Hi everyboby! Let me start introducing me, i’m new in singletrack forum, so, i’m an 35 year old spanish rider that gave up recently the DH scene and i’m looking for an enduro ride. My first option is an Orange Alpine 160, but i have a serious doubt about the size, 16″, or 18″. I’m just in between, i’m 5’10” and i always was perfectly suitted at 17″.

After questioned to my local dealer, he is telñling me, yes, you are in between but closest to 18″, better for “climbing”? but i already have an allmountain hardtail for longer rides. I’m looking for short rides, with not to much for climb and lot of descent. And go for Maxis and Megas… Could be better then a 16″? anyone there with Alpine 160 that can help me please?

Thanx in advance

ive just bought a new alpine 160 and im 5 foot 6 and its an 16 inch frame and does me fine so 17 sounds about right for you, buy one there awesome, slog all the downhills ;p

Hi there and welcome, alpine is a great bike. Worth upgrading to the ccbd if you can afford it as much better on the DH. I’m 6 foot and the 18 is fab for me, it’s a long bike so I would go for the 16 if I was you. I think you’ll have ablaze on it and if climbing not the main use then the slightly smaller frame would be better. Depends on your riding style, if you like to pump the ground and work the bike then 16 which is more likely for enduro style riding. Or the larger frame would be more stable at speed but less manoverable.

Hope this helps

jay

Im 5’11” and went for the 18″. Fits me perfectly. Certainly wouldnt have wanted to go for the 16″ as I spend as much time riding up hills as I do riding down them.

Try a demo bike? Whereabouts are you? If you are near Manchester, NorthWest Mountainbike Centre have a demo day coming up. I bought mine from there.

First of all, Hello and welcome! I have a 2010 Alpine 160 , size is 16 inch , and I’m 5 ft 6 inches. HTH. 🙂

Lungman – would you say the CCDB is worth the cost as an upgrade over my existing DH5 air? I regret not getting the coil option from new, and I havent seen a bad review of the CCDB to date, however the £400+ cost is significant…

its not 400 its gone down to 300 🙂

http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/2011/alpine-160/

5’10” on an 18″ here. The best fitting bike I have ever owned. Which is’nt the case with my 18″ Five, which feels a bit cramped.

I’m 5’11” and brought (2nd hand) a 16″ bike. It was too small for XC riding so it got sold. Shame as it was a fabulous bike.

I’d go 18″ if I were you.

Chris MBUK – £300?? Where?????? 😯

Ah, you mean the upgrade from new price. I rang orange today to see if they could do a decent “supply only” price, but they wont supply CCDB’s as an aftermarket item, only with new bikes.

First of all thaks everyone for your help. And now just another little question. Can anyone tellme the real size in mm of the seat tube? from centre to top?

Thanks in advance.

Well as seen as its the 160 ypou are buying you wont really be using it much for troddling around on, i take it its a trail centre / AM / downhill rig otherwise you would be buying the 5.
So if i was you id go for the 16inch.
But as you say you are right inbetween, my brother is 6.3 and he had an 18inch im 6.1 and i felt it was just a tad too big for doing techie stuff on.
Personnaly i wouldnt buy any orange, not a fan of single pivot bikes.
I have a Cube Fritz and its far far superior, and my biking mate had a 5 and sold it for a Cube Fritzz and never looked back, dont have a clue why MBR rate them so much, if you was to looka at aCube go for the 18inch.
What about an Ellsworth they are awesome too and i think they do a 17inch.
I think the 160 stock bike is pathetic value for money you have to upgrade nearly everything to make it a decent specced bike but then it enters a price point you have achoice of loads of lovely stunning bikes to choose from

I’m 5′ 10″ with 30″ inside leg. I demo’d both. 16″ felt too cramped almost like my medium Heckler. 18″ is perfect fit. It truly is an awesome machine. I find it pedals and goes up fine, and going down is just in a different league. Single pivot, simple, only 2 bearings to worry about. I run a Pushed DHX 4.0 coil.

1″=25.4mm
16″ x 25.4mm=406.40mm
18″ x 25.4mm=457.20mm

I demoed both 16″ and 18″. At 5’10″/32″ leg, neither was right. The 16 was hilarious downhill, but just too cramped to be comfortable on day rides. The 18″ was really good all day, but just too big to be properly chuckable downhill.

As a Mega-style bike, the 16 would be fine – the climbing isn’t technical for the most part, so fit is less of an issue.

im 5 foot 6 and ive got a 16 inch and does me fine

JonEdwards I agree I also need a 17″ some where inbetween the two 🙂

(Mr MC posting)

5’10 and ~32″ inseam. bought a 16″ based on toptube length being similar to my 17″/medium santa cruz (I like bikes with 22-22.5″ top tubes); I am at the top end of the size range for a medium SC but thats how I like my bikes. 5’10” is the average height of the UK male, so its frustating we always seem to sit between sizes; if Orange did a 17″ it would be bang on for most tastes, and we sit right on the threshold of medium and large SC’s.

At the risk of continually hawking this on thread after thread, £1200 for a new Alpine with CCDB (upgrade costs +£300) would be a decent price used, not new… (okay its an old model with 27.2 not 30.9 seat tube…)

http://www.probikeshop.fr/soldes-orange-cadre-alpine-160-mandarine-orange-cane-creek-double-barrel-2010/63694.html#publishComment