Katerina Nash's Orbea OIZ - XC World Championships

Jul 1, 2016
by Richard Cunningham  
Katerina Nash s new Orbea. Boost equipped updated geometry and a neatly tucked away damper.
Katerina Nash's Orbea Oiz racebike features Boost rear hub spacing, and electronically controlled shifting and suspension.


Irmo Keizer photographed Katerina Nash's 95-millimeter-travel Orbea Oiz in the pits at Nove Mestro. We were told that the geometry was updated for 2017, presumably to tackle the increasingly technical courses that have given rise to the popularity of XC racing and seen a number of podium hopefuls switch from spindly hardtails to dual-suspension race bikes. The relatively short stem and more conventional looking profile supports that assumption. Nash's Oiz is outfitted with 27.5 inch wheels, a one-by-eleven Shimano XTR Di2 transmission, and an electronically controlled Fox iRD shock and Float 32 Step Cast fork. Nash uses separate remotes for her suspension and transmission - leaving us to question whether Shimano has abandoned its plans to
Cablerouting accomodates anything you throw at it. Di2 ready top or sideswing front derailleurs.
integrate its Di2 remote system with second-party component makers like Fox. The Oiz looks very clean, largely because its pivotless rear triangle, internal wiring, and tucked-in top-tube-mounted shock mask its technology so well.


Katerina Nash s Orbea OIZ 29 - XC World Championships
Fox iRD rotary suspension control near the left grip.

Katerina Nash s Orbea OIZ 29 - XC World Championships
A small carbon rocker drives the Fox iRD shock.
katarina Nash s Orbea Oiz World Champs 2016
The XC fork of the moment: Fox's iRD controlled 32 SC.

Katerina runs a single chainring up front. Her Fox shocks can be remotely locked via the Fox remote on the left side of her bars.
Buttons replace levers - Shimano Di2 is well represented among Pro-XC competitors.

A Ceetec chainguard keeps a finger on the chain at all times.
Chain guides replace front derailleurs - Nash repurposes her front changer mount.

Katerina Nash s Orbea OIZ 29 - XC World Championships
Flex stays - two less pivots and a much cleaner brake caliper mount, thanks to the miracle of carbon.



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37 Comments
  • 36 1
 It may just be me but for 90% of cross country courses I've ridden, I would rather have a dropper post versus rear suspension if I had to choose to save weight (much like Maja's set up).
  • 11 2
 Totally. I can go much faster on a hard tail with a dropper post than on a full suspension xc bike with the seat way in the air
  • 12 0
 I think one of the benefits of FS is that it also allows you to pedal in more places than you would a GT.
  • 11 0
 full suspension may be a slight benefit for the downhill segments, but the ability to carry speed smoothly during flats/climbs is the real winner. major energy saver and can get better traction for awkward steep climbs too. I am a huge fan of droppers but in this case a dropper saves a small fraction of time every now and then, but hurts on the opposite side of the coin, where pedaling efficiency and basic skills balance and tip the scales far the other way. my 2 cents
  • 4 0
 @g-monster: ditto, carrying speed smoothly it's why see so many elite single speeders in XC and CX put out laps that are sometimes comparable to geared field.
  • 35 0
 what an amazing looking bike
  • 18 1
 in a few more years when electronic controls become more refined those iRD units are going to look so ridiculous
  • 7 0
 Have geos also changed for XC bikes now that tracks are a lot rougher? I can see that more and more are going for full-suspension 100mm steeds but have the geos also gone through an overhaul?
  • 5 1
 They definitely have if you look at the latest new bikes. 68.5 degree HA for the new Scott Spark RC and 69.5 for the Scott Scale. 69.2 for the Focus 01E
  • 2 0
 For sure. They follow the same trends as Trail/AM/Enduro bikes do. Slacker HTA, longer TT and reach, shorter chainstays (although some companies offer incrementally longer chainstays for various sizes of the same bike - bigger size = longer chainstay)
  • 4 1
 Absolutely. The Geo overhaul on XC bikes is long overdue. I've always said that modern XC bikes need to ride like short travel enduro bikes...now they are, these bikes are wildly capable and more fun than ever.
  • 8 0
 Oiz. For Girls and Boiz.
  • 5 1
 Hey @RC, would you please fix all the typos in Kateřina's name in this article, please? Her name is Kateřina, not "Katarina" (that is a German name, not Czech).

TIA.
  • 5 0
 Rad bike, rad Lady! Go Katerina!
  • 5 0
 Behold! The miracle of carbon!
  • 5 1
 What is the lifespan of pivot-less carbon triangles? Do all those bends wear down the material?
  • 3 0
 Orbea offer a lifetime warranty on their frames
  • 9 0
 In theory no, as long as they bend within their stress limits carbon parts do not work harden and fatigue the way metal ones do. In practice, the resin will eventually degrade for one reason or another and the frame will fail. Whether that takes five, ten or fifty years remains to be seen.
  • 1 0
 Surely we can hear from someone who's been thrashing a Scalpel for a few years.
  • 4 0
 dem's sum ittay bittay bwake wotahs...
  • 2 0
 Sweet looking bike and she rode it like a beast in the WC team relay couple of days ago brought the team from 9th to 2nd in her lap.

youtu.be/8gK_iNWw7iE?t=40m4s
  • 4 0
 Classy!
  • 3 0
 Looking Good! Good luck Katerina!
  • 2 0
 smart move on their part.
  • 1 0
 first bike check for an xc rig where I can't find out how much it weighs.
  • 1 0
 Oiz M-LTD 2017 is under 10kg
  • 2 1
 I'd much prefer an Orbea Rallon.
  • 5 7
 I know it's fox suspension and all that, but damn it looks cheap! Bike is nice though!
  • 7 2
 They clash with every setup because of that non-matching orange lower. You'd figure they would have team colors or at least black.
  • 8 2
 @ianswilson815: Believe fox has required their sponsored XC riders to run the orange this year.
  • 5 1
 @zepper: Yeah I figured that since there was no way all those sponsored riders liked the look of blaze orange hahaha
  • 6 3
 @ianswilson815: You're right, they look horrific.
  • 11 1
 @Matt76: It's probably because Fox wants everyone to see how many pros are using their suspension, hence the unique color.
  • 5 0
 @zepper: pretty simple matketing. ......make product stand out like dogs balls and consumers take notice of dogs balls and consumers buy dogs balls!
  • 2 0
 Same idea mavic uses with their wheels. You can tell which DH world cup racer is running Deemax wheels from a mile away.
  • 2 3
 looks like its fallen into the death star trash compactor
  • 8 10
 Oh god, Its the upside down stem and no dropper post loonies again!







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