In this article you will first find the presentation of the new Orbea Oiz. Then we report on our First driving impression with an Oiz M-Team model.
The Orbea Oiz is one of the most successful race bikes in cross-country and marathon racing. In 2022, Georg Egger and Lukas Baum from Speed Company Racing used it to win the legendary Cape Epic and won several other stage races. However, the Oiz has also finished at the top of the podium in the Cross-Country World Cup in the past with Victor Koretzky and Milan Vader.
To ensure that the Orbea Oiz continues to compete for victories and medals in MTB racing, the development department of the Basque company was involved in the new edition of the Orbea Oiz. mountain bikes launched on the market in 2019 demanded: How can the next generation of MTB race bikes be improved and made even faster? No easy task, because the Orbea bike had also delivered a convincing performance in the 2021 race bike test and won the BIKE test victory fetched.
Orbea Oiz as a pure 120 mm bike
Similar to Scott's radical approach to current Spark RC Orbea is saying goodbye to a classic 100 mm version of the Oiz. A trail bike version - previously there was also a TR version - will no longer be available. This means that racers in the Cross-Country World Cup and marathon races will also be competing with 120 millimetres of travel under their bums. A trend that Scott has initiated and the lightweight 120 mm suspension forks, such as a Fox 34 Stepcast, have paved the way for. This year, Georg Egger and Lukas Baum were already riding with 120 mm forks when they won the Cape Epic. Orbea has made the Oiz frame stiffer and given it a more aggressive geometry to accommodate the increased suspension travel. Two bottle cages can now be fitted to the new Oiz on all frame sizes (including S). Orbea is also following the same path as Scott with the Spark RC when it comes to tyre clearance and dropper seatposts: the Basque company is equipping almost all new Oiz models for 2023 with wide tyres and dropper posts. But how do these innovations affect the weight of the race bike?
The facts about the new Orbea Oiz at a glance
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Suspension travel: 120 millimetres
- Frame material: Carbon (OMX and OMR) and aluminium (H)
- Frame weight: from 1750 grams
- Two bottle cages for all frame sizes
- Geometry: longer, flatter and more aggressive
- Equipment: most Orbea-Oiz models with telescopic support and 2.4 inch wide tyres
- Own cockpit solution for integrated cables and steering stop limiter
- Squidlock lever for three-stage chassis adjustment
- Myo configurator for custom paint finishes
- Lifetime warranty
Development focus on rear triangle stiffness and frame durability
If you compare the carbon frame of the new Oiz with its predecessor, the two bikes are very similar. But if you take a closer look at the rocker and the rear triangle in particular, you will recognise the new features. In particular, the design of the seat stays on the new Orbea Oiz is significantly more massive and solid. The rocker, which is produced using a carbon-fibreglass injection moulding process (Orbea calls the material Fiberlink), has also been further refined and designed to be more stable. In addition, Orbea has installed wider and larger bearings from Enduro Bearings at the main pivot point of the rear triangle above the bottom bracket. All these measures contribute to making the rear triangle of the race bike stiffer (Orbea claims a 12 per cent increase in stiffness) and also more resistant to wear and defects. In addition, Orbea - like many other bike manufacturers - is returning to a threaded bottom bracket in the BSA standard.
Despite the stiffer frame and the new features, the chassis of the Oiz should still be competitively light. However, the new Orbea bike will not quite match the 1654 grams of the old OMX frame in size L, which we measured in the BIKE test lab. The Basque company specifies a frame weight of 1750 grams including shock and small parts, such as the derailleur hanger, for the highest quality carbon version OMX. However, Orbea does not include the rear thru-axle, which is part of the frame weight in BIKE measurements. The OMR version with simpler carbon fibres and a post mount instead of a flat mount rear brake mount should be around 150-200 grams heavier. A weight for the aluminium frame, which is used in the Oiz H models, could not yet be given to us.
The geometry of the new Orbea Oiz is longer and flatter
With the upgrade to 120 millimetres of travel and a completely new frame, Orbea has also revised the geometry. Even compared to the old TR version, the reach of the new bike has increased again to 450 mm (size M) and the steering angle is a touch slacker. It is now 67 degrees. At the same time, Orbea has steepened the seat angle to 76.5 degrees and made the chainstays two millimetres longer (432 mm). Overall, the geometry data is very similar to that of the Scott Spark. Thanks to the more aggressive geometry, the new Oiz should fly even more confidently over rough cross-country tracks and high-speed passages on marathon descents.
