WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO CONVERT IT?
The Orbea Rise is a great bike, no doubt. But maybe for some of you converting this already very capable bike into a ride with more travel front and back, a 27.5 inch rear wheel and a slacker head tube angle is a job worth considering.
I have successfully converted my 2022 Rise M10 into a Mullet bike and simply want to share my experience with you. Maybe you can draw some inspiration out of this article in case your’re also thinking about converting your Rise.
One of my goals was not to mess around with the bikes’ geometry too much and to keep the expenses reasonable.
Here is a rough explanation of how the following changes interact with each other. The numbers are based on the parts used for this project (#parts-list).
EFFECTS ON GEOMETRY
Front suspension: As a rule of thumb adding 10mm of front travel will slacken the head (and seat) tube angle by roughly 0.5°. But this won’t be the final result since we will also install a smaller rear wheel and a longer shock.
Rear suspension: We will be adding rear travel which requires a shock with more stroke. Which means that the shock length will be longer too. Combined with offset bushings the “new” eye-to-eye distance of the shock will raise the rear by 10mm.
Rear wheel: Swapping the 29″ for a 27.5″ lowers the rear axle height by roughly 15mm. In combination with the longer shock the rear end will be about 5mm lower than stock. This will also slacken the head angle by another 0.5°.
Bottom bracket height will be slightly lower than stock.
Head angle: Will result in 64.5° – one degree slacker than stock!
Reach will get shorter: at least 10mm on frame size M.
Stack will get slightly higher.
THE MODIFICATIONS
A quick overview of the three major changes (and the forth one):
- Replace the shock
- dimensions: 216x63mm (e.g. DVO Topaz T3 Air)
- replace stock rear bushing with an offset bushing (2mm)
- Replace the rear wheel
- install a 27.5″ wheel
- Increase the fork travel
- by replacing the air spring
- Shorten the chain
- by two links
SHOCK & BUSHINGS
The original shock that measures 210mm x 55mm. We need to replace it by a shock with the following specs to meet our needs:
shock length x stroke = 216mm x 63mm (8.5″ x 2.5″).
Effect of changing the stroke:
More stroke translates into more travel. The leverage ratio of the Orbea Rise is roughly 2,55 : 1 – meaning 8mm more stroke adds a bit more than 20mm of travel. Finally this results in 162mm of rear travel compared to the stock 140mm. Some shocks (like the DVO Topaz) allows to easily reduce stroke with travel spacers, which I use.
Effect of changing the shock length
Increasing the shock length will raise the rear since it “pushes” the linkage downwards. We want this effect since it compensates for the smaller rear wheel to keep the rear higher. In our case it would raise the rear for 2,55 x 6mm = 15mm. BUT: this is only theory. The linkage of the Rise is not designed for it.
There should be a gap between the the seatstays and the linkage. See pictures:
The solution: Fit a shock with 216x63mm and use it with a 2mm offset bushing.
That way we can reduce the effective shock length by 2mm. This solves the above mentioned problem and leaves enough room at the pivot between the linkage and seatstays:
offsetbushings.com offers great bushings for your Rise. You only need to measure the width of the original rear bushing when ordering, cause Orbea uses two different ones throughout production (either 15.7mm or 16.5mm).
You can opt for a DVO Topaz Air T3 shock – it has great tuning options, a reasonable price tag and fits into the frame in size medium nicely. And its stroke can be reduced easily with stroke reducers. I’ve also seen riders posting pictures of their Rises with coil sprung shocks as well – like the Fox DHX2 for example. But be aware that not all shocks may fit your frame or frame size.
But back to offset bushings. You only need to install one offset bushing (the rear one with 15.7 respectively 16.5mm).
Installation is pretty straight forward and can be done without special tools:
- put the offset bushing into the freezer (to shrink it a bit which makes fitting easier – 30 minutes should be enough).
- Remove the original mounting hardware including the DU bushing from the rear shock eyelet.
- Install the DU bushing which came with your offset bushing into the shock’s eyelet. Pushing it against a plane surface like a desk will do the trick.
