Posted on a few other threads recently while I decided on what to buy, this arrived a couple of weeks ago and just about finished building it last night. Hopefully I'll get a test ride in tonight and some more photos if anyone cares!
The idea started off as 'I might get a new frame and swap my parts over'.
I have somehow ended up with an almost entirely new bike, funny how that happens.
2018 Stage Four - Large, Gloss Black, Fox EVOL performance.
Fox Rhythm 34 performance
Mavic XA Trail Elite wheelset
Hope Tech E4 brakes and Hope Stem
GX1x11 with new GX 170mm cranks, Absolute Black 28t Oval (Because Yorkshire), Saint SPD's
Reverb with 1x Lever - 125mm drop Reverb is perfect fit for me, fully slammed in the frame.
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To sit on it feels like sitting on a Downhill bike - In it, not on it. BB feels quite low, Front wheel feels very much 'out in front'. Its a reasonable weight, but no featherweight, everything is quite functional etc.
Frame is lovely, paint finish very good, the graphics are rubbish vinyl stickers and were badly applied - Orange to their credit have promised to send me spares and fed my photos back to their QC.
The internal routing looks good, but was a pain in the ass (Stiff reverb hose down the seattube then up the downtube, that was fun!)
Can't wait to have a ride!
Very nice. A real classy build. I love the fact that you've got blue stickers on the rims, blue hubs but didn't go overboard with blue rotors. Now go get it dirty 🙂
Nice!!!
Always liked the idea of building up a frame but not sure I could bring myself to put old bits on, and if you buy new it seems to work out v expensive compared to a complete bike. So I’ve always figured it’s better to buy a whole bike and upgrade selected bits to make it just so...
Cheers!
"if you buy new it seems to work out v expensive compared to a complete bike"
I've built this one up significantly less than an off the shelf bottom spec Stage Four Pro (£3600), and the only 'used' stuff I have is bars, cassette, shifter and seatpost, so I don't think that's true - certainly not for an Orange. For a Giant, Specialized etc, I agree (I once bought a complete Giant Anthem because the lowest full build was only about £200 more than the frameset).
Yes, Orange full builds have never been very good value, which is great for those of us that prefer to build our own bikes anyway 🙂
Nice build!
Although I dont get why Orange bother to do the internal routing thing for all of 12 inches! Would make more sense to run it on the top of the downtube.
Damn - that looks good!
Lovely mate!!
looks mint mate, I've had mine a month and absolutely love it. i have the same forks and brakes but custom pro4/en627 wheelset and a cane creek shock. enjoy!
Very nice. I fancy a new one for sure and like the internal routing as it eliminates the frame eating cable rub.
If their 2019 models have wider tyre clearance I might be tempted. How does it ride?