MU: We really see clear improvements going in that direction. First of all, the bike is cleaner. Second and most importantly, the bike is quieter because there’s no cable rattling on the handlebar. The cables are shorter so it’s a bit lighter, and we avoid the cables pulling when we turn the handlebar. We know the main concern of the consumers is the maintenance of the system, but we worked to make the system as reliable as possible to reduce the maintenance required. The cable entrances are sealed to the headset, and we are using the highest quality bearings, Enduro bearings. The upper bearing where the cables are routed is stainless steel, not only the balls but the rings too, so that way we can assure that almost nobody will need to replace the bearing. Now, I want to be clear here – we’ve not seen these bikes in the flesh as they were only launched at the end of last month. So, what can we surmise from the specification? It’s worth noting that the guarantee on the Wild Bikes is only 1 year, and on the Islabikes and Frog Bikes is 5 years for frame and forks – so obviously the Wild Bikes aren’t expected to handle the same sort of terrain as their more expensive counterparts. However, if you’re not intending to hurtle your bikes down off road trails, then these could be very good value for money. Age wise it’s designed for about 4.5 years up (102cm to 121cm height range) which could be until 7 years old (depending on growth rate.)

This, blended with the moderate reach and head tube angle, gives an effective top tube length that sits you in a reasonably upright position. This makes for a comfortable bike to pedal – especially welcome an ebike, where you spend most of your pedalling time sitting down. The high-spec components worked without a glitch for my two and a bit days of riding. The brakes had enough power, and never made me feel less than 100 per cent controlled, even on steep tech trails.Wild Bikes are marketed as kids bikes rather than suitable for boys and girls. I know this will please many of our readers, some who have boys who would love the pink 20″ wheel bike shown above, and others who have girls who wouldn’t! Orbea’s SIC (Sealed Internal Cable) system threads the dropper post and gear cables, plus the rear brake hose, through the headset. Jeremie Reuiller

We’ve reviewed a wide range of Frog Bikes over the years and they’ve always been well designed and specified. Markel Uriarte (MU): I was in charge of the Wild project, coordinating the team and speaking with the team riders, ambassadors and dealers to see the approach that the new Wild should have.

2023 Orbea Wild M-LTD bottom line

I feel very privileged that we’ve got such amazing readers who are taking pictures of, weighing and test riding the bikes – although I do wonder what the staff think is going on!!! How do the Wild Bike’s actually ride? During the development process, Orbea identified a huge area of potential gain in ride quality. By making the battery fully integrated, no massive opening in the frame’s downtube, the new Wild has a much more precise feel on the trail.. Orbea produced a prototype frame to test the theory, and the results were staggering. Cutting the hatch in the downtube for a removable battery decreased the frame stiffness by 70%, with all else remaining the same. Designing the new Wild frame around an integrated battery led to a reduction in mass of 900g, a hair under 2lbs, or (32.5%), while increasing the stiffness in desirable locations by 50% compared to the outgoing Wild. Most of the vital components are well spec’ed (Tektro brakes, decent rims, Jagwire cables, Shimano drivetrain… I could get nerdier). The frame bearings use additional seals to prevent water and dirt ingress, also helping to reduce required maintenance of the bike. We can’t comment on the quality of items such as the shifters and wheels as there’s not enough information supplied. However, given the pricing (which we’re coming to in a moment) we can expect them to be towards that lower end of the specifications. Saying that, with named brands being used – such as Tektro, Shimano and Kenda – they should certainly be reliable and of a standard to provide safe braking and easy gear changes. Design of the Wild Bikes