Something quite relaxing and rewarding about a sunny Sunday, some Solvol Autosol, T-Cut, and Elbow Grease. Oh and of course my Orange C16R.

Hope you like the results

21" 7.2 Butted Cro-Mo Frame with 9.5 Series Forks. (Great size for myself who is a leggy 6ft something)
Shimano STX RC groupset.
Mavic 221 Rims with NOS ONZA Porcupine tyres
Kore Stem and World Force Riser Bars (Soon to be replaced with some Orange Hot Rods)
New Graphics/Decals from Gil @ The Cycle Shed, fantastic service and great quality graphics.

*WTB Saddle is a temp measure until i find one that suits the bike, if you have anything let me know, many thanks.

This bike is great to ride and handles really well, i now know what all the fuss is about when it comes to Orange's.

Please feel free to leave comments on my C16R.

More pics

Very nice bike mate

Looks spot on chap, the right graphics bring it out peachy

Cheers mate Big up the Norfolkshire Massive

Yep she does as you can see a few subtle changes, Flat Hot Rod bars are incoming and once I get my saddle sorted she's gonna be right zesty got a clear Crud Catcher also for the build

Can I ask where you got those grips?

They were on the bike when I got it I've seen them on eBay before.

I think this is a very late C16R, either late 97 or early 98.

If you look at the 1997 catalogue, the C16R in there had F7 H-section forks. I have a MBR test of August 1997 in which the C16R (presumably later than the one in the catalogue) still had F7 forks (it won, naturally enough). By the time of the 98 catalogue, they had changed the name back to Clockwork, and the Clockwork had the conventional-shaped 7.2 fork like yours. So your bike is an interim model, similar to and leading up to the 98 Clockwork. So I assume it must have a 1 1/8 system, as they finally made that change for 1998?

The serial number will tell us when the frame was built, if it's of interest.

The serial number is A608, which if previous threads on dating an Orange are correct it was made in 1996 on the 8th Month ? Is this correct? any info would be greatly recieved.

It also has a Quill Adaptor fitted so a Ahead stem can be fitted, not sure of exact size, will investigate tonight,

Thanks for the info.

Jussa

Hmmmm, the plot thickens Watson .....

Or is it me who is Watson? Hmmmmm

I find this puzzling. The bike tested for the 1997 MBR had an F7 with an ahead system, which they introduced (1") for 1997. My 1996 C16R has a threaded F7. It seems very odd if they went backwards for the 7.2 fork or if they made any 7.2s that were non-standard.

And as you mention it, I have always accepted the interpretation of the A-Pro serial numbers and have found it reliable - except for my C16, which is A405, but is definitely a 1996 frame and paint. I don't whether it is possible that they made frames in bulk, well ahead of time, and applied the finishing touches such as braze-ons nearer to the model year. The other possibility is that they may have changed the serial number format.

There is also the option of the Forks getting replaced further down the line, maybe after a heavy impact or as an upgrade/downgrade which ever way you look at it? Perusing the forum again i have seen similar serial numbers? so the whole serial number bit being all wrong and many Retrobikers riding bikes incorrectly dated bikes the plot certainly does thicken...........

but jussa's forks are 9.5's as per fitted to the e3's..not 7.2's?

although were the 97 e3's were threaded?

or maybe somewhere down the line the forks were just simply swappede..perhaps the old suspension ones failed and rigids were the replacement?

I'm totally confused.com now???????

Ah, so you're Sherlock Holmes then? Hmmmm

Well Sherlock, you're right, and I wasn't looking carefully enough - the forks are in fact called F9s as fitted to 1997 E3s (were 1" threaded on E3s) and made of 'series 9.5' aluminium. And checking the catalogues, I find that in fact the 1998 catalogue has a Clockwork with a steel F7 fork made of 'series 7.2' cromoly, so not a different pattern. But I can't check that as I can't find any picture or magazine reference to a 98 Clockwork without a suspension fork. And the 1999 catalogue doesn't say anything about the Clockwork's rigid fork option, but I do remember that it was made out of aluminium that year - but this isn't a 1999 fork, because the 1999 edition had its brake bosses facing backwards like a Pace.

So after all that, maybe this is a retro-fitting (using the correct meaning of retro ), in which case it's a very authentic-looking repaint and re-stickering. Unless they made some C16Rs at some point with aluminium forks and a colour-keyed paint job?