ONE FRAME, THREE OSOS
Ibis gives every Oso customer the opportunity to tune the handling to provide the best bike for them, or change the bike for a big trip or specific ride. Different shocks, clevises, and fork travel setups deliver three travel configurations, each with very different ride feels.
The Oso S pairs 130mm rear travel with a 140mm fork, and is intended to be the quickest and most playful member of the family for mellower terrain.
The Oso TR increases travel to 150mm rear and 160mm front for a more traditional all-around trail and all-mountain package.
Finally, the Oso HD gets 165mm of rear travel and a 180mm fork, and is aimed squarely at riders prioritizing descending capability. This is the model we are featuring here and will be testing for our long-term review.
Rather than locking an owner into one of those categories for the life of the frame, the modular platform provides a pathway to convert between them. This allows for future-proofing in case of changing rider needs, and for the possibility to transform the bike for a trip to a different zone.
MODULAR DROPOUTS AND WHEEL SIZES
Continuing down the adaptability line, Ibis gives the Oso bolt-on dropouts. This adds another layer of adjustment, so riders can choose different wheel-size and chainstay-length configurations to tune to suit their riding style or body dimensions.
Our Ibis Oso HD can be configured around mixed 29/27.5-inch or dual-29-inch wheels, though some configurations are limited by the frame size. The bolt-on dropouts let you choose from a short or longer rear end to tune the weight bias and resulting handling. With this adaptability, Ibis has provided considerably more adjustability than a conventional geometry flip chip. Riders have the ability to make meaningful changes to the Oso’s intended use.
Riders should note that chain lengths will need to be modified with the different dropouts, as the change is significant enough to put the chain outside SRAM’s operating tolerance for chain length.
KEEPING THE WEIGHT LOW
Instead of installing the largest battery possible, Ibis built the new Oso around Bosch’s 600Wh internal battery. The 600Wh battery saves roughly 1kg (2.2lb) compared with Bosch’s 800Wh option. More importantly for Ibis, its smaller dimensions allowed the battery to sit extremely low inside the downtube, and allowed them to make a thinner downtube around the battery. Some may feel this was a miss, however, Ibis did a lot of surveying to discover that most riders do not drain an 800Wh battery on the majority of their rides.
For longer rides, the Ibis Oso is compatible with Bosch’s optional 250Wh PowerMore range extender, increasing total available capacity to 850Wh.
Taking the feedback into practice, Ibis decided to prioritize building their dream eMTB that felt exactly how they wanted on the trail. The goal was to concentrate the Oso’s mass low in the chassis, which was noted on the trail, with the added benefit of sleeker lines to help enjoy the view of this golden brown eMTB.
BOSCH PERFORMANCE LINE CX
All three Oso configurations use Bosch’s Performance Line CX Gen 5 drive unit. With Bosch’s Performance Upgrade 2.0 and manufacturer approval, the latest CX hardware can offer a maximum of 120Nm of torque, 750 watts of peak power, and 600% support at time of publication.
More interesting than the maximum numbers is the level of control riders now have over them. Bosch’s eBike Flow app allows the motor parameters and riding modes to be customized extensively, letting riders prioritize outright assistance, range or a more natural power delivery. There are also some additional new features that we will discuss below.
Bosch’s sensor package uses rider torque, cadence and bike movement to determine how assistance should be delivered, and does a solid job of delivering the desired power to the ground with good control.
A CONNECTED MOTOR SYSTEM
Bosch’s smart-system architecture allows new features and motor changes to be delivered through software rather than requiring new hardware.
Bosch Traction Control & Other Updated Features
Performance Upgrade 2.0 is a good example. Compatible Bosch CX motors already in service can gain additional performance and customization through an update delivered using the Bosch Flow app. Some of the new features we really like are the tunable Traction Control. Riders can now tune Traction Control in each individual power mode, selecting between Off, Low, Medium or High for how much it helps adapt power output.
There is a tradeoff to maximum performance, however. Bosch explicitly notes that increasing performance settings can increase component wear and reduce range, giving riders another reason to tune the system around their priorities rather than automatically moving every slider to maximum.
Another new feature is the DTT or Drive Train Tensioner. This update lets the drive unit pre-tension the chain when the pedals are rotated backwards, which ensures the quickest acceleration when the rider applies the power.
The Flow app also displays ride data, system information, mode configuration, and other connected features such as security functionality.
