As someone who owned a Five for years, now rides an Alpine and has a Carbo I can see points in both sides of the argument here.
The way I see it is that Orange appeals in many ways that other brands could never do. I had my alpine resprayed last year and it came back like a new bike. If I need a part I get a human who understands what I’m on about and I can usually sort things in a few seconds, unlike when I used to
own a specialized. Lets not mention trying to do a bearing change on my Pitch 🙂
They also ride the bikes In places we ride which means a lot of things are a non issue, mud clearance, bearing changes, 7 coats of paint…. Lol
Also, if your making an assumption on looks alone then if you haven’t rode one you may be pleasantly surprised. They just seem to get it bang on. I do get that they are a little overpriced for what they are but remember, just like a golf or a transporter, you will get that money back on resale.
Just my thoughts for what little they are worth…. 😉
Merry Christmas!