- get the cold offset bushing and push it into the DU bushing (they’re pressfit – the cold temperature shrunk the material a bit, so it’s easier to install).
- install the spacers that came with your offset bushings.
right picture: Shock installed with offset bushing: Enough clearance between shock extender and damper body for sideward movement.
They are easily clipped in – no tools needed for installation.
INCREASE THE TRAVEL OF THE FORK
This paragraph is dedicated to increasing the travel of a Fox 36. This is by far the most challenging part of this project. But if you’ve ever done a lower leg service on a modern fork you should be fine. As for any kind of work proper preparation is key for a great result.
The Fox 36 comes either with a GRIP (or GRIP2) damper cartridge, or with the FIT4. We only want to change the air spring and will not touch the damper side internals at all, but oil amount and type of oil differs between GRIP or FIT forks. I strongly recommend visiting ridefox.com to find information specific to your product by searching with your 4-digit product code, serial number or on newer forks by scanning the QR code on the fork crown.
I will cover the conversion from 150 to 160mm for a Fox 36 GRIP2 fork here, but not in full detail because there is enough official information from Fox to get the job done. But this can help you navigate through the information jungle:
First off: Make sure you use the correct oil chart for your forks’ production year – in this case 2021. Note that the 5wt Oil is Teflon infused (contains PTFE).
Watch the official Fox tutorial on how to change fork travel – but ignore their oil volume recommendations since they don’t apply to the Fox 36 2021 GRIP fork (see chart above instead):
CHAIN LENGTH
Could be that it will be necessary to shorten the chain by two links. To verify just check the chain tension when on the smallest sprocket on your cassette.
Shimano 12 speed chains are “directional” – their logo should face away from the bike.
REAR WHEEL
Swap the rear wheel for a proper 27.5 inch wheel with a 12×148 axle. More details in the #parts-list
PARTS LIST
Fork
Parts for a Fox 36 2021 and newer with GRIP cartridge
Air spring kit (includes 8mm crush washer and retaining ring): 820-02-572-KIT
Crush washer 13mm (damper side): 241-01-011
Lubricants:
– Fox Oil: 5 wt Teflon induced: 025-03-023
– Fox Oil: 20 wt gold: 025-03-072
– Slick Honey or R.S.P. Slick Kick
Shock
216x63mm (8.5×2.5″). For example:
optional: stroke reducer 5mm: DVO 1561059
Offset Bushing
15.7 x 8mm respectively 16.5 x 8mm (you need to measure your width.
available at offsetbushings.com
Rear Wheel
Get a proper 27.5″ rear wheel with 12x148mm and a Shimano Micro Spline freehub body. For reference: the stock Turbine R30 on the M10 have an inner width of 30mm.
Chain
Shimano recommends to replace it once opened:
FINAL THOUGHTS
Some words about the weight: with 2.4″ Schwalbe Tires with Super Trail casing (Magic Mary / Big Betty) and 60ml sealant in each tire, the converted Rise weighs 19.0kg without pedals.
Talking about costs: I managed to keep the budget under € 700 by buying online and not bothering bike shops and their mechanics. The highest expenses are the shock and the rear wheel for sure. But in relation to the pricetag of the bike itself it is an affordable way to costumize your Rise for even more aggressive riding.
The numbers stated throughout the article are theoretical and may differ in real world scenarios. It is also worth having a look at Orbea’s Blue Paper before starting this project (it’s worth mentioning that the maximum axle – crown distance will be exceeded by 10mm after the job is done). Use grease for the shock mounting bolts according to the Blue Paper – take great care when mounting the one going directly into the frame (you don’t want to ruin the thread of your carbon frame).
Hopefully you got a bit of an insight on this fun little project. Maybe it inspired you to customize your Rise as well.
Let me know what you think about it and feel free to leave a comment.
How does it ride?
Since this can be quite subjective, a bit of background information about myself might be helpful, so here we go: with becoming a proud father last summer time management has become an even bigger topic to deal with. Meaning that whole days out in a bike park away from home would be a big deal. Thankfully we have some decent trails about 15km away from home. Wanting to pack as many decents into a timeframe of max. two hours I decided to sell my YT Tues and my YT Capra in order to free some money for an eBike.
