Orange Five Evo and Orange Stage Evo are billed as “aggressive trail bikes with a suspension set-up that defies the numbers on paper”.

>>> MBR Trail Bike of the Year 2020

We’ve been lucky enough to have a good go on the new Orange Stage Evo and you can read our first ride review here.

Orange Evo press release

The evolution of the trail bike

Say hello to our two brand new trail bikes.

We have a reputation for building some of the most robust and efficient long-travel bikes out there, but bigger numbers on suspension specs aren’t always the answer to the question.

We’ve been working on the Evo geometry on the Halifax models for a year or two now, developing shock tunes with our suspension suppliers and slowly fine tuning the ‘Evo’ platform to the point that we’re absolutely smitten with what we’ve got on our hands. We think you will be too.

In two flavours, the Five Evo (27.5) and Stage Evo (29) are aggressive trail bikes with a suspension set-up that defies the numbers on paper. With precision adjustments to our suspension platform’s contact points, the frames give a ride with a bottomless feel, a decisive turning ability and a lightness of step that makes climbing a joy.

These are early release 2021 models and will be available from Orange Bikes Dealers from Friday June 26th.

Two brand new models, the Five Evo LE and the Stage Evo LE are available now. This is a Launch Edition Spec featuring some of the UK’s finest producers of bike components amongst other firm favourites.

Tested and refined for many, many months we’ve brought together all the features you might expect to see on our bigger travel models and refined them into a lightweight, hugely capable platform. Test riders kept checking that the travel was actually what we said it was, they couldn’t believe it.

The Evolution of Frame Construction

Instantly, you can see the frames are Orange, with our distinctive layout and profiles. They are fabricated in 6061-T6 Aluminium by the craftsmen at our Halifax Frame Works. Brand new tooling and jigs were specifically built and developed for these new models, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to new frames’ feature list.

The laterally stiff single-pivot platform is a format we feel we own. We have more experience with this suspension system than any other bike company out there. For us, working with component manufacturers to achieve the perfect shock tunes for our frames is one of the most exciting aspects of the job. It’s a two-way street as the Orange single-pivot system is a perfectly clean platform for manufacturers to develop their shocks with too, So it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

The Evo frames have all the features you would expect from Orange and a few touches you probably may not notice at first glance. To mention a few:

• The Evo’s offset asymmetric pivot gives us scope to run various sizes of chainring or chain-lines (hey, you never know).
• The geometry is designed for a reduced offset fork which allows us to lengthen the cockpit and keep the riders weight balanced in the sweet spot, while making the most of the front wheel’s grip in turns.
• Small details like bottle bosses, cleaner cable routing and space for piggy-back shocks – even on a short travel-platform, show we’ve been listening to our test riders’ feedback and implementing subtle changes that just make everything better.

Five Evo LE

The Five Evo is exceptional. It out-performs longer travel bikes in a manner you wouldn’t believe. Right at the start, we said these bikes are about geometry, and the Five Evo demonstrates how the new Evo geometry works to perfection. This is the 140/130 27.5 wheeled version. Bang on the money for rocky, twisty singletrack trails where surefooted manoeuvrability is your main priority. Its reactive response and composure are inspiring.

Priced at £5300. Available from 26th June 2020

Stage Evo LE

For those who loves their wheels bigger, there’s the 29 inch wheeled Stage Evo, it features equally radical geometry numbers, especially for a bike of its category. It majors on adaptability and as such shares the same Evo suspension progression to give our tuned shocks that wonderful bottomless feel. Which wheel size you opt for is a personal choice. If your local terrain brings you long climbs, big descents and teeth chattering root sections the 29er Stage Evo is your perfect rig.

Priced at £5300. Available from 26th June 2020