Do MTB Components Matter? Burly vs Light
So, today is going to be a little different. We’re going to talk about how components can impact your ride. From heavy-duty components designed to take a beating to lightweight parts that make the scale happy, we’ve got a good little showdown brewing.
Test Setup
So here’s how it’s going to work. I’ve got a 2024 Orbea Rise. This is a bike I’m very familiar with and comfortable with. It’s a versatile platform that, depending on how you build it up, can fall in the trail category or the all-mountain category. Considering you can customize this bike using Orbea’s MyO program, you can end up with a build that fits your needs to a T. You get to pick your suspension components, drivetrain, brakes, wheels, tires, and even paint colors — all for no extra charge.
So, I’m going to do a bit of a DIY-O today and build this bike up two different ways. Both of them are pretty blingy, so even the burly one is going to be on the light side for a burly build. We’ve got the Oquo carbon wheels, handlebars, XTR drivetrain, and brakes. Even though these parts are fairly lightweight, they’re still made to hold up to some aggressive riding.
Burly Build Details
For my burly build, I basically have the Rise M-Team with the 150mm Fox 36 and Float X. I’ve swapped the tires for a set of Maxxis Minion DHF/R with a Tannus tire insert in the rear tire. I’ll be using the same Shimano XTR drivetrain and brakes for both builds, as well as the Oquo MC32 LTD carbon wheels.
Light Build Details
For my lightweight build, I’ll be swapping the Fox 36 for a 140mm Fox 34. I also have a Fox Float I’ll be using instead of the burlier Float X. I’ll be changing out the tires and using a set of Maxxis Rekons front and back with no inserts.
Why I chose what I chose
And before you come at me and say I didn’t change the right components or could have gone even lighter, You’re right. I could have gone even lighter. That said, this is still a 140mm travel ebike — I’m not trying to turn this into something it’s not just for the sake of hitting a weight target. I don’t want to ride this thing with tiny brake rotors and two-piston brakes. I don’t want ultralight wheels that won’t even last for one ride. I’m not trying to destroy the bike or myself in the process of making this video. This is a real-world test, so I’m using a realistic, lightweight build considering the bike’s application.
Also worth noting, this isn’t a “how much money did you spend on your components” contest. It’s not high-end vs. low-end; it’s burly vs. light. Now, let’s get into how the build affects how this bike rides.
How components affect your ride quality
1 – Weight
The weight difference between these two builds ends up being substantial, with the bulk of it coming from tires. That means there’s a big difference in rolling weight. Rolling weight can feel heavier than non-rolling weight. All of this is to say the burly build feels and rides significantly heavier than the lightweight one. On an ebike, that doesn’t equate to climbing speed as much as it does to battery range — we will talk about that more in-depth in just a minute. On a pedal bike, you’d pay a range and speed penalty, however. The weight isn’t only noticeable on the climbs, either. You notice the extra weight on the descents in a couple of ways. First, the bike is physically harder to get off the ground when bunnyhopping, unweighting, and getting over obstacles. You’ll also feel a bit of that extra weight when leaning the bike over in corners. Remember, some of this weight is rolling weight in the form of tires and inserts. That’s going to make the wheels want to stay going in the direction they’re going rather than leaning and turning — physics or something.
The added weight isn’t all negative, though. It also helps with a little bit of stability both in the ground and the air. Also, the heavier components add durability, control, and descending speed. Not from the weight itself necessarily, but the rugged nature and ride quality offer they offer.
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2 – Range
Ebike range comes down to a couple of factors, including battery size, motor output, bike weight, rider weight, rolling resistance, air temperature, terrain, the color of your jersey, and where Jupiter’s moons are in their orbits. There are measurable impacts on the Rise’s range with each of these builds. The heavy-duty build has less range than the lightweight version. In all of our testing, we’ve been killing batteries on the burly build (with a 200lb rider in full boost) at about 2600-2700 vertical feet. Doing the math, that comes out around 7.2-7.5 feet per watt hour of battery. On the lightweight version, we are getting closer to 2900 vertical feet. Putting the feet per watt hour at 8. Of course, your mileage might vary.
