Orange Bikes Four RS review: PH Fleet

Orange Bikes Four RS review: PH Fleet

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James Drake

Original Poster:

2,668 posts

116 months

PH TEAM

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Orange Bikes Four RS review: PH Fleet

Do not adjust your dial. You haven't accidentally visited a cycling website and stumbled across a review of the Orange Four RS. You see, here at PH we love bikes and judging by the ever increasing traffic on the pedal powered forums we know that many of you love bikes too.

So, with that in mind we decided to try featuring some bike related content in the form of running a long term mountain bike test. Also, you know how it is... N+1 and all that. Anyway, if this works out we'll look to increase the amount of content like this that we feature too.




So what is it?

The Orange Four is designed as a do-it-all trail bike that can take you up hill and down dale. Over the years Orange have stuck to their guns and refined their tried and tested single pivot method, mated to a hand made aluminium frame. Over time, the Orange Five for which they are so well know has grown in both travel and stature which left it being a bit too much bike for some. Step forward then the new Four; a lighter weight, shorter travel bike that makes use of all the latest technologies to give "the ultimate short travel, fast, lean mean climber of an all round trail bike"


Orange Bikes make us smiley!

So what is it like?

Confession time... I've never really liked Orange mountain bikes. For me, they've always been a bit too heavy, a bit to simple and a bit too expensive. Which is strange because all signs should point towards me liking them; Most of my riding friends like them, several ride them and this is after all a British product that is widely considered to be World Class. I suppose in hindsight the problem was that I'd never properly ridden one, but even so there was something about the concept of the Four that really appealed to me. Just a bit lighter, a bit better looking and featuring all the right numbers and details that are desirable in a modern trail bike.

So far I've only had a few brief chances to ride the bike, including our recent "Official PH mountain bike; round 1" but I'm really enjoying it. It is interesting too how much attention the bike appears to be attracting with a lot of people at first thinking that it is its (much) bigger brother the "Alpine". As expected though, the bike does a commendable job of just being a mountain bike. Thanks to the modern geometry you can push the bike incredibly hard when you want to, all the while making good progress on the less fun parts of the ride thanks to the light weight. The one thing I have found a few times is that the overall attitude of the bike can lull you into a false sense of security - sometimes encouraging you to attack bits of the trail with such gusto that the reality of how much travel the bike actually has can catch up with you quite suddenly. In other words, it encourages you to be a bit of a hooligan and it is excellent fun!


Ready to ride at round 1 of the Official PH mountain bike ride

Over the coming weeks I should have significantly more opportunities to ride the bike and, although the weather is turning for the worse these bikes are famed for their ability to shrug off the best of British weather... I best get my waterproof coat out.

If you're interested in the bike please do ask any questions, or equally I'll be brining the bike along to some of the upcoming "Official PH mountain bike rides" that we'll be announcing soon.

JD


Mated to our Skoda Octavia vRS 230 Estate longtermer

Bike specification:

Model: Orange Four RS
Size Tested: XL
Price as Tested: £4,280 (£4,000 base price, £100 for Atomic Orange Paint, £100 for wheel upgrade, £80 for seat post upgrade)
Additional Information: https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/four-rs





Edited by James Drake on Friday 23 September 13:33

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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For what it's worth, despite being not that much of an Orange Fan (prefering faster european plastic ;-) , i think Orange have really nailed it with their current bike models, finally managing to find that somewhat tricky compromise between looking tough and chunky without appearing too Fred Dibnah like!


(and i've not even mentioned Filing Cabinets once, go me!!! tongue out



BaronVonVaderham

2,316 posts

146 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Fantastic stuff! More like this please smile

Big fan of Oranges, have had several over the years and currently trying very hard not to order an alpine, as it might be a bit ott for swinley, but do have a brother living in the Alps to visit...

Hampshire based here so will try and get along to one of the rides soon.

James Drake

Original Poster:

2,668 posts

116 months

PH TEAM

Thursday 22nd September 2016
quotequote all
BaronVonVaderham said:
Fantastic stuff! More like this please smile

Big fan of Oranges, have had several over the years and currently trying very hard not to order an alpine, as it might be a bit ott for swinley, but do have a brother living in the Alps to visit...

Hampshire based here so will try and get along to one of the rides soon.
Excellent, we're going to arrange a Swinley ride soon - you're welcome to swing a leg over the Four if you fancy a play?

JD

phil-sti

2,668 posts

178 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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How about having a northern based PH ride? I say Grizedale?

