Orange Bikes
Magazine Bike Tests
Here are a few of the tests we have had on recent Orange bikes from a range of the UK's MTB press. Check out what they have to say by downloading the PDFs. Downloads require Adobe Reader. |
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Orange Five - MBR Trail bike of the year - May 2010The Orange Five — at the top of the heap in MBR's 2010 Trail Bike of the Year test. |
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"Simple efficient, perfectly balanced and competitively priced, the Orange Five Pro is a rough diamond in a world of glitz. " |
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G3 - What Mountain Bike March 2010"A Subtle mix of traditional styling and state-of-the-art handling" |
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"A decent frame with a cracking ride character, detailing and sorted kit, make the G3 a great British trail bike." |
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Alpine 160 - MBR Magazine February 2010"A heady mix of raw aggresson and Zen-like clarity" |
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"If you are having a bad day on the Alpine 160 you'll need to look elsewhere for excuses, as it definitely isn't the bike." |
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Blood - Dirt Magazine December 2009"Dirt's Steve Jone stream of concience review technique..." |
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"Cheeky, tough and balance is the Orange Blood. Five dead? The Five aint dead for godness sake. Finve inches dead. This is a pretty sweet orange." |
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Alpine 160 - WideOpen Magazine October 2009"They call me Mellow Yellow" |
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"All the thrills without the old, creaking bones, perfect for the rider who has hung up the race plates but still wants to go downhill fast." |
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Crush - Stuff Magazine August 2009"Harden Up!" |
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"Start Riding on a HArdtail... it'll sharpen up your skills... " |
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What Mountain Bike Five S test Summer 2009 - Winner"When it comes to maximum fun, few bikes can out-jive the Five" |
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"One of the most entertaining and durable go anywhere bikes available. " |
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MBUK ST4 S Test July 2009 - 9/10"Four really is the new Five" say MBUK. |
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"the true test of a bike is always in the riding. And the ST4 doesn't disappoint, returning grinning riders back to base time after time. 'It just feels right' was a phrase we heard again and again. " |
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Dirt Magazine Alpine 160 FR Test May 2009Dirt magazine take our new big-mountain bike for a spin. |
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"Arguably... no hold on. This is the best all-round 160/160 complete bike you can currently buy. You want it more black and white than that? " |
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MBR Five - Trail bike of the year - May 2009MBR Trail Bike of the Year, again - the one and only Orange Five Pro. |
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"You hear a lot of riders say they don’t want an Orange Five because they’re too common, but there’s a reason for that. True, they look like they’re made in a garage but they’re light, stiff, extremely well balanced, and have impeccable handling. With the new geometry the best just got better — it may be at the expense of climbing efficiency but if you’d rather have a grin on your face at the bottom of a descent than the top of a climb, it’s easy to forgive this sluggishness. With two 10s on the trot, the Orange Five is fast becoming a classic. It’s the best riding bike here and proof of that is the current scramble in the MBR offices to get the 2009 frameset. " |
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ST4 Test Singletrack Issue 48The new Orange ST4 - a wolf in sheeps clothing?. |
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"If you are more into rocky descents and getting the biggest grin and speeds possible on the downs without compromising all-day riding ability, it’s hard not to love the ST4. " |
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MBR P7 Test April 2009The Orange P7 - a classic for a reason. |
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"Best hardtail on test here again for the Orange. It might not be the most glamouous bike ever made, but it is fast becoming a classic in terms of sheer balance and rideability. Yo can go anywhere and do anything on it with confidence and it offers precise feeling yet safe handling. " |
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Alpine 160 AM - MBR - March 2009The new 'big' mountain bike - goes down a storm. |
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"At the start of this test we said you shouldn’t compare the Alpine 160 AM with the Patriot XCEL, but it is hard not to when both bikes share the same ultra slack head angle, wheelbase and only 10mm separates their travel. But there the similarities end; the 160 AM is considerably lighter, has a much lower BB for improved stability at speed and the slightly steeper seat angle makes for a better climbing position.... ...but if it is pure thrill seeking you crave, the Orange Alpine 160 AM is unbeatable. " |
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ST4 - DIRT - August 2008Dirt get their hands on the ST4. |
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"With a large section of the bike industry making life simple for itself and the buyer by largely sticking to the general rules with weights, measures, lines and angles on bikes of varying travel, Orange have come up with something a bit different. " |
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Aug 2008 - Five Pro - MBRHomegrown Hardtails - the P7 storms it. | ||
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"The Orange [P7] simply feels sorted and has better traction and cornering speed than its less firmly planted aluminium counterparts.." |   |
June 2008 - SubZero - SingletrackSingletrack put the SubZero through its paces. |
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"Downhill, the SubZero was simply brilliant. All the accuracy and pointy-ness of the old SubZero was present but with much less harshness and so, sooo much more agility. It felt like youÕre being a fighter pilot. It would rocket down at speed on fast descents" |
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May 2008 - Five Pro - MBRAnother '10' review for the Five Pro. A winner in MBR's 'Trail Bike of the Year' test |
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"Handling, stiffness, balance, geometry and reliability don't come better than on the Orange Five, and together they make for an inspirational bike." |
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P7 S - MBUK - April 2008 |
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"The P7 is one of the most adaptable trail tools on the market." |
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Five - MBR Mud Pluggers test - February 2008 |
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"Low weight, good brakes and gears that always work are all much appreciated but the Five S's raison d'etre is a near perfect shape and riding position. It makes for a steed that will age well and be ripe for upgrades. To be frank, it's what everyone should look for and that very few will be disappointed in." |
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Patriot - MBUK - October 2007 |
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"One big plus is that it was te only bike here that we had absolutely no issues with. Despite months of pounding and several big offs at home and in the Alps its bombproof reputation is still firmly intact." |
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Five - MBUK - September 2007 |
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"If you live for epic rides in big country, the Orange takes the edge. just, on climability thanks largely to its lower weight." |
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Five - MBR - February 2007 |
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"Uphill, Downhill or just bowling along on a flat fireroad, the Orange Five has an amazing ability to keep on carrying speed and put a smile on your face. What more could you want from a trail bike" |
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P7 - What Mountain Bike - Summer 2006 |
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224 - MBUK - May 2006 |
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224 - DIRT - Jan/Feb 2006 |
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"Some bikes have 'it' though, and this is one of them. It picks up speed incredibly quickly, it instantly feels good to ride, there's good pedal clearance and it enjoys being shifted around and is generally on of those bikes that you want to ride.." |
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Crush - Singletrack - Feb 2006 |
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"The rigidity of the Crush Frame and stiffmess of the Marzocchi forks made for a highly responsive ride that tracked exceptionally well at all times." |
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Crush - MBUK - Feb 2006 |
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"Of course, the reassuring thing about going too fast or too high on the Crush is that the bike'll almost certainly live to tell the tale - and leave a huge grin on your face. And you can't really ask for more than that." |
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SubZero - DIRT - Sept/Oct 2005 |
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"It's feeling of indestructability just pushed you that bit more. If you look down when riding and see the massive tubes beneath you you start to think 'what he hell, I'll go for it'." |
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Patriot 66 - MBR - April 2006 |
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"Arguably the 66's defining attribute is chassis stiffness - this frame is rock solid. It tracks superbly and when gravity is working with you it's unstoppable." |
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Five - MBR - July 2005 |
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"Since we first tested the Five, Orange has spent a lot of time tweaking the geometry and the ride. These tweaks may at first appear to be insignificant, but not when it comes to the real world.." |
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