Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)
  • Orange Mountain Bikes ST4
  • xtjim
    Free Member

    Just wanted to share this as Orange are happy to take your money.
    My wife bought me an Orange ST4 in November 2008 for my 40th birthday after 6 months I had to have the left hand suspension link repaired (under warranty). The next year the shock valve leaked, no big problem the local shop fixed this but informed me that the suspension bearings where all shot (Orange supplied new). While these where being fitted it became apparent that the suspension link that was fitted the year before was different to the original still fitted to the bike, again I spoke to Orange who asked me to send them back and they would supply a new upgraded pair of links(why would they need to be upgraded). In March 2011 the rear Swing arm(chain stay) snapped on the left hand side causing me to fall off with a few bumps and injuries, I contacted Orange they wanted £125 for a new swing arm I felt this was a bit unfair to charge me with the previous problems I had with frame and suspension but I paid because I wanted to carry on riding my bike in August this year I found the frame had cracked on a weld at the head tube, again I contacted Orange and was offered 50% off a new frame. All well and good but as I had so much trouble with this bike and had only done 3600 miles in three and a half years paying another £750 plus for a replacement frame is just not good value for money. I bought an Orange because I wanted to support British industry also I thought that they made quality bikes. I just think people should be aware of this before they spend their hard earned cash. If i was a really hard rider doing big jumps and daft stuff then i could hardly complain but all this bike did was local easy trails and XC riding, i did Dolby red route twice and Sherwood pines twice. I just think people should be aware of this before they spend their hard earned cash.

    somouk
    Free Member

    Sounds like you had a bad one… I’ve got one now and ride it pretty hard with no worries but it is the later bike.

    THey also don’t make the ST4 anymore!

    xtjim
    Free Member

    I really liked the bike, it did what everything i wanted and rode really nicely but i has put me off Orange bikes. I feel ripped off the amount of trouble i had with that bike and Oranges response.

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    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    I too also had a 2008 ST4, on which the linkage broke(new one did not fit properly), chainstay broke, bearings (rear ones particularly) kept wearing etc etc.
    Orange *were* really, really good at helping me out 3 times, after the bike was out of warranty, including free chainstay’s, free linkage etc
    In the end I lost confidence in the bike, worried I would break it and have a big off, so sold it…
    .
    It still remains the most fun and best riding bike I have ever owned. Please Orange, make me a new (stronger) one…

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    Its your own fault for being an idiot and buying an ST4.

    You should have bought an Orange Five instead, then you’d spend more time on internet forums telling people how good it is, than actually riding the thing. Hence, absolutely no chance of breakages.

    Alex
    Full Member

    for balance my original st4 2009 had a similar probkem. orange replaced it with a new 2010 frame that had all the fun of the original but with a more durable frame design. having ridden both,the first was definately flawed and flexy, the later one was neither of those.

    xtjim
    Free Member

    David, I can’t belive its my fault for buying the wrong Orange bike ( trying to put sarcasm in my typing but its not working) from my expeience any Orange bikes are not very good value for my (my Mrs)hard earned money so looking forward the next 25 years going on my bike buying habits i won’t be buying 4.3(statistically speaking) Orange Mountain bikes anything, and as i usually have a road bike as well i’ll look else where for either (seen as they have started producing them also)

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    i think you missed his humour, he’s having a pop at the typical Five rider (theres a real love/hate thing with Fives on STW)…

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    It would also be good if people understood and companies explained the warranty better.
    If it was clear that it was x years from purchase with no extension for replacement etc people could judge.

    one_happy_hippy
    Free Member

    So it was at least a year (cant remember if it is a 1 or 2 year warranty with orange) out of warranty and they offered you a swing arm at 125gbp for a frame which was what 1500 (rear swing arm prob 400-500 then) then you broke it again when it was even further out of warranty and they offered you a half price replacement and you feel hard done by?

    Im sure there are some manufacturers that wouldn’t even have offered you a discounted swing arm the first time around let alone a half price replacement for a a nearly 4 year old frame.

    As for swing link upgrades – many companies do this – at least it shows they do on going R&D and actually respond if something isn’t quite right. SC for example redesigned the lower Vpp link on the early model V10c and iirc swapped them out at no/low cost.

    Bikes break – I don’t see what orange has done wrong here. If it was an Intense the chain stays would have imploded first time you looked at them and you would still be waiting for a warranty swing arm…

    jonnyrockymountain
    Full Member

    Really happy with my 2012 ST4
    The issues were with the first model?

    joeegg
    Free Member

    Orange only manufactured the ST4 because they felt they were missing out on the multi linkage market.There was no appetite to make it as it was as heavy as the 5 ,less travel,and steered away from their “single pivot is all you need ” mantra.

    smell_it
    Free Member

    Usually I’m happy to chuckle at folk who are willing to be mugged by pay the premium for orange. But I’m struggling to see your gripe here; sounds like you’ve been unlucky but orange have responded reasonably imo. Leaving you with odd linkages first time seems a little off, but they sorted it. If anyone spent £2k on their road bike, a 105 equipped cookie cutter, then they should queue up at the Orange brand loyalty dept to have their face high 5’ed.

    spectabilis
    Free Member

    I think maybe you should of kicked up a bit more of a fuss to begin with. The mismatched link most likely contributed to other failures and I’d have used that as leverage for at least an FOC rear end .
    having said that IMO 50% off a new frame 4years on is pretty damn good maybe you should give them another go and as the st4 is no longer in production try and snap a Five .
    Maybe put but a tag on it stating what you paid saving bellends like “smell it “any sidesplitting injuries

    Rockdodger
    Free Member

    I visited the Orange factory to look at a few bikes a while ago. Whilst i was there i showed some interest in the ST4 but was told i am to heavy for the bike and they advised me not to purchase one.Could that be your problem. I weigh 96Kg.

    xtjim
    Free Member

    Thanks all for your posts you are all making valid points, What i am not happy about is i think the mismatched suspension on the left hand side caused a weekness in the frame and rear end which a caused the swing arm to snap then the frame under a weld to crack, the ‘up graded’ linkages where to compensate for the frame flexing which from research these frames suffer from but mine had already had a year and a half of flexing before this was changed, i should have kicked up more fuss at this point. Also Rockdodger yes i am about 95kg so i am to heavy for this bike if that is the case Orange should have advised people of this and perhaps the dealers that sell there bikes. I have a Marin Alpine Trail FRS that a bought in 1998 that i did about 14000 miles on, in 1998 i was only 30 and rode a lot harder yes had to have a new swing arm on this bike but it was done foc and was supplied with a superior item the only other problems where three sets of pivot bearings all done foc. So pound for pound this was much better value for money

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)

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