Orange E2 / E3 Timeline

I recently posted a thread "Help is this an Orange".
One of the queries was the serial number of the frame (A504.....).
Some of you thought it was an E2, But others thought the serial number dating was to late to make it an E2.

So i am trying to build a timeline from when the E2's finshed to the start of the E3, to see if this frame could have been the "missing link" between the two.

I allready have 2 E3 with the dates:

A511...
A606...

What are your E2/E3 dates?
Or if you no longer have the bike do you remember the date.
Cheers!

Mine is A601.

My E3 has a horrible noodle which wraps around the top of the seat tube, rather than a tidy canti hanger that appeared on later incarnations of the model.

My bike may be an early E3 because the noodle seems like an untidy way to resolve a problem, however, according to Orange's own site the E3 started production in 1995 and stopped in 1998 when the E4 replaced it. There is no listing for the E2.

It is always possible that both the E2 and E3 may have had a bit of a cross over where both were produced at the same time, before the E2 was finally dropped from production. This is just a guess of course.

Thanks trevor.

Your possibly right,there probably was a crossover between the two.
But you never know there might have been a cut off point between the two.
so the more imput from owners the clearer the picture may become.

Interesting about your noodle wrap around on seat tube.
I assume yours does not have a canti hanger. My (A511) E3 has the canti hanger,but no noodle.
So possibly within that 2 months of my E3 and yours the canti hangers were ditched in favour of v's

My Other E3 (A606) Neither has canti hangers nor a wrap around noodle.
It does have the front mech attachment.

I have included a pic of the noodle, so you can see how it doesn't fit with a bike that has a design feature as radical as wishbone seatstays. The noodle almost seems like an afterthought, you could imagine coming back from lunch and saying, "Bloody hell, how do we hang the cable for the rear cantis?" "I know, just bend this bit of tubing and weld it to the seatpost, job done!"

My bike has no front mech attachment I suppose you are supposed to use a clamp on mech. The only holes on the seat tube are for a bottle carrier, as pictured below.

I am thinking of running a survey on Orange bikes Pre-1998 to fill in gaps about tube, bb, front mech, seat post sizing etc. I will see how yours works. If you get a good response then my survey should work. If you get little response then I will find it hard to get the info I need.

Orange may have got to the point where the incremental improvements made to the E2 pushed them into deciding that the frame had evolved into a new model and so it was rebranded the E3.

I assume the strengthening issues of the E2 made them re-evaluate the design, hence the E3.

By the way you should of warned me about the shine content of your E3 i would have worn shades !

Here's the front mech addition on my (A606)

I have been working on it, on and off for a couple of months (mostly off due to the kids, age 4 and 7) so I see it everyday and it doesn't look that shiny to me!!! I have been too critical and seeing bits that just don't look right and have another go. I have to kick myself and realise that the frame is 17 years old so it's never going to be perfect. Next is lacquering and re-building. I'll send to a pic when it's finished.

Anyone else willing to share the the age of their E2/E3.

better late than never...

my '94 e2 is A407



TrevorKershaw, how did you get your frame so sparkly... think i'll finally have a bash at restoring mine over the coming weeks.