The Ibis Oso is the first ever eMTB from the iconic Californian mountain bike brand. At the last race of the Enduro World Series-E 2022 in Finale Ligure, we had the exclusive opportunity to take a closer look at the brand-new race bike of Swedish pro rider Zakarias Johansen.
At the last race of the EWS-E 2022 in Finale Ligure, we spotted the first Ibis eMTB, which had not yet been presented to the public at that time. While we were at it, we had a little chat with pro rider Zakarias Johansen from the Ibis Enduro Race Team, who was kind enough to share a few secrets on his bike and suspension settings. Needless to say, race eMTBs are quite different from production models and prepared to meet the tough requirements of racing, with suspension and components optimised to suit the riders’ size, weight and riding style.
Editor-in-chief Robin had the opportunity to test the Oso at an exclusive presentation event in California even before the official launch. The day before the Finale Ligure race, Bosch presented their new Performance Line CX Race motor, which we had already tested a few days earlier, and was developed specifically for racing.
In a nutshell, the Performance Line CX Race motor differs from the conventional CX motor in that it features new motor software and an extra support level above the Turbo mode, called Race mode – and it’s 150 g lighter too! The CX Race has the same torque output of 85 Nm and the same maximum power but the additional Race mode boosts the maximum pedal assistance from 340 to 400%. Read the full review to find out what Bosch’s new Race motor is capable of.
In frame size L, the production bike comes standard with a 185 mm BikeYoke REVIVE dropper post. However, Zakarias’ race bike, which is also a size L, features the long-travel 213 mm version. In our “Mounting a longer dropper post – will it fit my frame?” article we’ll tell you whether it’s a good idea to install a long-travel dropper post on your bike.
If you’re thinking of running shorter cranks yourself, remember to adjust the saddle height accordingly. In our “What’s the best crank length on an E-MTB?” article we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this topic.
In this test, you’ll find out what the FOX 38 FLOAT Factory is capable of.
If you want to know more about MAXXIS’ tires and could do with a few tips, you should read our big tire test. While Zakarias race bike relies on bling Shimano XTR brakes with 203 mm rotors front and rear, the Oso comes standard with Shimano XT brakes and bigger 220 mm discs. In our “Brakedance – How to get more performance out of your brakes” article we’ll tell you how to fine tune your brakes.
These foam inserts are impressively effective at warding off damage to both the tires and rims and at the same time allow you to run lower air pressures, thus ensuring better traction. Read everything about them in our CushCore PRO long-term test. The tires are combined with Ibis’ in house Blackbird Send alloy rims, both on the race and production bike.
Follow Zakarias Johansen, the Ibis Cycles Enduro Race Team and team photographer NIKLAS WALLNER on Instagram to see what they’re up to and how the Swede fares in next year’s EWS-E.
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Words: Manne Schmitt Photos: Thomas Weiss, Niklas Wallner, Manne Schmitt
