Orange bikes, love or hate?

I see a lot of love hate for orange bikes on the forums, I’m interested to know why as a fan of orange bikes.
So love or hate and why?

I pity them. Imbecilic bikes for people who hate mountain biking.

*tick

Initially I wasn’t too keen because they are so ugly but I had a ride of one and it was great, since then I’ve even come to appreciate their agricultural appearance.

They’re identical to riding a filing cabinet in every way, except noisier, with worse brake jack and less space for storing files.

Dunno, they’re fairly irrelvent to me. I generally buy a bike based on either price, specs or functionality…

I’m not sure the Orange falls into enough of them catagories.

Nothing against them apart from the price, and some of the owners they attract 😉

They’re identical to riding a filing cabinet in every way, except noisier, with worse brake jack and less space for storing files.

😀

I love them

Love their hardtails, wouldn’t ever buy such an ugly archaic looking full suss.

I suppose your talking about the suspension bikes.

My first proper mtb was a simple Orange Clockwork, and BLOODY GOOD it was too. In spite of it’s apparent Taiwanese origins, the frame itself was superb. It was far and away better at it’s price point, than Rockhoppers, Marins ect (This was iro 1996). The frame REALLY rode well, to the point they could have charged more for it, and it would still have been worth it.

Following on from that after its sadly regretted theft, a couple of P7’s from 98 and 2001, which again – had a great geometry and feel (albeit a fair chunk more rigid than the CW).

I can’t tell you about the recent bikes, but as I have just had a venerable 2001 P7 stolen, the reduced Pure7 down at Cyclesurgery near me is likely to have my sticky fingers on it in the next few days.

To be honest, having had 3, none of themwere duff bikes, and arguably, better than the competition bikes. But this is steel 10 yo + bikes I am talking about.

Fair enough I don’t quite understand why you would hate mountain biking just because you own an orange

bit harsh Gary! As the owner of a 5 for the last few years (tried many many different bikes over the years) I would say they make a good ride in the 5. I can’t speak for the other models.

However, in my opinion they don’t offer the best value for money compared with other bikes in the same vein. All I know is that I love riding it and will do so for years to come.

As for the owners they attract, well yeah but it only takes one trip to Dalby to understand you can say this for many brands of bike, especially the expensive ones pulled off the back of a white Audi.

I think they look ace. Not ridden one for years, but my Patriot back in 2004 was bloody brilliant.
noisy yes, but still brilliant.

If I had the money I would buy another one.

Orange <3

Had a patriot,sub 5, five, 222, p7, patriot again and just about to take delivery of a new five.

Simple, solid, stable and i would say aesthetically pleasing

Yes they don’t have the latest three letter acronym suspension design, they’re an evolved design ridden by many many riders.

If you don’t get it fine, just keep it to yourself and let us who do get on with enjoying them.

I’ve had a p7 it was ok
Never used to like the 5s but warming to them and would like to ride one

Be interesting to see how many people slag them that av never

They’re bikes therefore they are good!

My first mtb was an Orange clockwork, and it was great, but oddly have not considered another one of their bikes in the last 15 years. Can’t say I have anything against the company, they just seem a bit pricey to me, but at least they are open about it.

Out of the 20 or so 5’s I have seen out and about in the flesh only one of them looked like it had been used off road; they seem to attract people who prefer to polish them rather than ride them.

I don’t have a problem with them, but would never buy one of the current models, why would you buy something made with Fred Dibnah style Victorian techniques when you can get something for half the price made with modern hydroformed tubing or even carbon?

Love the hardtails however.

its like comparing apples (in the steve jobs sense)
to oranges (in the bike sense)

Its a Uk brand thing for some whilst a solid bike to others, then theres office clerks who like to slag off filing cabinets

so all people who ride a orange bike are bad! even more so if they pull up to the trail in a audi? what the **** is this thread all about! too much time on your hands and **** all worth saying!

obviously a lot of people like them, but would they still like them if they had broke one and not had the problem sorted efficiently?

I don’t quite get the comment on the people that own them, my gyro cost more than the vehicle it travels in, and I’m a builder not a n Audi driving conference room dweller.

i agree with that ton, but i have 2 oranges not broken yet but ive broken plenty of speshs and treks oh and a pace!

northwind : would you like to elaborate on your comment…whats wrong with the owners of orange bikes ? lol
love my orange, altho it doesnt love me at the mo…it keeps butting me off over the handlebars lately..grrrr…lots of bruises..

Love mine.. no time for haters…it’s a bike that has performed brilliantly for me, simple to maintain, really tough and more than capable. I still love going past people with the confidence it inspires.

i think they are good bikes too, a few people i know are on their 2nd and 3rd.

. . . and 6th 7th 😳 😆 . Love ’em!

hey ton i take it you had one and had a problem with it that orange did not sort out! how come?

I have my own love hate with orange.
Always wanted one. So saved up a bit sold some stuff and got the bike of my dreams
It arrived only for me to find the build quality was shocking.
I love riding it but will never buy another orange

orangeboy what was wrong with the build? both of mine are really well made and finished nice,

These are the sort of comments you’d expect to here from someone who can’t afford one….its called jealousy ! !! 🙂

The wheels needed to be rebuild as they did not thread lock the ust nipple seats properly and ye tension was all over the place. Arrived with split gear cable housing and a fork leaking oil from foot nut.
Wrong tyres that were far to wide for the rear stays.
And worst of all a headset cup out of square as the head tube was a
Touch tight and had shaved some alloy off the hope cup. This was caught up under one edge of the cup.

I should add I got mine from a shop owned by a friend and lots of these issues would never have made it to the end customer.
But very poor all same

I’ve got a 2006 P7. Sure I know it’s not the latest greatest lightest machine, but when I sit on it, it just feels right. Letting the bike handle things has got me through some tricksy moments. It’s my pride and joy, and has never let me down.

This probably stems from when my Dad got me a nickel finish P7 back in the early 90s (the same one featured in the recent Singletrack article about bikes that people absolutely desired but never got). I remember seeing that glorious machine for the first time, complete with chrome finish STX-RC group set. What a bike.

Plus I like the idea of buying British.

Orange make good, simple, solid bikes in England. With the exception of a few, they tend to appeal to the good, simple, solid, patriotic bikers who are happy to spend their money on over priced bikes because they are made in England.

elaine anne – Member

northwind : would you like to elaborate on your comment…whats wrong with the owners of orange bikes ? lol

I already did, it says “some” 😉 One or two of youse are alright though. You don’t want to hear what I’ve got to say about those accursed Cotic owners though!

I love my O2, and when I was looking for a rubust simple single pivot full sus Patriot seemed a reasonable choice. It maybe a little over biked for me, but that is not a bad reflection on the bike, just that I need to MTFU and stop mincing about 🙂

I like the engineered look of the Orange full sus’ers, much more than hyrdroformed or carbon. Nice slim tubes on steel hardtails and box section ally on full sus, that’s how bikes should look.

I think it is great a British manufacturer is doing well, i hadn’t considered one untill now, thought they were possibly hyped and over priced, but i think moraly it is the right thing to do, british jobs less exploitation, i will put my money where my mouth is.

Think that’s where I went wrong mine is not a uk made frame.

Opps I will learn one day

well i just got a 5 frame and built it myself so the bike was spot on! got my p7 as a bike and had no probs with that! 😉