Bike Check: Joe Barnes' Orange Alpine 6 Has a New Coil Shock From Formula

Jan 29, 2020
by James Smurthwaite  
Orange Hazzard racing


The Hazzard Racing boys are now well settled in on Orange Bikes and this year are all racing a full EWS season beginning in Colombia in March.

Orange recently announced two Hazzard Racing models that come equipped with the same exact spec that Joe Barnes, Lachlan Blair, and Fergus Lamb will be running for 2020. It's a limited edition run, with only ten of each model (the Alpine 6 and Switch 6) being produced.

Spec highlights include a healthy smattering of components from Hope, a Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain, a Formula Selva S fork, and a Formula coil shock. Wait, a Formula coil shock? When did that happen? Formula currently don't offer a coil shock (or an air shock for that matter), but it's clear that there's one on the way. They haven't released any concrete details yet other than the fact that there will at least be a 210 x 55mm and 230 x 65mm options, since that's what the Switch 6 and the Alpine 6 use.

From the photos, it's clear that there's a low speed compression dial and what's likely a climb lever at the front of the shock, and then rebound is adjusted at the rear. It'll be interesting to see if Formula bring any elements of their Compression Tuning System (CTS) over to the shock. CTS allows riders to quickly swap out the compression valve on their fork in order to customize its behavior – that would be a unique touch if it ends up being a feature of this shock.

While we wait for more details to emerge, let's take a closer look at Joe Barnes' bike.


Orange Hazzard racing

Joe runs a medium size frame on the Orange Five that he uses for hacking about, but sizes up to a large for his race bike. The Alpine 6 is his frame of choice for EWS duties with the Hazzard Racing white and coral colour scheme.

Joe has gone for a slighlty lighter weight build than his team mates, but that only really means he's gone for smaller dicscs and standard brake hoses
Rider Name: Joe Barnes
Hometown: Fort William
Height: 1.74m / 5'8"
Weight: 70kg / 154 lb
Instagram: @top_chief

Orange Hazzard racing
Frame: Orange Alpine 6
Shock: Protoype Formula 325lb/in
Fork: Formula Selva R - 69 & 90psi, 2 Neopos tokens
Wheels: Hope Fortus 30 - 27.5"
Front Tire: Schwalbe Magic Mary, 2.35" - 19 psi
Rear Tire: Schwallbe Hans Dampf, 2.35" - 24 psi
Drivetrain: Shimano XT 12-speed
Brakes: Hope Tech 3 V4
Cockpit: OneUp Carbon bar - 750mm, OneUp EDC stem, Gusset grips
Size: Large
More info: orangebikes.co.uk/

Orange Hazzard racing
Hopefully we'll hear more about Formula's new shock soon.

Orange Hazzard racing
Orange Hazzard racing
Hope Tech 3 V4 brakes.

Orange Hazzard racing
Purple Gusset grips match up with Formula's colour swatch.


Orange Hazzard racing
One of Joe's set up quirks is to run his brakes super close to the bars. It's always one for the first things people mention when they ride his bikes.


Orange Hazzard racing
The limited-edition Hazzard Racing models are priced at £5200.

bigquotesThis is a huge honour for me to showcase a bike that I have been involved in from the ground up and is now reaching the public. The frame specifics, component spec and suspension tune are all from our 2020 Hazzard Racing build kit and ready to be shredded.— Joe Barnes

Orange Hazzard racing
Orange Hazzard racing
Another look at that Formula coil shock.


Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Bike Checks Enduro Bikes Orange Bikes Orange Alpine 6


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196 Comments
  • 69 22
 Cue the filing cabinet comments from folk who have never ridden an Orange...
  • 130 5
 I've owned Orange bikes and errr yeah filing cabinets
  • 17 9
 I've never ridden an Orange bike but really love the looks of them. I think the recent more open swingarms look nice, a "lighter" look than the more solid looking swingarms of yore. I personally prefer straight tubes but the slight curvature they have now doesn't bother me.
  • 128 3
 I rode an Orange with an open mind then concluded I was in fact riding a filing cabinet
  • 90 10
 Cue the brits rolling into the comment section claiming its the best bike ever produced
  • 11 0
 @IllestT: sexy bike, best bike ever produced, America!
  • 45 3
 @Tr011: I'm British and no. Not at all. I can appreciate the simplicity of the single pivot, I can understand people's 'made in Britain' reasoning, but can always tell an orange is on its way down the trail long before i see it, because they usually sound like a bag of spanners being thrown down some steps. Combined with what I know of people who have owned/ridden them, the main appeal is lack of maintenance.
  • 174 2
 I rode a filing cabinet with an open mind then concluded I was in fact riding an Orange.
  • 2 5
 yo
  • 1 0
 @IllestT: what rattled on yours?
  • 16 1
 That's actually a very good looking color way overall. Unfortunately,....still one of the ugliest bikes made. Sorry UK, nothing personal. I do think Hope and Nukeproof rule! Does that make you feel better? Wink
  • 6 2
 @inked-up-metalhead: LMAO!! Good one mate, "a bag of spanners being thrown down some steps". Smile
  • 5 0
 @inked-up-metalhead: in short very british so you can spend more time at the pub
  • 7 8
 I rode and Orange before. No suspension issues and no flex issues. It was the Peter Krauss signature hardtail trials frame so I am sure their full suspension would work just as well.
  • 7 0
 To all you Orange'rs, serious question: What exactly causes said filing cabinet noises? Internal cables rattling? Pinging aluminum? Lost tools inside during manufacture? What is it?!
  • 11 33
flag GZMS (Jan 29, 2020 at 12:19) (Below Threshold)
 @MTBrent: just some garbage rattling.. because the whole bike is garbage..
  • 11 6
 @vjunior21: Bit of a leap to assume a full-suspension bike will be good because you liked a hardtail from the same company.
  • 7 0
 @R-M-R:
It was a joke. I.E. "No suspension issues and no flex issues." and " hardtail trials frame so I am sure their full suspension would work just as well."
  • 2 0
 @Tr011: I hadn't thought of it that way, but yes. I'm not one to frequent a pub so I guess that's why I don't like them enough to be interested.
  • 5 0
 @MTBrent: from what I've seen, it's a combination of cables rattling, and the huge box members of the frame acting like sound boxes and amplifying every noise caused by hitting rough ground.
  • 2 0
 @inked-up-metalhead: spot-on. I had a Patriot for the reasons you mentioned but it was by far the noisiest bike I've had. Was running a Hope hub too - ouch!
  • 4 0
 @tremeer023: tbf the newer ones aren't anywhere near as bad, nothing sounds like a mid 00s orange 5, patriot or 222.
  • 1 0
 @vjunior21: Ah, okay. Thank goodness for that.
  • 2 0
 @inked-up-metalhead: I can believe that. Mine was 2008 and quite boxy.
  • 16 3
 @Tr011: British? Orange have accidentally designed the Santa Cruz heckler. In 2020!
  • 2 0
 @nyhc00: same as me!! Wink
  • 4 0
 @nyhc00: Top draw comment tup
  • 4 2
 I don't need to ride one I've ridden enough single pivot bikes to know I don't like them.
  • 9 0
 @MTBrent: I own an orange 5 and it’s totally silent! The chain is no where near the swingarm and the clutch rear mech keeps the chain tight and quiet. I’m guessing people are talking before clutch mechs. No bikes make noise these days tbh.
  • 2 2
 @MTBrent: I've had two of them and all i can put it down to is that the frame seems to amplify any small sounds such as bb creaks and cable tapping on the frame.
  • 2 1
 Lol was not disappointed...
  • 6 5
 @MTBrent: Way back in the olden days, Orange frames and swingarms were made from large sheets of aluminum, folded and seam welded. The large, flat panels resonated like a guitar body. The latest frames are made out of hydroformed tubes (like 99% of all modern aluminum mtb’s) so they won’t be any more noisy than your standard bike. Ignore the ignorant and chuckle at the jokesters. But don’t discount Orange bikes if you are looking for something durable and functional.
  • 5 1
 @inked-up-metalhead:
old foes bikes made a lot of noise as well, but at least they had nice-looking welds
  • 12 0
 @ripplemuncher: actually they still are made from sheet metal that’s folded and welded.
None of it is hydroformed.
There is only one drawn tube on the bike and that is the seat tube.
The head tube and bottom bracket, along with the dropouts and pivot areas are machined.
The frames are ‘quenched’ after being made though as a treatment to align the molecular structure in the aluminium again.
With that said, they’re not noisy anymore and they ride superb. Very lively and bang on geometry.
  • 3 2
 @GZMS: Maybe you just can't ride a bike well?
  • 2 0
 @GZMS: ouch.
  • 1 0
 @mybaben: nukeproof is based out of Ireland
  • 2 0
 Sick shock, looks like a weapon.
  • 1 0
 @Tr011: not at all
  • 3 0
 @lognar: I consider it Ireland in spirit, but technically it's Northern Ireland, which is UK.
  • 9 2
 @mybaben: I once heard the sound of an Orange described as a skeleton jerking off into a biscuit tin.
  • 1 0
 @mybaben: geography. How does it work?
  • 2 2
 @MTBrent: go outside. Find yourself a big lump of steel or better and old 205 oil drum. Or 45gal over there. Sit inside and ask your mate to hit it with a 14lb sledge hammer.
Down tube on an orange has the same effect with rocks. Use a small hammer to get the rear swing arm sound and chain slap
  • 5 0
 I have a 40 year old filing cabinet as my bedside table/drawers. It rules. Previous wooden bedside got split in half by a flying brick. True story.
  • 5 0
 I have only seen one orange bike in my area and I might as well have spotted a unicorn.
  • 5 2
 @hatchleader And it wasn't even that funny 15 years ago when those comments first appeared.
I realise these bikes won't appeal to everyone but if people are going to take the piss please try and come up with something a bit more original and slightly amusing if possible. Thanks.
  • 3 0
 @streetkvnt-kvlt: you must've had a rough night then mate
  • 1 0
 @IllestT: nob 'ed
  • 2 0
 @streetkvnt-kvlt: Are bricks still flying in your bedroom and how is the filing cabinet keeping up? An alternative would be to enforce a no fly zone for bricks near your bed. It may have other alternatives as well, aside from not having to rely on a Halifax bike next to your bed to serve as table. My girlfriend and I usually limit the violence to pillow fights, but stay clear of the truly lethal stuff.
  • 2 0
 @streetkvnt-kvlt: Now I am more curious about why you had bricks flying around in your bedroom.
  • 3 0
 @bengtleon: what do you think the table before the wooden one was made of?
  • 1 0
 @IllestT: ???? winning…
  • 1 0
 Had a 224 and loved it! noisy as F#"% though.
They could just fill the frame with a structurally aiding but mainly dampening foam... Space here for some DIY with some expanding foam?
  • 3 0
 @brunodeffense: I had an RX9 and it was great because it was welded by asian children rather than fat British blokes.
  • 1 0
 @inked-up-metalhead: Bar Width? Wheelsize? Bah...Priority #1 of UK riders: Will it survive more than 1 year being drowned in mud and rain?
  • 1 0
 @me2menow:
  • 3 0
 @IllestT: Interesting. My Stage 4 is completely silent.
  • 2 0
 @MTBrent: Nothing rattles. Maybe the old ones, but my Stage 4 is about as silent as they come. Maybe people don't use foam or rubber insulation around their cables internally. I do and it's silent.
  • 2 0
 @zerort: the chain used to slap against the old ones with the big monocoque swing arms but now they’ve move them out of the way of the chain slap and started using the alpine style swing arms they’re not that noisey anymore.
  • 1 1
 @R-M-R:
I just like to drop a ridiculous comment here and there. Like comparing the rear suspension performance of a hardtail to a frame with 6 inches of travel. As in they are pretty much the same. LOL
  • 3 0
 @vhdh666: @bengtleon: @vinay: I wish it was a rough night but nah a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit my city (Feb 22 2011), hence the flying bricks and other debris. Aside from my stickered up bedside table, my house got totalled pretty bad.