Coming from 27.5 inch bikes I was skeptical about 29ers at first. But after some research on the internet I decided to give the Rise a shot – bought it and convert it into a mullet right away.
And it rides fantastic, just the way I like it. My bike buddies say I am a playful rider, and they must be right. I love to flick the back end into corners, to take off at rocks or bumps of different sizes and to work the bike underneath me. All easy on this bike. Of course it’s not the same as a riding a YT Capra, but I feel faster on the Rise. It’s so confidence inspiring.
The suspension
Riding the FOX 36 with only two tokens I was bottoming out a couple of times on a jump with a sketchy, rather flat landing, which made this horrible clonking sound (like in the old 98er Marzocchi bomber days, haha). After adding a third volume spacer that issue was fixed.
The DVO Topaz instead is a beast of a shock right out of the box. Having put three volume spacers in the positive air chamber gives me enough progression. And one spacer in the negative chamber for more mid stroke support. Weighing 78kg with riding gear I ride with 185 psi in the air spring and 185 psi in the bladder. I have a 5mm stroke reducer installed to get 150mm of rear travel. Sag is about 28%. I mostly ride with the compression lever in the open position (standard tune) – works fine for my style of riding.
Climbing performance
The Rise climbs like a goat – wait, isn’t there a bike out there called “the goat”? Yes, the Capra. Having owned one of the earlier models I can say that the Rise climbs even better – because it has a motor, and it is called rise. It is like comparing apples with bananas, I know… I just like silly word plays. Seriously, the only thing I noticed is hitting the pedals on rocks way more often when going uphill rather than downhill. Guess I need to improve my uphill riding skills…
The range
With the range extender and rather heavy rolling tires (Magic Mary and Big Betty) with 1.5 bar air pressure riding on soft soil I managed 1650 meters difference in altitude on 33 km within 2h riding time – how awesome is that?
One thing about the extra battery: it gets drained first, which is great! After three laps I just put it into my backpack and rode the next four laps with the main battery. The extra battery sits quite low and is mounted ultra stable.
Some words about the maximum assistance speed: with the smaller wheel it decreases by nearly five percent. My local Orbea dealer said that Orbea doesn’t offer a correction of the wheel circumference regarding the assistance speed limit, since the EP8 RS is only used in 29ers. I can live with it.
Summerized
I am falling in love with this bike more and more. It has noticable less weight compared to a “full fat” eBike, it is versatile (29er for touring or trail riding and mullet for bigger hits with more travel and stability) and it is a game changer regarding the amount of laps possible in a short amount of time.
See you on the shredlines – Phil
28 responses to “Orbea Rise Mullet conversion in four steps”
Thanks for this awesome site.
I did the same as yoy but with small differences.
– I chose a 2022 Lyrik ultimate 160. I love it.
My bike is a M20 L size 2021 and – I didn’t need to shorten the chain.
– I installed the offshet bushing in the top shock side. I was told it’s better this way.
– I bought Shimano Saint brakes, trickstuff pads and 203mm rotors.
– I use the DVO with 2 positive 1 negative. No 5mm reducer. I’m 80kg and love jumps.
– I use a 0° and 50mm stemp, with a 20mm rise Renthal fatbar.
– Front 2’5 assegai and back same as you.
– Syncross md30 29″ front wheel and Macic deemax 27’5″ back wheel.
Love this bike. It’s the perfect enduro bike. Almost +1000 bost mode, and 1200 trail mode.
And with the extender you can go everywhere. Even with the extender it rides better then any “full power” ebike.
Love to do 2 descents to warm up with the extender and then hide the extender somewhere or in the car.
Hi Phil… I rşde S size and really into a mullet conversion. I wonder what if I only change my rear wheel to 27,5 and do not touch any of the shock or fork length? Any rubbing to the frame or cautions do I need to consider? I am looking forward to hear your reply. Tia!
I just came across geo calc website when I scrolled in an Orbea Rise forum.
It´s really cool you can choose the Bike and check the related boxes i.e. just want to change the fork.
