Orbea Factory Team has teased the Basque brand's latest prototype Oiz, with rider Simon Andreassen set to compete on the cross-country mountain bike at the Nove Mesto UCI World Cup race this weekend.
The bike is a part of Orbea’s OOLABs developmental program, though we can likely infer that this bike will be the replacement for the current Orbea Oiz.
It shares more than a passing resemblance to other cross-country bikes that have launched this year, with a top tube-mounted rear shock paired with a mini-linkage rocker.
This appears to be the preferred approach to shock placement, with Specialized’s Epic 9 and Canyon’s Lux Trail sharing a similar setup, and could be the future for many of the best cross-country mountain bikes.
While the design has its roots in the Trek Superfly, Specialized’s Epic World Cup was the first to really prove the system, lending it to its longer travel Epic sibling this year.
Orbea’s prototype uses flex-stays in the rear triangle, which cuts down on bearings and maintenance while having the added benefits of being lighter and stiffer.
Unfortunately for some, the bike keeps the internal headset cable routing of old. But this is slightly more forgivable in the realms of cross-country mountain biking.
Despite all the hype around 32in wheels, the bike is still running 29in wheels and is pictured with a pair of Orbea’s in-house Oquo carbon rims.
The prototype is running Fox suspension, with the new 34 SL at the front featuring a cable-actuated lock-out.
We’re not sure on suspension travel, but with the last bike already hitting the 120mm mark, we wouldn’t expect any less.
There appear to be two bottle cage mounts in the frame, which will be welcomed by those racing in marathon events.
Not much else is known about the bike, but we’re excited to see the final result.
