Adam Cooper is a Canberra based mountain biker, and it is fair to say his bikes are often the best-finished, and best looking, in the field. From running an S-Works Epic with a SRAM XO 7 speed DH group set, to a ridiculously light OPEN hardtail, and now to this Orbea Oiz – Cooper’s bikes go hand in hand with Davy Sprocket. More than a pseudonym, it’s Cooper’s business that sets out to help people build beautiful custom bikes, finished with an eye for perfection.
This Orbea Oiz is a perfect example of Cooper’s attention to detail.
The chassis
The Orbea Oiz has made a jump to Boost spacing this year, but otherwise remains the racing thoroughbred in the Orbea stable, with 95mm of travel and clear intentions of helping riders get on top of podiums. The frame is full-carbon, and the rear swingarm uses flex designed into the seat and chain stays instead of a pivot near the rear axle – this aids low weight and greater lateral rigidity, while also reducing maintenance.
The Oiz is longer and lower than the Orbea trail bikes, and with steeper geometry. But, it can still take a dropper post – although Cooper hasn’t elected to run one.
The move to Boost (148mm) spacing on the Oiz has tightened up the chain stay length to 440mm on a 29er model like this one. The suspension has a unique leverage ratio, where it ramps a lot early on and so can be set with only 15% sag for efficient pedalling. but after 75% of it’s travel it’s regressive, letting the custom-tuned air shock’s normal progressiveness take control, and therefore it gets the full-travel more often on the biggest hits.
Cooper has paired the Orbea Oiz frame with the latest SID World Cup from RockShox, in Boost spacing, with two volume spacers inside – which should help match the ride of the fork to the ride of the rear shock.
The cockpit of the Orbea Oiz
Let’s look at the cockpit of Cooper’s Orbea Oiz. The whole ship is kept on course with a Tune Turnstange carbon bar, cut down to a still pretty wide 730mm. The bars are matched with a Tune Geiles Teil 4.0 stem, in 85mm, with some colour-matched (for the highlights) orange ESI Racer’s Edge grips.
Brakes are a custom combination of Hope’s E4 front and X2 rear – again with some custom orange bore caps to keep it all matchy-matchy. Cooper uses a SRAM XX1 trigger shifter.
Rolling stock on the Orbea Oiz
Well there’s not much stock about the wheels. Cooper has laced up Industry Nine hubs (in Boost spacing) to Nox Composites Skyline carbon rims, using Sapim CX-Ray spokes and orange nipples. Cooper has used the front hub with Torque Caps to aid stiffness. The wheels are wrapped with Schwalbe tyres, a Racing Ralph 2.25″ on the front and a Thunder Burt in 2.1″ out the back. Set up tubeless, with Schwalbe valves.
Rotors come from Hope, with the Race X2 Lightweight Floating rotors front and rear.
The drivetrain
There’s no messing around here with a trusted favourite of racers everywhere – SRAM XX1 11-speed. The 10-42 spread gives Cooper the range he needs – and it’s a lighter setup than Eagle. The chain is a KMC X11SL, and the crank set is the very light RaceFace Next SL G4, with an AbsoluteBlack direct mount 34t oval ring. The cranks spin on an Enduro ceramic bottom bracket, and Funn Tactic Supreme (Ti spindles) push them around.
The rest of the Orbea Oiz build
No corners are cut, and the Orbea Oiz has been finished off with a MCFK seatpost at 420mm, with a Selle Italia SLR Flow Carbonio mounted on top. Tune take care of the bottle cage, and orange aluminium bolts are usd where they can be, and end caps are colour-matched orange too.
Total weight? 9.40kg.
Full specs of the Orbea Oiz
Frame: Orbea Oiz, medium w/Rockshox Monarch RT3 rear shock
Fork: Rockshox SID World Cup, Boost (2 volume spacers installed)
Headset: Cane Creek AER II
Stem: Tune Geiles Teil 4.0 Stem, 85mm
Handlebars: Tune Turnstange, 6.5°, cut to 730mm
Grips: ESI Racer’s Edge, orange
Brakes: Hope E4 Race (front), Hope X2 Race (rear) with custom orange bore caps
Brake Rotors: Hope Race X2 Lightweight Floating Rotor
Shifter: SRAM XX1 11-speed
Derailleur: SRAM XX1
Cassette: SRAM XX1, 10-42
Chain: KMC X11SL
Crank set: Race Face Next SL G4 w/Absolute Black 34t oval chainring
Pedals: Funn Tactic Supreme w/ti spindles
Bottom bracket: Enduro ceramic
Seatpost: MCFK, 420mm
Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Flow Carbonio, Nero Puro edition
Wheel set: Nox Composites Skyline 29 rims laced to Industry Nine boost hubs with Sapim CX-Ray spokes and orange nipples. The front hub uses Torque Caps for maximum stiffness with the SIDs.
Tyres: Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25” (front), Schwalbe Thunder Burt 2.1” (rear), Schwalbe tubeless valves
Extras: Tune Rechtsträger bottle cage, orange cable ends and orange aluminium bolts throughout.