And if I just change the fork to a Lyrik Ultimate with 160mm Travel it says that the Bike will slacken by 1° for a Rise M in L.
https://bike-stats.de/geometrie_rechner
Not to confuse anybody. the difference of 1° in slack was from a 140mm fork to the 160mm.
Thank you Robert, that geometry calculator is really helpful – I like it!
Also available in english: https://bike-stats.de/en/
Hello
Congratulations. Love the site.
I have a Rise H30 size M. I bought a fork with 160mm front but i am still waiting for it.
I dont want to make my bike mullet, i will stay front and rear with 29 wheels.
It is correct? Can i stay with 140mm rear? Or i need to change to 160mm? Anyway i will change my Fox DPS, what can i do to take the best solution ?
Thank you
Hi Diego,
been busy the last couple of weeks… family, work and biking 😉
You can stick with 140mm on the rear. I had some trail laps with 160 up front and 140 in the back with both 29″ wheels.
In fact it was with a DVO Topaz 210x55mm and one offset bushing. I used the offset bushing to lower the BB a bit.
I think you can’t go wrong with the Topaz, but I would first try the shock that is already mounted on the bike in order to save money…
Hope that helps
Phil
Reply to erwin namoc: Yes it works, just did it! 160/29 front and rear with Topaz T3 air, 2 offset bushings. 65 HA, 345 BB and -10 on reach. Very plush but responsive rear, much better than stock DPS on my M20. Extremely capable up and down and along everything 🙂
Great info, thanks!
But why change to the DU bushings and spacers from OffsetBushings? I just mounted a DVO Topaz T3 air, and the offset bushings fitted in the stock DU bushings on the T3, and the spacers from the original DPS mounting fitted on the offset bushings too (which all makes sense I guess, since the stock and new bushings are the same size).
And to remove the DU bushings if I should change them, I seem to need a special removal tool like the one sold by OffsetBushings, or is there another way?
Hey there! Ive read somewhere of someone(s) running a full 160mm travel on the rear while still maintaining the 29” wheel. Done so by using 2 offset bushings in the rear. Have you ever tried this scenario? Im def interested in it if it indeed works!
Much appreciated Phil,
This is extremely helpful… thank you so much.
Cheers, Jon.
Hello Phil,
Opps… correction reducing the eye to eye 212 mm vs 216 …
perhaps a slight overall drop to the rear resulting in perhaps a 2-3 degree slacker head angle??
BTW… really appreciate the article and was very helpful in understanding what each change is doing to the bike.
Much appreciated
Hi Jonathan,
A change in travel from 150 mm to 160 mm will bring the front up approximately 7mm.
Adding 2mm to the shock length will raise your rear 5mm.
Now some trigonometry: The delta is 2mm and we will multiply it with 1/3 so we get 0,7mm which we now add to 5mm.
So with 29″ front and rear, 212mm shock length and 160mm of fork travel the BB will roughly be 5,7mm higher.
That’s roughly calculated cause numbers are just numbers – there are so much more factors in the real world scenario, but it helps as a rough orientation on where geometry is going.
I don’t recommend raising the BB that much, but I haven’t tried riding it that way. I totally recommend the mullet setup described in the article which keeps the BB height almost the same (just 1mm lower as far as I remember…).
All the best
Phil
Hello Phil,
Was wondering what you think the final numbers would be with a full 29 conversion as you did above? 216×63 and 160mm fork. If I were to use 2 x 2mm bushings reducing the stroke to 212 … and the 160 fork… would the geo come in around the same as factory geo only with more travel front and rear… am I doing the math right.
Thanks for the article very helpful. Like Phil initially wanted to do, I would like to mullet my M10 Medium, but would did not want to replace the shock or air spring. I have ordered Shimano 160 mm cranks anyway for peace of mind. If I run the offset bushings as recommended wondering just how much this will drop the BB. Has anyone done this?
Thanks, Jeff
Hi Jeff,
so you mean using the original shock with 210mm length plus 2x2mm with offset bushings? 27,5″ rear wheel. And 150mm fork?
