Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork

Bike Check: Joe Connell’s Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork

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Check out what Orange Factory Racing rider, Joe Connell with be racing at EWS La Thuile this week in our latest bike check.

Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork

Joe Connell will be hitting the EWS at La Thuile this week on his Orange Stage 6 complete with prototype Formula dual crown fork.

the extra stiffness is noticeable and adds up to loads of confidence, particularly on the big, fast, rough tracks

Image credit: Kike Abelleira

  • Frame // Orange Stage 6, Medium, Smoke White
  • Fork // Prototype Formula dual crown enduro fork, 170mm travel.
  • Shock // Formula Mod Shock
  • Chain Device // E13 TRS + Taco
  • BB // E13
  • Chainset // E13 TRS+, 170mm with 32t chainring
  • Rear Mech // Shimano XT
  • Shifter // Shimano XT
  • Chain // KMC
  • Cassette // E13 Helix R 12-speed, 9-50t
  • Wheeset // E13 LG1 Enduro, alloy, 30mm, 29in
  • Tyres // Michelin DH22
  • Brakes // Formula Cura 4, 203mm discs front and rear
  • Seat post // SDG Tellis 170mm
  • Seat clamp // Strange 34.9mm
  • Stem // Burgtec Enduro Mk3, 50mm
  • Saddle // SDG Bel Air 3
  • Handlebar // Burgtec Carbon Enduro Ride Wide, 31.8mm 780mm, 30mm rise
  • Grips // Burgtec Bartender
  • Pedals // Crankbrother Mallet DH
  • Mudguard // Rockguardz PG450
Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork
If you’re following the EWS racing at La Thuile this week then you might spot Joe Connell piloting his Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork. This is not a DH fork, but a brand new design aimed at Enduro riders wanting additional stiffness without additional weight. This 170mm travel fork is said to weigh less than a single crown RockShox Zeb!
  • Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork
  • Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork
While we don’t know all the secret details of the prototype fork we have discovered that it is an air-sprung fork and uses the same damper as you would find in a Formula Selva fork. The dual crown design uses 35mm stanchions, a 15mm bolt-thru axle and features heavily machined crowns to save weight.
Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork
Being one of the main sponsors of Orange Factory Racing, Formula components show up on the rest of Joe’s Orange Stage 6. Here we have a Formula Mod rear coil shock, with adjustments for compression and rebound. There is also a lever for firming the shock up for climbing and removable CTS valves. Just below the shock, we see a Granite Design strap for holding a few spares to the downtube.
  • Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork
Formula also provides the stopping power. Joe is running 4 piston Formula Cura 4 disc brakes front and rear, though the lever isn’t the prototype model we’ve seen on other bikes featuring dials for adjustment.
Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork
This orange Burgtec stem is almost an exact match to the Formula brakes. Joe is running a 50mm Burgtec Enduro MK3 stem and a 31.8mm alloy Burgtec bar cut down to 780mm. Grips are Burgtec Bartender, likely the new super-soft compound.
  • Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork
  • Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork
Joe is running some serious rubber on this Stage 6, with Michelin DH22 tyres front and rear. Joe runs 20psi in the front and 22psi in the rear. The drivetrain is a mix of Shimano 1 x 12 and E*13 components.
Joe Connell's Orange Stage 6 with prototype dual crown Formula fork

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.

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Comments (5)

    abinghamabingham July 8, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    And there we go, it’s happened.

    Give it a season an no-one will be running Single Crown at EWS anymore.

    mashrmashr July 8, 2021 at 2:56 pm

    20mm axles next (hopefully)

    tetrodetetrode July 8, 2021 at 3:34 pm

    Looks awesome. I’ve got the Selva fork and it’s a dream, as well as the cura 4s for brakes. Never had Formula anything until my new bike and it’s opened my eyes. Would love to give that dual crown a try.

    mildredmildred July 8, 2021 at 6:32 pm

    I’ve had quite a few Formula brakes in the past and they all had a too narrow gap in the caliper for the rotor to pass through, meaning if the rotor was anything but perfectly straight, it rubbed; if the caliper was mounted anything other that perfectly straight, it rubbed. They were an absolute pain in the arse . That said, they were very powerful and coped well on very long downhills without any fade. Still wouldn’t buy any unless they’ve widened the gap

    LongboardSiLongboardSi July 9, 2021 at 10:57 am

    Surely the lack of a matching purple colour on the coil is a missed opportunity?

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