Evening,
Looking at getting a new frame as i had a bit of a problem with my last one one 456.. Looking for a frame with dropouts, and have been looking at P7’s are they really worth paying £500 for?? If anyone would like to offer their opinions would greatly appreciate. Pictures also welcome!

Yep, love my P7, but there are plenty of alternatives these days.

My mates P7 is awesome!

Head 2 Head.

Which is the better ride/buy – P7 or the Crush?

Awesome bike, the first bike i grab if going somewhere i dont know the tarrain of. and i hate oranges generally!!

had one loved it.

I’ve got a 2008 P7, which is superb – bought it in preference to Cotic Soul. However, I think the P7 frame has since been beefed up significantly to pass the latest CE(?) regs, and it’s now heavier. The 2008 frame is no flyweight! Not sure how the latest frames ride compared to stuff from Cotic & Genesis – Guess the best bet is to try and grab a demo ride of some stuff.

Good luck choosing 🙂

I’ve got a 2010 p7 with 140mm forks.
It’s so good I sold my full suss!
’tis a keeper.

Yeap! its all kinds of awesome to ride! I wouldn’t swop mine for anything else.

Plus i got it on cycle2work so it was actually cheap!

Yes

What ‘problem’ did you have with your 456?

Value wise no

Just as one eg:

Cotic Soul (4.4lbs?) = 853 front triangle (631 headtube?) = £470 inc. seat clamp, chainstay protector & delivery
Cotic BFe (~5.5lbs?)= 853 DT/631 ST/TT/HT = £370 inc. seat clamp, chainstay protector & delivery
Orange P7 (~6lbs?)(was £600 last year) = 631 front triangle = £500

Though if you love the P7 to ride and don’t get the cotics then it’s probably worth the extra for you

I love my P7, however, I was put off by the price of the frame, IMO there are equal frame for less money available. In the end, I bought a p7s (I wanted a black one) flogged the bits i didn’t need and put on the bits I wanted. Expensive outlay, but probably prudent in the long run as I was soon needing new wheels, seat and tyres. Once you’ve chucked in a new chain and cassette, full set of cables etc you might as well by a complete bike. That said, I’m happy with deore hubs etc.

The full builds are decent value. The frame alone is bad value personified, it’s a £200 frame with £300 worth of Orange sticker on it. They are nice and I wouldn’t mind one but £500? No.

If you make a comparison with Cotic… Not saying the BFe is better in all ways, ride quality and geometry is too subjective but it does prove the point- stronger, tested for more fork, lighter, built with more expensive tubes, finished to the same very high standard, for 75% of the price.

I have considered replaced my 100mm travel Rock Lobster with one. the main thing stopping me is that it might make me not want to ride my 5.

I think the 2011 5 pro is a not bad deal as a full bike

I have two!
Keep a six year old one up at the holiday hoose, and got this year’s frame to swap my 5 components onto. Overbiked with the 5, but wished for capable and adaptable hardtail instead (plus, I was keen on the matt black frame).
Maybe a bit stuck on Orange, and when I learned of the Cotic price difference it was too late, but I didn’t care.
I got what I wanted and love what I have.

May you make the right decision.

To be fair I bought with heart rather than head… it was a cycle to work special and I’d always wanted a P7.

Overpriced tat, worth £300 absolute tops. Even that’s pushing it.

Far better made and finished frames out there, especially for a ridiculous £500 or so. The dropouts are still a bit micky mouse as well…

Believe the P7 is made in Halifax now

I’ve had a number of Brit-designed steel hardtails (most of the obvious ones and one or two others) and the P7 is the one I’ve stopped at. For the first time I’m not at all bothered what other frames are being produced or by whom. It’s all I’ve ever asked from a hardtail and I’m happy with it as the basis of my only bike for the UK. Love it.

grantway – Member

“Believe the P7 is made in Halifax now”

Nope, still Taiwan.

Oh OK! But they was ment to have brought that back in house
last year.
Maybe very busy with the other full susspension frames

To be honest both frames look very close but the P7 as the
under gusset on the down tube. And a Chain device bracket
Dont know if that makes it stronger or worth the extra cash?

£500 can get a lot of frame.

Evil Sovereign or a chromag stylus for example. I know which i’d rather have…..

I have a 2008 19″ in black that I enjoyed, ultimately I opted for a 5 as it’s easier going on me on Welsh hillsides, the P7 handled all I threw at it though. I bought as a full bike for £900 – the low spec model and it was a great bike, really helped me get out and ride more and was a hell of a lot of fun to ride.

It’s a Steel hardtail probably like most others, I can’t imagine I’d ever buy one as frame only brand new as it is expensive for what it is.

It’s still something you either desire or you don’t though I think.

Having said that mine is likely to be on the market shortly as I have no need for much more than the 5, a commuter and a road bike. So if you are interested, give me an email 🙂

What about a Sanderson Blitz?
853 tubes. Designed around a 140mm fork.
£350 or so.

First post on the singletrack forum and i want to big up my bike!

I ride a 2010 frameed p7 with 2010 fox32 vans and the ’09 finishing kit (i got in there before the drivetrain got downgraded but got the elixr 5 brakes). amazing bike and perfectly set up for british trails. as a whole bike the P7 is well priced but the frame on its own is expensive. the back up from orange is great aswell, i didn’t have a problem with the frame but the gobi saddle (PP upgrade) snapped and they replaced it, no questions asked.

when buying the P7 i looked at alot of other frames and building them up to the spec of the P7 and none of them could match it for price as a whole bike, hence why i bought a complete bike.

the only downside os the weight of the frame and the dropouts which i’m probably never going to use. but to be honest, i wouldn’t want a skinny stayed hardtail pinging off the rocks on some of my favorite trails, i’d find it quite disconcerting.

hope you find a decent bike!

Didn’t like my P7 so sold it and brought a 456 instead. To me it rode like a bag of crap as if it was designed and built by a monkey.

conversely i never really got on with my 456 very well, but love my alfine equipped P7. YMMV.

Mate has a 2009 Crush which he liked so much he bought a 2010 P7… which he loves. The 2009 Crush is a bit heavy and low rent in the componentry stakes compared to the P7 he bought, which probably/possibly/partly explains the difference but he has been raving about the springy sprightly feeling of the steel P7.

Two other friends have P7’s and they love them. I found the Med too short and large too big which is why I bought a Whyte 19 Steel – get a test ride or at least throw a leg over and decide for yourself.

I’ve heard rumours of problems with the headtube in a batch for 2011 and hence availability might be an problem.

I dont think they are, theres better hardtails for the cash. Although to be honest, the P7 is much better value than the other hardtails in the Orange range i.e. Orange 5 etc.

I thoroughly enjoyed owning and riding mine. I’d happily buy another.

Yes imo. As above, the current version’s heavier than my 2008 (MKII) but I’d still buy one. Go for the S with the upgraded fork and then upgrade at your leisure like I have. Ride her like a dirty slut, bootiful bikes 😛

the problem with the 456 was i was casually pedalling along on a ride, and the derailleur flipped the other way went into my wheel bent the rear hanger into the cassette and bent the drivetrain side chainstay. So i bent the chainstay back enough to make it into a single speed, i got going again and then my wheel fell out because the dropout had been pulled apart. I’ve done trail repairs on hardtails before, and that never happened.