As one of the bikes that helped Orange make its name in the DH and FR world, Orange lovers should be happy to see that the Patriot is back! The all new Patriot slots in nicely between the current Alpine 160 and 224, with 180mm of slack, big mountain travel. Suspension wise, the Orange Patriot continues with their proven single pivot design.
Coupled with its 180mm of travel, a 1.5 head tube and Maxxle rear end should guarantee a bike that is built for whatever you can throw at it. Even so, it can still be built fairly light, with one of the tester’s bikes coming in at just above 32 pounds.
For more details jump past the break!
From Orange:
The Patriot is for the mega pinner, the rider needing something different for how they hit the trails. A downhill bike too big and slow but six inches not capable enough? The Patriot provides the midpoint.
The new frame uses a monocoque top and down tube to maximise strength and stiffness but keep weight low. The 1.5” headtube houses a tapered fork, the perfect solution for fitting angle-adjust headsets and future proofing design. The low profile swingarm features the Maxle as standard with the maintenance-free pivot assembly keeping things tight. The single pivot setup is lowered for a more active suspension feel, plush but controlled, efficient on the pedals and light enough to earn your turns. Optimized for 180mm travel front and rear, the Patriot is a slack angled big mountain ripper.
The Patriot is where it all began, from the Animal Orange days through to Global Racing, the bike that influenced a whole generation of riders. See it as a UK downhill bike, a lightweight freeride bike or something to pedal around the Alps. The Patriot is bred tough, the only limits are your nerves…
The 2012 Patriot will be available as a complete build or frame only package. The standard bike retails at £2999.99 with a Fox Van RC shock, Marzocchi 66 RCV 180mm fork, Hope hubs, Avid Elixir brakes, Truvativ finishing kit and a RaceFace/Shimano transmission. The usual array of upgrade options will be offered including the Cane Creek Double Barrel, Hope Tech V2 brakes, RockShox Reverb seat post, Gammut chain device and new for 2012, the Renthal Fatboy bar and Duo stem.