Hot on the heels of the new Alpine 6, the Orange Five is out the door with revised geometry. But fear not loyal fans of Orange, this new shredder retains its Orange-signature silhouette with the single-pivot suspension design. We have all the nitty gritty details you’re after but first (yep, time for another brew), kick back and enjoy some escapism with this “shredit” from Orange, which sees Luther Griffiths and Rowan Sorrell transported to Punta Ala aboard the Five.
I have to wonder why they chose to go back through the door, but that’s a completely different topic not up for discussion on BikeRumor.
Orange Five: aggressive geometry mountain bike
Straight up, the Five still looks just like a Five, and still rolls on 27.5 inch wheels. For 2019 Orange have dropped the XS and added an XXL at the other end, meaning the bike will now serve riders from 5ft all the way up to 6ft 7″. Orange say the geometry has been revised to give the Five a radically more progressive suspension frame curve to provide confidence and stability at high speeds.
The geometry is optimised for a 150mm travel fork and, gaining 5mm out back, 145mm of rear rear wheel travel serviced by a metric shock, made possible by a revised shock mount and pivot location. The pivot has been widened 5 mm on each side, which Orange say adds stiffness to the swingarm while also increasing tyre clearance.
The frame has been tuned to be more progressive offering more support and bottom out resistance whilst also improving small bump compliance in the initial part of the stroke. Anti-squat numbers are also down slightly, but Orange say it still has a great turn of pace and the dynamic delivery you’d expect when you get on the pedals.
The head angle has now slackened a degree to 65, while the BB is 5mm lower, chain stays have increased by 7mm, and the reach has increased by 10mm (size L). The head tubes on the large and X-large bikes have been shortened as a result of rider feedback.
The Five gets additional bottle bosses mounted to the underside of the downtube. Not the prime location for carrying a water bottle, especially in the muddy conditions you’d see around Halifax (Orange HQ), but a handy and ergonomically sensible place to carry extra weight in the form of tools or spares.
Aesthetically, the Five cable routing has seen an overhaul to be easier on the eye, with the dropper post now internally routed. The CNC parts on the frame, upper and lower shock mounts, dropouts and bearing housings have all also seen revisions.
The Orange Five Factory comes in at £5,700 (~$7,537) and is kitted out with a Fox Factory 36 Float 150mm Fork, Fox Float DPX2 Factory 210 x 55 metric shock, a SRAM XO1 Eagle 12 Speed Drivetrain, Hope Pro 4 Evo + Stans Flow Mk3 wheelset and a Fox Factory Transfer 150mm Kashima-coated dropper Seatpost. Lower spec versions start at £3,900 (~$5157) with the Five Pro. Visit the Orange website to discover a multitude of upgrade options available on each model.
The Five is available in 10 custom colours; orange and black are free but the other color options will set you back an additional £100. There are also 3 decal options to choose from. All Orange bikes are designed and built in Britain and come with a 5 year frame warranty. The new Orange Five is available today, direct from Orange.