Though I did see the Melvins and High On Fire the night before.
  • 1 0
 @streetkvnt-kvlt: that is an actual cool story.
  • 24 0
 Here’s my experience with Orange bikes so far. I recently purchased a used Alpine 160 frame off of EBay from a guy in the UK. He nicely agreed to ship it to the Orange factory for their repaint/ refurbish service instead of shipping it directly to me. I was able to coordinate nicely with Orange customer service. A guy named Tom works there. In addition to that they also helped me coordinate having them install a new Works headset on the refurbished frame before sending it out. Upon arrival at my home the box had been ripped open squashed like an accordion and taped back together. Perhaps it was US customs that mangled it up IDK. All I know is even the UPS driver was embarrassed to hand it to me. Upon unpacking it the frame I noticed that someone had tried to remove the headset cups and the tried to replace them with some very crude tools. They mangled the cups and damaged the fresh paint on the HT. I took pictures and emailed Tom at Orange. Orange actually sent UPS back out to my house at their expense to pick up the frame and the crushed box. They’re taking complete ownership of it having it shipped back to the UK so they can repair the damage at the factory. They went to this level of customer service for a used frame going to the second owner. Guess what? I’m a fan of Orange bikes for that alone. As far as the quality of the frame is concerned upon close examination o can say that the welding and craftsmanship was top notch. The quality of the finish work was stellar, and the way that frame was built I honestly think it may in fact be literally bulletproof. I’ll let you all know my how it rides after building it up.
  • 6 0
 Love reading things like this, restores my faith in business.
  • 7 0
 They have the overhead for that since the R&D department doesn't need to be funded. Jokes aside, that's awesome of them.
  • 27 3
 Say what you want but I still like the old school Orange look
  • 38 0
 its not orange, its white
  • 30 0
 @Mojo348: It's not Whyte.
  • 8 0
 @emarquar: Exactly. It's Rich Energy.
  • 19 0
 I like the simplicity. My suspension frame design has 16 bolts. This has 3.
  • 3 0
 What frame are you riding? Thats a lot of bolts...
  • 5 0
 you've got a commencal supreme too huh?
  • 1 1
 I don't know any suspension system with more than 10 or 11 bolts. VPP - 10. DW Link - 10, Split Pivot - 10 (9 with no trunnion shock), Horst Link - 10, Kona single pivot - 10. Even the crazy gambler and marin linkages from back in the day were only like 11 bolts.
  • 3 0
 Knolly?
  • 27 0
 Evil says hi.
  • 6 0
 @gus6464: Yep!
  • 2 1
 @cueTIP: bleed black duuuuuuude
  • 2 0
 @cueTIP: dave weagle may be a genius but the delta link has so many damn bolts its crazy
  • 16 3
 @hatchleader indeed I've shyed away from orange my whole life riding 'super advanced' bikes with acronyms all over, had enough last year and thought heck let's give a Stage 6 a punt, simply amazing. And it's stealth silent through the rock gardens and gnar tech.
  • 6 0
 Just gone from Capra to Alpine 6 and the Alpine is more plush and equally as quiet. I’m not a good enough rider to to get all the benefits of the more complex suspension on the YT. Just happy got a simple to service suspension and external BB! Still got my Capra so will maybe do some back to back testing down the same bit of trail to see if I can tell the difference between the 2 suspension platforms..
  • 12 0
 April 23rd is the date for release of the new coil shock according to Formulas comments on instagram.
  • 13 1
 Either it's raining, or that brake lever is leaking.
  • 6 0
 ha i noticed that too. im guessing they just washed the bike before the shoot and missed a little bit when drying it
  • 21 0
 UK, 99% rain
  • 10 0
 @bman33: c'mon man, I think your being unfair there. We have a week or two for summer, so really it's only 96%.
  • 4 0
 @bman33: UK, 1% dot 5.1
  • 5 0
 It's Fort William. It's been raining here since October
  • 23 0
 @felimocl: October 1998
  • 1 0
 @inked-up-metalhead: fare enough. I have a good friend in Belfast I see every couple of years and they're actually happened a few days with no rain. Big Grin
  • 5 0
 Dunno what everyone's on about. I have always dug the look of these.

