Randoms - The Bike Place Trade Show

Feb 1, 2016 at 14:34
by Olly Forster  
ORANGE BIKES

Orange - The Bike Place
Less is certainly more with Orange's latest arrival, the Four - a no holds barred short travel shredder that packs a punch. Sporting 120mm of rear travel, short 424mm chainstays and a stiff 'Boosted' rear, the name of the game with the Four is fun, plain and simple.

Orange - The Bike Place
Classic styling that's hard to fault, especially with some progressive numbers in the geometry department.
Orange Bikes - The Bike Place Show
The growing trend for highly capable short travel bikes isn't going anywhere and it's great to see Orange joining the party.

Orange Bikes - The Bike Place Show
How nice does this look? This head turning Orange 324S is dripping in the latest suspension from Fox and finished off with a smattering of tasty orange anodized parts from Hope Technology.

Orange - The Bike Place
Steel is certainly real with the new P7! A full Reynolds 525 butted CroMo tubeset is backed up with a 65-degree head angle, 430mm chainstays and comes in 4 sizes, all of which sport some fun-loving geometry.
Orange Bikes - The Bike Place Show
Taste the rainbow and pick your own. Orange have always offered a degree of flexibility when it comes to choosing what your bike looks like, which is great when you want to stand out from the crowd.



BURGTEC
Burgtec - The Bike Place Show
Flat pedal thunder? You have to roll with the times and Burgtec's long awaited clipless pedal is nearly available. After a year of development with World Cup animal, Josh Bryceland, they look set to cause some ripples in the pedal market in a similar fashion to their already established and widely applauded flat pedal offering.

Burgtec - The Bike Place Show
Burgtec have a number of after-market chainrings in their range that will soon be accompanied by a new DH specific ring and a SRAM direct mount number as well.
Burgtec - The Bike Place Show
The mud guard (or fender if that's what you prefer?) market has exploded recently, but the team at Burgtec are offering something different - custom graphics.

Burgtec - The Bike Place Show
Burgtec's new Cloud saddle is now available, sporting hollow titanium rails, a carbon base and a low profile foam upper to take the sting out of the trail below.



GT & CANNONDALE
GT Bicycles - The Bike Place
The GT Fury remains at the top of the food chain, delivering the necessary minerals a world class racer or week end warrior is looking for when it comes to stability and speed.
GT Bicycles - The Bike Place
Keeping the Fury glued to the trail is the Fox X2 Coil - a rear shock which has quickly set the standard for gravity damping.

Cannondale - The Bike Place
Cannondale's popular Habit Carbon SE has been winning fans since it first arrived on the scene - this one came straight from the trails.

GT Bicycles - The Bike Place
The sexiest carbon hardtail of the show award goes to...
GT Bicycles - The Bike Place
Unfortunately, this is strictly limited edition and not available to the general public.



SHORELINES DISTRIBUTION
Dissent Labs - The Bike Place
How's your sock game? Canadian sock supremos, Dissent Labs, are now available in the UK through Shorelines Distribution and are packed with more features than you can shake a stick at.

North Shore Billet - The Bike Place
Need a spare hanger? North Shore Billet have you covered...
North Shore Billet - The Bike Place
If you can CNC it, these guys will, including these neat cable guides for your forks.



90'S NOSTALGIA?
Retro Cannondale - The Bike Place
If you grew up in the 90's and followed World Cup downhill racing, there's a good chance you dreamed of owning one of these...
Retro Orange - The Bike Place
And let's not forget this vintage Orange with Girvin fork... Just check out the bars and stem alone!

