Orange E3 Frame, update on weld and a couple more pics.

[cherrybomb]

OK.

I've done some digging (sent you a PM with the details) but the result is......

It looks to be a 1997-98 Orange E3 in 17" Still doesn't explain the double cable stop or the 'modifications' to the seat clamp area.

having said that......3 3/4lb with a bottom bracket can't be all bad.

 

[cherrybomb]

Also just realised that if the CTC is 15.5" and CTT 17" the then it hasn't lost any length off the seat tube.

May be its just the photos that make it look odd, or it may be due to the different frame sizes having slightly different details.

Anyway, that's good news.

 

[jimihendrix]

Thank's a lot CB , feel a lot better about it now,
the fact that it's a bit younger than i thought is no big deal,
the missing cable stop is strange but not the end of the world.

It will need a fair bit of elbow grease (and brillo pads and Autosol )
to get it nice but i'll just knuckle down and get on with it,
will order some new stickers for it too.

Pleased it's definetely an E3 now

 

[cherrybomb]

Happy to help and sorry for the initial confusion. It all worked out OK in the end though.

It will be worth all the work trust me. The Elite framed Orange bikes are very good. You'll be joining an exclusive club of those who 'know' (just keep quiet else everyone will want one )

 

[jimihendrix]

Right, here's a couple more detailed pics of the cable guides,
welds look the same on both front and rear ones and there is no
traces of a bigger one being fitted in place of the rear or the twin
rear on being cut in any way, all the pics i've looked at of Elite's or
E's have two tripple guides on the top tube, really strange.

Not sure of the best option here, get the twin stop on the rear
replaced with a tripple ?, or run without a front mech but then the redundant stop on the front and on the seat tube will bug me :? ,
dont really want to fit Maguras either and have a hose cable tied
to the top tube (which i suspect is what the bike had), run a single
ring and cut the redundant cable stops off, this may be a bit drastic .

Also ground off the weld on the seat tube and there does'nt appear
to be any crack there, may have been something welded on then
cut off ?

Spent five hours on this frame since saturday morning and it's
still not shiney enough (needless to say i'm not married )

Will stick a thread in readers bikes for this once i get some bits
as i think i'll leave the GT re-build for now and build this up instead.

 

[cherrybomb]

The more photos I see of this frame the more I wonder if there has been a 'noodle' style cable guide on the seat tube (hence the weld) which has been removed when someone fitted Maguras.

I guess it is possible that it's a later frame spec'ed for cantis for some reason. :?

The E3 was the team bike so anything's possible as far as customisation goes.

 

[gibbleking]

glad it wasnt cracked......any luck from previous owner getting info bout bikefrom them?

 

[jimihendrix]

I guess it is possible that it's a later frame spec'ed for cantis for some reason. :?

The E3 was the team bike so anything's possible as far as customisation goes.

Ah, right, so an acceptable solution would be to get another noodle
welded onto the seat tube and run canti's ?

Did'nt know the E3 was a "team bike"

Asking the last owner about it is a good idea, may try that

 

[cherrybomb]

Yup. E3's and E4's were Orange and Animal Team XC bikes and although against you, when you consider these frames were made in low numbers, the odds of yours being one of them aren't that long. :? ??

 

[Anthony]

I'm not an expert, but I have heard of Oranges being supplied modified to special order BITD. If this was a 97 bike, there were still quite a lot of people back then who didn't like V-brakes and it seems possible that this bike was modified for cantis which required only a cable guide and not a braze-on cable stop.

Surely in order to run it with both a V-brake and a front mech all you need is a clamp-on V-brake cable stop? Suggest you do a search on here, they've been discussed several times IIRC.