Orange Bikes Four RS review: PH Fleet
Discussion
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
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
BaronVonVaderham said:
Fantastic stuff! More like this please 
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?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.
JD
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.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff