It’s a controlled, balanced and supportive ride
alloy rims and Shimano SLX cycling you through the gears. I’m not going to pass judgement on this though – the internet will do this for me – instead I’ll explain why the costs are high. Most obviously, the bike uses Öhlins suspension which is far more expensive than Rockshox Ultimate or even Fox factory. Orange also says this is 2022, which is its way of saying that inflation has ripped up the rule book on bikes made by hand in the UK. The rest of the specification is grounded in good sense, with excellent Stan’s Flow Mk4 rims, Hope Pro 4 hubs and a great Maxxis Minion DHF and DHRII tyre combination. And while the Renthal bar and short Hope stem feel right, the only irritation is that the 150mm-stroke dropper post is too short.
HOW IT RIDES
Tight, in a word. Tighter than the Oranges of the past, in a complete sentence. I remember the comfortable, almost effortless grip on off-camber, rooty terrain of the previous Oranges I rode and it’s just the same with the Stage 6 Evo. Aim it obliquely across some slippy, mud-smeared roots and somehow it holds its line and steers you out safely to the other side. The long 471mm chainstay length probably helps too, as it keeps the front end loaded.
What I don’t remember is the level of support now on offer, there’s no harsh bottom-out even when you’re running it pretty soft and it really helps you stay in a neutral riding position on the bike. The bottom bracket is reasonably low, and I avoided whacking my pedals on rock or root, but honestly I’d be happy to have it a few millimetres lower, especially given how supportive the shock is.
How much of this support is down to the bike’s suspension characteristics and how much is down to the shock, I just don’t know. What I did feel is a remarkably composed ride for a relatively short-travel bike - it’s controlled, balanced and supportive. The suspension travel measured up bang-on 140mm, with plenty of clearance between the back to the seat tube and rear tyre at bottom-out. The trade-off, of course, is that it’s not as supple as some bikes out there; don’t expect the Stage 6 Evo to eat up those big hits, instead you’ll need to use that new-found support to dance round it all.
Dance you will though, because the bike isn’t crazy heavy and all that FEA seems to have paid off to help deliver a pretty nimble ride. You benefit on the climbs from this of course, and from the lofted seat position and steep seat tube angle. My only gripe comes from the sizing, though – my bike came up significantly shorter in terms of reach than Orange’s numbers on the website. My own ride experience echoed that
– I felt a little cramped on the bike and wished I’d opted for the XL for my 6ft
1in frame.
I thought I’d enjoy riding the Stage 6 Evo SE; Orange is too well-practised to get it wrong. But I didn’t think I’d be surprised by it. It’s got good pace, it’s a hoot to ride, and it has somehow made winter fun again.