Downhill both ways. Because the new Ibis Oso is designed to be fun in both directions. Bringing 170mm of travel up front and 155mm out back to the party with either full 29 or mixed wheels and a full power Bosch Performance Line CX motor, the brand new Oso promises a whole lot of fun.
Ibis have never produced an ebike before - though familiar with bringing some pretty radical bike designs to the table, they went back to the drawing board when coming up with the Oso. It's fair to say that the Oso is a pretty radical departure from the rest of their lineup, at least aesthetically. We'll leave judgement to you, but there's no denying that it looks pretty different to anything else out there.
Frame Design
Accepting that e-mtb is a different sport to mountain biking without the 'e', the Oso is designed to be fast, burly and to handle pretty much anything. It makes sense when coming up with a full power emtb that it should have all of the travel, particularly when it's designed with the type of riding that we have here on the North Shore in mind. To that end, the Oso has 170/155mm travel front and rear, but is rated for up 190mm travel up front with a dual crown fork if necessary, and can be over-stroked to get 170mm travel out of the back end too, for those that really want to unleash the full potential of the bike.
With a full carbon frame, the Oso still uses the time-tested DW link layout, but is the first bike from Ibis with an upper-link driven shock, where their other bikes are driven off a clevis on the rear triangle. The Oso has more progressivity than any other bike than Ibis have ever made, and they say that by driving the shock off the upper-link it gives the Oso a buttery smooth initial stroke while adding a ton of progression towards the end of the stroke, perfect for those big bottom out moments and an ideal candidate for a coil shock.
Other important details include a UDH derailleur hanger, 2.5" tire clearance, boost 148mm rear end, 200mm post mount, room for a bottle cage, seven year frame warranty and lifetime bushing warranty on Ibis' chunky pivot bushings. Tube-in-tube routing makes the Oso easy to work on, and built-in fenders keep the expensive stuff nicely protected. A removable battery makes charging easy whether it's on or off the bike, and a set of integrated lights from boutique brand Lupine means you can shred til bed.
Geometry
As mentioned earlier, the Oso runs 29" wheels on size Large and XL frames, and uses mixed wheels on Small and Medium frames, and the size specificity doesn't end there. In line with current trends, the Oso has size-specific seat tube angles and chainstays, between 77º-79º and 439-444mm respectively. The head tube angle sits at 64º across the range and a reach of 500mm in a size large - progressive indeed.
Motor and Battery
The Oso comes equipped with Bosch's Performance Line CX motor, running 85NM of torque it's plenty powerful to push you to the top of the mountain with time for multiple laps, whether you're cruising up the road on the limiter or putting in climb trail laps. The 750Wh removable battery (625Wh on size small) means that there's plenty of battery life for monster trails. Bosch's drive system has legendary reliability, and has an extensive worldwide dealer network, for quick and easy service no matter where you are.
Components and Spec
The Oso comes ready to rip, just like the trails you love to ride. With just one spec level to choose from, Ibis have gone for a sturdy build that's as shreddy as it is reliable and comes in four sizes from Small to XL, and in two different colour choices; Forest Service Green and Storm Blue.
The Oso comes with a burly Fox 38 Performance Elite fork and Float X2 shock for suspension, powerful Shimano XT 4-piston brakes on 220mm rotors and a dependable GX Eagle drivetrain. Rolling on their stout house brand aluminum Blackbird rims, they're wrapped in the grippy Assegai and Dissector combo, and the seatpost is a BikeYoke Revive, the Oso combines sensibility with all-out shredability.
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