62 MILLION REAL-WORLD MILES
It’s undeniable that there is a lot of commotion in the eMTB drive unit game right now. When it came to picking a drive unit for the new Oso, Ibis opted to give their customers the most tried and true unit available. The Bosch drive unit will receive support no matter where you travel, and it offers a unit that can legally be raced should you be interested in entering a local eMTB event. It’s a great choice if you want the peace of mind that comes from a household brand.
Bosch recently released an interesting piece of data that provides some context for the scale of its ecosystem. According to Bosch, U.S. riders have accumulated an estimated 62 million miles on eBikes using its smart system since 2023. More than 52 million of those miles were measured directly through Flow App connected-bike odometers and activity data from riders who opted into tracking, with Bosch extrapolating the remaining mileage across its U.S. smart-system fleet.
For riders considering a high-end eMTB, Bosch’s established dealer network, diagnostic and service infrastructure is another part of the ownership equation beyond peak torque and power. Ibis believes this support will keep riders happy, no matter where you go or what may happen.
A MORE PROGRESSIVE DW-LINK SUSPENSION
Ibis continues to use Dave Weagle’s DW-Link suspension layout, but they revised the leverage curve substantially for the new generation. The original Ibis Oso had approximately 17% leverage-rate progression, while the new platform increases that figure to roughly 30%.
The goal was to create more support, energy, and pop from this full-power eMTB, while providing better resistance deeper in the travel. Ibis tells us the increased progression also makes the suspension well suited to coil shocks.
Ibis supplies the Oso eBikes with shocks featuring their Traction Tune. This tune delivers less compression and rebound damping, which Ibis claims to improve bump absorption.
SIZE-SPECIFIC DESIGN
The new Oso is offered in five sizes: Small, Medium, Extra Medium, Large and XL.
Riders across the size range will be happy to know geometry, chainstay lengths, bottom-bracket heights and suspension kinematics are adjusted in an effort to provide more consistent handling and suspension behavior for riders of different heights and weights.
With the Extra Medium size offering and the smaller gaps between sizes that result, Ibis allows their customers to obtain a fit closer to their preference.
IBIS OSO HD FIRST RIDE IMPRESSIONS
On paper, the new Ibis Oso HD presents an interesting alternative to simply building the biggest-battery, highest-power eMTB possible. Ibis instead focused on where the bike carries its weight in an attempt to keep it playful, and added meaningful adaptability for its customers.
Upon first inspection, the Ibis Oso is quite elegant. The paint, finish, hardware and linkages all look sleek and well-considered. The bike presents excellent attention to detail, as you’d expect from a boutique brand like Ibis.
My first rides took place before the recent Bosch update, but at a bike park where climbing and the drive unit were not a big focus. I instantly felt balanced and comfortable aboard the Extra Medium frame size for my 5’10” body. The handling was predictable and stable, yet I was able to make quick changes in direction and play around quite effectively.
The Oso handled the long descents well, however, I am looking forward to playing around with the shock’s tuning settings more on my future test rides. Initial rides on the rear shock felt more energetic than the first generation Oso, and in some situations I enjoyed having a bit more feedback to tell me what was happening beneath me. It let me pump, accelerate and pop this bike a bit easier, helping to push it further away from the sluggish full-power eBike feeling.
However, I noticed that hits of a certain frequency and size also felt a bit rougher. The Fox Factory Float X2 shock can require more tuning on certain bikes, and this may be a bike that requires a bit more experimentation to really find the perfect balance in all terrain conditions. Ibis’s Traction Tune adds further complication to the matter. Testing time has been short thus far, but I’m confident I’ll find a good spot soon, as it was getting close after just a couple of runs.
Once I installed the Bosch update and took the bike out for some pedaling, I got to know it well in another way. The climbing position and feel was solid. The Traction Control is really impressive, and I like how well it works to keep forward momentum going on the loosest and steepest of trails. The Drive Train Tensioner or DTT is another interesting feature, and while I’ve not yet had enough time to truly learn, it has potential. I like it a lot in techy, punchy bits of trail and when I need to get back on the pedals quickly. I am very curious to see if it will lead to any changes in suspension feel on longer descents, as the chain can be tensioned while coasting.
Overall, it is difficult to consider the new Ibis Oso as just an evolution from the last generation. Instead, it is a completely new eMTB. While the last generation bike looked cool and had incredibly smooth suspension, it had some shortcomings. It seems that this bike, beyond its more traditional appearance, is going to ride a bit more like the bikes most people like. So far, our crew is quite excited to have this bike in our stable, and it will be getting some serious test miles this winter.
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