It wasn’t that long ago that there were whispers that ‘XC was dead’. It’s pretty safe to say that this is no longer the case. In fact, XC may be more alive than ever. Thanks to lightning quick bikes that push the envelope of what an “XC bike” is actually capable of, being fast and being fun are no longer mutually exclusive. The latest bike to join that group is the all new Orbea Oiz OMR. On its own, the Oiz looks like a super efficient XC rig that would rip around a World Cup XC track. But add in the additional (and more capable) Two Stroke build and you have two XC race bikes that Orbea says are their best yet.
2019 Orbea Oiz OMR carbon XC mountain bike
Starting with the frame, the OMR moniker means that this is one of the Orbea Monocoque Race designs at the top of the curve.
The frame is built using full EPS molding for better compaction and less extra resin, while the UFO 2 suspension has been updated for better performance.
At the heart of the suspension design is a new Fiberlink which is made from long-fiber injected carbon to create a suspension link that is just 59g – which helps the complete frame come in at just 1600g. While the rear triangle features a pivotless flex design, the pivots on the frame feature full complement Enduro Black Oxide bearings.
The I-Line (or Inside Line) remote lockout is hidden from view – which is the point. The Obea/Fox exclusive hides a remote lockout for the frame inside the top tube for a super clean way to operate the rear shock.
Compared to the 2018 Oiz, the new version has a bit more travel (100 vs. 90mm), along with a slightly higher leverage ratio, and more anti-squat.
The Oiz also features full ICR (Internal Cable Routing) with shift and brake routing that flow through the downtube and out the chainstays.
Even though this is an XC race bike, there is also routing for an internal dropper post. The frame is 1x specific and includes an integrated SL chainguide, and it will fit two bottles in the main triangle.
Following the lead of a few other XC bikes out there, the Oiz is available in a couple of travel versions that Orbea calls XC Two Stroke. There’s the standard XC World Cup version with 100mm of travel, or the longer-travel TR marathon and trail version. The latter being a more capable version with a 120mm Fox StepCast 24mm fork, a shock with a longer stroke to get 120mm of travel out of the rear, and spec changes like a dropper post and larger Maxxis tires. About those tires – most versions of the Oiz will be a 29er, though the 15.5″ frame is available in both 27.5 and 29″ wheel sizes. The new geometry also includes updates like a longer reach, shorter stays, and a slacker head tube angle and steeper seat tube angle.
Available in standard builds or Orbea’s MyO custom program, the Oiz starts at $4,999 for the M10, to $8,299 for the M-LTD version.
