The Patriot is back!

Jun 21, 2011 at 10:54

The Patriot makes a return to the Orange Mountain Bikes lineup for 2012. Taking up a position between the Alpine 160 and 224, the new bike delivers 180mm of balanced single pivot suspension. The original was responsible for much of our direction in design, the 2012 bike more than lives up to the name…

Highlight features at a glance:

* The monocoque down tube profile develops stiffness and reduces weight. The top tube adopts similar technology, allowing a front end that is lighter and stronger than a hydroformed equivalent.
* The 1.5" headtube houses a tapered fork with an external bearing bottom cup and zero-stack top. The best option for strength and weight, but also future proofing frame design and allowing compatibility with angle-adjust headsets.
* The 30.9mm seat tube diameter adds height adjustable seat post compatability, with guides keeping cabling tidy.
* Maintenance free 32mm pivot assembly keeps the bike out of the workshop and on the trail.
* Maxle rear as standard, the frame is super stiff with accurate tracking for surefooted confidence.
* Standard ISCG tabs allow easy chain device installation.
* Low pivot placement keeps the suspension super active but controlled and efficient. Small bump sensitivity with enough climbing poise to earn your turns. The same position as the Five, it rides light but takes the hits.
* A Super slack 65.5° head-angle lets you rip through the rough stuff, with a planted BB height keeping you in the centre of the bike. The ride characteristics of the old packaged with the best of the new.

Coming July 1st...

The 2012 Patriot will be available from July 1st as a complete build or frame only package. The standard bike retails at £2999.99 with a Fox Van RC shock, Marzocchi 66 RCV 180mm fork, Hope hubs, Avid Elixir brakes, Truvativ finishing kit and a RaceFace/Shimano transmission. The usual array of upgrade options will be offered including the Cane Creek Double Barrel, Hope Tech V2 brakes, RockShox Reverb seat post, Gamut chain device and new for 2012, the Renthal Fatboy bar and Duo stem.

The Patriot is a hard riding big-mountain machine built for slamming into turns and boosting off lips. Ready to winch you to the top it’s capable of technical climbing, but the Patriot is all about the gravity fuelled good times. A downhill bike too big and slow but six inches not capable enough? The Patriot is the perfect midpoint. See it as a UK downhill bike, a lightweight freeride bike or something to pedal around the Alps. The Patriot is bred tough whatever the tag line, the only limits are your nerves…

Orange Mountain Bikes was born in 1988 with the collaboration of Lester Noble and Steve Wade. Motivated by riding, Orange filled many gaps in the UK bike market. World Cup podiums and Championship wins brought international renown with grassroots programs supporting the domestic scene. Today, Orange bikes continue to develop and innovate using riders as a platform. A full range of bikes is available with quality and reliability at the heart of each concept. Orange is at the forefront of chassis and suspension design and continues to be at the heart of the UK grassroots scene.

Must Read This Week

1. Fails for your Friday: Pinkbike's funniest home videos edition 44939 reads
2. Pinkbike Product Picks 31411 reads
3. Life Behind Bars: Red Bull YouTube series with Semenuk 30962 reads
4. Video of the Month - April 2012 27241 reads
5. Movies for Your Monday 24507 reads
6. How-to: Learn to Corner Better - Video 22317 reads
7. Mark Matthews - Sweat Equity 19624 reads
8. Renthal: The Life Of An Integra Stem 19320 reads

94 Comments

Score Time

+ 13

fantaman (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:06)

I like the new look of the new patriot,sweet frame

- 16

mattsavage (Jun 21, 2011 at 14:57) (Below Threshold) show comment

What, no carbon...?

lewspeight (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:15)

The factory is literally 15 minute walk away from my house... so wish they had some sort of thing to go look at em like a shop, or even a window haha.
Handbuilt in Halifax... im proud to be born in the same place Big Grin

I WILL be getting one

tsimpson1993 (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:51)

i like the fact that even in this economy they make them in halifax and havn't outsourced to the east. when my current patriot dies, i will most likely be replacing it with a new one.

[Reply]

+ 13

ryanreishripper (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:24)

all oranges seem to have that fat swing arm.. me no likey.

doorknob100 (Jun 22, 2011 at 22:47)

couldn't agree more

[Reply]

+ 10

denis80 (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:04)

Great job Orange, a simple, reliable and maintenance free single pivot! What do we need more?

[Reply]

dansands (Jun 23, 2011 at 9:35)

were now in the throw away society, where frames are outdated quicker than ever. i love the fact orange stick with their same design principle and dont follow the trend of hydra forming all of the parts so they can throw out as many bikes as possible as quick as they can from some giant factory in Taiwan. they dont break all the time, there light as f*ck and there the best of british. orange FTW. however i do agree that they are a tad on the expensive side.

