First Look: 2023 Orbea Oiz - A Modern XC Machine

Nov 4, 2022
by Mike Kazimer  
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The new Oiz wasn't created to be a downcountry or trail bike – Orbea designed it to be a modern, purebred XC machine, and they say it's the fastest XC bike to leave their factory in over 180 years. I'm not totally familiar with what the hot bike was back in 1842, but I'll take their word for it.

The 2023 Oiz has 29” wheels, 120mm of travel front and rear, and a lightweight carbon frame that weighs just 1750 grams for the highest end, OMX version. Orbea had a complete bike on display that weighed just 9.98 kg (22 lb), and that's with pedals, a dropper post, and a bottle cage. There are aluminum models in the mix too, a good option for privateer racers and riders looking for a less expensive ride.
Oiz Details

• Carbon and aluminum frame options
• Wheel size: 29"
• Travel: 120mm
• 67° head tube angle
• 76.5 seat tube angle (size L)
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Pricing: $3,299 - $10,499 USD
orbea.com

Prices range from $10,499 USD for the top level Oiz M-LTD down to $3,299 USD aluminum-framed Oiz H30, with a total of 11 different models in the lineup.

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The Oiz uses Orbea's 3-position 'Squidlock' remote to lock out the fork and shock.

Details

The shape of the Oiz mirrors that of its predecessor, and it still uses a single pivot, flex-stay suspension layout. The seatstay tube diameter on the carbon frames has been increased, which Orbea says increases the stiffness by 12%. The bearing size in the carbon fiber rocker link was also increased, another step to increase rear triangle stiffness.

There's room (and mounts) for two bottle cages inside the front triangle, a welcome sight for thirsty marathon racers.

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A 'Spin Block' keeps the handlebar controls from hitting the frame during a crash.
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'Integration' continues to be a buzzword in the mountain bike world, for better or worse. In the case of the Oiz, Orbea have routed the brake, derailleur, and dropper housing through the headset, keeping the housing close to the frame for a very clean look. It does add inconvenience when the upper headset bearing needs to be replaced, but at least it's possible to swap out the stem or handlebars without any unnecessary mechanical gymnastics.

Along with the new housing path, a 'Spin Block' has been added to the front end of the bike to keep the bars from rotating too far during a crash. For as rowdy as cross-country courses have become, they haven't added a slopestyle section yet, so barspin-ability isn't a feature racers are clamoring for – keeping the frame protected from the brake levers takes higher priority.

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Geometry

The Oiz has undergone the longer and slacker treatment, emerging with a head angle of 67-degrees, and a reach of 472mm on a size large. A low stack height and 60 – 90mm stems make the Oiz's XC intentions very clear. The slack head angle should help provide stability on the descents, but the low, stretched out riding position is geared towards putting the power down on grueling climbs. The chainstay length sits at a relatively short 432mm on all sizes.

Models

There are 11 models in the lineup, so it's best to head over to Orbea's website to see all the options. Here are three examples of the possible configurations.

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Oiz M-LTD: $10,499. OMX carbon frame, SRAM XX1 AXS drivetrain, OQUO MP30 LTD carbon wheels, Fox 34 Float SC Factory.

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Oiz M10: $5,999. OMR carbon frame, Shimano XT driverain, brakes, OQUO MP30 Team carbon wheels, Fox 34 Float SC Factory.

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Oiz H10: $3,999. Aluminum frame, Shimano XT drivetrain, M6100 brakes, Fox Float 34 SC Performance fork.




Author Info:
mikekazimer avatar

Member since Feb 1, 2009
1,721 articles

96 Comments
  • 136 6
 Hey PB, do a poll asking which type of cable routing we prefer and sell that info to bike companies
  • 34 16
 I don't think anyone would pay for that info... But you can read some of the reasoning behind this sudden surge in headset cable routing here: www.pinkbike.com/news/burning-question-why-are-so-many-bike-manufacturers-putting-cables-through-the-headset.html
  • 42 5
 @mikekazimer: That's a weird looking poll, where do I vote?
  • 3 2
 @mikekazimer: Thank you!
  • 2 0
 @mikekazimer: reasoning not necessarily on par with rightness!
  • 3 1
 The question is not what the people want, the question is what bs (this is the new shit!) should the industry market and push on the people as the bees knees?
  • 48 0
 That XT build is really great value!
  • 3 2
 Would love the black and green to be reversed, with the green being the accent. That's a sharp colour combo.
  • 2 0
 @rrolly: You can make your own color with MyO
  • 1 1
 @snaxez: Lol you can also wait several months over stock for the delivery of a Myo frame or bike
  • 24 0
 Looks nice! I really like the 2 bottles, with what looks like a straight, low seat tube for long droppers. I hope you guys compare it to the Epic Evo, the Scott Spark, the Allied BC40, and the Blur. Those seem to be the hottest bikes out.
  • 11 0
 And the Kona Hei Hei, and Exie, and Element, and Fezzari. Okay, not the Fezzari.
  • 1 1
 The intense sniper
  • 1 0
 @alexisfire: I think what kills the 2018 design Sniper is slack seat angle and I believe no internal routing for lockout. I could be wrong on the latter, but my pro xc racer friend who goes insanely fast on his Sniper Trail says the only negative is the seat tube angle. Saddle slammed and tilted (like many do).
  • 1 0
 @bikewriter: What a time to be alive!
  • 1 0
 @bikewriter: not to mention hilariously short headtube lengths on the larger frames
  • 1 0
 @louisreilly: Many racers actually prefer the short headtubes.
  • 27 0
 Never thought I'd miss the old days of figuring out your own cable routing and ziptying to the frame.
  • 2 0
 Turner Czar had the best external brake and shifter routing. Except dropper was also external. Fail.
  • 7 0
 @bikewriter: Turner Czar is old enough that no one was racing XC with a dropper. And even today (well, at least 2021) Dave STILL isn't using a dropper post when racing XC.
  • 5 1
 I'd buy the ALU frame and use stick on external cable guides. Problem solved.
  • 7 0
 @ratedgg13: I epoxied aluminum cable guides to my Turner Flux... as far as I know they're still hanging on, somewhere in the Southwest. Thought they were aluminum but maybe stainless?
framebuildersupply.com/collections/housting-cable-guides/products/housing-guides-with-clips-2-10-packs

