At this price point, most SL e-bikes use carbon fibre frames to save weight, or at least that’s what the marketing gurus tell us. Not at Orange, though. In fact, even the bash guard that sits under the alloy Phase Evo frame to protect the Bosch Performance Line SX motor isn’t plastic, it’s aluminium, and it’s made in Halifax too, just like the rest of the frame.

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Full metal jacket – the custom alloy cover for the Bosch SX motor.

So let’s cut straight to the chase… How much does the Phase Evo LE actually weigh? On the Orange website it claims 19.5kg for a size L, but that’s probably for the more expensive Factory build. Our “entry-level” Phase Evo LE at £8k, also in size L, weighed in at 20.84kg stock, and 20.88kg with our Continental Kryptotal control tyres fitted. That makes it the heaviest bike in our 2024 SL E-Bike of the Year test, and almost 2.5kg heavier than the lightest bike, the Specialized Turbo Levo SL. With 160mm travel, the Phase Evo LE is also the most enduro, so we need to keep that in mind. And Orange isn’t alone here, when hard hitting SL bikes like the new YT Decoy SN are nudging the 21kg mark, and that’s with a full carbon frame.

The Orange Phase Evo LE might be the heaviest bike on test, but it only gives up a kilo on most of its carbon rivals, and that’s with the burliest spec of all the bikes.

Frame and geometry

The folded, then seam-welded monocoque frame construction that Orange uses to manufacture its frames needs no introduction, even if its latest application – the Phase Evo – clearly does. It’s a Bosch SX powered SL e-bike with 55Nm of torque and 600 watts peak power. And if the Phase Evo isn’t that light, it sure as hell had better be capable. And the numbers certainly suggest that. With 160mm travel at both ends, the Orange clearly has the potential to be ridden hard, where the MX wheel format reflects a more bum-on-the-back-tyre attitude.

Origami? Only Orange uses sheet aluminium rather than paper for its creations.

And the Phase Evo LE isn’t just a big travel bike. The size L boasts a whopping 1,289mm wheelbase, super-slack 63.2º head angle and a relatively low 342mm BB height. Interestingly, Orange hasn’t gone crazy steep on the seat tube angle. At a saddle height of 740mm, I measured a 75.6º effective seat tube angle, possibly reflecting the realistic power output of the Bosch SX motor and the climbs you can realistically tackle. Or maybe it just offers a more trail-friendly seated riding position? Either way, it gives the size L Phase Evo a big-old 635mm top tube, which makes it feel super-spacious when seated.

SAFE storage? Well, there’s just about enough space for an inner tube and mini snack.

It comes with all mod cons too, including a small stash compartment, cut into the down tube just behind the head tube. But given that this “SAFE” storage option has very limited capacity, and the same could probably be achieved with a tool strap, I don’t really see the point of it. Especially if the frame had to be reinforced – read made heavier – to accommodate the cutaway. Also I don’t like the idea of having a gaping hole so close to the head tube. But for complete peace of mind, the frame does come with a 5 year warranty, and a limited lifetime crash replacement of the original owner, so Orange has you covered.

Say hello to the Orange Phase Evo LE

Orange Phase Evo LE Need to know

• Full alloy frame with 160mm travel
• Fox Factory suspension
• Float X2 shock and 160mm Fox 36 fork
• MX wheels with Hope Pro 5 bubs
• Bosch Performance Line SX motor
• 55Nm torque, 600w peak power
• 400wh Bosch Compact Tube battery
• Bosch Purion 200 handlebar display
• Maxxis Minion DHF/DHRII tyres
• Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain
• Orange “SAFE” frame storage
• Shimano SLX brakes
• Pro build £6,999, Factory build £8,300
• Range: 861m vertical
• Sizes S, M, L, XL

Motor and battery

Now, while the distinct lack of a display on the Orbea Rise LT gave me instant range anxiety, then I welcomed the compact all-in-one Bosch Purion 200 display and controller fitted to the Phase Evo. And because it’s offset to one side, right next to the left hand grip, it was less in my field of view when riding than Shimano’s behind-the-bar display on the Cannondale Moterra SL.

All of the important riding metics and power at the touch of a button.

It’s super-easy to toggle between the four power modes, Eco, Tour, Emtb and Turbo, and I could easily read metrics like range, speed, and cadence on the LCD display. It also told me when to change gear. And if that sounds silly, it is actually really useful as the Bosch SX motor needs a higher than normal cadence to get the most out of it, and the display actively encouraged me to change gear and keep the revs up. Interestingly, the acoustics of the Bosch SX motor were completely different on the Orange to the Norco. The Orange had a consistent whine from the motor, and overall was quieter than the exact same unit on the Norco Fluid VLT.  The elevated chainstay design of the Orange also limits chain slap, so other than the motor noise, the Phase Evo is a pretty quiet bike.

Orange chose to fit the speed sensor and magnet on the rotor, not under the valve stem.

Flip the bike over to remove the wheels, it’s very easy to scratch the display. So you need to pay attention. Also the Orange comes with the more traditional speed sensor on the rear rotor, rather than having one mounted below the valve stem. I asked Orange about the reasoning behind the decision, and it said that it didn’t want add extra rotational weight to the rim, and found (through field testing) that the hard wired system with the rotor mounted magnet was more reliable.

New Bosch display? No, it’s an easy-to-reach top tube Bosch charging port.

I like how Orange has placed the charging port on the top tube of the Phase Evo, as most e-bike riders struggle to get their riding shoes off, let alone bend over to plug their bikes in when they are knackered. Joking aside,  it’s pretty handy, and makes it way less likely to get wet or caked in mud. The only real issue is that there’s no room for a top tube display. And the optional 250Wh range extender, that sits under the top tube, ends up with the cable poking out at a weird angle and wrapping around the top tube.

Bosch SX: The beating heart of the Orange Phase Evo LE

And just like the other three Bosch Performance Line SX equipped bikes in this test, the Orange Phase Evo uses a Bosch 400Wh Compact Tube battery. So while I didn’t specifically range test the Orange, I’d expect a similar 861m of vertical in Turbo mode, just like the test-winning Whyte E-Lyte 150 RSX. Which places the Orange at the upper end of the lower range bikes. To see how all of the different SL systems in our 2024 SL e-Bike of the Year test got on, you can watch the range test video here.

Suspension

By saving money on exotic frame materials, Orange has been able to splash out on what are arguably the best suspension components in this test. Yes, the 4-way adjustable Fox Factory 36 fork is found on some of the other bikes, but the Phase Evo is the only bike in test to benefit from the independent high and low-speed compression and rebound adjustment of the Factory level Float X2 shock. That’s a mouthful for sure, but in the right hands, the shock brings next-level tuning and performance to the ride.

An extra set of bearings in the shock mount adds weight, but reduces friction.

And to enhance suspension performance of the Phase Evo LE further, Orange has added a second set of cartridge bearings at the swingarm end of the trunnion mounted shock. Just to help reduce the initial breakaway force, increasing both sensitivity and traction.

Get your hex keys out, as the Fox Float X2 shock offers lots of tuning options.

Take all of that suspension goodness and blend it with inherent flex in the frame and the Phase Evo has stacks of traction. In that respect it feels a bit like the Orbea Rise LT, just not quite as flexy and better balanced overall. It also rides lighter than the weight on the scales suggests. Yes, the Orange Phase Evo is still a simple single pivot, but the rear suspension on this 160mm bike is really effective at smoothing out the rough stuff. It also had a distinct feel to it, which will always divide opinion, just like its appearance.

Components

Shimano’s brake pads seemed to glaze over when I left the bike sitting around for a couple of weeks So you need to be careful on your first ride back after a layoff, as the SLX 4-piston brakes can feel woefully inadequate, at least until you get some mud on the rotors and pads to burn the glaze off. The brakes howled like banshees too. That said, when the pads were biting on the big 203mm rotors, the lever feel of the SLX brake remained 100% consistent. So when working, they felt pretty good. They just weren’t working all the time.

Shimano’s SLX brakes had a consistent lever feel, but very inconsistent stopping power.

The Orange Phase Evo LE also gets a 12-speed Shimano SLX drivetrain. And while the shifting is accurate and fast, the lever action feels heavy, especially compared to the electronic SRAM AXS shifting that comes on some of the other bikes in this test. Even the SRAM mechanical shifting on the Santa Cruz Heckler SL offered a lighter, more robust shift action.

Yes, Shimano SLX works fine. Just don’t expect SRAM T-type level performance or durability.