Given that the shock seems to be in development, and the availability is so limited, I wonder why though that these weren't branded "Strange" (the proto/dev/works/whatever Orange sub-brand). Does that program still exist?
  • 4 0
 I have a Five. It's a great bike in some ways. I love the way it looks, maintenance is simple and the small bump sensivity is mind blowing if you put in a nice shock (DVO Topaz in my case). But I feel that it is flexing too much laterally. That might be part of the reason the small bump sensivity is awesome. It might even give you some extra grip, but it kind of feels like your rear end is loose all the time. And yes, it is noisy as hell with that huge open chainstay.
  • 3 0
 @jamessmurthwaite I think it would be next to impossible to adapt CTS valve system as we know it into a shock, since its fluid is pressurized. You can open a fork and replace the CTS easily, but I cannot imagine doing the same - easy way - on a shock. Of course, as a Formula fork user I strongly believe they would come up with a solution.
  • 3 0
 Well I'm Biast, they are literally over the hill from me , and compared to my wheezing my stage six is silent ! ( And fast, and probably really fast if owned by someone competent)
  • 7 1
 Digging that purple coil!
  • 1 0
 I liked it when marzocchi did it for the rampage bikes last year.
  • 3 0
 Pretty cool, now there‘s (at least) purple, orange, yellow, red, and white springs in the market, let the color matching begin.
  • 5 0
 Aren't their suspension kinematics dead on linear?
Interesting choice the coil shock
  • 2 0
 Well, that bottom out bumper looks quite substantial.
  • 2 0
 The whole thing about coils not being suited to linear leverage curves is just riding on the laziness of people to set up suspension.