MENTIONS: @GTBicycles / @Burgtec2004 / @orangebikes / @Cannondale


Author Info:
ollyforster avatar

Member since Jun 8, 2005
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113 Comments
  • 35 0
 I have some sort of feeling towards the Orange 324S but I just don't know how to express it.
  • 16 2
 HARD feelings?
  • 9 5
 Is it just me, or does that rear shock look short as f*ck?
  • 9 0
 Optical illusion due to how the shock is mounted, I don't think 240mm eye 2 eye is that short?
  • 6 6
 looks like the rear upper chain stays dented to me
  • 8 2
 @mark3 its intentional, its the heel clearance for the DS crank. Not the most attractive solution but elegant in its simplicity- much like the whole bike. I love that damn build. Would buy one in a heartbeat.
  • 13 0
 The P7 steel bike looks sexy.
  • 2 1
 Its the shock angle that bugs me. It might well be its optimum position but I prefer the look of the older models where it was parallel with the top tube.
  • 9 0
 @djm35 ha, I know what you mean but weirdly I prefer this orientation over the older ones for a similar idiosyncratic reason. I've always admired the agricultural approach to Orange bikes, that when you look closely, reveal hidden refinement. They're absolutely the Landrover Defender of MTB. Not always the best tool for the job on paper but about 99% there. Certainly good enough for me!
  • 20 33
flag Darkstar187 (Feb 2, 2016 at 7:10) (Below Threshold)
 Orange and Ellsworth need to take a field trip to Santa Cruz, and IBIS and learn about design..
  • 11 6
 All I know is that the four looks exactly like a 2004 big hit spec...

static.specialized.com/media/2004/bikes/04BigHit_l.jpg
  • 4 1
 @parkourfan : Hahaha nice, but in that case, last norco or trek looks like 2004 kona coiler ;-)
  • 5 4
 I've never ridden an orange. Im wondering do they feel as flexy as they look with one pivot holding the whole back end together I mean this is the same design I see on cheap Walmart bike that arw flexy. Not to say orange is in any way a Walmart brand. But im just curious is it really stiff or really flexy?
  • 5 0
 @mhoshal : I can't compare with so many bikes, but they are definitely stiffer than other famous and more "modern looking" bikes, and they are stiffer than they look, specially models with swingarm like alpine, 324 or Four
  • 23 2
 Santa Cruz who has used the same vpp link for a million years and just changed the paint job yearly? That's innovative... Ibis whose enduro bike looks like a giant reign and specialized enduro had a love child styled by foes? Crawl back under your rock.
  • 1 0
 Thanks for the insight man I appreciate it
  • 4 2
 Before I thought Orange bikes sucked .. but now when you see Phil Atwill on it .. you want one too !! Their current look is awesome meeeen I'd like to try that out
  • 3 0
 Never liked Orange bikes when they had the dopey folded sheet metal rear swing arms, but the new swing arms really lok the business.
  • 5 3
 I have a feeling too... Those Hope parts are better off on a beach cruiser. Is that a joke? I had a bike just like that in '96. Foes Weasel. That sucked then, and this sucks now.
  • 2 0
 Sorry but how hard are you having squint to make the two look even remotely similar..?
  • 1 3
 Don't be sorry... I have perfect vision. It's just a really stupid design that happened 20 years ago.
  • 1 2
 www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/download/file.php?id=106485
  • 3 1
 It's hardly stupid, the single pivot design is simple and it works well. However I do conceed that if poorly done it can ride like a bag of bolts, the same could be said of any design. Luckily most people who have give Oranges a fair crack of the whip have very little to stay in the way of negatives. As for the retro bike link.....I'm still not convinced they look anywhere near the same, bar the fact there both SP's
  • 1 2
 Okay. You win. I think you should buy one and see what happens.
  • 2 0
 If I had the cash spare right now it would be very close to the top of my shopping list, but as it stands presently most of my spare cash is being sunk into an engine conversion on a project car :-)
Saying that I have owned and raced Oranges patriot, 222/223 and 224 standard and evo with very little in the way of issues and I would be pretty confident is saying I have a fair idea what would happen.....huge speed + lots of fun with a side shot of adrenaline
  • 24 0
 Those socks look a little too flexible in my opinion.
  • 12 0
 i think they need the boost treatment
  • 13 5
 There is very little flex in the rear end of Oranges, having had the pleasure of riding and or owning most of them over the years, I would be very surprised if the 324s was a step backwards by Orange!!
However if you wanted a shorter travel Orange with up to date geometry what was wrong with the Blood? Ok it's not a classic Orange single pivot but it is a shredder non the less putting many longer travel, more up to date geometry bikes to shame. My Mrs has a custom Blood and I cannot fault it and I have found myself borrowing it on more than one occasion.
  • 7 0
 Do they still make it? The blood was the only orange I've liked
  • 4 1
 Sadly not, the last year Orange made the blood was 2011. If you like the Blood have a look at the one in my photo gallery
  • 5 2
 Man, if you like Orang Blood so much - you'd better buy transition bottlerocket and do not disturb old, good, single pivot bikes Smile
  • 18 3
 Anyone who disses Orange just hasn't ridden one, the quality and workmanship is awesome, they weigh next to nothing and no other bike rides so animatedly, pops so predictably and so high off every jump yet feels like it has one of those roady bike motors in the seat tube the way they accelerate so fast on their own. Absolutely love Orange bikes, wish they weren't so expensive over here in OZ!!!
  • 4 0
 Too true. I had an ST4 for a while which for a 100mm travel bike felt like it had plenty more and handled some larger than-your-average-trail-centre with relative ease. It was a funky looking design and fairly lightweight with its RP23 and some Floats on it. Sadly my rides started involving bigger things and it did start to feel out of its depth so I sold it on.

