Looking at the Oso from the side, the frame shape is very similar to the bird symbol of the new Ibis logo. The Americans took a long time to bring their first e-MTB onto the market. The result is a unique bike. The downhill-oriented geometry - in combination with a 170-millimeter fork - defines enduro-oriented use. The Oso is only available with one equipment variant, but in two colors and four frame sizes: S and M in the Mullet setup, L and XL in the 29-inch setup. At the rear, 155 millimetres of suspension travel are waiting to be used. The bike is powered by a "Performance Line CX" motor from Bosch with a 750 Wh battery. Ibis equips the e-bike with a new suspension system, a revised DW-Link system called "Upper Link Suspension".

The bike in action

The Oso cockpit is high and the riding position is correspondingly upright. The seat angle and saddle position are pleasing and the pedaling uphill is comfortable, even at very high cadences. Despite plenty of suspension travel, the E-Enduro climbs up rough trails with plenty of feedback from the ground. When it comes to descents, the feedback from the rear wheel disappears and the feeling of endless suspension travel sets in. The new DW-Link is very sensitive and hardly transmits any bumps, even though the progression is high. During hard braking maneuvers, the rear remains active and provides plenty of grip and braking traction. It's amazing that the bike shines with excellent maneuverability, but has the smoothness of a downhiller. Regardless of whether the bike is being pushed into a corner when changing direction quickly or whether it's a matter of keeping your balance at low speed in order to maneuver over obstacles.

The Oso doesn't particularly like moderate terrain, it screams for action. With this e-bike, flowing trails or transfer routes are simply boring. It feels like riding a rally race car through the pedestrian zone of a city center.

Conclusion

The Ibis Oso rides a little stubbornly at first. It's not a bike that you can get on and have fun with. It's like a love affair, you have to find yourself and adapt. Once you have grasped the temperamental character of the Oso, the fusion starts like a love game. Man and machine become one and can no longer be stopped. Downhill there are no limits, the Oso masters the roughest terrain and also makes a good trap in the bike park. Uphill is over when the battery is empty, because you don't want to pedal up the 24.5 kilos without support.