If you plot force vs displacement for the shock, there are 2 points that matter, sag setting, and max bottom out force. Whether you draw a line through them (coil shock), or a curve (air shock), doesn't matter for safety. The bike will ride different, but neither is better. The air shock will have better small bump compliance, but the coil shock will track better over bigger hits and have more midstroke support
  • 2 0
 Always makes me feel nostalgic when orange bring a new bike /color out. Iv had a few santa cruz bullits over the years and they were super plush very similar to orange I suppose,just too short. I bet the new orange's are pretty good tbh I always thought my bullit would be amazing if it had up to date geo, do we really need all the links and rollers we are told are better??..
  • 7 3
 The thumbnail looked like a render, and I thought: wow, even in CAD Oranges have sloppy welds.
  • 4 3
 Looks like an orange. Good luck to Joe this season, always makes nice videos of the slop around Fort Bill. I remember racing an orange 224 for a season. What a nightmare, slowest bike I have ever raced, just couldn't get on with it, could ride things on my NP Mega TR that the orange couldn't, worst results ever too.
  • 4 6
 Bovine faeces
  • 1 0
 Not mine. And, to stir Ellsworth hate-pot on PB some more, Tony was really accommodating to me when I warranted the frame. The HA on my Ellsworth, with a 170 mm Lyric on , is just under 67 degrees. and the swingarm gets an honest 175 mm of travel. Just because a lie is repeated over and over again by the herd does not make the truth. In fact, it makes for the situation we see in the U.S. today. I can do without that kind of chickenshit.
Plus, I think the Joker could handle Mike's style of riding. Mines' built up to be a trail bike, a very plush and good-pedaling trails bike. I like it. And if you don't like it, try not to take it personally.
[Reply]
  • 1 0
 Well I can still remember, not that long ago, Joe was riding a super ultralight 12kg Canyon Spectral, purposely a Spectral, instead of Strive because it was shorter and more agile. He was really riping then. And he hit a podium at EWS and was in top 10 overall... Just sayin...
  • 1 0
 i miss the ability to order orange in canada through vellendtech. to get your hands on one now days is just astronomical in price.. specially compared to so many good domestic offerings. Devinci and Rocky!
  • 1 0
 It's so nice to see Orange staying true to simple suspension geo. They took a page out of Marin's book back in the 90s and that was it, just one page and they stuck to it ever since....
  • 4 0
 Nope, still looks like a combine harvester
  • 3 2
 Ugh. Probably going to give up.on Shimano and go back to hope brakes. They are so fucking sexy and work so damn good. The Shimanos aren't bad but the hope really is just that much better.
  • 4 0
 I love every component on that bike.
  • 3 1
 Would be a good idea to put a geometry chart in here so people don’t have to read the article ????.
  • 3 0
 looks a lot like an orange
  • 3 0
 So I should upgrade my Santa Cruz Bullitt for enduro?
  • 2 0
 Super close to the bar.
Absolutely. As ling as they’re bled well, thats the best way to run them
  • 2 0
 I do the same setup as well. It feels more natural to me plus, ever since I injured my hand, it feels more comfortable and applying power just means gripping my bar harder - which translate to small movement.
  • 1 0
 Would an idler pulley change how an orange rides. I'm assuming a floating brake caliper might help if there is any brake jack (although I'm just aassumin) Wink
  • 3 0
 nwtoney55 they actually get brake squat as in the suspension compressed under braking. This has its benefits if you can use them. Slackens the head angle and loads the suspension. It feels very stable too. An idler would help with pedal kick back and now they’ve raised the pivot point I think it’s needed to advance the design. They are very fast bikes in the right hands.
  • 2 1
 @mikelee: Brake jack is never a good thing. Even if you call it brake squat.
  • 1 0
 @BeerGuzlinFool: That‘s correct.