I still do miss that bike though and if I ever have the spare cash doing nothing and stumble across a frame in the Buy/Sell area I may just end up with one for nostlagic reasons..
  • 4 0
 I've got an orange blood, best looking bike orange made imo, love riding it and easily puts a lot of newer bikes to shame, just wish they had made it with a tapered steerer though
  • 4 0
 spare me this fancy single-pivot stuff. Just send me this sexy beast of a P7 and l'll be just fine!
  • 6 0
 I own 5 orange : 322, Alpine mk1, Mii, R8 & Blood (and i used to own Five mk1 and 224. Yes, i've got a little problem with Orange bikes). Buying the blood and built it like a mini dh was not "necessary", because 322 and Alpine do the job. It was more to enjoy having a pretty rare bike here in france and simply because i love this frame. But damn this bike is so fun to ride ! I lent it to friends sometimes, and they are just amazed how great it works for a six year old 130mm travel bike. Travel seems bottomless with CCDB and it's also pretty capable when it's about to uphill with "all mountain" transmission.

This Four looks really sexy & fun and it must be a blast to ride in most UK trail centre. Simple, Reliable and fun, that's what i expect from a bike.
  • 4 2
 a short travel slack bike! definitely a want! since i'm actually looking for one. Can't imagine how sexier a carbon orange bike would be. just saying.
  • 2 0
 Thanks man I appreciate the insight. By the way your spouses blood does look sick. Ive got a purple and Gray santacruz jackal. I love the color scheme!!!
  • 3 0
 I own an '05 Strange Alpine Five. It has angles that are only recently being used in standard trailbike geometry. At first glance it looks like the '15 Alpine 160, then you see the 1 1/8" and 27.5mm tubing. If it ain't broke..
  • 11 1
 To me orange bikes are like porsches, an evolution of a design crafted in to a tool to do a job. simples
  • 4 4
 Yes... a VW Bug with a huge price tag.
  • 7 0
 I don't think that they are that overpriced, yes if you are comparing to YT or Canyon, but we are talking about a frame build in Britain by hand. Compare Orange with alloy frames from Intense, Santa Cruz, Nicolai or from other boutique brands that are not make in the far east. Hell, my banshee spitfire frame cost the same as an Orange five and that was made in Twain.
  • 3 0
 I'm still in love with the Orange Five frame - but I simply can't tell if its infamous "character" would suit me or not. A shame that it's so hard to find test rides in Germany Frown
  • 3 0
 Buy a Liteville or a Nicolai dude.
  • 3 0
 You're probably right Wink

