Followers of classic aluminium all-mountain brand, Orange, will soon have options on some revised geometry 29er bikes.
The British company has revealed its 2020 product line-up and for those riders who have an affinity for long-travel 29ers, the reconfigured Stage models will be of great interest.
Orange have modified the geometry of both the Stage 5 and 6 derivatives, slackening out and stretching the bikes.
Although Orange has retained the same 150mm rear-suspension travel for its 2020 Stage 6 bikes, the geometry numbers have advanced significantly. The Stage frame now has a 1.5-degree slacker head angle, at 64-degrees. Conversely, the seat angle has been steepened to 76-degrees, to improve climbing.
Ensuring that riders don’t feel cramped within the Stage 6’s revised geometry angles, Orange lengthened the top tube, managing to stretch overall reach from 462- to 484mm on a large frame.
Keeping the centre of gravity low and stable, is a bottom bracket that has also been dropped by 5mm.
If you don’t quite require the long-travel rear suspension of a Stage 6, but are taken by Orange’s high chainstay design and simple single-pivot suspension kinematics, there is the shorter-travel Stage 5.
With 135mm of rear suspension travel, the revised Stage 5 is still an entirely capable trail bike. Orange’s geometry adjustments on the Stage 5 are like its longer-travel sibling, with a 1.5-degree head angle reduction, and increased reach.
The headline frame geometry numbers register a 64-degree head angle and overall reach is only a few millimetres short of the 150mm 29er, with the Stage 5 stretching out to 482mm.
Riders who revel in railing berms will be thrilled to know that the Stage 5’s bottom bracket has been dropped by 10mm too, which should improve cornering stability.
Beyond the adjusted geometry numbers for its 29er bikes, Orange has also improved specific frame details. Cable routing has been simplified and for riders who dislike a hydration pack on their back, Orange has adding bottle cage bosses to the underside of their Stage bike downtubes.
