The new Orange Five follows the same sort of changes that its longer travel stablemate the Alpine has undergone for 2017.
Words: Ieuan Williams Photos: S.Jones
Aesthetically the bike is much softer on the edges but as we were to find out an already rapid bike is now sharper on the hoof when whipped into action. The new grey colour scheme makes the biking one of the most striking on the market.
Orange have been hard at work on scales the past few months and have fasted the Five to a point where it’s leaned out 300g, not massive but steps forward. Crucially however are the new geometry numbers. Now in a Boost configuration like its bigger brother the Alpine, there is now extra width on the pivot point, 6mm, and this teamed up with the new mounting position give that all important progressive feel that Orange bikes of the past have seemed to be lacking a fraction. This makes for a stiffer chassis and more supple damping.
Changes to the bottom bracket height have been dramatic on the Five having a massive 8mm drop from last years model so it now comes in at a -20 drop from the axle axis. This with the new shorter rear stays and the new progressive shock curve makes this a quite different beast from bikes past. And we loved every single five of the last decade.
