December 14, 2021 | Author: Seiji Ishii

Orbea's Oiz update produced a compact, lively race car with a suspension that can handle more rugged roads than many XC race bikes.

Orbea has updated Oiz for 2021, making bikes that can already participate in the World Cup become lighter and more competitive. But its top-of-the-line racing car maintains usability worthy of off-road, including the capacity of two water bottles and 120 mm front and rear travel.

We tested the Oiz M Team for 5 months, mainly on monorail trails composed of hard clay-based soil, with a large number of embedded and loose limestone boulders, ranging in size from golf to basketball.

The undulating terrain has many short ledges and is packed with incredible turns in a small area. These turn sets are connected by super fast and smooth parts.

In short: Orbea Oiz M Team is essentially a racing car, but it can stretch its legs in off-road missions. If you prefer the brisk feel of a racing bike to hammer faster paths, then Oiz may be your weapon of choice.

Oiz is already an excellent full suspension car, but Orbea has undergone a major update in 2021. The frame is lightened by 250 grams with the new OMX carbon fiber laminate.

Compared with the OMR carbon fiber frame that still exists in the Oiz class, the new structure uses the high-quality, high-modulus carbon fiber that Orbea previously reserved for the flagship road racing frame.

In addition, the carbon plates are laser cut to reduce excess material, and the updated molds and inserts smooth the resin inside to minimize its use.

The high-end Oiz version also received a new rear end, and the chainstay was shortened by 5 mm to 430 mm. The shock absorber is hinged through the injection-molded composite Fiberlink. Orbea retains the pivotless UFO rear fork design and relies on the engineering seat fork to bend.

The flat mounting of the disc brake is new, further reducing the material and moving the bending point downward (Orbea claims this can improve the suspension action).

Orbea claims that the new OMX Oiz mid-size frame weighs 1,740 grams-with impact! This is an amazing number. For reference, the weight of the Specialized S-Works Epic frame is 1,869 grams, and the shock-absorbing weight of Trek Supercaliber is 1,933 grams.

Orbea Oiz Team M has advanced specifications based on the hard-to-fail Shimano XTR component package:

The suggested retail price of our Oiz Team M is US$7,499, the L size has a verified weight of 22 pounds and 8 ounces, and the tube is installed at the time of shipment.

Customers can customize Oiz OMX models through Orbea's MyO program, which includes a dizzying array of paint and part upgrades and options. Unlike other custom programs, the drawing options are free. Our testers have customized MyO paint.

Our Orbea Oiz M team is compared with the highest specification OMX version, which is equipped with SRAM Eagle AXS electronic shifting. Then there is the OMR carbon fiber frame version, and the Hydro aluminum frame version is the lowest in the Oiz grade.

There is also an off-road version of this bike, with a bump stroke of up to 120 mm.

I set up the manufacturer’s recommended fork and shock absorbers for my rider weight of approximately 170 pounds. This means that the impact force is 150 psi, the sag rate is 20%, it rebounds at 9 o'clock, the fork pressure is 70 psi, the sag is 15%, and it rebounds at 11 o'clock.

For XC Race bikes weighing in their 20s, Oiz M Team has excellent suspension characteristics, partly due to the OC Squidlock designed by Orbea. The front fork and suspension remote are simple and clean, with three settings: open, suspension and fork are opened at the same time; medium, the front fork is opened and the compression damping of the impact is increased; and Firm, the fork and the suspension are locked .

Squidlock does need to get used to-pressing the lever can unlock the fork and shock, which means the rest position is firm, contrary to many remote controls. I was frustrated for a few weeks, but once I stopped riding other bicycles, Squidlock became my favorite remote.

One reason is that the middle setting keeps the fork fully open. I prefer to increase the shock absorber and the damping of the fork. And because pulling the cable through the lever opens the suspension instead of closing it, the lever feels very light.

Because the front fork is open in the Medium setting, I started to ride in this configuration often, resulting in the efficient pedaling feel and sharp handling that I like. And I can still quickly choose to extend the suspension travel when needed. I did reduce the shock absorber pressure by 5-8 psi and added a rebound damping to make this medium setting more useful.

The excellent Maxxis Rekon Race EXO also helped. The relatively large air volume of XC tires allows lower pressure (approximately 20-22 psi in the rocky area, in tubeless mode), and the flexible carcass enhances the plush feel.

The anti-squat feeling on the Oiz frame is very obvious, and it pushes the suspension up when pedaling, which is better than the other CX bikes I tested at the same time. This aggressive anti-squat maintains fast steering and provides a consistent and efficient pedaling feel to the chassis.

It also reduces pedal clipping. But when descending without torque on the chain, the suspension works very well in open mode, providing only 100 mm of travel. For such a fast-turning bicycle, it still feels stable. I attribute most of this to the lower bottom bracket height and 44mm fork offset.

Man, does Orbea Oiz M Team turn like on a track when refueling-this bike rotates well around the steering axis. I can turn through the handlebars, the front tire will go exactly where I want it to go, and the rear wheel will follow it closely. It reminds me of how my favorite off-road vehicle turns.

Orbea Oiz M Team is super light. I have this feeling everywhere, and it is my preferred feeling on the hard rocky trails in my area.

There may be several ledges up to 2 feet high in places I frequent. But in most cases, I am avoiding or walking on boulders the size of softball to basketball, which are partially embedded in the clay-based soil and are well clamped. On this kind of terrain, Oiz M Team rides fast and fast, which is really a pleasure. For me, a big part of this joy is the easy change of motivation on this lightweight equipment.

I must like the wheel and tire combination of Oiz M Team. At first, the tires seemed large for a pure racing car, but after my first ride for 100 yards, I was happy that there was so much meat on the ground and the greater air volume provided room for tire pressure. The knob pattern is perfect for the hard dirt and rich stones of central Texas.

Although the DT wheel specifications look popular and almost universal, the wheels feel compact and lively, and no matter how many square edges I hit, they don't need to be adjusted.

I also like the low-key custom Orbea MyO custom paint color and the clean lines provided by the internal wiring of cables and hoses. There seemed to be some extra cables and hoses hanging on the front of the bike, but everyone commented on the aesthetically slim appearance of the whole package.

And, I admit, it’s great to ride a bike that no one else has. Orbea has not yet entered the market in my area, and during the entire 5-month test period, I have never seen another Orbea mountain bike.

not much! Component specifications are hard to make mistakes, and everything works well together. If the bike is mine, I can usually choose one or two things that I will change immediately, but it took me a long time to think of anything from Oiz M Team.

The only problem that arises can be easily alleviated. I will reduce the weight and add a dropper to increase the power and fun factor, which is easy to do with the Orbea MyO program. (There is a dropper on the trail version...well). I will trim the 760 mm wide strip a little bit. This is just a personal preference.

Suppose you prefer the lightness, flexibility and efficiency of the CX racing bike, but you desire greater suspension capabilities than other bikes in the same product. In this case, Orbea Oiz M Team is worth considering.

The suspension design effectively transfers the pedaling energy to the rear wheels, and is easily triggered by Squidlock, providing far beyond the expectations of a 100 mm travel racing bicycle.

As a tester, I rarely buy private bicycles. But I asked Orbea if it is possible to buy media samples after the Oiz M Team tour. I don't remember when I made this request last time-this is the good impression this bike left on me.

Seiji Ishii has loved outdoor adventures and sports all his life, from participants and competitors to coaches and trainers, and eventually became an editorial writer. He is currently a contributing editor for All Gear. His interests include cycling, rock climbing, motorcycles, backpacking, trail running and all related training. He also designed outdoor and cross-country motorcycle equipment. He lives in a wildlife sanctuary in Wembley, Texas with his daughter, stray garbage bags, a dog and a cat. Read more of his thoughts on seijisays.com.

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