3 – Capability
Here’s where things start to get fun. It’s also where the two builds feel very different. The lightweight build feels much more “trail,” while the burly build feels much more “all-mountain.” So, let’s talk about what’s different. Starting with the burly build, the bike feels much more stable, capable, and controlled. I would imagine the tires do the lion’s share here. They not only provide a bit more cushion, but they also offer more traction as well as durability. You can slam into rocks with much less regard for the bike’s safety. Thew fork is a big contributor as well, especially seeing as I’m a tall guy coming in around 200lb. A stiffer chassis goes a long way in keeping the front end under control. There’s less flex when cornering in bumpy conditions as well as in the steeps and high-speed straights. We haven’t even talked about the bike getting close to .5° slacker, too, with the 10mm of extra travel. The slacker, taller front end helps shift the bike’s demeanor to the more aggressive side. It’s not all cherries on top, however. The burly build takes a bit more of a heavy-handed approach when it comes to handling, cornering, and jumping. I personally didn’t notice too much difference from the shock. With both of them tuned properly and adjusted for my weight and riding style, I don’t really think the burlier Float X made that big of an impact. Sure, it has more volume, which will make it a little better off the top, but That difference may have been masked by the tires.
The lightweight bike, on the other hand, is much more mild-mannered. It feels quicker, snappier, and more responsive. Again, I think a lot of that comes from the tires and the reduction in rotational weight and rolling resistance. It makes the bike incredibly fun in fast, smooth, and rolling terrain. That lively character does come at a cost. The bike offers much less traction and control, especially in loose conditions. The risk of flat tires goes way up, too. Paper-thin EXO casing Rekons aren’t what I’d call durable or tough, especially on a bike that’s 40+ lb with 140mm of rear wheel travel. The 34mm fork comes into play here too. There’s a noticeable degree of flex, especially in rough and steep terrain where your weight is pulled over the front end.
4 – Handling/Cornering
We briefly covered the handling aspect in the previous section, but let’s dive a bit deeper here. When I talk about handling, I’m referring to cornering, steering, and changing lines. Each build offers pros and cons here. The lightweight build makes it easier to lean over and get around a corner. The front end is steeper, and the wheelbase is shorter, making the handling feel more responsive. But, it also has less grip at the tires and a bit flexier front end that can make rough, loose and steep corners harder to manage. On the other hand, the burly build handles those difficult corners much better. It offers more traction and control. Where it pays the price is in the tight corners.
5 – Fun factor/liveliness
This one is a bit of a toss-up as well., especially because “fun” means different things to each rider. If your definition of fun is hucking off everything in sight regardless of the landing, you might enjoy the burly build as it’s going to be more confident and forgiving. If your version of fun is hitting perfectly manicured lips, smooth corners, and zig-zagging from one side of the trail to the other, you might prefer the lightweight build as it’s easier to move around and get off the ground.
Which components had the biggest impact?
This is a bit tricky to determine because I changed multiple variables at one time. I know that’s bad science, but this is biking — It’s not all that scientific anyway. If I had to pinpoint the single most impactful change the the bike’s ride quality, I’d have to say it’s the tires and insert. It had a big effect on almost every aspect of the ride quality, from weight and range to capability and handling. That should give you a bit of hope — tires are relatively cheap and easy to change. They make a huge difference in your bike, too. I would imagine if I had only swapped the titres, id still be saying most of the same things about how each of the items above had changed between the two builds.
What would I choose?
I’d have to pick the burly build, as that suits my ride style better. I like rugged and rough trails more than smooth flow trails. I also hate getting flat tires, and it seems that every time I run less than a double down or don’t use rear inserts, I end up with a flat within a ride or two. I can appreciate the snappy handling characteristic of the lighter build, but I’m willing to pay the price for the more durable and rugged setup.
Well, that’s going to wrap it up. I’m curious to hear how you would have built yours differently. Let me know below, and we’ll see you next time.
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