Am I allowed to post my Orange CarbO here?

Archemist":2ymimip5 said:

I've seen the it's a "generic" stuff but then most plastic frames are, or made by two or three companies, however I can't find anything with the swept and curved seat stays the Carbo's got and the detailing / tube profile definitely has an orange flavour.

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Its one of the DeRosa frames (R83, with a different paint job. I think Ribble use the same frame as well.
(It's not actually a bad frame, so the fact that its generic/open mould is irrelevant)

And wouldn't an "orange flavoured" bike have more of a hint of filing cabinet and welded by a drunkard about it?

mattr":12qpky4b said:

Archemist":12qpky4b said:

I've seen the it's a "generic" stuff but then most plastic frames are, or made by two or three companies, however I can't find anything with the swept and curved seat stays the Carbo's got and the detailing / tube profile definitely has an orange flavour.

Click to expand...

Its one of the DeRosa frames (R83, with a different paint job. I think Ribble use the same frame as well.
(It's not actually a bad frame, so the fact that its generic/open mould is irrelevant)

And wouldn't an "orange flavoured" bike have more of a hint of filing cabinet and welded by a drunkard about it?

Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong I couldn't care less if it was hand laid by a Thai ladyboy( :facepalm: ) but as above the r838 and 848 are completely different (heatube is swept and stepped, monostay is punctured, and straight seat stays, etc).

Though as the R838 is 2.5k in wriggle I'll accept it's really a DeRosa in drag

You suggesting the Fives' are a trifle agricultural :?:

Nob":3rkuif14 said:

I think the dog looks so much better

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Orange highlights for the dog it is then

A few reflections...

I've now clocked up over 300 miles in a smidge over 3 weeks - which if nothing else has dramatically improved my fitness and reduced the waistline

My knowledge of road bike's is zero to less than, but as a tool for covering the ground, seeing areas that, unless it was a full-day's ride, would be unseen on an MTB it is fab.

I've tragically got Strava on my iphone and am taking a sneaky log of my progress. One of the things I've never really ( :facepalm: ) caught up with before (literally) is cadence, it just doesn't matter in the same way on an old mountain bike. I'm more used to dodging the next tree trunk!

As the adage says just go and ride, and from this perspective the Carbo has done exactly that - the old hunger for the open road (without unleaded!) is once-again ever present. It's made me want to be 'fit'

The frame is still as sharp as a stanley knife in the hands of one of the Inter City Crew (retro gang chat now) and looks a picture. The whole thing seems screwed together like something from Louis Vuitton not Lidl and the mech's from shimano's ubiquitous 105 range are dandy.

One of the nice touches is that it has 105 throughout, brakes, mech's and chainset as against just the flagship elements some makers employ; apparently just so they can say 105 / ultegra equipped.

The wheels and finishing kit is all Easton and perfectly good enough. I've heard bad things about Easton wheels (i believe these are 50series aero's without the label) but I hit one hell of a pot-hole the other day and they seem to be unscathed.

In fact the only thing I can really criticize is the saddle, which I find as I become more 'aero' (this is a relative concept for a hunchbacked 47 year old) tends to squeeze what little life there remains in the pelvic floor (or equivalent).

So I'm on the hunt for a suitable cut-away jobbie from Spesh or other.

And

Be careful on the cut away saddles options, they can "nip" worse than standard typres, go for one with a flat top and reasonably hard, so you don't "sink in" which causes the problems down there, so to speak.
I know where your coming from.

Nice to see a write up from someone who has actually ridden the bike they are commenting on.

So many comments are written by wannabe 'experts' and keyboard warriors all of whom seem to hate certain brands, that it is hard to find genuine comments. I saw the Orange some time ago while leaving a bike shop in Bristol and I had to stop to take a look. I know precious little about road bikes and nothing about the hierarchy of what's cool and what's not, it just looked like a really nicely put together carbon bike from a British manufacturer who are no strangers to the occasional road bike.

I think yours look great (I am imagining it without the reflectors and bell), and if you are enjoying riding it and it's motivating you to get out and about, what more can you ask for.

I will eventually own a carbon road bike, but my hankering is for an equally unpopular Raleigh, as I just really like the Militis.

Wold Ranger":4hsvt4vl said:

Be careful on the cut away saddles options, they can "nip" worse than standard typres, go for one with a flat top and reasonably hard, so you don't "sink in" which causes the problems down there, so to speak.
I know where your coming from.

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Thanks Wold that's good to know - I naturally assumed they'd be better - guess the problem is that you can't really tell until you've clocked up 50 odd miles in one go and by which time it's too late.

I've done several 40-45 mile rides and generally the limiting factor has been daylight or time rather than comfort or fatigue - it's pretty flat round here but I can average over 16 mph on a 40 mile ride with the odd interval (3 weeks in!)

NeilM":4hsvt4vl said:

Nice to see a write up from someone who has actually ridden the bike they are commenting on.

So many comments are written by wannabe 'experts' and keyboard warriors all of whom seem to hate certain brands, that it is hard to find genuine comments. I saw the Orange some time ago while leaving a bike shop in Bristol and I had to stop to take a look. I know precious little about road bikes and nothing about the hierarchy of what's cool and what's not, it just looked like a really nicely put together carbon bike from a British manufacturer who are no strangers to the occasional road bike.

I think yours look great (I am imagining it without the reflectors and bell), and if you are enjoying riding it and it's motivating you to get out and about, what more can you ask for.

I will eventually own a carbon road bike, but my hankering is for an equally unpopular Raleigh, as I just really like the Militis.

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Go for it. I'd have gone for a raleigh or something similar, especially if it was a bargain

cheers
And

Archemist":2olqrt72 said:

[ especially if it was a bargain

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That's what I'm waiting for. :mrgreen: