Orange 4

iamzou

Does anyone have one or have any views on them? I'm looking at one as my first FS bike, the shorter travel looks like it might suit me. I've seen a lot of reviews of the 5 and the new 5 looks good, but the four doesn't seem to have had as much coverage.

Keen to go orange, have wanted one since i was a kid - trying to pick the right one!

rockmonkeysc

Like all Orange bikes it's really overpriced. There are much better bikes for less money.
You'd need to really want that Orange badge to justify the price.

cooldad

Pro - looks less like it's made from old bridges.

Con - bit expensive.

I wouldn't.

The Rookie

Con - as heavy as the fourth road bridge

iamzou

so what would we go for instead? interested to see what others would be looking at.

There must be someone else likes / wants / has an orange - I can't be the only one wanting to keep them in business!!

batmo

With any bike at that sort of price, a decent test ride is a must. Fortunately, Orange do seem to offer more opportunity than most to do this with both demo days and listings of demo bikes at various dealers. The fact that they are so keen for potential customers to try them suggests to me that the bikes ride better than can be assumed from the weight and made-from-girders reputation.

iamzou

Yeah, will definitely be trying to sort out a test ride, as you say, at the price, although from the website, there were't an abundance of dealers with my size (short) in their demo fleet.

Interesting about all the weight comments, it's not immediately clear on the website about the weights - maybe that's deliberate!

batmo

I should mention that one of my riding buddies test-rode the Orange 4 and he liked it.

He currently rides an Anthem.

But he is a hippy weirdo...

iamzou

so you're suggesting that i need a pair of sandals if I go for a 4?!!

batmo

One minute you're thinking "So, I ride an Orange, I'm just an individualist!"

The next thing you know it's all tie-dyeing and Fairport Convention...

The Rookie

For what it is the Orange frames are Lardy, about half a kilo over the competition.

Not everyone likes single pivot (high mounted) due to the pedal kickback.

They do ride well otherwise, there are lots of fans out there, but to be honest I always get the feeling they could get a more modern design and be happier still.

A mate had an O5 and loved it, but then went to a Knolly which is lighter, better suspension and similar travel and he's happy to admit a lot lot better than the O5 at anything but decending where it's just as good.

rockmonkeysc

Orange bikes generally ride pretty well. I quite like that they're ugly as sin!
They are over priced and there are better bikes for less money.
Having said that, I bought an over priced British car which is worse value than the alternatives and less reliable but it puts a grin on my mug, you can't put a price on that grin factor so get a test ride.

poah

£3200 for the pro and it gets deore brakes, SLX cassette, and never heard of wheels.

have a look at a whyte T130 or even a transition scout from last year and spend the spare cash on upgrades.

FishFish

I love my Orange p7 pro evolved to 1*10. Done many thousand miles on it and it is utterly reliable. Don't know if it is the wrong weight - not a good enough biker to distinguish.

iamzou

Thanks for the input. Making me have a bit of at think. Our local track had a whyte demo day today, tried the 130 out, really liked it. The spec is definitely 'not bad'.....

I still like the orange, but struggling to be able to get a demo on one without travelling miles and miles and my local dealer were next to useless in telling me anything about the bikes or how to get sized on one. Pretty sure I'm going to be a small, but as someone else said, don't really want to spend this sort of money without having a bit of a play.

The 130 rs definitely appeals, but speaking to them and a quick trawl round the interweb looks like availability is a bit rubbish. Might have to look at summit else, I don't want to wait until december! Might have a look at the 2016 model if there are any around, i quite like the pike fork.

decisions, decisions.......

Herdwick

Always liked orange, looked ugly but fuctional, truth is are overpriced and lately looks like they aiming on producing a bike in 1/2 inch increments, what the f@ck is going on?
whyte is a more reasonable choice

FishFish

The Rookie wrote:

Con - as heavy as the fourth road bridge

Might that be the Forth road bridge. 'They' are building a second one currently but the Fourth would need to succeed the Third Forth Bridge. Unless you mean the fourth bridge over the Amazon.

rockmonkeysc

Is there not a fourth forth road bridge?

poah

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Is there not a fourth forth road bridge?

no, there is a rail bridge, the road bridge, the in progress queensferry bridge, the kincardine bridge and the clackmaninshire bridge that go across the firth of forth

iamzou

so after the fourth forth debate, I got an orange bike. Not an orange bike, but a whyte bike. A whyte bike that was orange......

Always, I couldn't find an RS, so have gone for a 2016 S, which I picked up for about £1800, which I thought wasn't a bad price given that there's not loads around at the moment.

mucho excited - thanks for the input.