If that’s the case your BB will roughly be 5mm x 2/3 lower than stock, that is 3,3mm.
—
Adding 10mm of travel to the fork will raise this by 2,3mm. You will end up with a BB height of only 1mm less than stock. That’s why I recommend travelling up the front too.
Phil
Thanks very much, Phil. I went on my first techy black DH ride with my Rise yesterday – full 29er stock. Blind ride (first time on trail). The bike rips. I agree with all of your riding thoughts on the full 29er, it keeps me up higher. and therefore it’s much more controlling. Esp if you are a smaller rider, even more so if you prefer the feeling of control and wanting to “ride the bike” vs it “taking you along for one”.
I hate and suck at the uphill – hello motor, thank you Shimano. But yes, I only ride to rail some DH, but I just don’t want it to diminish too much of it’s uphill prowess cause that would be sad
Yes, small frame, Not much specific info in the FB groups as most are on a Medium+. Sounds like rubbing is an issue. I’ve never had an opportunity to try a coil shock, as the weight penalty was just too much for my lungs, so I’d LOVE to on the Rise. I prefer coil in most applications when possible.
In my research, I’ve found a couple folks that talk about those offset bushings spinning on them and not being workable. Has that been an issue at all with your Rise Mullet? Thanks again, I look forward to giving it a go
Hi Michelle,
I have not experienced any rotation or movement of the offset bushing over the last 1000km. I run it with only one at the rear end of the shock. Could be that offset bushings tend to move when used for enlarging the length of the shock but I can’t speak out of experience here. But when mounting a 216mm shock into a Rise you will need to shorten the effective shock length anyways so you shouldn’t run into this problem here.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts,
Hope you’ll find a coil shock that fits.
If not, give the Topaz a try 😉
Hi Phil – Thank you for this. I’ve become lazier and busier in the recent years and haven’t been keeping up with MTB development. This makes my decision of going Mullet much easier. I’d only ask if there any thing that’d change in your consideration of the Mullet mod if you were on a Small frame Rise – female rider, 5’4 with ~27″ inseam? I do not want to too negatively compromise the geometry and uphill ease of this bike. Right now the 29″ rear feels a bit high(?) and potentially cumbersome on tech downhill trails? I can see the Mullet making sense, but don’t know what I don’t know…and small frames are much more rare. I am thinking DHX2 on rear once I can confirm fitment, and Factory 36 fork – 160mm. Thanks!
Hi Michelle,
glad you dropped a message.
An Orbea Rise definitely is a waepon against laziness and trail rides can help clear your head after a busy period for sure.
I think I can help you out with a recommendation at the end of this post. It occurred that I switched to the original 29er setup a week ago (including the original damper length) to have a comparison. After riding the mullet setup for over 1000km I got used to it’s handling and characteristics.
Riding it as a 29er I had to adapt my riding technique considerably. Riding trails downhill I was putting too much weight on the front – especially noticable in techy downhills and in berms. The bike suddenly felt a bit twitchy. The 29er rear wheel was raising the bike too much for my taste. And in steep sections I encountered this going-over-the-bars-feeling much more than in the mullet setup. After 50 km in the trail center I converted it back to mullet to have my bike back 🙂
When it comes to uphill performance, the 29er setup felt more composed. So if you’re mainly into technical uphill riding the 29er setup better. But hey, where’s the fun without going downhill?
So you ride a frame in size small? I don’t see anything wrong converting it. Considering your body size I believe it will meet your needs and make it a more pleasant bike for you.
You will need to install at least one 2mm offset bushing if you choose a shock with a length of 216mm.
But maybe try the following first: get two of these bushings and use it with your current damper to make it 214mm effectively. You will stick with 140mm of travel but maybe it is enough? Just a thought before spending money for another damper… If you don’t like it than you can reuse the offset bushing in your – say DHX2 – anyways.
All the best and have fun – Phil
Hi Phil,
I’m definitely still playing around with the shock. I feel like the medium compression mode is good for everything and I like the way it feels planted going down chucky stuff. For bigger drops and jumps wide open helps especially when I case jumps. I’m around 83kg and run 200 in the air spring and 190 in the bladder with 2 spacers in positive 1 neg. I’ve put barely 100miles but so far I really like it. Running Assegai 2.6F and Aggressor 2.5R. It’s feels great going down hill and a bit too slack for uphill tech. I’m going install a 50mm stem this weekend. Should get back the reach I lost.
