UNNO MITH vs Orbea Wild LT: less power, still a handful

An UNNO MITH, an Orbea Wild LT and a steep, loose climb. One has the full-power Avinox tune. The other has Orbea's lower-peak-power RS tune. Surely we know which one will be easier to keep pointing in the right direction?

That was the theory. The front wheels had other ideas.

Watch the full 13-minute ride above, or watch on YouTube.

Same motor family. Different manners.

Mat took our UNNO MITH and Orbea Wild LT demo bikes into the woods to find out what their different Avinox motor tunes feel like on the trail. The MITH was familiar territory after an earlier ride in Barcelona. This was a first ride on the Wild LT.

The question wasn't which bike wins a spec-sheet argument. These demo builds have different components, and the medium Orbea and S2 UNNO aren't a perfectly controlled pair. Mat wanted to feel how the assistance arrives, what happens when the climb gets awkward, and whether less peak power actually feels like less help.

Turbo. Steep climb. What could possibly go wrong?

The prediction was straightforward: the full-power MITH would be the handful, while the RS-tuned Wild would be more manageable. Both bikes went into Turbo for the same loose, steep climb.

The UNNO duly delivered a properly enthusiastic shove. Its front wheel lifted, requiring a shift forwards and some braking to bring things back under control. Plenty of power. Slightly less steering than we'd ordered.

Then the Wild had its turn. The front came up on that as well. Leaning forwards and braking brought a different complication: the rear tyre spun. So much for the easy option.

These are impressions from this ride, not proof that the motor tune alone caused everything. Geometry, grip, body position and setup all matter. But the useful surprise was clear: the lower-peak-power bike didn't automatically feel calmer.

The interesting bit is how it gets there

To Mat, the RS tune felt especially responsive at the start of a pedal input. Assistance arrived quickly, then settled in a way that felt more intuitive on the trail. On faster, gentler climbs, the transition around the assistance limit felt less abrupt.

The MITH's delivery felt more gradual initially, followed by a bigger surge further up. On this ride, moving in and out of assistance felt more noticeable. That's a description of how the bikes felt that day, rather than a measured acceleration contest.

There is, of course, a fairly obvious solution if Turbo is making life unnecessarily exciting: turn it down. Mat deliberately kept the bikes in Turbo to explore the difference. It isn't compulsory homework for every climb.

More useful than another big number

Both bikes felt hugely capable. The takeaway wasn't that one motor is good and the other bad, or that everyone needs less power. It was that the way the power arrives can matter just as much as the headline figure.

Watch the climbing attempts, listen to the verdict, and think about the trails you actually ride. Your favourite tune might not be the one you'd pick from the numbers.

The bikes, and a couple of Wild opportunities

Fancy digging into the current builds? Explore the UNNO MITH Race RS 2027 at £8,895 and the Orbea Wild LT M20 2027 at £6,199. These are current product listings, rather than a claim that every component matches the bikes in the film. The MITH is currently sold out; selected new Wild LT options are available to pre-order.

Want to find out what suits you before committing? Explore BRINK demos and talk to us about the bikes and sizes you'd like to try.