Orange Release New 2017 Five & Alpine 160
A few weeks ago we received an invite to head over to Bike Park Wales to check out some of the 2017 bike range and most importantly take a closer look at two new bikes by the Halifax based brand.
Ok, so they are not new new. But refined, remolded and up to date versions of the two already very popular bikes, the Alpine 160 and trend setting Five by Orange.
Orange Alpine 160 2017
I think you’ll agree, as with most frame changes from Orange bikes over the years they stick to their guns, so you wont see anything too radical here (if it ain’t broken…). But looks aside, this is a much more refined Alpine 160. New curves which make it look that little more sleek pulling away from the more rugged re-engineered look we have seen previously, while still holding tight to its roots.
One of the biggest changes or upgrades for the Alpine this year is its drop in weight, the frame itself has lost 300 grams. Orange have done this by using different thicknesses of Aluminium when building the bike. Previously with Orange, everything was 1.6mm thick 6061 grade, but now (after playing around with it on some other models) all bikes will be using a mix of 1.2 and 1.4 where it needs the extra strength. All of the billets used on the rest of the frame have also been machined down further for more weight loss, parts like the dropouts are now noticeably smaller.
Who needs a front mech anymore? Really, no one has wanted a front mech since 10x came out have they? Orange have taken the no-front-mech to the extreme with their new 160 – it cannot be fitted. Ever. What this means though is that a load of real estate has been opened up for pivot placement where we used to have to leave space for the 2 or 3x setup. Orange have taken advantage of this and moved the pivot back further. This has meant that the rear end can be shortened slightly and a more progressive shock curve can be achieved. At the same time, the pivot can be widened allowing more tyre clearance and again, more stiffness in the rear triangle.
On the trail, that short rear end is quite apparent and my god it’s stiff, which is enhanced by the new Boost hub spacing system. One of the biggest reflections I took away from riding the new Alpine was its stiffness, this isn’t a bike that’s exceeding its travel limits, it’s tough enough for the job. And I’m not normally one to say that, I like the big bold line between my XC bike (enduro if you have to) and the DH rig. I chucked myself straight down the black at BPW to see if the bike saved my mistakes and to be fair it did a pretty good job at it for a bike which is designed to go up as well. It does the job on the job it’s designed for, no quibbles.
Angle wise the Alpine has had an update too, the BB’s been dropped by 5mm and it’s now running a 64.5 degree head-angle along with four sizes, S, M, L and XL. Top end Factory Spec will weigh in at a very respectable 30.9lbs.
Orange Five 2017
The Five has been a benchmark in the trail bike market for years, the go to bike for so many riders which many other brands have followed path with. Much like the Alpine, Orange have stuck to their routes here and from a distance, not much has changed. But take a closer look and we have a much more delicate looking bike with new lines and curves in places we haven’t seen on a Five until now. I was fully expecting the new Five to have taken the rear end from the 324, Alpine and Four but actually, I like that it has remained with a boxed in rear triangle, that’s some real Orange heritage right there. Gone is the flat boxed look of this though, a few extra curves and creases on the swing arm has made it much more aesthetically pleasing.
Again, we have some weight loss on the frame, using the same technique’s as we saw on the Alpine the Five has also lost 300 grams. Furthermore and more surprisingly, the Five has also lost the ability to run a front mech which has pushed the pivot further back, gained more tyre clearance, a better shock curve and a stiffer/shorter rear end (by 4mm).
The BB has been dropped by a whopping 8mm, quite a big difference for a bike which to the untrained eye looks the same. Making this frame look really neat (a feature which is also on the new Alpine) is fully internal routing for the cables (all of them!) now hidden away. The Five now runs a 150mm fork and weighs in under the magic 30lbs mark at 29.14lbs for the Factory Spec.
Let’s quickly talks spec. For 2017 there will again be 4 versions of each of their MTB’s. This year we will see the S model, Pro, RS and top spec Factory which for both the Five and Alpine 160 will feature the new epically large Sram Eagle gear setup, Fox Float X2 shock and Fox 36 Factory HSC/LSC in Black.
Alpine 160 S – RRP £2900
Alpine 160 Pro – RRP £3400
Alpine 160 RS – RRP £4200
Alpine 160 Factory – RRP £5200
Five S – RRP £2700
Five Pro – RRP £3200
Five RS – RRP £4000
Five Factory – RRP £5100
For more information, visit orangebikes.co.uk