Thanks Again
Leo
HI Phil
I completed the mullet setup just as your bike. I’m surprised how much I like the DVO shock. It’s feels slightly better than the Fox Float X. The bike is definitely more playful and loose out back. The reach does feel a little cramped especially when I ride with clips. Flat pedals aren’t as bad but still cramped. Not sure what stem length came with the bike but thinking I might put a 50mm stem to get back some reach . Just not sure if 50 is going to be too much. Havre you changed you stem?
Hi Leo,
great hearing from you!
I changed the 40mm stem to 50mm for the same reason.
I love the whole setup as discribed – one thing I have changed was putting a 5mm stroke Reducer into the shock. It now has 150mm travel and it feels more composed. Still fiddling around with bladder pressure and spacers in the negative air chamber. Running 3pos/1neg, 190 psi air spring/190psi bladder at the moment. I weigh 78kg with gear.
Let me know your shock settings.
Regards, Phil
Phil – Thanks for the response. I just saw it. For some reason I was expecting it to to go to me email and never looked back here until a friend told me. Great information.
Quick update – I’ve ordered the 160mm spring and really want to keep the Float X – which I really like. I will try it first – so 160 front / 140 back in full 29. This will raise the BB height maybe more than I would like.. I think
Next up with be full mullet – and skip the coil – Is there any way to keep the stock Float X in a mullet with offset bushings .. maybe turn offset bushing around?
Hi Leo,
actually I am wondering why I didn’t consider the option with the Float X for the mullet setup in the first place… Cause I must say, I am not using the full 160mm with my DVO on the trails I ride. Fitting it with two offset bushings to increase the shock length (eye to eye) would also result in 214mm – with 140mm travel. Definitely would give it a try. Tell me how you like it, either with 29er or mullet setup 🙂
Regarding email notification: good point. I will try to implement it to make this site more user friendly.
Blessings and happy riding, Phil
Love the website and all the content. Thanks for the details.
I love my Rise- M-team. I bought it late last year and have put over 400 miles on it in less than 3 months and do like to ride it hard Downhill. He’s what I want to do and hoping with expertise I can figure out what I can actually do. Rather not mess with 160mm fork at this point with concerns over warranty but open to it.
Option 1 Mullet
27.5 rear – keep Float x ( is this possible?) – and keep it 150 front 140 rear. Will this option be too low of a BB height? I have a lot of pedals strikes now.
If not possible then
Option 2 Mullet
27.5 rear – 216×63 shock (maybe even coil for faster downhill runs ) and 160mm fork.
Hi Leo,
great to hear you’re enjoying your Rise!
Option 1:
BB will drop too low if you put a 27.5 inch wheel on the rear while keeping the original shock. In this case I strongly suggest installing two offset bushings to add 2*2mm = 4mm to the shock length. This will bring the rear end up by 10mm. But still the BB will be lower than stock, so if you’re struggling with pedal strikes this will not be the best for you I guess. But you can give it a try cause you don’t loose anything – the offset bushings and the rear wheel are also part of option 2.
Option 2
That’s the option most riders choose to my knowledge. It is so described in my article above. But yes, warranty might be an issue when adding fork travel because of the crown-to-axle distance will be exceeded by 10mm. But I think it also depends on your dealer when it comes to warranty claims – can’t talk from experience here though. The mullet 160/162 option really rips – I would definitely give it a shot if you want the downhill capabilities improved.
Regarding coil: also depends on your riding style. I am totally happy with the air shock cause one can easily add progression with volume spacers (which is what I did). But if you choose a coil shock be sure there’s enough clearance to the frame! And inform yourself here when thinking about a coil shock – I have seen pictures of snapped damper shafts caused by forces due to the strut mount design of the Rise: https://www.ridefox.com/fox17/help.php?m=bike&id=1138
All the best – Phil