Just love the blue and white but £549 for the frame ?I don't think so .At least it's stopped my urges !!!! 😯

is that the 853 one? , if so they look lovely

Not much more than a Soul

you only live once, buy it!

RD stop it right now !!!!!!

I saw Chipps(?) R8 last weekend at D2D. Really far too nice and if I *needed* a new HT, it'd be on the shopping list. Luckily I don't.

atlaz what is this NEED you talk about ?

cheaper than the other orange R8 though i bet

Mmm. Looked at one this afternoon, thought it was expensive then spotted the 853 sticker. Looks bloody lovely though.
How does it differ from a P7 ?
Is it just the 853 ?

that doesn't look NEARLY as much fun . 😯

"How does it differ from a P7 ?"

P7 is recommended for 140mm fork and 631, R8 is 100mm and 853

oldfart – it's what keeps my bank account in the black. Well, that and insufficient storage space for any more bikes.

It does look lovelly, and I'd love one, but it's out of my price range. However, compare it to the Rocky Mountain Blizzard, another of the peg 853 hardtail with a RRP of £649 and it's suddenly not quite so expensive. As someone has said, it's not too much more than a Soul and the 2010 Genesis Altitudes will be increasing in price to around £400.

Saw one a Glentress today and it's a lovely looking bike.

Buy a Rock Lobster 853, get a custom paint job and you're still quids in.

Orange make some lovely bikes, but God knows how they come up with the prices.

£299.99, frame only.

Orange make some lovely bikes, but God knows how they come up with the prices.

cos they are made in YORKSHIRE…….. 🙄 😉

Heh. I'v been through the same tangle of lust/guilt/rationality since seeing E8 frame. Tis a lovely looking thing.

Is the R8 made in Yorkshire? I thought it was just the cut 'n' shut frames that were?

456 now £135

you know it makes sense

I looked at a P7 and R8 a few weeks ago. The R8 is lovely bike and imo is ideal if you race or do a lot of head down arse up type of xc riding. I went for the P7 for it's burly build which seemed ideal for the type of riding/messing about I seem to do. Though I doubt you be disappointed with either.

I don't know if the P7 and R8 are made in the uk yet but they did say they were thinking of bringing the higher end hardtails inhouse…

It's nice, but people keep saying "It's not much more than a Soul". True, but then a Soul's bloody expensive too. The question is, is it better than a Soul?

Northwind define 'better?

Tries to resist… fails…

bet·ter 1 (btr)
adj. Comparative of good.
1. Greater in excellence or higher in quality.
2. More useful, suitable, or desirable: found a better way to go; a suit with a better fit than that one.
3. More highly skilled or adept: I am better at math than English.
4. Greater or larger: argued for the better part of an hour.
5. More advantageous or favorable; improved: a better chance of success.
6. Healthier or more fit than before: The patient is better today.
adv. Comparative of well2.
1. In a more excellent way.
2.
a. To a greater extent or degree: better suited to the job; likes it better without sauce.
b. To greater advantage; preferably: a deed better left undone. See Usage Notes at best, have, rather.
3. More: It took me better than a year to recover.
n.
1. One that is greater in excellence or higher in quality.
2. A superior, as in standing, competence, or intelligence. Usually used in the plural: to learn from one's betters.

Sorry about that 🙂 Obviously "better" is subjective but some things aren't, frinstance the Orange has a bit of a more limited design brief, it's designed as a "lightweight steel hardtail" for a 100mm fork, it'll carry a longer one but it's recommended for 100mm. The Soul works very well at either end of its travel, the new one'll be exactly as good as the old one at 100mm (very nice) but also takes 140mm of fork (also very nice).

Weight will be interesting, I did see one place quote it as 4.5lbs for the medium which is heavier than a Soul, but I'm not convinced myself. It's longer and a little larger so has physically more tube in it, but then it's not built as strongly.

The main question to me is just why is it so expensive, for a far eastern frame? What makes it £80 more than a Soul, when it actually seems like a slightly more basic design? (less reinforcing, no replacable dropout).