But was riding a Santa Cruz Heckler for quite a while, and you can indeed get used to it, up to a point where you use it on purpose.
  • 1 0
 Chris Porter ( Mr Geomotron) Actually did that a few years ago on one of the downhill bikes using a hope Free-hub body on the actual pivot, I'm not sure whether it would be good for a general bike, because you want some chain tension and anti squat/ squat to help it pedal.
  • 1 0
 @BeerGuzlinFool: brake jack and brake squat are two different things! One extends the rear end(jacking up the bike) one compresses the rear end(squat)
  • 1 0
 @mikelee: Either way .. Both suck.
  • 1 0
 @BeerGuzlinFool: most frames have brake squat either naturally or built in the design. Brake squat is very useful if you know how to benefit hence why it’s factored into most bikes! Take your shock off your bike,then lift the back wheel off the ground and pedal fast. Then apply the rear brake. I bet your rear end will compress as the wheel stops. With the shock removed you’ll see it very clearly. There’s very few frames where this won’t happen.
  • 1 0
 @mikelee: I have a Canfield Jedi. Braking forces do not affect the suspension. It stays completely active while braking.
  • 1 0
 @BeerGuzlinFool: I think you’ll find it squats actually. Remove the shock and test it yourself.
  • 1 0
 @mikelee: canfieldbikes.com/pages/cbf-suspension. No squat. No brake jack.
  • 1 0
 @BeerGuzlinFool: it literally says they’ve built in squat as part of the rear end! I’m guessing you don’t understand how your own bike works.
  • 2 0
 Damn Pinkbike, you let Bike Rumor beat you to this "scoop" by a few days? On a coil spring shock? Man you slippin.
  • 2 2
 In many ways Bike Rumor is a better site.
  • 1 0
 @panzer103: well the commenters there are a bunch of gravel grinders so....
  • 1 0
 @Sycip69er: Bike Rumor routinely has better reviews the pb. I stand by my statement.
  • 1 1
 I understand why Orange makes their frames so durable, as they will rot forever in the garage as anyone would be embarrassed by their design yet alone they antique single pivot design
  • 1 0
 Cant help but feel you missed a trick and not doing a colour scheme to match General Lee. Plus white? Your scottish and you want a white bike in the winter? Are you mad?
  • 1 0
 This is a GT Sanction without the fck*#@ I-drive system motherf@#$&. Hope it's better tho
  • 26 27
 No I have not ridden an Orange, so I will not comment on how they ride. But holy hell they are some kinda ugly. Kinda painful to look at IMO. Hey, maybe you're into that kind of thing. More power to ya.
  • 3 4
 +1 for sure. Frown
  • 11 8
 Simple industrial looks are not for everyone. Some prefer the mass produced over designed bike that looks like 100 other bikes
  • 4 0
 The new five looks really good in real life. All oranges do actually they’re not very photogenic.
  • 3 0
 @spaced: well I also don't like it but I like the Nicolai and Ancillotti.
Doesn't look like those are mass produced. And Nicolai still useses straight tube's and nothing else.
  • 3 0
 @spaced: And then maybe everybody else does it in a different way for a reason...
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic: So weirdly true - Better in action that still life's!
  • 3 0
 @spaced: Loving Orange bikes does not make you special, it makes you want to buy an Orange bike
  • 1 2
 @FuzzyL: Yes, it's cheaper to buy tubes from a catalogue than make your own
  • 2 0
 Lovin' the look of the all silver brakes!
  • 3 0
 Love this a lot.
  • 4 2
 My friend has an Orange bike, a Yeti SB 150.
  • 3 3
 People want lots of pivots and bearings to replace all the time and prefer the ride quality of a $4000 mass produced plastic frame that cracks easily
  • 3 1
 Orange bikes have the sex appeal of a square satyr.
  • 1 0
 one day orange is going to do link driven suspension and it'll break the internet.
  • 1 0
 They tried that already, realized they would have to pay licensing fees, and went back to single pivot.
  • 1 0
 To their credit, Santa Cruz tried to modernize their single pivot designs with a linkage around the same time, and gave up on it just as quickly, so fees for the use of that patent seem to be substantial.
  • 3 1
 Dont undestand the hate I think it looks awesome?
  • 1 0
 Because single pivot means they are on unnecessarily high maintenance and overpriced frames, They can't handle the fact a single pivot is awesome haha
  • 1 0
 that formula coil shock is sublime!
  • 2 1
 Looks like a heavy bike. Love the components tho.
  • 3 2
 Beautiful Suspension and componentry, but ugly bike
  • 3 3
 Eli tomac somehow manages to win supercross races on a single pivot dirt bike!
  • 4 0
 His Kawasaki got a linkage. Can't think of a Mx bike these days that doesn't have one.
  • 1 1
 @Perra: Still a single pivot though, but it uses a gearbox and has a single chain line allowing them to tune pivot placement to there liking.
  • 2 1
 @MikeGruhler: a commencal supreme is also single pivot but has a wildly different suspension behaviour than an orange. Why? Linkage (and idler)
  • 3 2
 @Perra: absolutely no reason we don’t have horse power statistics so we have to invent other ways to sell bikes. Linkages are always a good one because you can give them ridiculous names and make some bullshit up every four years and it’s going to sell bikes. There’s not much you can do with linkages that you can’t do with the correct shock tune and right pivot placement / shock location. Most of the time they’re just single pivots anyway.
  • 2 1
 @thenotoriousmic: no Mx bike manufacturer releases hp numbers.