$1 apiece plus some acetone and fancy glue.
  • 1 0
 @drapeau: Thanks for the tip!
  • 27 2
 Did I miss the memo that enduro is over and XC the hot ticket these days??
  • 11 0
 MxcGA hats all over the place in my parts, no enduro bros to be found.
  • 34 5
 XC was always where it's at. Enduro was just a fad, like 27.5+.
  • 3 1
 Pretty much. Many(dentists) are going 170ish ebikes and then having an xc bike.
  • 1 0
 And a park rig.
  • 3 1
 @TucsonDon: And mullets.
  • 18 0
 Seriously, these latest crop of XC-ish/downcountry/light trail bikes have been a revelation for me. They are fun to ride both on "boring" trails and proper mountains, very easy to live with and you can start a belter of a rode from your doorstep.

I think this XC trend is due to the following:
- WC XC courses evolved and brands were forced to release bikes that actually perform on proper MTB trails
- many people realised that what they actually liked about big enduro bikes was the geometry, more than the travel
- with all the lockdowns and restrictions during the pandemic there was a rediscovery of just grabbing your bike and ride locally, rather than driving the car to some big hill

This coming from a guy that one year ago was riding a 170mm travel, coil shock, DH casing tires bike and now as happy as I could be with a new Spark
  • 12 0
 @Arierep: I had the same revelation about geometry vs travel. I sold my Stumpjumper AND Epic when the new Epic was released with more progressive geometry than the SJ. Haven't looked back.

Now with 120 mm of travel, XC bikes cover pretty much all the riding I'll ever want to do. Too old and too many scars to ride anything 120 mm bike can't handle.
  • 17 0
 I think at this point pinkbike is finding as many bikes with headset cable routing to review as possible just to f#@k with us.
  • 15 0
 Wish it could have been a part of the Downcountry field test!
  • 11 0
 Man, I would buy the H10 right now as it appears to be a really good value, but f*** me about the cables going through the headset!

I've worked in the industry for over 14 years, including regional race team support, but I'm sure glad I got out (for various, more lucrative reasons) before internal cable routing was the norm. I have no problem with fiddly magnets and other things to keep cables from making noise in the frame for working on my own bike at my own pace, but I can see being frustrated by even a light load of 4 sets of cable changes after a muddy race.
  • 9 1
 It also has a flat mount rear brake to fuck it up even more...
  • 5 0
 You can still get the 2022 H10TR model Smile
Same component spec, same weight, same price....no head tube cable routing
  • 4 0
 @JohSch: I think the cheaper carbon layup and alloy frame have post mounts instead. At least this is according to Bike Radar. I don't know why none of this info is on this article when it came out a day later too.
  • 16 5
 Pros Loic Bruni Tom Pidcock Jolanda Neff Cons Auto Insurance College Admissions Internal Headset Cable Routing
  • 9 2
 I would love to see how they justify the $4500 price uptick for the LTD edition. The M10 is such a great build already, and IMO the XT drivetrain is tons better and quieter than any AXS stuff. Are the LTD editions wheels 1000g lighter or something? Carbon bars and stem? Unobtanium saddle? Is the 'X' version of the frame really worth an extra $2k?
  • 3 1
 its supposedly 3 lbs lighter (22lbs) versus 25lbs. ...+ you can custom order the paint design
  • 5 1
 It is the OMX frame, and yes the wheels are like 1300 g compared to to 1550 g.
  • 1 0
 @mrkkbb: There are other versions in between, IMO M PRO is the best model

