1995 Orange E3 - Post Wheel Gate Update.

To be honest, 1995 was an estimated guess based on other posts from here and around the web plus the fact that I seem to recal the frame being relatively new when I bought it (I'd been considering an E2). Can these be dated by the frame number?

It's not been ridden for so long thanks to work commitments meaning I was constantly travelling for several years, which killed my fitness. I'm now starting my recovering from a torn disc and I'm determined to get my fitness back. Can't say I really noticed much today, but then it's not been ridden (other than on the turbo trainer) for at least 6 months.

Would like to blame my girlfriend who I was with for the wheels, but I can only blame myself unfortunately. Have managed to grab a pair with red Hopes from eBay which will do me for now, trouble is I've spent a bloody fortune on the new "cheap" ride in the last week or two to start spending cash on this one too.

DS

Dick Sternum":3vaoqsp1 said:

To be honest, 1995 was an estimated guess based on other posts from here and around the web plus the fact that I seem to recal the frame being relatively new when I bought it (I'd been considering an E2). Can these be dated by the frame number?

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I was wrong. It's the steel Oranges that had brazed-on clamps in 95. I think this is indeed a 95 because it has the canti cable holder rather than the brazed-on pipe that the 96 ones had.

If the serial number is anywhere between A405nnnn and A503nnnn, that would tend to confirm its 95ishness, but Orange were never as logical or regular in their development as other makes so you can never be certain. A405 would mean A-Pro 1994 May and A503 would mean A-Pro 1995 March, and I would guess between those times might be when the 1995 production run was done.

Just taken a look since it's sat upside down in the kitchen looking sorry for itself. Frame number is A501, so as you say, Jan 1995. I've seen A-Pro mentioned before with regards Orange frame, not knowing anything about them I assume they are a Taiwanese or Chinese frame manufacturer? Do you know if they made frames for anyone else?

DS

I think all retro Orange frames were made by A-Pro except for prototypes, until they got into the box-section stuff that they did in Halifax. I think A-Pro is quite a big company, but the only other frame I've seen with an A serial was a 1995 VooDoo D'Jab. i.e., when VooDoos were built in the USA, they had to get the titanium frame made by A-Pro because Altitude Cycles/Mountain Goat didn't have the facilities to weld titanium and Altitude was co-owned by A-Pro. I think A-Pro was the only Taiwanese maker that could handle ti at that time.

just to add - if you have a look at the derailleur hanger - if it's the original it'll normally be stamped A+ or A Pro

And

After my brain freeze moment caused me to loose my last set of wheels, I started the search for their replacements & updated a few other bits. So I thought I'd update the post with more pics, and I finally got round to filling out the spec list properly too.







The wheels are off eBay and will do for now. The red Hope hubs are growing on me, even if I'm still on the lookout for a decent silver set (hint), but I just can't get on with the black spokes and rims at all (why does everything have to be black these days), so they will be changed in due course. Tyres have been switched to Racing Ralph's this time around, I did try an old set of amber wall Onzas which look better to me but they aren't ride-able unfortunately. I think I need to see the Schwalbes on a set of silver wheels before I pass final judgement.



With the hubs now being red, I decided to tidy up the colour scheme on the bike too, so the bottle boss bolts & seat post clamp have been updated to match along with some new Hope QRs. I also gave up trying to grab a used Syncros post and opted for a Thomson which I'm happy with, especially since it ended up being cheaper than all the Syncros ones I was watching on eBay.





Thanks to Corduroyboy, the Orange is now running XTR V-Brakes rather than XT ones too. I think that after 17 years of ownership, I might have finally got the build more or less sorted now! Well, apart from those wheels...





Finally, in a fit of complete madness I decided to build the E3 a younger companion after seeing one in the post 98 forum. I knew it would be a mistake to join this place...



DS