When it comes to the tyre specification on the Phase Evo LE, Orange isn’t messing around – well at least not now, it’s not. Our test bike originally came with a Maxxis Dissector on the rear and it really lacked braking traction. I could also feel the side knobs squirming when loaded mid-turn, which is a little disconcerting on such a fast bike. So it’s great to see that Orange has since switched to a classic Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR II combo with EXO+ casings in the MaxxTerra 3C rubber. Sure, I’d have preferred an Assegai up front, maybe even in MaxxGrip, as it’s better than the Minion DHF in mixed conditions, and the Minion DHR II on the rear is hard to beat.

Noting strange about the SDG Bel Air III saddle – it’s top notch.

Hope Pro 5 hubs, ensure that the wheels will keep spinning freely long after that 5-year frame warranty has expired. And if anything does go wrong with the hubs, you know spare parts will always be readily available and affordable.

I had issues with the Fox Transfer post not extending fully.

The Fox Factory Transfer seat post is a nice touch to the component package, as the Kashima coating loosely matches the finish of the Factory suspension parts. Looks aside, after one month of use the 175mm post wasn’t returning to the fully-extended position without a tug on the nose of the excellent SDG Bel Air III saddle. I tried loosening the seat collar a touch and fiddling with the cable tension adjuster at the remote, all to no avail. So maybe the cable was jammed up inside the frame, which could explain the heavy SLX shifter action.

Performance

While it’s easy to poke fun at the looks, and maybe even the construction process that Orange uses, there’s something about the ride quality of its bikes that always impresses me. Maybe it’s because I know exactly how that simple single pivot suspension design is going to react in every situation. Or it could be that aluminium is a much easier material to work with, so it’s easier for Orange to get the flex and stiffness it desires out of the frame. Either way, the Phase Evo LE has that distinctive Orange vibe that just made me want to ride fast, everywhere.

Climbing

I touched on this earlier, and whether by design or chance, Orange seems to have tailored the geometry to the output of the motor and the 10-51t Shimano cassette. The Bosch SX motor pumps out 600 watts peak power, but with only 55Nm torque – compared to 85Nm on the Shimano EP801 motor on the Cannondale Moterra SL – don’t expect any of the Bosch SX bikes in this test to go uphill like a full power e-bike. So it’s very much a case of sit and spin, or stand and grind.

The slackish seat tube angle reflects the lower torque Bosch SX motor.

Also, when I. was ripping down a descent in a high gear and I came to a sudden steep climb, even if I shifted up the cassette as fast as humanly possible, there was a distinct lag in the motor before the power kicked in to get me up the climb. And it’s probably cadence related.

Descending

I mentioned earlier that the Phase Evo is a big bike, but it also has balanced proportions. It helps too that there ar six 5mm spacers on the steerer tube to accurately position the stem to achieve the perfect handlebar height. Having the stem slightly higher, and rolling the Burgtec RideWide bars back a touch, were key tweaks to getting myself centred on this bike.

Even with the long top tube, it’s still easy to get your weight back.

Even with the Fox suspension set up quite firm, the Phase Evo has a low-dynamic ride height. As such, I could feel the heel of my inside foot dragging on the ground through tighter turns, which made me feel really connected to the bike and the terrain. The flipside is that the Orange can feel a little wallowly on rolling terrain, so I did need to be careful of my pedal timing, especially if I was trying to keep the pedal cadence in that 120rpm sweet-spot to access the full 600w of power from the motor.

Pinned everywhere. Just be careful with those Shimano SLX brakes.

On steep, techy descents, the Orange proved that it has the manoeuvrability and agility to match its unflappable straight-line composure. So even though it’s a long bike, both front and back, it’s still really easy to pop the front up off a drop, even when heavy on the brakes. I just slung my body weight rearward a touch, and up it came, and that’s because I was. so well centred on the bike to begin with.

The Orange Phase Evo LE is agile and very capable.

The Phase Evo is also really dynamic, so I could chuck it around too. Which raises the question: Why wouldn’t you have 160mm travel instead of, say, 140mm (like on the Norco), when these SL bikes can be ridden so darn hard?  Also, if we’d had an arbitrary 20kg cut off point for our SL test, this bike would never have made the cut.

If you know, you know. Orange owners won’t need convincing, but the Phase Evo LE won’t be for everyone