But Liteville has become so common in Bavaria, it's a bit boring, I have to say.
  • 1 4
 Honestly mate, you'd have to be a numskull to buy an orange over either.
  • 3 1
 @Tamasz - come to the UK for a weekend of riding - pretty much any trail head will do - there will be 00's of Fives to see and pretty much all their owners will let you have a go.
  • 1 0
 Smile
  • 2 0
 Because they'll all want a go on your Nicolai I expect ; )
  • 2 0
 haha Big Grin or my current Canyon Spectral, which is good - but also a bit boring. First world problems.
  • 4 0
 Not a big fan of Oranges, but that 324 is definitely pleasing on the eye. With the exception of that old-Glory-esque downtube penetrating shock mount.
  • 1 2
 Leave Glory's alone, they're much prettier than those crazy old Norco's
  • 2 0
 I like the Steel one! Orange makes nice steel hardtails.
  • 1 0
 @timsim07 I don't know about prettier. Less ugly, but still not great. And leave my Norco alone, it was fantastic.
  • 1 1
 Fantastically old, heavy and steep hahaha
  • 1 1
 Yeah, that's about it. I like how you're getting downvoted for some reason. Also my Scalp is prettier than your Pulse by a mile
  • 1 0
 hahahaa probably some norco fanboy neg propping me. I prefer the pulse frame but there's a fair number of components I'd swap with you haha (message to the mysterious norco megafan: I like norco but the old atomik was a mess of a bike)
  • 1 0
 Scalp has cleaner lines, it's much nicer. (Message to mysterious Norco megafan; The Atomik was mine, it was dreadful)
  • 3 0
 That Girvin fork makes me shutter. I sheared one at the headset on my Pro-Flex back in the day doing a drop not made for that limited suspension. Yeah, I was ahead of my time, what a bloddy mess that was. Haha!
  • 4 0
 Loving the zaskar with inverted ball burnished colorway. What would be the equivalent of a RS Mag-20 fork today?
  • 3 2
 I'm trying so hard to like Orange bikes and while the P7 looks brilliant I personally think they make the some of the ugliest and cheapest looking bikes out there. I think that high chainstay throws me off like an optical illusion. I must just need to ride one to get a clean perspective. People that own them seem to love them so that's saying something.
  • 1 1
 P7 for life !!!!!!
  • 2 1
 i always appreciate these homepage articles where they re-post a bike show from 2006. i just wish that if they could take us on a time machine journey like this, i could then look in the mirror and be ten years younger as well.
  • 5 4
 Hey Cannondale... I fully realize that you're trying to do new stuff, but it's time to give up on the Lefty. You'd sell WAY WAY WAAAAY more bikes if you'd stock a normal fork. Most (99.9%) of people do NOT want a Lefty. I'm just being real....
  • 1 0
 But Cannondale don't do normal middle-of-the-road fashion-herd stuff - they do stuff for people who appreciate clever engineering and enhanced performance. The Lefty 2.0 seems to have corrected the few issues with the old ones while retaining all the benefits. I'd have a SuperMax 160 like a shot if I could afford it!
  • 1 0
 Only let my super v Dh go this year, it had evolved into a sub 30 pound trail slayer with offset bushings and a lefty 140 pbr. If I could have steepened the seat angle is never have let it go. Say what you like about cannondale but when they made their bikes by hand in the states you would have struggled to find better built bikes, mine was 18 years old and solid as a rock
  • 4 0
 Formally requesting an Orange P7 pinkbike review
  • 4 0
 A Renolds P7? But... but... the P stands for Prestige......
  • 1 0
 P7 yaaaaay!
  • 3 0
 those burgtech pedals look great as a replacement for my DX pedals. probably stick to DX due to £££ probs though
  • 1 0
 Around £120 I think.
  • 3 0
 Any word on availability of those Burgtecs? I've been holding out for the new Shimano DH pedals, but I like what I see here.
  • 1 0
 No 29 Zaskar? Gt is just skimping out on too much these days!

This company used to be the socal leader!!