LTD version is not worth it, difference is: Lighter carbon frame, lighter wheels, SRAM AXS and other bits and bobs
  • 2 5
 @laupe: any upgrade from Shimano to SRAM right now is worth it
  • 6 0
 @alexisfire: Nah, shimano better
  • 4 0
 M-Pro model is best bang for buck. XT group with XTR RD and OMX frame. $ 6,799
  • 9 0
 pricing on the M10 is actually quite good for the spec
  • 4 0
 Nice to see an alloy xc bike because despite what many people think...an extra pound or two of frame weight isn't going to matter to anyone except the top 0.1 percent of riders.
  • 1 1
 And then those guys are racing on 27.5s and saving several pounds
  • 2 0
 (other than headset cable routing) only knock I have on Orbea are the damn seat post clamps. Its the flimsiest clamp I've every seen (to save weight). I've managed to snap 2 of them since July even though both were torqued to spec. Ive since put a wolf tooth clamp on there, no more issues.
  • 3 0
 This is a beautiful bike, but that is a very silly place to try and save a few grams.
  • 1 0
 @corposello: Yea, i have to Orbea's and the seatclamp is not great. + i have a fox transfer SL and i can only tighten it about 3 nm
  • 5 0
 Routing be damned but cant hate on such a simple and sleek design. That photo scene really makes me want to ride it.
  • 5 1
 Dear Orbea,

Can we get the red/white paint job on the M10 XT/carbon model please?

Cheers,
Canada
  • 1 0
 Does it not give you conjunctivitis from the dark red up top and bright red "ORBEA"?
  • 2 0
 FYI, the hyperlink to the Orbea website does not work due to having 4 W's --> WWWW.Orbea.com does not work on many computers.....
  • 5 0
 It's now based in Boston - Wicked World Wide Web - get with the times, kid.
  • 4 0
 SATN-XC is pulling the levers behind the curtain!
  • 6 0
 about time, lol
  • 4 0
 that's a nice mess of cables going from the bars through the headset...
  • 5 1
 A full suss thats not pig ugly !
  • 5 1
 I saw headset cable routing and kept scrolling...
  • 4 0
 all fun and games till i saw the headset
  • 4 0
 Where do I get those clear bars at? Can I put goldfish in them?
  • 2 2
 Straight to the list of bikes never to buy or sell to my customers. I'm getting more requests for hidden externally routed frames like an NS define. People don't even want internally routed frames let alone through the headset. In two years all the cables will go through the bars like Maguras brakes
  • 2 0
 120/120 is the new standard for XC. Wish this bike would could do away with the squidlock, can't stand the extra cable mess...
  • 3 1
 NOOOO THEY RUINED IT WITH INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING.... It was going so well...
  • 1 0
 There aluminum frame has flex stays too. That's unusual for an aluminum frame. I wonder if the rear end is carbon.
  • 1 0
 Anyone know if it's press fit BB? Orbea website specs don't seem to list it.
  • 2 0
 it`s threaded BSA BB
  • 1 0
 Damn, full xt, carbon wheels, and kashima for 5,999. You do not see that much anymore!
  • 2 0
 Cool bike, its a shame about the headset cable routing.
  • 1 2
 People complaining about the headset routing need to see the rate graph on the Orbea site to see something really worth complaining about.
  • 1 0
 What rate graph ?
  • 1 0
 Orbea used the headset cable routing as a distraction, and only one Pinkbike commenter did not catch on, so I guess it worked. To their credit, it seems the ratio is slightly less terrible than on the old Oiz.
  • 2 0
 @laupe: See the Orbea site. It has a regressive rate.
  • 1 0
 I looked thru the website, can't find it Frown
  • 1 0
 @jclnv: Ok, thanks i found it. I'm not very good at understandign leverage ratio, so can someone please explain it like i'm 10 years old ?
  • 3 0
 @laupe: Regressive means that the deeper you get into the travel the less force it takes to move the rear wheel.
Regressive suspension ratios are often matched with air shocks and XC bikes which are designed to be ridden with low sag values.

A bike with regressive ratio that runs 30% sag is going to require a ton of volume spacers in the shock to prevent bottom out. Where as a bike that runs 20% sag needs a regressive ratio to get full wheel travel. Particularly an XC bike which doesn't experience the same peak forces as a trail bike.
  • 3 0
 @kclw: In theory you’re correct but this is now a 120mm bike with high antisquat. No modern mountain bike regardless of discipline benefits from a regressive leverage rate. If you watch the Bike Radar review of this bike you can hear the review state that the bike gets harsher the harder it is ridden. This is typical of a bike that has to be oversprung or overdamped to compensate for a regressive leverage rate.
  • 1 0
 Those are good pros!
  • 1 1
 This is good for world cup xc but not your average xc racer
  • 1 0
 What? Why?
  • 1 5
flag XCplease (Nov 5, 2022 at 14:25) (Below Threshold)
 @laupe: 120 120 is excessive
  • 1 0
 @XCplease: Thats true
  • 3 6
 pfffff.... modern? Bottechia Gardena Boost 29 is half price , one year on market, realy modern XC geometry....
  • 1 1
 Open mold?
  • 1 0
 @ericolsen: Same factory as Fezzari
  • 1 4
 #Ebikes
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