Orbea builds the full-suspension bike that can only do one thing: Fast

Nine kilos total weight, shock absorption on the front and rear wheel as well as stiffness and efficiency on the drive should ride the pilot of the "Orbea Oiz" to the winner's podium. The manufacturer had already presented the bike at Eurobike 2012, but Ride takes another look at it.

Race and calculator
The Catalan bike manufacturer relies on two influences when developing new bikes: The Orbea Racing Team and Luna Chix racing teams have provided the impetus for how a cross-country file should behave off-road. These specifications relating to drive, lightness, stiffness and pedaling efficiency were implemented on the computer in the "Advanced Dynamics" design software and the pivot points of the rear suspension in particular were defined in this application.

Flexible fiber
The result of the suspension set-up in theory and practice is a pivot point placed just below the derailleur clamp and the omission of a pivot axle at the dropouts. A flexible carbon chainstay has to hold out to elicit the 100 millimeters of travel from the rear triangle. Old-fashioned steel is also used on the Offroad Arrow, which is available in two different carbon fiber qualities: a steel component is added to the fiber matrix at the connection between the bottom bracket and chainstays in order to compensate for the lateral forces of the drive.

Fully powered up
As befits a high-bred racing bike in the mountain bike circus, the "Orbea Oiz" cannot do without electronics. On board the top version is the electronically controlled suspension from Fox. The Open, Platform and Closed settings can be activated from the handlebars at the touch of a button. The frame designers have made room on the underside of the top tube to accommodate the system's battery in a reasonably elegant way.

Modern attributes
For the down tube of the "Oiz", the manufacturer relies on its own design language: the widened carbon frame tube is intended to increase rigidity and at the same time protect against dirt from the road. With a direct post mount brake attachment on the left seat stay, a press-fit crankset axle and a tapered head tube, the Catalan racing file is also completely up to date in other respects.

According to Dietmar Faes, Managing Director of Orbea-importing Platts Ltd, the new "Oiz" will be rolling into Swiss bike stores for the first time in March 2013.

www.orbea.com
www.platts.ch