In this article, we use so-called affiliate links. With every purchase through these links, we receive a commission from the merchant. All relevant referral links are marked with . Learn more.
When the Orbea Oiz presented three years ago we could hardly believe our eyes. The Basque racing bike was light, stylish, fast and even affordable. The Oiz remains true to these core values in its latest version. The price-performance ratio in particular stands out. The Oiz rolls onto the starting line with full XTR equipment, Fox Factory suspension, carbon wheels and the second lightest frame. It doesn't even have to hide from the significantly more expensive Merida, apart from the simple foam rubber grips.
Uphill, the lightest bike in the test field is one of the strongest, but occasionally requires the lockout lever due to the slightly bobbing rear end. The engineers have thought about this and installed a Scott-style intermediate position before locking out. The centre position calms the rear end, but we found the fork to be too hard in this setting. In the middle lever position, the rear end sags significantly more on climbs. In order to restore the balance between front and rear, some fine-tuning would be necessary here.
On the other hand, there is a lot of praise for the balanced riding position. In addition, the 2.35 inch wide tyres provide plenty of grip and traction. Downhill, the Orbea shines with balanced handling and a good-natured chassis. Only on harder impacts would you like a little more counter-pressure on the rear triangle. Since the saddle drop is less intuitive to use than on the Merida Ninety-Six, for example, you're less likely to use it on rough terrain. But these are just minor details. Because only Cannondale and Specialized can hold their own against the Oiz downhill. Orbea delivers the best overall package.
Test summary of the Orbea Oiz M Team
The crown for the best price-performance ratio clearly goes to the comfortable, lightweight Orbea Oiz. Small details such as the Vario dropper post lever or the slightly bobbing rear triangle spoil the picture a little. The geometry is very harmonious, the handling balanced. All in all, however, the Orbea Oiz delivers an absolutely convincing performance. What's more, Orbea allows you to customise your own frame design at no extra cost. Using the online configurator, you can even trim the Oiz more in the direction of a trail bike.
Technical data - Orbea Oiz M Team (model year 2021)
Price 7398 Euro (specialised trade) / frame 3599 Euro
Frame material / sizes Carbon/ S / M / L / XL (47 cm)
Weight without pedals 10.37 kg
Frame weight 1654 g
Wheel size 29"
Weight of wheels 3983 g
Handlebar width 760 mm
Frame rigidity (absol. / STW) 45 N/mm / 22.5 N/mm/kg
Spring travel fore/aft 100/112 mm
Fork Fox 32 Float Factory SC Fit4 Remote
Damper Fox Float i-Line DPS Factory
Cranks Shimano XTR
Circuit Shimano XTR / 1x12 gears
Translation / bandwidth 34; 10-51 / 510 %
Brake system / disc front / rear Shimano XTR / 180 mm / 160 mm
Seat post / stroke / diameter OC 2 dropper / 125 mm / 31.6 mm
Impellers DT Swiss XR 1501 Spline (Carbon)
Tyres Maxxis Rekon Race Exo Protection TR 29 x 2.35
Reach / Stack / BB-Offset 457 / 602 mm / -51 mm
BIKE judgement*: super (214.75 out of 250 points)
You can download the complete comparison test of the ten race hardtails and marathon fullys from BIKE 3/2021 as a PDF below the article. The test costs 2.99 euros. Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. We guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in EMTB. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them - hundreds of thousands of euros every year.
You can find these ten race bikes from 5000 euros in the comparison test
- Cannondale Scalpel Carbon LTD
- Merida Ninety-Six RC 9000
- Orbea Oiz M Team
- Simplon Cirex GX1 Eagle
- Specialised Epic Expert
- Trek Supercaliber 9.8 GX
- Canyon Exceed CFR Team
- Mondraker Podium Carbon RR
- Orbea Alma OMX
- Scott Scale RC 900 WC
*The BIKE judgement reflects the laboratory measurements (BIKE laboratory measurement) and the subjective impression of the test riders. The BIKE judgement is independent of price. BIKE judgements: super (250-205 P.), very good (204.75-180 P.), good (179.75-155 P.), satisfactory (154.75-130 P.), with weaknesses (129.75-105 P.), unsatisfactory (104.75-0 P.).
Downloads:
