Orbea Rallon RS - The Enduro Bike That Just Happens to Climb
Every now and then a bike comes along that makes you rethink what an e-MTB is supposed to be.
The Orbea Rallon RS is one of those bikes.
At first glance it might look like another electric enduro bike. But once you ride it, you realise Orbea has approached things from a completely different direction.
Instead of building a downhill monster with a motor bolted on, they’ve built a proper enduro bike - that you can actually pedal up the hills.
And that small shift in thinking makes a huge difference.
A lightweight assist that feels natural
The Rallon RS uses the TQ HPR40 drive system, delivering around 40Nm of torque and paired with a 290Wh battery.
If you’re used to full power e-bikes with huge motors and massive batteries, the numbers might look small. But that’s exactly the point.
This isn’t about brute force. It’s about subtle assistance that works with you rather than replacing you.
The motor is compact, quiet and incredibly well integrated into the bike, helping keep the overall weight impressively low for something with this much suspension.
But don’t take the peak power numbers of this motor as the power it will give you all the time. The assistance follows what you’re doing. If you relax and soft pedal, it relaxes too. It doesn’t drag you along or do the work for you.
This is a bike to be ridden.
A proper long travel machine
Underneath the sleek integration is a serious enduro platform.
The Rallon RS comes with:
180mm front travel
170mm rear travel
Progressive enduro geometry
Options for mullet or full 29" wheel setups depending on build
In other words, this isn’t a lightweight trail bike pretending to be tough. It’s a bike designed to charge hard when the trail points down.
What it actually feels like to ride
Now here’s the bit that matters.
Because the Rallon RS isn’t just interesting on paper - it’s an absolute pleasure on the trail.
The first thing that stood out when riding it was how lively and active the bike felt. Not sluggish. Not overpowered. Just sharp, responsive and fun.
It genuinely feels like you’ve taken a long travel enduro bike out for a ride - except this time you can actually get up the hills rather than pushing.
When I test rode the bike I actually used hardly any battery at all because I got carried away. I found myself pedalling hard just because the bike encouraged it. The motor simply helped me over the steeper climbs and kept the momentum going.
You’re still very much part of the ride.
Climbing - efficient and light
Climbing on the Rallon RS doesn’t feel like riding an electric bike.
It feels much closer to riding an efficient cross country bike.
The bike feels light, balanced and easy to pedal, and when you get out of the saddle the whole thing tightens up nicely and feels like a sharp, lively trail bike.
You’re not going to get a free ride from this bike and you definitely won’t beat your mates in a drag race up a climb against their full power e-bikes.
But that’s not what this bike is about.
It’s about enjoying the ride, pedalling properly and going on bigger adventures without the climbs draining everything out of your legs.
Descending - where everything opens up
Point the Rallon RS downhill and the bike completely changes character.
All that suspension opens up, the geometry starts working its magic and suddenly you’re riding a proper long travel enduro bike.
Fast, stable and incredibly capable - but still lively and playful.
Because the bike isn’t weighed down by a massive motor and battery, it feels active under you. It encourages you to pump the terrain, pop off little features and really ride the trail.
It’s the sort of bike that makes you want to ride one more trail.
And then another.
One bike instead of two?
One of the most interesting things about the Rallon RS is what it replaces.
For many riders this could easily become the bike that replaces both your electric bike and your pedal bike.
It sits perfectly in the middle - riding like a real mountain bike while giving you just enough help to make bigger rides possible.
Don’t think of it as an e-bike
The biggest mistake you could make with the Rallon RS is thinking of it as an electric bike.
Don’t.
Think of it as an enduro bike that you can pedal up hills on.
If you look at it that way, something clicks.
And suddenly the whole concept makes sense.
After riding it, we’d go as far as saying this.
The Orbea Rallon RS could be one of the best mountain bikes you’ll ever ride.