bike builds and went all out on creativity and quality with their new Wild FS line.

THE BIKE

Hitting the scale at 51 pounds, the carbon-framed bike keeps it about 4 to 5 pounds lighter than most alloy-framed e-bikes. It has an integrated 625-Wh battery with a fiber-link protective cover. Neatly organized internally routed cables run through the sturdy and rigid frame. Not forgetting any details, Orbea made sure to include a water-bottle mount, as well as bumper stops to prevent the forks from smashing the frame. One slick feature is a hand-tightened cap on the handlebar stem that unscrews and hides the key for the battery.

 

The frame comes in small, medium and large sizes, and has seven different build options. The lines that define what makes up all-mountain geometry are becoming more blurred each year. Nonetheless, with its 65-degree head angle, we’d call the Wild FS an all-mountain bike. No one should suffer with the usual limitations of color options, as you can custom order an almost endless variety of color schemes through the Orbea website. 

 

“Orbea has put themselves into virtually an elite category with the custom-ordered color-scheme design options.”

 

THE PARTS

Orbea outfitted the Wild FS M10 generously with mostly upper-end Shimano components, starting with their Deore XT derailleur, Shimano XT brakes and SLX shifters. An OC2 dropper seatpost is topped with a Selle Royal Vivo saddle. The 780mm-wide Race Face Aeffect 35 handlebar has a 20mm rise, and the stem is a 35mm
Race Face.

 

For suspension, the Wild is running an e-bike-tuned, 160mm Fox 36 Float Performance fork with a Fox DPX2 Performance custom-tuned shock. E- bike-optimized 29-inch DT Swiss H-1900 wheels are mounted with a Maxxis 2.6-inch-wide Minion DHF in the front and Minion DHR in the rear. The drivetrain consists of a 32t front chainring with a Sun Race CSMZ80 12-speed (11-51t) cassette for steep climbing abilities.

 

The pedal-assist system is the Bosch Gen 4 with the new Bosch Kiox display. The Kiox display is a big improvement on the original Bosch Purion display. It’s capable of giving the rider as much info as one could think of, including the rider’s wattage input. The power meter is huge for riders wanting to use the bike for full-fledged training.

 

“Orbea kept the frame a little closer to the ground, which gave a brilliant combination of being able to roll nicely with the 29s but still able to corner really well.” 

 

THE MOTOR

The Bosch Gen 4 is quickly building a great reputation among EBA test riders. We’ve now ridden several bikes with the new motor and are thoroughly impressed. It’s really what you’d expect from pedal assist in the year 2020. No more letting off the power and then having a lag as soon as you apply pressure again. Between the updated cadence, speed and torque-sensor technology, you’ll find that this system really is an extension of what your brain is telling your foot to do. Oh, and we can’t forget about the Bosch update that gives another 5nm of torque for a total of 85 N/m. The motor also knows how to regulate the power in a way that allows the most efficient use of the battery.

 

WHO IS IT MADE FOR?

This bike is definitely not entry-level by any means, but shouldn’t exclude beginner riders. The price is pretty hefty, but if you have the dough, this bike will serve you well. The seasoned expert riders will be giddy over this machine, as it has all the top-notch features one could ask for, including a power meter for a racer in training.

 

THE RIDE

Orbea went with an interesting configuration between the wheel size and height of the bottom bracket being about 13 3/4 inches from the ground to the center of the bottom bracket. One would think because the bike is running 29-inch wheels you would be up off the ground a little higher. Orbea kept the frame a little closer to the ground, which gave a brilliant combination of being able to roll nicely with the 29s but still able to corner really well. To our surprise, we had minimal pedal strikes. 

 

The geometry pushes the all-mountain definition just a little farther, so don’t underestimate the Wild’s capabilities on tough downhill bits. Climbing capabilities are up there with the best of them as well, especially considering the wide-range cassette.

THE VERDICT

The Wild FS M10 is definitely not a cheap bike. Although, when compared to other big-name companies, it most definitely rivals the value of any big-ticket bike out there. The look of the bike is one of the classiest and sharpest we’ve seen. Not just sharp-looking, but well thought out with an agreeable geometry and beautiful frame shape. Orbea has put themselves into virtually an elite category with the custom-ordered color-scheme design options.

 

With the ability to mount a range extender to the 625-Wh battery, it should excite many adventure enthusiasts. Orbea’s choice of the new ultra-intuitive Bosch Gen 4 motor is a quality option that complements the sophisticated design nicely. Peculiarly located, the charge port is questionable as it is in the direct path of the crank rotation.

 

The plastic charge-port cover is kind of flimsy and could use a better latching design. The new Bosch Kiox display offers more to benefit the rider’s data. Knowledge of how much effort they’re putting in via the power meter is beneficial for training or just conserving the battery.

SPECS

ORBEA WILD FS M10

Price: $7299.99

Motor: Bosch Performance CX Gen 4

Battery: 625 Wh

Controller: Bosch Kiox

Top speed: 20 mph

Range: 45–70 miles

Drive: Shimano Deore XT derailleur with a 32T front chainring and a Sun Race CSMZ80 11-51t 12-speed cassette

Brakes: Shimano XT

Wheels: DT Swiss H-1900

Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.6 front, minion DHR 2.6 in the rear

Fork: 160mm Fox 36 Float Performance

Shock: Fox DPX2 Performance

Frame: Carbon

Seatpost: OC2 dropper

Weight: 51 lb.

Sizes: S/M,L, XL

www.orbea.com

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