Orange Switch 6

Eurobike 2019: Orange Switch 6 first look

by 0

Orange has used Eurobike as the platform to introduce the new Orange Switch 6 here’s a quick first look.

Orange Bikes has a bit of a monster launch going on at Eurobike, with 5 new bikes launched, and 2 updates to current bikes. We’re not going to go through the details of the Orange Stage 6 as Ross has posted his review here, we’re also not going to talk about the new Stage 5, updated Clockwork, updated Charger (yes, already), new Phase or the new Surge 29, we’ll have a separate article and video for them soon, but we are going to talk about the new Orange Swtich 6.

Orange Switch 6
Switch for switching direction not wheel switching.

The Switch 6 is the first of 2 new Orange bikes that adopt the ‘mullet / not a mullet’ approach of wheel sizing, with a 29in wheel on the front and 27.5in wheel in the rear.

While mismatched wheels live at either end of this new bike, we do find the same 160mm of travel front and rear.

Orange Switch 6
27.5 in the rear only.

Like most new Orange bikes, the Orange Switch 6 is an unmistakable Orange design with single-pivot layout, but like all new Orange bikes, there is a lot more than meets the eye.

In addition to the mismatched wheels, the new bike sports a custom rear triangle designed for 27.5in wheels only, and the same off-center pivot and lower fulcrum position as the 2020 Stage 6.

Orange Switch 6
Updated pivot location and metric shock.

The seat tube is steep at 76°, head angle slack at 64° and the reach is as long as we have come to expect from modern Orange bikes. Orange has also used a cleaner cable routing on the Stage 6, and has moved to a shorter offset fork to make the most of the slack front end and big wheel.

At the time of writing, Orange hasn’t updated its website with details of the new Orange Switch 6, but we’ve all the geometry details below. We’ll have to wait until Friday before we know the specs of each build and the pricing.

Orange Switch 6
Party up front #mulletnotamullet

Oh, and before you ask, Switch doesn’t refer to the ability to switch wheels, because you can’t, but instead refers to the ease of switching direction on this big travel, UK trail bike.

Orange Switch 6
Orange Switch 6

Hopefully, we’ll get one of these beauties in for a test soon, and stay tuned for more 2019 Eurobike news.

Member deals!

Singletrack Weekly Word

Sports Newsletter of the Year finalist at the Publisher Newsletter Awards 2024. Find out why our newsletter is different and give it a go.

Andi is a gadget guru and mountain biker who has lived and ridden bikes in China and Spain before settling down in the Peak District to become Singletrack's social media expert. He is definitely more big travel fun than XC sufferer but his bike collection does include some rare hardtails - He's a collector and curator as well as a rider. Theory and practice in perfect balance with his inner chi, or something. As well as living life based on what he last read in a fortune cookie Andi likes nothing better than riding big travel bikes.

More posts from Andi