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