https://www.pinkbike.com/photo/17779887/

Been looking at stage 5’s and came across one on PB that looked promising, until I actually looked at the photo.

Where the top/bottom tubes meet the head tube must have been welded in the dark, tell me that’s not the normal standard on Orange bikes.

Ha ha that’s my mates frame he is selling.  Just come back from Orange after a respray.  Thats how it came from Orange

Blimey, that is a bit expressionist!

It doesn’t look normal to me.
Look at the swingarm by comparison, that looks normal.
Has it been repaired by someone who can’t weld?
Or is it a fake frame?
Neither would surprise me these days.
But I’ve seen quite a few orange bikes, and none of them were welded like that.

Just to point out I thin the sterling silver and the light has made it look worse than it actually is.  I can get him to take better photos if needed and it would help.

Friday afternoon job, or Guy Martin paid them another visit and had another go at welding, I think that particular colour makes the welds stand out more, but I totally agree with the shambolic statement, I’ve seen dozens in showrooms and on the trails and not noticed welds like that before.

Those are blobbier than the ones on my old 224, but far straighter. Mine was welded with the lights on, but the dude was drunk

I’ve never seen an orange bike leave like that and unjust echo above something isn’t right .under no circumstances would that everglade qc

Big-bud I will refer to my earlier post!  It’s my mates frame.  He is an avid orange owner, I know the history of that frame.  It had a new swing arm as per the recent issues with Orange drop outs and he had it respirated by orange and the bearings changed prior to sale.  I’m riding with him tomorrow can ask him to take more pictures…but don’t let the facts get in the way of the pitch forks.  I’m afraid it’s just the usual shit the comes out of the Orange factory nowadays coupled with a polished finish taken in bright light.

Didn’t know Orange respirated frames.😊

Cannot believe they let it leave the factory twice!

Shameless plug alert

I’m pretty sure that must just be the result of a poor camera angle and a less flattering colour. May also be a bit less straight than expected.

heres a link to my stage 5 frame in the classifieds, I was very happy with the welds etc, I think the frame looks mint.

https://m.pinkbike.com/photo/17694501/

You can see from the angle of the shadow that the direct sunlight is making that look far worse than it should be.

regardless the rest of the welds dont look that cracking either!

Even if the light has some part to play, its still pretty poor welding. Nicolai and Liteville show how its done.

isnt that because they are done by machine

I’m sure that they aren’t..

liteville is in Taiwan

liteville is in Taiwan

I have never seen a robot welder in Taiwan.

Regardless of whether anything is welded by machine or by hand, it should be decent on a big brand. Welding by hand surely isn’t a selling point if it ends up with a worse finish than via machine?

true, i must be confused then (again)

The welding that shit on that frame it would show up in a black hole.

Didn’t know Orange respirated frames.

It really brings the trails alive!

https://fronius.com/en-us/usa/welding-technology/info-centre/news/some-dont-like-it-so-hot-07-05-2017

The welding that shit on that frame it would show up in a black hole.

Eh?????

Just because a weld is not uniform does that mean it is weak though? Isn’t it a bit like everybody wanting their vegetables to be perfectly uniform?

Disclaimer: if I was paying I must confess I would be looking for tidy welds!

As long as folk will buy (and accept) that shit, why would they improve it?

Just because a weld is not uniform does that mean it is weak though? Isn’t it a bit like everybody wanting their vegetables to be perfectly uniform?

Disclaimer: if I was paying I must confess I would be looking for tidy welds!

You call into question the thoroughness of the prep work, properly mitering the Joints to minimize the gaps between the tubes, cleaning all of the weld areas, back purging the frame, filler rod, welding set, h&s, etc.

I’m shocked .

Hahaha yeah I saw that picture and thought the same.

Had an old Trek Fuel with scruffy uneven welds (no holes though) it got jumped plenty and didn’t fall apart!

I wouldn’t accept a new bike like that, especially at the prices Orange charge!

timbog160

Subscriber

Just because a weld is not uniform does that mean it is weak though? Isn’t it a bit like everybody wanting their vegetables to be perfectly uniform?

Well, yes and no. True that the appearance doesn’t dictate the strength… And in fact true that obsessing over appearance can lead to an inferior weld. But in this sort of job an ugly or really irregular weld pretty much shows a lack of effort or competence, or issues with the layup of the metal. None of those is OK in such an expensive component even if it’s perfectly functional.

(in the case of my old frame, I’d be pretty confident that the massive wobbly welds were oversized to cover up/fill in gaps)

Maybe they need to send their staff down to The Bicycle Academy for some lessons by Burf of BTR:

View this post on Instagram

#226 is at the coaters RAL 1013 coming right up. – – #BTR #KeeperSideways #BTRfabrications #BTRbikes #BTRfamily #BecauseBTR #Pinner #itsnotcalledpinnerfornothing

A post shared by Keep 'er Sideways (@btr_fabrications) on Jul 9, 2019 at 2:30am PDT

lets be honest its just poor quality.

I cant imagine those welds looking much better in a different light, the ones around where the top tube meets the seat tube dont look much better either.

It looks like the weld is just piled up on top the joint rather than penetrating jnto it, they look like the sort of welds you get when you give somebody that has just started a welding course a piece of scrap plate and ask them to run a bead across it!

Be interesting to see close ups though.

If it helps wave the torches and pitch forks I am happy to ask my buddy for some more pictures.

But as a former Orange Fanboi and now self professed hater thanks to their shoddy customer service over a supplied wonky frame.    It really isn’t as bad as it looks in the photo.  In fact it just looks like all the others…but don’t let first hand experience  get in the way of things.

edit:  I found a picture of the frame when it was new and in its original Orange paint ***if I can upload a picture on the forum

https://ibb.co/GcPdbSP

I love all the armchair welding experts on here, judging a weld from a photo taken 5 metres away. Yes it’s not as pretty as some, but it’s pretty complex geometry, it’s bound to be a bit wiggly. Alu welds are bigger than the pretty steel welds in the shot, I’d still rather not drag a steel full sus frame about the place, pretty as it looks. And yes there are fancier, probably better peforming, processes that give nice smooth welds, and that’s fine, but it doesn’t mean this is somehow sub-standard.

TL;DR, do I desire an Orange? No.
Do I think this one id somehow dodgy? No.
Is my lack of desire for an Orange to do with how their welds look? Also No.

Just looks sub-standard!!

philjunior

Member

I love all the armchair welding experts on here, judging a weld from a photo taken 5 metres away. Yes it’s not as pretty as some, but it’s pretty complex geometry, it’s bound to be a bit wiggly. Alu welds are bigger than the pretty steel welds in the shot, I’d still rather not drag a steel full sus frame about the place, pretty as it looks. And yes there are fancier, probably better peforming, processes that give nice smooth welds, and that’s fine, but it doesn’t mean this is somehow sub-standard.

TL;DR, do I desire an Orange? No.
Do I think this one id somehow dodgy? No.
Is my lack of desire for an Orange to do with how their welds look? Also No.

It’s a 2 grand frame, I don’t anything about welding to comment on the strength. I assume it is really perfectly fine in that regard. But personally on a 2 grand frame I’d want it to look neat too!

When I was looking the price of the frame up for this post, I looked at a few press pics of the frame and must say those don’t look neat either. So I guess it’s just how they are rather than this particular one being a friday-nighter.

Original pic doesn’t look like a problem to me.