On the marketing bullshit for bikes I agree with you, it's gone to far.
But I still believe linkages have their place on a bike.
  • 1 0
 @Perra: Yeah, but its still a single pivot, the idler and high pivot is what makes that platform work the way it does. Linkages driven by a single pivot swingarm determines how the shock behaves not how the pivot placement works. With the idler pully it's basically the same as any other single pivot except it follows a different wheel path. The linkage can make it progressive, linear or falling rate and that's it. Get rid of the idler and it's basically junk, no linkage would save that design without the idler.
  • 2 0
 @MikeGruhler: Nonsense, The ktm off road team won tons of extreme enduro races with their single pivot design, no linkage needed
  • 1 0
 @markar: What? Good for them? thanks for info but it has nothing to do with a single pivot mtb with linkages to drive the shock. The linkage changes the shocks behavior not the swingarm/pivot placement. No linkage or shock tune will fix a shit design. We tried it, they were named platform valves or SPV depending on the brand. They were shit and are damn near extinct in the old form.
  • 1 0
 @MikeGruhler: like I don't know all that haha, This bike is good, Aluminum, 29", Coil shock and single pivot is perfect for enduro, And people that do mostly dh style stuff, Just ride it for years with no maintenance or hassle!
  • 1 0
 @Perra: So what, it's still single pivot, KTM has won tons of endurocross and extreme enduro races on a single pivot with no linkage! Duh
  • 2 0
 Absolute unit
  • 1 0
 Is the purple coil available to fit a RS?
  • 1 0
 but its white, not orange :-(
  • 1 0
 Look ma a white orange!
- that’s a melon, boy...
  • 1 1
 I’ve got a few oranges and think they’re quality, fast and built to last
  • 1 0
 Guess that bike will never be this clean again.
  • 1 0
 Forgive me, but wasnt a coil shock on this bike a « bad idea »
  • 1 0
 I once dated a girl named Filing Cabinet
  • 1 0
 Great looking bike,minus the purple
  • 1 1
 I'd say more cauliflower than orange
  • 1 0
 looks like a grim donut
  • 2 2
 All those beautiful parts on such an ugly ass bike...
  • 2 2
 Yes! It looks like something out of the 90s
  • 1 1
 Joe Barnes is a bad dude on the bike! This bike looks sick!!!
  • 1 1
 Seems like they should have went with Formula brakes given the build.
  • 2 1
 Nice bike in my opinion.
  • 2 2
 "You can't always get what you want,
But if you try sometime you find,
You get what you don't want"
  • 3 4
 looks like a Walmart bike
  • 8 10
 "hopefully we'll hear about Formulas new shock soon"