James Drake

Original Poster:

2,668 posts

116 months

PH TEAM

Thursday 22nd September 2016
quotequote all
phil-sti said:
How about having a northern based PH ride? I say Grizedale?
Sounds excellent, I'm game!

phil-sti

2,668 posts

178 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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I'll happily guide us all though some of the best lakes singletrack.

idiotgap

2,112 posts

132 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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It makes me sad to think of the lovely new clockwork I got from stif in about 1990 which someone nicked 6 weeks after I got it. They were literally hot property back then.

atom111

1,035 posts

224 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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idiotgap said:
It makes me sad to think of the lovely new clockwork I got from stif in about 1990 which someone nicked 6 weeks after I got it. They were literally hot property back then.
I also had a 90's Clockwork stolen! Was very gutted frown

I'd be interested in Lakes/Northern Ride - I've not ridden the Lakes bar Grizedale, so never any of the more natural trails.

BaronVonVaderham

2,316 posts

146 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
James Drake said:
Excellent, we're going to arrange a Swinley ride soon - you're welcome to swing a leg over the Four if you fancy a play?

JD
Sounds like a plan! thumbup

AndrewEH1

4,917 posts

152 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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I used to have a Five until I sold it.

The desire to buy a Four or Five is very strong I just wish they weren't so damn expensive for a non-carbon single pivot!

phil-sti

2,668 posts

178 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
AndrewEH1 said:
I used to have a Five until I sold it.

The desire to buy a Four or Five is very strong I just wish they weren't so damn expensive for a non-carbon single pivot!
The single pivot is a great design and many of the best bikes that have been made where single pivot. Just because it's old doesn't make it bad an paired with some of the rear shocks available nowadays the shortfalls of the design are countered.

4K for a bike that last forever with minimal maintenance is a steal.

LasseV

1,754 posts

132 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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Nice bike smile I love single pivot bikes. They just works so well. I have 650b sc Heckler and i love it. However it is getting old and ihave crashed it million times so i need a replacement in a few years. Those little pon hold fkers discontinued heckler so now i'm looking Orange Alpina very seriously. Oranges are very interesting bikes at the moment. Other option is Evil Insurgent but i don't know.....

AndrewEH1

4,917 posts

152 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
phil-sti said:
The single pivot is a great design and many of the best bikes that have been made where single pivot. Just because it's old doesn't make it bad an paired with some of the rear shocks available nowadays the shortfalls of the design are countered.

4K for a bike that last forever with minimal maintenance is a steal.
I enjoyed my Five when I had it, nothing wrong with a single pivot either, it's just so expensive!

But I guess it's a worthy cost as it's all handmade in the UK

LasseV

1,754 posts

132 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
AndrewEH1 said:
I enjoyed my Five when I had it, nothing wrong with a single pivot either, it's just so expensive!

But I guess it's a worthy cost as it's all handmade in the UK
Tbh, Orange bikes are not that expensive if you compared it to against other high end products.

phil-sti

2,668 posts

178 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
I ride a Bandhee Rune and that's aluminium and was 4K so I don't think Orange bike are overly expensive. By the way the new Apline is awesome.

James Drake

Original Poster:

2,668 posts

116 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
phil-sti said:
I ride a Bandhee Rune and that's aluminium and was 4K so I don't think Orange bike are overly expensive. By the way the new Apline is awesome.
Incidentally, I've had a quick go on an Alpine and the Four is like a light weight, short travel version - and I don't just mean looks wise. The attitude / length / geometry of the bike feel very similar... think of it as being like an Alpine for the UK and you're not far off.

Digga

40,206 posts

282 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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Mate swapped his Five for a new Four earlier this year; it is a lovely bike. Only had a few short rides on it, but it looks right, climbs well and is a real hoot on the descents.

Sorry to have missed ride #1; I live in Cannock Chase (not near, but actually in it) and spend a lot of time riding there. Would likely have found us some good, unofficial (in the spirit of the event) local cheek, had I have known. Feel free to PM next time.

I'd say the better indie producers still represent value when you look at the overall quality and durability of the package. But then perhaps I would say that, as I'm a serial Nicolai nut:


daddy cool

3,996 posts

228 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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James Drake said:
we're going to arrange a Swinley ride soon
Awesome - let me know if you want some help planning a route incorporating bits outside the Blue/Red. When will it likely be?

mackie1

8,153 posts

232 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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Seems a smidge lumpy when a Trek Fuel EX 8 27.5+ is £2500 with Fox fork and shock. Looking forward to having a nose around both at the NEC show tomorrow.