History of the Orange Clockwork.

[brocklanders023]

The orange that helped make the British mountain bike scene so great has long gone and is just now another bike company selling mostly Chinese frames with sticker kits on

For modern bikes there are far better value models for money and the only people who would even know what a clockwork was wouldn't touch the new ones with a barge pole.

Orange are pushing out mass shit on historic labels. They would simply be better forgetting trading on the past and stop undermining it's past in a 95 year old wearing adidas sambas kinda way.

It disrespects the brand and makes it look comedic and sad

Good rant, totally incorrect to the point of being funny but a good rant never the less.

BITD virtually every frame they sold was made in the Far East including the Clockwork, Prestige, Elite, Aluminium O, P7, C16, etc, etc.

I was told by a chap at Stif that the top three selling Oranges last year were 1-Five, 2-Alpine 160, 3- Gyro. All frames hand built in the UK. He also said they'd sold loads of the new Clockwork, especially via c2w.

They knock out very few Far East frames now having slimmed the range down the other year. I have said before and stand by it, if they thought a steel frame was worth selling, they would. Why wouldn't they? As much as we love steel frames, most people want aluminium. It's going on for 15 years since steel was mainstream.

As I mentioned though, don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant though.

 

[FluffyChicken]

The fact is people will buy them, ride them to work, ride them around the local area, doss around, take them to trail centres and do all the stuff we would have done.

But other than it really an Alu-O and why anyone would want that kit on one when you could get a better frame. BUT then I could never see why people put XT/XTR or XC Pro on the back in the day.
They are a low end MTB frame and LX/DX/XC Comp level components just as this frame is and should be kitted out.

But if people are silly enough to buy, so be it. It still cheap advertising for Orange and Hope.

 

[sylus]

Nothing wrong with a comedic rant Brock but not all was comedic... A few points if I may

If they thought a steel frame was worth selling they would ? Nope, the aluminum has a bigger mark up

If they didn't want to appear to be selling out marketing... Why didn't they just call it the aluminum o ?

Simple, they are selling out. I doubt very much in 25 years from now people will remember in the same way as the original

There has always been some firms who milk there past to the detriment of their future. Orange should have retired the name rather than produce something with no connection other than a sticker kit

I appreciate others may feel differently but I will not spend a penny with orange again

I still maintain if it was about relevance and bringing the brand forward then aluminum o or even the elite would have been more suited.... the clockwork name is nothing more than sad desperate marketing

 

[brocklanders023]

I just did a long response to the above but it didn't post. :facepalm:

It basically said imo there's not been a classic Clockwork since they stopped using Infinity tubes and very few people who buy bikes now will remember the old ones. A company called Orange calling a product Clockwork is always going to work isn't it, regardless of the past. As much as I wasn't keen on them using the name on an aluminium frame I can see why they say it fits the brief of the original but for a modern market.

 

[brocklanders023]

If they thought a steel frame was worth selling they would ? Nope, the aluminum has a bigger mark up

If they didn't want to appear to be selling out marketing... Why didn't they just call it the aluminum o ?

You've proved the point yourself there. Aluminium has a bigger mark up and they'll sell more of them. Why produce a steel frame for your big selling mid range bike when most people don't want steel?

As for the Aluminium O name, to most people outside this site it would have no meaning what so ever.

 

[cherrybomb]

Not sure I'd agree that they don't produce a decent bike anymore. By far their most successful bike ever has to be the Five not the Clockwork or the P7.

And that is hand built in the UK and re-assuringly expensive. Maybe a Clockwork addition of the Five would have been a better idea. Linking new success with old?

I think Oranges biggest problem these days is that their are so many competitive European brands these days that can offer frames of equal quality but better finishing kit for the same price. Orange just don't seem as good value for money anymore. :cry:

 

[FluffyChicken]

What are the relative sales numbers of the 5 compared to others

 

[cherrybomb]

What are the relative sales numbers of the 5 compared to others

Don't know, but I bet it would be interesting to see the figures.

When I said the Five had to be their most successful bike. I wasn't necessarily meaning in terms of numbers sold (although I bet they've sold more than a couple over the years). It was more that it has to have come top in more reviews and head to head comparisons than any other frame they've ever made. They've got to have been building it continuously for longer than any of the others by now to surely?

Never owned one myself, but it's one of those bikes that i think I should have owned.

 

[sylus]

The figures would be interesting

I understand the sales need brock and why ali has more of a profit margin which keeps things afloat but for companies to use, such as orange..look look at our heritage..our clockwork was iconic, steel, infinity tubes, etc etc..yes okay the new clockwork is nothing like that but it's a clockwork honest..really? when's the last time you bought a snide copy and enjoyed the taste it left?

as to no one knowing aluminium O.. I doubt that and it certianly would have helped the marketing dept to tell truthfully about a genuine evolution within one of it's retro bikes

Orange for me used to be something you could look at and say..stand up company..with the new non related clockwork it goes to show that history can be twisted for the the almighty dollar and for me has devalued the company

I would agree cherry about oranges mystque of old..almost like apple...now there are so many producing far better products for a far more reasonable price.

just for me it's rather a let down when a company ruins an iconic brand

I know I'm being grumpy..I'm just not a fan of companies selling out their past and trying to kid you it's better for you

 

[highlandsflyer]

I would still be interested in a high end, modern take on the Clockwork. Who is to say they won't do one again? Where actual frames are made doesn't really matter to me, it is the r&d involved and the heritage of the company that ticks the boxes. I think enough people like steel for it to remain as a choice for low/mid volume producers.