“Strange” as you like – It’s not definitely for production yet (or indeed ever) but this prototype frame from Orange uses the same swing link driven shock single pivot system as the Blood and the upcoming 225 downhill bike that got it’s first outing at the Andorran round of the World Cup over the weekend.
The swingarm is pure old style Patriot though – why change what isn’t broken? – and the general idea is that the linkage makes the initial bit of travel super plush so it tracks over braking bumps and other terrain in a much more refined way. This large sized frame has got 180mm of rear wheel travel from a 3.25″ stroke shock. The frame really needs 180mm+ forks up front to work properly – the forks on this bike are some rather rare 190mm travel ’07 Marzocchi 66s – but RockShox Totems would be a good fit for slopestylers/burly freeriders and you could always put on some Boxxers/Fox 40s to turn it into a nice UK downhill bike. The angles are typical Orange, so nice and slack at the front and a decently low BB but tweaking hasn’t finished yet. Test rider reports from this corner of the Alps are that it fires itself out of corners like some kind of rocket-device.
Should be interesting to see where this goes and if it ever makes it into production. With any luck we won’t have seen the last of the Orange Patriot name…
Replies (27)
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i have a patriot lt from a while back and it still rips! long live the patriot
Has Phyllis got a new rig?
Jezz, that is seriously ugly.
like the retro dx spds
Crezzy, beat me to it! DX were tough as old boots, no wonder people still ride ’em!
Might look better in pink with purple cranks….
though you said “purple cravat” for a moment there…
See? I’m not the only one who makes use of Orange’s custom-colour programme… 🙂
I like the look of it. The Patriot is a great bike and even first generation ones still look great.
But where are the bottle bosses and rackmounts?
(That was a joke, by the way…)
180mm of rear wheel travel from a 3.25″ stroke… nice mixing of the units there
that will be rad, i hope they make it. pity It’ll cost about a million pounds though.
Man, if they do make it they’ll have the widest range of bikes in the narrowest niche area. I’d love to live in the right sort of location to own one. It looks well bum.
Oohh bugger.
I’m about to live 20mins from a chairlift….
If Orange are listening… please put some kinda QR on the rear wheel (Maxle would be nice)
What i love about my ’07 Patriot is the adjustabilty. It’s so easy to adjust the angles to get the ride i want with whatever forks i want. The sliding shock shuttle is such a good feature. My Patriot is set up as a DH bike with Boxxers. Without the adjustment i couldn’t acvhieve the right angels/geometry with this fork.
I think Orange are missing a trick with their new swing link designs by removing this adjustabilty. Hope you’re listening my Orange.
“The swingarm is pure old style Patriot though”. Looks like a 224 swingarm to me?
BikeVerbier need to cut the lawn me thinks
If my previous 2001 and current 2007 Patriots are anything to go by, this will be absolutely mint.
I’ve just done a sex wee.
Just leaves the ‘five’ as the only full sus bike without the linkage. Presume this will get it too at some point. Anyone heard any rumours/plans about this?
Not production ready? Erm, yes ok…..
Mojo, what about the Alpine 160?
Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans, that’s a beauty!
Wot Phutphutend said.
I have an 07 and love the adjustability. It’s like 2 bikes in one.
The new one looks heavy and fugly. Is it really better?
ugly has a new mascot.
It is a prototype so it’s more about how it rides than how it looks, but if you don’t care how it rides and want swoopy lines then this may not be the bike for you.
Won’t be as good as my Alpine 5 ;] Well it might be…….
On the 2 secs I bounced on it it felt great.
FACT
Thanks for the positive comments. Two frames have been made and will be ridden over the summer. Initial testing have been very encouraging, the link has been fitted to make the first 40mm of the travel very supple then the suspension ramps up steeply.
The rear is made from 224 parts but is 20mm shorter giving a 425mm/16.75”chainstay. If it was put into production, Maxle dropouts arn’t a problem but due to the shorter rear end the wheel/seatube clearance is tight when a big tyre is fitted so a shock mount slider has no room to slide.
Its looking like these will be the only two made but the Patriot name will be back in some form.
can I have one?