In-house developed cockpit for integration of cables and steering stop
For more system integration at the front, Orbea has designed its own cockpit for the new Oiz. This conceals the brake lines and the cable for the shock control directly via openings in the headset cap inside the frame. This cover also conceals an integrated steering stop limiter (spin block), which protects the top tube from being hit by the handlebar fittings. For this cockpit solution, however, you need special spacers and stems, which Orbea offers with its own brand OC and installs in the Oiz. Depending on how many cables are to be hidden in the cover cap, the Spanish company offers different versions. You can also choose from stems in three different lengths. In order to get the front as low as possible, there is also an optional extra-flat end cap.
Orbea Oiz 2023: Models and prices
There will be a total of eleven models of the new Orbea Oiz for 2023, four each with the OMX and OMR carbon frames and three bikes with aluminium frames. Many of them with Oquo wheelsthe recently introduced wheel brand from Orbea. The top model is the Oiz M-LTD with Fox Factory suspension, Sram XX1 AXS drivetrain and Oquo MP 30 LTD carbon wheels for € 9999. The M-Team model of the new Orbea bike with a mechanical Shimano XTR M9100 groupset and the same components costs a whopping €2000 less. As with the two models with OMX frames (M-Pro for 6299 euros/ M-Pro AXS for 6999 euros), the frames can be customised with a paint finish at no extra charge using the MyO configurator.
Prices from 2799 to 9999 euros
- Oiz M-LTD - 9999 Euro
- Oiz M-Team - 7999 Euro
- Oiz M-Pro AXS - 6999 Euro
- Oiz M-Pro - 6299 Euro
The four Oiz models with OMR carbon frames:
- Oiz M10 - 5699 Euro
- Oiz M11 AXS - 5499 Euro
- Oiz M20 - 4799 Euro
- Oiz M30 - 3999 Euro
The three aluminium models of the new Orbea race bike for 2023:
- Oiz H10 - 3699 Euro
- Oiz H20 - 3299 Euro
- Oiz H30 - 2799 Euro
First practical test: How the new Orbea Oiz rides
We were one of the first magazines worldwide to ride the new Orbea race bike at the presentation in Navarra in northern Spain. We were able to test the second most expensive model, the Oiz M-Team, on the trails of the Tierra Estella Epic MTB Marathons. At 1.80 metres tall on an L-frame, the riding position is significantly longer than on the predecessor model, although the saddle cant is limited. We immediately felt comfortable in the saddle with the standard 75 mm stem and 760 mm handlebars. After the initial acclimatisation, we set off on a 35-kilometre ride with 1000 metres of elevation gain straight onto the dust-dry trails. Even if the acceleration is no longer quite as lively as with lightweight bikes in the classic 100 mm league, the new Oiz climbs light-footedly to the summit. In steep uphill sections, a thumb press on the Squidlock lever helps to direct the shock into platform mode. This also pushes the saddle slightly forwards, which helps when conquering ramps sitting in the saddle. The centre position of the specially tuned iLine damper from Fox now stands out more noticeably from the open position on the new model. Overall, the suspension does a good job when pedalling uphill. Even in the open position, the rear suspension remains extremely smooth and stable, and for longer climbs on tame terrain or tarmac, the centre position is enough to harden the rear suspension sufficiently. Only when pedalling on the road can you lock out completely, because then the fork also hardens.
When the going gets rough and fast downhill, you immediately recognise the terrain on which the new Orbea Oiz is clearly superior to its predecessor. With the longer, slacker geometry, the extra suspension travel and the lowered saddle, the race bike rushes over rock gardens just as confidently as down-country bikes. The wide Maxxis tyres (Rekon Race 2.4'') steer the bike quickly and directly through the dusty bends that the 760 cockpit is aimed at. The suspension works harmoniously at the front and rear and levels out bumps. The suspension travel can be fully utilised and for harder landings there is enough end progression to prevent bottoming out. Overall, the frame made a stiff impression during the first ride tests in Spain. Measurements in the BIKE test lab and comparative tests will have to show how good it is according to objective criteria and how it compares to the competition.
Conclusion from BIKE Digital editor-in-chief Stefan Loibl
"The new Orbea Oiz is fuelling the general trend in the cross-country sector and shows impressively that 120 millimetres will sooner or later replace the classic 100 mm race bikes. Based on a very good predecessor model, the Basques have consistently honed the details instead of turning everything upside down and developing a new bike from scratch. Another positive aspect for customers: Thought has also been given to durability. Despite the significantly increased downhill qualities, the Oiz retains the DNA of a race bike thanks to a lightweight frame and does not drift off into the down-country track.
