For everybody that was asking earlier, they're now available. Got one right in front of me and it looks bl**dy lovely.

I presume everyone outside sheffield pronounced it 'Orange Alright'?

How much are they?

I guess i'll just have to use my imagination – what with the lack of pictures….

looked nice 4 months ago

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/orange-r8-1

I'd never heard of it, was expecting an 8" DH monster.

Beaten to it by 44 secs…

so its an 853 P7?

It looks, erm, average ?

If you can call the current P7 a proper P7 😉

No frame only option, I'm safe from the Mrs then…

Haven't got a price yet, i'm afraid.

If you can call the current P7 a proper P7

why so?

Retrotastic, does it come with a map-holder?

Anyone seen pics of the more modern 225?

Different chainstay, head set and wheelbase geometry to their current P7 for some reason? Wonder why?

think 010 P7 is 653 with changable dropouts. Top range being around £1500 so this will a £2k offering I imagine

If you can call the current P7 a proper P7

why so?

Don't get me wrong, current P7 is a great bike, but having owned an older one, and considering how iconic the badge is, that R8 is a more faithful vision of what I'd consider a P7 to be in 2009.

R8 S with Recons is £1300, Pro with Fox floats (and other upgrades) is £1650

So it will be an english made in taiwan bike like the rest of them then?

Frame only £549.99 – Sorry Mrs Gary!

Specification
Model R8 S
RRP £1299.95
Sizes 15,17,19,21
Tubeset Reynolds 853 Double-Butted Cro Mo Steel
Swing Arm QR Axle
Bottom Bracket Race Face X Type
Colour Mandarin Orange
Fork Rock Shox Recon SL Solo Air w/lockout 100mm
R shock N/A
R Mech Shimano SLX Shadow
F Mech Shimano Deore
Shifters Shimano Deore R Fire +
ChainSet Race Face Ride XC X Type
Cassette Shimano HG50
Brakes Avid Juicy 3 160/160
Hubs Shimano 525 Disc
Rims Mavic XM317
Spoke DT Swiss Competition S/S Black
Rear Wheel Travel N/A
Tyres Continental Mountain King 2.2
Headset FSA TH 857
Stem Orange Stalk +
S Post Stick Up
Saddle SDG Bel Air
H Bars Supercross +
Pedal Flat
Upgrades N/A

Specification
Model R8 Pro
RRP £1649.95
Sizes 15,17,19,21
Tubeset Reynolds 853 Double-Butted Cro Mo Steel
Swing Arm QR Axle
Bottom Bracket Race Face X Type
Colour
Fork Fox 32 FRL 100mm
R shock N/A
R Mech Shimano XT Shadow
F Mech Shimano SLX
Shifters Shimano SLX R Fire +
ChainSet Race Face XC Evolve Triple X Type
Cassette Shimano HG50
Brakes Avid Elixir 5 160/160
Hubs Hope Pro 2
Rims Mavic XM317
Spoke DT Swiss Competition S/S Black
Rear Wheel Travel N/A
Tyres Continental Mountain King 2.2
Headset FSA TH 857
Stem Orange Stalk +
S Post Stick Up
Saddle SDG Bel Air
H Bars Supercross +
Pedal Flat
Upgrades N/A

Looking at the R8s and P7s is the extra £250 for the 853 frame worth it over the 631?

Retrotastic

Yeah kinda looks like a '95 P7 i got in the shed….im gonna get the anglefinder and tape measure out !

At £550 for the frame, orange can get ****.

Trekster – hope you're right.
853 P7 with replacable dropouts? – sold!!!

The R8 is being billed as a "lightweight" steel hardtail, and the P7 is now the "hardcore" hardtail. The R8 doesnt appear to be reinforced where the downtube meets the headtube….so the question is whether the R8 is weaker than the P7…or does the fabbled 853 tubing compensate for the lack of any reinforcement? Anyone have any ideas?

It's also optimised for 100mm forks with a max 130mm, the P7 is now a 140mm fork reccomendation… I love Oranges have an Original P7 SS, hard(ish) core 08 P7 geared, and a 5. I've been looking for a XC race frame and this may fit the bill…… will be interested in frame weight?……

It's as if the 853 is only to reduce weight-at the expense of strength which seems to be a weird choice on Orange's part. I'd have preferred an R8 built with 853 to be lighter but still as strong as the P7 rather than just made to be a weaker lightweight version of the P7. I'd be worried about it breaking which given the price tag would be a bit pants. So it's really P7's little brother with a nice 853 badge. A bit of a gimmick..can't really expect anyone to choose a steel frame if their main factor is weight. Am I seeing this completely wrong?

Have ridden and raced carbon, alu and all sorts of mixes and I'm still more comfortable and ultimately faster on a sweet handling steel hardtail!
It's just what I've been after a xc HT designed for 100m forks and going xc fast. P7 did need a little brother that wasn't quite as big mountain focussed as P7's have become, so yes re-incarnation of the original P7?…………………will I get one though? tbc Cotic and Ragley seem to be filling the same gap……….

How much lighter than the current P7 are we actually talking?

What are the Cotic and Ragley equivalents?

Cotic Soul 853 tubing built for 100-130mm forks, can be built up as xc bike. Bit out with Ragley the Blue Pig is in P7 territory rather than R8 IMO.
Weight wise I'll be keen to see if there is much difference.

That's a lot of cash for a MOR steel hardtail.

My take on this is it's a bike for people (of which I am one) who want a nice framed moutain bike, not necessaily for hucking or abusive riding. There seems to be a high count of hardcore hardtail types abounding here on stw( as verified by the endless "what 200mm hardtail niche-rig?" posts) however im damn sure there's plenty of us out there who would see this as a sweet ride for longer days and not so much of the mental descent type riding.
i'd give my left t!t for one. I loves me some slim tubes!

Looks great to me.I'm not into all this hucking and aggro,or whatever else the fatties that can't climb have dreamt-up this week.