We’ve also produced a very special, limited-edition version of the Clockwork; the Clockwork 25.
We don’t expect the Champagne and cake to be around for long and these Clockwork 25 anniversary bikes will disappear even quicker. With a production run of only 25 this exclusive model takes our acclaimed custom-butted aluminium 29er Clockwork frame and gives it the full five star treatment to produce a truly special bike for this truly special occasion.
Fittingly sprayed in Sterling Silver to celebrate a quarter of a century, each bike comes with an individually numbered commemorative metal seatube badge and custom Clockwork 25 decals throughout.
Purple anodised Hope hubs, rotors, BB, seatclamp, headset, skewer, brake caliper bore and reservoir caps give a nod to the past, while being very much at the cutting edge. Both the 28 spoke hubs and brake reservoir caps are custom laser engraved with special-edition Clockwork 25 artwork to match the frame’s decals.
Up front the top-flight 120mm RockShox SID forks with Fast Black stanchions offer slick looks and even slicker performance, the perfect match to the frames light-and-fast remit.
Finishing off this silver bike is the gold standard in cockpit components from Thomson, combining their glossy-black carbon bars and deep-black anodised stem and seatpost.
Fast and fun are a given with a Clockwork, the Clockwork 25 adds real exclusivity into the mix too.
Highlight features:
- Orange Clockwork 6061-T6 custom butted aluminium frame in Sterling Silver
- Custom Clockwork 25 graphics
- Individually numbered commemorative metal seatube badge
- Custom engraved purple Hope hubs and brake reservoir caps
- Purple Hope hubs, rotors, BB, QR seatclamp, headset, skewer, brake caliper bore and reservoir caps
- RockShox SID 120mm travel forks
- Thomson finishing kit
- Stan’s No Tubes ZTR Crest 28 hole rims
Availability
- Only 25 Clockwork 25s will be available for sale
- RRP – £2,500
- Delivery from Monday 20th January
- Available in Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large
- The Clockwork 25 spec is fixed
- The Clockwork 25 web page is here: http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/clockwork-25/
The History of the Clockwork
We love all our bikes, but it’s fair to say the Clockwork holds a special place in our hearts, as the Clockwork originates back to the beginning of Orange. It was our very first production bike and its design even pre-empted our company name, in fact it provided the inspiration for our name.
Time Machine
Back in 1984 mountain biking changed for us, from being a recreational pastime to a full time obsession. The frames that Orange’s founders, Lester and Steve, had made for themselves featured laid back geometry suited to the many miles they put in scouring the UK for the best trails. However, when their attention turned to mountain bike racing in 1986, they found fashion dictated that race bikes needed very steep angles, similar to those used for racing on the road. This didn’t make a lot of sense to Lester and Steve, so the race bike prototypes they constructed employed similar geometry to the bikes they had been using for ‘normal’ riding but with a lighter tubeset. The bikes’ instant race success proved them right. Despite this racing success their obsession for finding new trails and for long expeditions didn’t diminish and they quickly evaluated that their relaxed geometry suited both sides of mountain biking; racing and general riding. An added bonus of the new frames was they showed no sign of fatigue, highlighting the fact that their previous bikes were over-engineered.
It was this evolution that got them thinking that one production frame could cover the complete range of riding. The ‘all-round-range’. The O-Range. Orange.
It was this methodical, step-by-step process that, in 1989, led to the production bike being called the Clockwork.
When it came to putting the Clockwork into production Tange’s Infinity tubeset was settled on for it’s superb strength to weight ratio, ideal for a bike designed to do it all. With its striking orange and white fade paintjob, wishbone rear seatstays and relaxed geometry the Clockwork certainly stood out from its contemporaries.
Evolution
In recent years, with European legislation introducing stress tests that don’t take into consideration the positive attributes of chromoly steel tubing, two of the most reliable frames in our history, the Clockwork and P7, have been retired as they would not pass current European test certification. To get through the latest tests the chromoly tubes would have to be significantly thicker, so much so that frames would have to be a third heavier than they were 25 years ago. This rubs against the grain of what the Clockwork is about.
While it would have been easy to get hung up on frame materials the important thing for us was to maintain the original ethos of the Clockwork; a bike that can be used for everything from rough-stuffing to high-level racing, as this was the reason it was held in such high regard.