Their bikes are great, but warranty and tech are the worst I've experienced!!
  • 2 2
 the 90ies are over! gt was cult especially the zaskar had cult following including myself. i owned all of the ano coloured zaskar frames and ball burnished also. and remember the nice lts and xizang. 93 to 95 was the peak of gt imo. nowadays they are a joke compared to bitd
  • 3 0
 I wouldn't go that far...clearly you haven't ridden any of their newer bikes... I'll assure you they are much better than most brands on the market.
  • 2 1
 after they collapsed in the early 2000´s i wasnt interested in gt any longer. the zaskar frames got uglier and uglier from 98 onwards and i never liked their newer full suspension rigs.
  • 2 0
 Say what you want but my 2016 carbon Zaskar has been one the most fun and reliable bikes I've ridden.
  • 1 0
 The new bikes from 2014 ride great. Some of the colourways are whack and they need to make the Helion a 29er. Like the look of that new Zaskar.
  • 1 0
 I had that Cannondale DH 4000. I loved that bike. It was a tank that could take a beating! Probably the most exciting bike to me of the ones I've had. Never forget Miles Rockwell doing 65 mph down kamikazi. Crazy!
  • 1 1
 Mountain Bikers have got to be the most metrosexual group of people on the planet out side metrosexuals themselves. In all the other sports and activities I've been into I've never heard more whinging and squawking about how something looks. If you don't like, you don't like it. That's fine. But the rate at which people come on here and vocalize what they don't like makes me think you arch your eyebrows and lay in tanning beds when you aren't running down something that's visually offended you.
  • 4 0
 some nice goods.
  • 2 3
 I used to like everything about Orange, and I still do.... apart from their bikes. My first bike was a missile and I would love to buy British but the bikes just don't blow my skirt up anymore- I need to get excited to spend that kind of cash. I hate GT too now for making that Zaskar and not releasing it to the public. That's just plain rude!
  • 2 0
 You can get a carbon Zaskar, just not that particular one.
  • 1 0
 that black one is so nice but geo is outdated.
  • 2 1
 i never got my Burgtec's back when I sent them in for servicing, 300+$ gone. Sad now that I'm stuck with there stem and hubs that can't be service.
  • 1 1
 Burgtec seems to have a problem delivering. I purchased a Ti offset bushing over a year ago and they've yet to send the item or respond to the half a dozen attempts to contact them. Out $40+ as well.
  • 1 0
 i must have confused them, i dunno
  • 2 0
 Crave for more. Love to see bike shows coverage.
  • 2 0
 I wonder if NSB makes a hanger for shimano direct mount on the yt capra?
  • 4 3
 That dent in the swingarm of the 324... - haven't they heard of hydroforming, they charge loads for the old technology.
  • 2 0
 Love me some North Shore Billet!! Yeah Lever!!
  • 2 1
 Wow Orange really switching it up this year!!!!!
Whoever said innovation was dead?
  • 2 1
 ... if it isn't broke..
  • 1 0
 The Cannondale bike cleaning tech was like "Screw it, i'm taking the day off"
  • 1 0
 Was there yesterday, some nice stuff there! We were right next to the Orange stand so I got a good look
  • 1 0
 Forget the Girvin etc on the vintage Orange - look at the retro Michelin Wildgripper on the back! Smile
  • 2 1
 Those Orange bikes look sic without CS
  • 1 1
 I've got a Five29er and is noticeable flexy at the swingarm. My old 2012 Alpine160 was way stiffer.
  • 1 0
 That was flagged up too in the 2014 (think) Dirt 100. Never ridden one myself.
  • 3 6
 Must be a UK thing because I can't stand the beefy rear triangle build on that orange or the look of a floating chain ring. Moving the axis up the down-tube might work like magic but it's like the ugly Ferrari. Just saying. I also can't stand the lefty on cosmetics either.
  • 1 0
 The Zaskar just shouldn't be a carbon bike.
  • 2 0
 ball burnished or aqua blue all the way :-)
  • 6 6
 With orange you can ride 90's bike with 2016 components
  • 1 0
 Funny guy! Your joke did make me laugh, but you've got to admit, they do the job well and keep going for years?
  • 3 4
 Christ, that 324 is pig ugly. I'm sure some people are drooling over it. For me, makes me throw up in my mouth.
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