[Reply]

jaydmf (Jun 21, 2011 at 13:28)

Definatly gonna get this as an upgrade to my 07. 1.5 headtube + new swingarm and CG mounts = winner that and the fact you can run dual crown forks. yes its nothing specially tech wise as i said before but its a UK DH monster with the flexibility to chuck on a front mech and a pair of lyriks or similar and go on all day missions. dont knock an orange till you try one. VPP, split pivot, four bar, horst link all great ideas for allowing you to pedal up but single, when done right, is still the best on the way down and orange certainly know what theyre doing with single pivot.

jaydmf (Jul 4, 2011 at 10:15)

Just got the facts direct from orange, frame only is £1750 with Van RC. I would love to buy a new one but at this price its just not possible. I absolutly love orange but come on guys does it really warant that price tag. When i bought my 07 frame i ordered the best they did with maxle, DHX and custom paint and it was only £1450 then. really dissapointed theyve jacked up the price so much

northumberlandrider (Jul 11, 2011 at 5:23)

Thats my issue with them, sadly the price you have too pay for frames made in the Uk

[Reply]

si-paton Plus (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:09)

Another amazing bike from Orange. Single Pivot at it's best. My first ever DH rig back in 1996 was a Foes LTS Mono (single pivot)and today i'm running a Strange 225 another single pivot. Bikes can be simple with the new shock technology and again Orange have hit the nail on the head with this model.

[Reply]

calum1more (Jun 22, 2011 at 13:38)

Clearly not the prettiest bike but Oranges certainly ride amazing. Function over form anyday for me. To be honest, I was never that impressed by them either until I started riding a 5. Best full suspension I've ever ridden and if I had the money I wouldn't hesitate in buying a patriot or 224. There's a reason you can't go to any trail centre in the UK without seeing someone else on an Orange.

[Reply]

teamdoa (Jun 21, 2011 at 13:51)

Can't say I have ever liked them. They are so basic yet expensive, I just cannot see where they get the price from. I used to own a 222, basically the same thing as they are all the same design pretty much, it was ex G M Global Racing one, took it out to Les Gets and it felt very ropey compared with similar priced bikes.

Anyway, I don't want to flame them too much as I am impressed if they are in fact still made in Halifax England.

neallynberg (Jun 21, 2011 at 22:52)

In my opinion there is nothing wrong with a simple design, but I could see that if it doesn't ride as good as similar priced bikes than it is not worth it; and I havn't ridden one so I wouldn't know.

eastofski (Jun 22, 2011 at 6:48)

You answered your own question. Expensive because it's 100% made in England. Whether you think that justifies the extra money you pay for it is up to you.

[Reply]

DHr4life (Jun 21, 2011 at 13:01)

yeah the swing arm looks way too obese...me no like

[Reply]

Outdoorjunkie (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:07)

I can tell it was built in Yorkshire cos it looks like a tank. Does it also turn into a Transporter? Tank rhymes with something I just can't remember what but it kind of sums up Orange's winning status at big events - which is where it matters!!

eastofski (Jun 22, 2011 at 6:50)

Apart from those three world cups. And Ben Cathro being absolutely rapid.

[Reply]

sethius (Jun 25, 2011 at 8:02)

Normally i like them, but the main frame reminds of the haro extreme series as does the paint job. Single pivot bikes are still capable of being amazing if executed properly. The santa Cruz bullit and heckler are a good example.

[Reply]

cjames80 (Jun 22, 2011 at 14:41)

Well I only speak from personal experience. And really when it comes to purely DH, single pivot is not that big of a deal. However, I usually have pedal to get my turns and there is no way I like to climb on a single pivot over 1500 ft. That's just me, ride what you like. Its all about having fun, didn't mean to rile up my friends across the pond.

[Reply]

IllestT (Jun 23, 2011 at 7:56)

Yesterday's technology at tomorrow's prices....
Also, Orange - you NEED to bring your warranty inline with the rest of the world.
Most bike brands now offer 5 year or more on similar frames.
1 year is NOT ENOUGH, especially considering the breakage rate of past Oranges

[Reply]

charliebrown (Jun 24, 2011 at 22:32)

If your gonna do the same old single pivot, at least put an offset eccentric pivot that allows riders to fine-tune chainstay length, headtube angle and bottom bracket height like what Morewood is doing to their single pivot bikes (they call it XPI pivot), or is that design patented???

[Reply]

snide (Jun 23, 2011 at 13:28)

Other than updated size specs I think I'm missing why this bike is cool? It looks just like every other Orange. Placement of the Pivot makes me think it would be a pogo stick, the tubing is old school.. Just not feeling it.

