new project! orange E3 update on 10/12/09

swapped about some bits and got a couple of other things done so i thought i'd post an update pic or two

That's looking great so far

coz the frame is so highly polished i'm trying to do the same with all parts fitted, as much silver/polished as poss.

got some stickers, not all of them, but they are the proper ones.

just need some drivetrain bits now

jonnyboy666":2xlp729v said:

coz the frame is so highly polished i'm trying to do the same with all parts fitted, as much silver/polished as poss.
got some stickers, not all of them, but they are the proper ones.
just need some drivetrain bits now

Click to expand...

I've just bought an E4, a 98 I think. Cherrybomb says you can tell the year from the serial number. e.g., say your first three numbers were 506, that would mean the frame was built in June 95 - although I imagine that would mean a 96 model, built in June ready to go on sale (on the other side of the planet after all) from the beginning of the new model year in September or October 95.

I haven't found many E3 pictures on retrobike, but my guess is this one might have its original decals, which is understandably rare in a polished frame. How do yours compare?

:shock:

Beautiful.

orange e3

a bike close to my own heart! mine seems shamefully unkept at the side of that frame! very light frames..turned me into a weight weenie as the frame set a precedent for all other parts had to follow the same 'as light as money will allow' theme.if rear mech dropout fails go to orange in halifax direct as they are hard to get elsewhere £15.
enjoy mate!

quick up date, off to work in a mo!!

orange e3

you seem pleased with your little self,and should be!!
you did acheive that race ready look! xtr 900,cool.i think xt was the
original gear,what bb are you using?
i see you've gone pretty much all retro,a credit to you and the bike.
i originally did a retro/modern hybrid as parts were tricky to get hold of(before joining here) but,slowly replacing new for nos in shaape of
x-lite seatpost,easton bars,eventually cranks to sugino squre taper,hence picking your brains to what you've done with bb.
nice one

i cheated a little bit in places as opposed to all completely retro but i think for good reason, it's an SDG modern saddle, cos i like them and all my bikes get used so comfort is important, the cassette is an hg70 instead of m900 xtr because they are like rocking horse poo!! the headset is an xt 1" threaded with an mpart ahead converter to fit the NOS crown and the pedals are pdm520's just to keep all the bikes with compatable pedal/shoes etc. also i fitted some old school tioga xc tyres, coz they were more retro than the panaracer tyres that i had fitted.

basically i like the retro style and parts but i use modern bits where i think there is a justified quality or performance gain. but i'm not rigid in having to have every bit NOS or exactly right, for example i'm not going to spend ages and a fortune searching for NOS skin wall tyres that are rotting away before they even see a rim, modern tyres are better so they get used.

bb wise it's a GT titanium from ages ago. sort of a blag from the warranty dept from Caratti sport, sealed unit with a ti axle, been in various bikes and the bearings are still spot on.

the only other things to do are get some stickers made up and change the handlebar as and when i find something suitable, the bar in there is perfect appart from it has GT on it, just not right on an orange is it!! i used it coz being polished it looked right.

really pleased with it, gonna get it muddy on the isle of wight at the weekend!!

It'll be interesting to hear how it compares to the O. What is the serial number? I guess it's a 95, not a 96, but the serial number should tell us that.