[Rasmazzer]

It is possible to get some new bikes here. As the Orbea Oiz saga is taking so long to resolve I bought myself a new bike last week. Surprisingly what I wanted was in stock in my size, ordered Tuesday 1pm and arrived at the bike shop midday the next day ready to go.

What did you get?

 

[WR304]

What did you get?

It's not very original but it's a 2021 Specialized Epic Expert size Large (100mm travel with brain version) with the DT Swiss XRC 1200 wheels, powermeter and SRAM AXS shifters off my Orbea Oiz moved across. As pictured it weighs 11.6kg / 25.7lbs including pedals so is heavier than my Oiz with the same wheels on.

What's interesting about this bike after riding the Orbea Oiz for a year is that it has a completely different philosophy to how the suspension functions. The main thing on the Orbea Oiz is that the rider can adjust the attitude of the bike suspension on the move using the lockout lever whilst on an Epic the settings can't be adjusted without stopping and getting off the bike. This ability to adjust the suspension, particularly for descents, was one of the main reasons I got an Orbea Oiz after years of Specialized Epics.

On my Orbea Oiz size Large (100mm travel stock Fox suspension with squidlock) the suspension when unlocked is relatively smooth and plush. The fork and rear shock smooth out the bumps when fully open giving a sensation of calm and inspiring confidence on descents. The tradeoff being that fully unlocked the Orbea Oiz rear suspension does bob quite a bit so it relies on using the squidlock lockout lever, particularly on climbs, for added pedaling efficiency.

The 2021 Epic brain rear shock in contrast isn't adjustable on the move so the initial settings chosen have to deal with all conditions. There is about 10mm of free stroke at the beginning of the rear shock's travel, with or without any brain platform applied. After this 10mm of free stroke there is then a massive ramp up in compression damping, which is there with or without any brain platform applied. I'd describe the 2021 Epic brain OFF feel as being like a standard rear shock with its climb switch flipped making for very little pedal bob, but also giving a firm ride. I've been riding it with the brain platform turned off all ride because that ramp in compression damping stops the suspension bobbing by itself. There's not much in the way of plushness from either the rear shock or fork. It's all business all the time.

The 36mm longer wheelbase and slacker 67.5 degree head angle of the Specialized Epic are fine. It's a bigger bike than the Orbea Oiz and feels particularly well balanced through longer mid to high speed sweeping bends and it noticeably has excellent rear wheel traction when climbing also. Slow speed handling is a little less poised than the Orbea Oiz but that's just practice.

 

[steinercat]

It's not very original but it's a 2021 Specialized Epic Expert size Large (100mm travel with brain version) with the DT Swiss XRC 1200 wheels, powermeter and SRAM AXS shifters off my Orbea Oiz moved across. As pictured it weighs 11.6kg / 25.7lbs including pedals so is heavier than my Oiz with the same wheels on.

What's interesting about this bike after riding the Orbea Oiz for a year is that it has a completely different philosophy to how the suspension functions. The main thing on the Orbea Oiz is that the rider can adjust the attitude of the bike suspension on the move using the lockout lever whilst on an Epic the settings can't be adjusted without stopping and getting off the bike. This ability to adjust the suspension, particularly for descents, was one of the main reasons I got an Orbea Oiz after years of Specialized Epics.

On my Orbea Oiz size Large (100mm travel stock Fox suspension with squidlock) the suspension when unlocked is relatively smooth and plush. The fork and rear shock smooth out the bumps when fully open giving a sensation of calm and inspiring confidence on descents. The tradeoff being that fully unlocked the Orbea Oiz rear suspension does bob quite a bit so it relies on using the squidlock lockout lever, particularly on climbs, for added pedaling efficiency.

The 2021 Epic brain rear shock in contrast isn't adjustable on the move so the initial settings chosen have to deal with all conditions. There is about 10mm of free stroke at the beginning of the rear shock's travel, with or without any brain platform applied. After this 10mm of free stroke there is then a massive ramp up in compression damping, which is there with or without any brain platform applied. I'd describe the 2021 Epic brain OFF feel as being like a standard rear shock with its climb switch flipped making for very little pedal bob, but also giving a firm ride. I've been riding it with the brain platform turned off all ride because that ramp in compression damping stops the suspension bobbing by itself. There's not much in the way of plushness from either the rear shock or fork. It's all business all the time.

The 36mm longer wheelbase and slacker 67.5 degree head angle of the Specialized Epic are fine. It's a bigger bike than the Orbea Oiz and feels particularly well balanced through longer mid to high speed sweeping bends and it noticeably has excellent rear wheel traction when climbing also. Slow speed handling is a little less poised than the Orbea Oiz but that's just practice.

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Still a nice ride!

I was set on an Oiz mid last year, but delivery times kept getting pushed. I ended up with a Revel Ranger, which was only a 3 month wait. It’s a great bike as well.

Somewhere down the line, I’d still want to try an Oiz Tr. As I get older, I find myself doing more XC and long singletrack rides, which the Oiz seems to be built for.

 

[JGE]

Hit the lockout on the fork with some brake cleaner, dry with a compressor and then use some Teflon based spray lube. Works well for me

see youtube on FOX remote maintenance ; there is a small bearing under the blue pulley that got rusty ; remove the blue pulley and clean the bearing + grease + put everything back. The spring in Fox Ucup has a small trick for pre-tensionning and then put back on Fork

 

[JGE]

Yes, the main suspension pivot assembly was complete with all the parts. I'd never actually taken that main pivot assembly apart from new until I began having these recent issues. It was only the last few rides where the bolt was coming loose whilst riding. You can see what I think is the remnants of the thread locker (the white residue in the close up bolt pictures above) that Orbea used in their original factory build on that bolt.

The bike is getting a new set of pivot bearings and main pivot axle under warranty, hopefully next week.

I had this loose bolt as well, found it when cleaning after a ride.. I already changed twice the bearings (~5000 km in muddy belgium) and had to put blue oloctite and screw the pivot axle back. no damage on the thread but some alu exposed (black anodization was taken out).

 

[JGE]

OIZ M10 OMR : anyone had issue with the top shock bolt n° 2 ? (the one that attaches to the carbon insert inside the top tube) This bolt is turning but can't take it out, I suspect that the insert in carbon has gone loose (!). BTW, I find the pivot bearing rather fragile on OIZ compared to my previous Spark, I had to change them twice already and it was time for a third change (~5500 km in muddy Belgium). I've no play on the carbon swingarm with fresh bearing (but I ran out of loctite now) - anyway I can't remove or screw back the top shock bolt => back to LBS for support...

 

[Daniel Thomas]

see youtube on FOX remote maintenance ; there is a small bearing under the blue pulley that got rusty ; remove the blue pulley and clean the bearing + grease + put everything back. The spring in Fox Ucup has a small trick for pre-tensionning and then put back on Fork

Great timing bringing that up! Do you have a link? Mine is currently stuck and all I could find was the Fox video on how to install the remote topcap. It needs a crazy expensive tool to do that and I am hesistant to take it apart because I am afraid it will unwind or something and I won't be able to reinstall it.
Looking on the bright side, my Oiz now has a hardtail mode

 

[Daniel Thomas]

So here is the main pivot bolt issue of my Oiz in pictures and numbers. Female thread length on chainstay: 12.5 mm. Thread length on bolt: 15 mm. About 2.5 mm width of the worn area on the bolt is consistent with the excess 2.5 mm thread length because the bearing width is 5 mm.

 

[JGE]

Great timing bringing that up! Do you have a link? Mine is currently stuck and all I could find was the Fox video on how to install the remote topcap. It needs a crazy expensive tool to do that and I am hesistant to take it apart because I am afraid it will unwind or something and I won't be able to reinstall it.
Looking on the bright side, my Oiz now has a hardtail mode

no need to have the crazy tool: fit top cap at 180° of the blue pulley on the CLOSE position; and then slightly turn the top cap by hand to load the spring ;

 

[JGE]

Great timing bringing that up! Do you have a link? Mine is currently stuck and all I could find was the Fox video on how to install the remote topcap. It needs a crazy expensive tool to do that and I am hesistant to take it apart because I am afraid it will unwind or something and I won't be able to reinstall it.
Looking on the bright side, my Oiz now has a hardtail mode

this one is from FOX and explain how to preload the spring on the blue pulley/ UCUP :

 

[JGE]

How to maintain OIZ (basic, spanish)

 

[JGE]

OIZ some known problems from bike mechanics ; lack of grease on bolts, BB drain hole not open,.

 

[raptormig]

One of the problems/doubs regarding if we should use Loctite/Grease on some shock bearings.

 

[JGE]

One of the problems/doubs regarding if we should use Loctite/Grease on some shock bearings.

so what is the recommendation : loctite on top bearing into the carbon link ? I did it as it was like that on my 2020 OIZ..

 

[raptormig]

That is what I also do and what it's on the manual that I downloaded last year. The current online Manual says it should be with grease.
What they are discussing on the video is that not all OIZ come with loctite on that bearing.