strange

Mmmmm

Mmmmmm Their even copying Commencals' colourways now, never mind their rear suss system! these bikes have upset a lot of Orange fans with the move away from SP?
 
ride one, you'll like it! :D

yes this is a proto, slacker head angle and 10mm lower B/b, i just got in from a nightshift, i rode it in yesterday and home just now, it's first ride and it is sweet!! :cool: :D :D

check the facebook link for more pics
 
My only reservation as an engineer, is why have 6 pairs of bearings on a single pivot design, without the advantage of the 4 bar design? may as well just have one main through needle bearing and two shock bushings? keep it simple ,Orange have always won by preaching this design and sold well, now they are just joining the rest of the herd. Bike looks nice in mint green though! what is it 100mm travel?
 
i think one of the reasons they used a different design is that they wanted something different, the single pivot design has always worked for them but it must be hard to convince people to buy a new bike each year when the frame looks almost the same as the previous model it is replacing.

also as a 4 inch bike if they did the standard single pivot design they would have ended up making something similar to the sub 3 which they dropped a few years ago due to lack of sales.

this bike on the other hand has a more trail bike feel as opposed to an xc bike, even the standard st4 has relatively slack geometry.
but as far as the design of the suspension goes, i won't really argue with an engineer because i am not one! so i'll probably lose!! :LOL: but this design gives a really active ride while still being able to climb without any issues so that makes it a good design in my book. when i have been to various orange trade shows over the years they have always had proto linkage bikes on display to show the dealers that they are always looking at other options, this was the first linkage bike they were happy to produce the second was the blood, which also has a trail bike version in prototype stage, and now they are adding linkages to the new 225 and possibly the new patriot (or whatever they are going to call it) so they must feel it is time to go in another direction, or atleast give another option.

oh and the colour, it's not mint green, it's so bright that it won't take a good picture!!! :LOL: it is actually "neon green" according to orange's colour charts.

:D
 
Green

Looks really cool, I feel that Orange have missed a trick with their bikes though over the past few years, the top tubes are just too high and don't give enough standover and look plain Ugly too. The Sub 3 being the classic case in point! even the five and Patriot should have had a dipped top tube. Many of the "trail" bikes now are more targeted at the trail centre scene with all the drop offs and NS stuff, but I still feel a good quality steel hard tail takes some beating for all day use. I always find FS pedal feedback just gets too tiring after a while and winding the Propedal up you end up with a hardtail anyways!
 
quick response as i should be in the car on the way for a nightshift! :(

never had an issue with the stand over and this is an 18" and i am 5'9"

santa cruz? nahh! nothing like, single pivot linkage actuated, where's the VPP?
 
Re: Green

Wold Ranger":16t7vr7x said:
Many of the "trail" bikes now are more targeted at the trail centre scene with all the drop offs and NS stuff

This seems to be a miss conception about trail centres. Having ridden most of them in the UK I can categorically say that there is hardly any northshore or 'scary' dropoffs in them.

I like riding rigid steel but don't knock a full susser until you've spent a whole day in the saddle. There is hardly any peddling feedback in my Five.. for a reason. It was designed properly. And there is no way that the average Joe is going to ride faster downhill on a hardtail.. there are a few exceptions but those riders are just special, few and far between!

As for the ST4.. fantastic bike. I like the fact that Orange is doing something slightly different. You only have to take one look at the Blood to realise that they are moving in a different direction now.
 
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