Full review tomorrow
  • 32 2
 Nope. If there's a full review up tomorrow I'll only ride a 26" rigid bike with cantilever brakes for the rest of the year.
  • 22 1
 @mikekazimer: So theres a video of you riding a 26" rigid bike with cantilever brakes launching tomorrow as well then?
  • 2 0
 @mikekazimer: I’ve a buddy that still owns an old rigid surly. The guy can absolutely shred on that thing.
  • 4 0
 @mikekazimer: only a few hours but so so want this to happen! Wink Oldskool mtb.
  • 3 0
 @mikekazimer: Tell ya what, Mike. I have an old skool 26er with a single pivot, plus it was made in 'Murka.
It started out as an '01 Ellsworth Joker, with a frame upgrade (read, "lifetime warranty") in '05, that I use as a loaner bike for former BMX rippers who ride with me. They love it. Howzabout you review that bike? I can loan it to you......
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: Are you writing for NSMB too?
  • 1 1
 @mikekazimer: forget all that”stupid “things,but does all the problems that many bikes with all many pivots places have in terms of real riding are REAL better then a new orange bikes ,for the normal rider ,cause I can’t see you go faster that joe is and you probably don’t go faster even on a DH bike ,so I get it when people say that some bikes are more forgiving in mistakes (what speeds they are I don’t know?),but at the same time ,what is happening to us real riders ,buying the hype where In my opinion the only thing bikes are getting better is in wheel base and that sometimes is just for some thing that it really doesn’t suit some riding places ,like low bb ,to much steeper tube angles ,cause when you riding and pedaling in wavy terrain that 76/77/78 angle is just stupid with that low bb cause you will smack your pedals in something that you say “what the f*ck”cause you are to straight in terms of the ground ,and if you ..,,,......,I can’t remember what else but I miss my Santa Cruz heckler ,
  • 2 0
 @RayDolor: Ridiculous comparison, They have nothing in common except one pivot, 26" wheels and steep HT is why the Ellsworth joker was a joke
  • 1 1
 @RayDolor: you want him killed? I also own one but those bikes snapped from nothing
  • 2 4
 Kill it with fire!







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