The Clockwork frame material of today has evolved to a relatively small-diameter high-modulus aluminium. A material selection which breathes, providing comfort more associated with chromoly, remaining true to the low-weight, high-strength mantra of the original.
Aside from frame material the other significant change from the first Clockwork is the adoption of 29inch wheels, and if there was ever a wheel size that encompasses the original ethos of being ideal for both racing and long distance adventure riding, 29inch is it. A stiff and light frame coupled with larger diameter wheels, provides the comfort and speed for which the Clockwork was famed. Had 29inch wheels been readily available 25 years ago the original Clockwork would certainly have been rolling on them from the start.
We’ve come a long way over these 25 years, with plenty of adventures along the way, but one thing that hasn’t changed, and will never change, is that obsession with to making the best bikes possible. The Clockwork 25 reflects this obsession. Here’s to 25 more years.
Long live the Clockwork.
Comments (26)
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Wrong, wrong, wrongity wrong.
Clockworks should be a) Steel and b) Orange.
Looks nice but it’s a shame it isn’t steel. It’s also nearly four times the price of my first serious mountain bike, an Orange Prestige with Suntour XC Comp drivetrain. eek!
Want want want…
I get a bit misty-eyed every time I see my battleship grey P7 (with purple bits, no less) on the trail under its new owner- but am glad that it’s being ridden.
Pass me the eye-bleach!
If they’re going to follow a theme, surely they could have got some matching purple decals for the rims and forks (or just take them off)
That’d be lovely without all the gopping purple bits
Thought it be a nice steel like the original and for £2500 i’d expected a better spec than that.
Wrong in so many ways, what a way to celebrate 25 years of the clockwork orange pass me a bucket!
There’s a guy in my office who rides to work most days on a mk1 Clockwork. In quite remarkable condition it is too, original paintwork,hardly marked.
Steel! I had mrk1 and a green 10th anniversary. For 25 frames they could have got a custom builder in and got the CEN test for sure. £2.5k would seem about right.
Got to agree, should be steel and Orange. Looks a bit of a half hearted attempt, could have been so much better.
Seems a lot for what it is.
I have a Clockwork S with Hope/Crest wheels, Hope X2 Brakes with Floating Rotors, Braided Hoses, XT/XTR Gears and it doesn’t even come close to £2k.
That one is still using a cheap cassette/chain and SLX shifters.
Ok the forks are a costly upgrade but it would seem you are being charged for exclusivity.
It does look good though.
Looks ok, but I would echo previous comments re paint job & frame material, celebrate the iconic history of the clockwork, and of the brand. Steel is real maaaan!!!!!!
When is a bike the same bike? Nothing on the above seems to have anything to do with the Clock work I had in the dim and distant. Oh, it’s got two wheels. I don’t expect things to stay the same but this is a tribute band that has little in common with the original
I like it, though I’d greyscale the ZTR decals after purchase. Spec Schmek…
It never was all fields. Some races were a bit flat and field like for a while. But before that it wasn’t fields and even when the races were fields people were still riding over technical terrain
I also remember magazines back in the day advising that the prestige version was for racers who were happy for bike that only lasted a season or two
Why not Orange ano/decals would have tied it better to the original.
Anyone can buy the purple Hope stuff now so I really don’t see what’s so exclusive about it?
2.5k for a seat tube badge!
I think it would look soooo much better without the red rim and fork decals. I do think it has evolved, and the Clockworks (and oranges in general) change over time as they evolve.
Lot if money, but some nice touches. It would be even better in shiny nickel plate with lumi orange decals….
SLX on a £2500 hardtail, oh Orange, doing what you do best…
Should have been sprayed Orange and white with silver finishing kit, but well done Orange for thriving for 25 years!
£2.5k? thats only £100 a year, bargain!
That’s not a clockwork. It might be a nice bike, but it needs a different name.
Purple and silver were the colours of Y2K. Regardless, it’s a good looking bike. Sadly no gradient. Gradients on bikes are the best way to paint a bike.
Ewww! Purple anodised stuff is and always will be horrid.
It should be steel.
It should be 650B.
It shouldn’t be £2.5k, for that spec.
I’m fine its aluminum and a 29er but I just can’t see that they’ve done anything particularly limited edition for the money…if it had the paint job and decals of the original clockwork, it would have made more sense but it just looks quite dull and ordinary with the silver
Nice idea from orange, bike looks great
” I just can’t see that they’ve done anything particularly limited edition”
What? Except for all the custom Hope bits?