[Reply]

freerideglory (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:32)

looking good... are they joking?

[Reply]

iambike4lyf (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:49)

i used to think orange were simply overpriced single pivot bikes, then i rode one!
and im sure this ones going to be sweet!

[Reply]

max14221 (Jun 27, 2011 at 7:48)

I guess its a good thing there is nothing wrong with a better choice of bikes

[Reply]

OrangePatriotUSA (Dec 8, 2011 at 18:54)

What a beauty. If my 2002 Patriot ever dies (no sign of it yet), I know what I'll be replacing it with...

[Reply]

max14221 (Jun 22, 2011 at 13:39)

i was going to buy the alpine 160, i think i have changed my mind it looks sick

[Reply]

powderturns (Jun 21, 2011 at 17:30)

hey! It's a Santa Cruz Super 8!!! Nice!
I think Steve Jones of Dirt UK owns shares in Orange - I guarantee this bike gets a 5 star review from them.

bikeaddict123 (Jun 24, 2011 at 14:37)

he probably owns shares in them (at least partly) because he thinks they're sick bikes though, so yeah he probably will give them 5* if he thinks they're that good!

[Reply]

ac9294 Plus (Jun 21, 2011 at 17:21)

looks dated and primative but, looks arent everything

[Reply]

benjiscott82 (Jun 22, 2011 at 5:13)

Orange isnt it about time you sacked off putting front mechs on the alpine and definatly this new beauty! just put a single ring n chainguide on, we dont need a front mech!!! who the f*** is gonna wanna ride up a hill on the patriot!!

KILL GRANNY RINGS!!!

LETS ALL CHAT:

KILL GRANNY RINGS!!

GRANNY RINGS ARE 4 f*gS!

sean-dh (Jun 22, 2011 at 8:44)

I dont think you speak for all patriot riders. Many people would want to pedal up and rip it down hills.

benjiscott82 (Jun 22, 2011 at 9:08)

why cant they do it on a single ring then? sparrow legs perhaps...

duncanp (Jun 22, 2011 at 13:40)

some hills, where fun riding is.. need cavendish-esque legs to climb on a single ring, unless by single ring you mean 32t...

benjiscott82 (Jun 22, 2011 at 13:51)

i ride 36tooth single to 34 rear, ample.

rip8569 (Jun 24, 2011 at 19:49)

I love the dual rings on my bullit. I could ride right past you on the way up, call you a "f*g", and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it as I pull away from you.

benjiscott82 (Jun 25, 2011 at 12:33)

yawn me a river. go back to the stone age kid

[Reply]

magiccaterpillar (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:40)

I wish I had the money to buy this. Oh well i'll stick with the old Patriot 7+.

[Reply]

dh-freeeride (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:13)

it reminds me of a bike ive seen before, no body get wide and say a patriot ... no but it does remind me of something? Wink

downhill-jack (Jun 21, 2011 at 14:17)

"Looks like a trek." is the usual response when a new bike comes out hahaha

digital-criminal Plus (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:19)

Like this perhaps?

a href="Fat rear linkage">img src="http://www.bikemag.com/files/2011/01/wpid-marin-bikes-5-d.jpg">/a>

benjiscott82 (Jun 22, 2011 at 5:09)

' ''downhill-jack (15 hours ago)
"Looks like a trek." is the usual response when a new bike comes out'' '

^^ hahah quality, props!!!

dh-freeeride (Jun 22, 2011 at 9:45)

na not a trek, i dunno i can't put my finger on it ....

[Reply]

sngltrkmnd (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:38)

That looks like a hot setup. Reminds me of my Gemini with 66s on it. Dope!

[Reply]

sssingletrack (Jun 22, 2011 at 1:41)

I wonder if it will creak like all oranges do.

[Reply]

yeahbro (Jun 21, 2011 at 13:33)

that swing arm is HUGE! why so big?

[Reply]

vernondan (Jun 22, 2011 at 16:14)

Sooooo many coments about why its "nice'....lets hear some real world reasons other than...ooohhhhh its cool, made in Halifax.

Seriously outdated design...period.

[Reply]

mathias90 (Jun 23, 2011 at 6:08)

Thank f*ck for that! Awesome bike!

[Reply]

Drop2Flat (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:14)

Single Pivot FTW!!

[Reply]

mrfitz424 (Jun 22, 2011 at 14:17)

nice. renthal stem and bars thats the way to go.

[Reply]

Jack1201 (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:18)

man that thing is sick!!!!

[Reply]

teamdoa (Jun 21, 2011 at 13:56)

Oh yeah, and that head angle is laughable, are they just jumping on the bandwagon.

[Reply]

Oscarmonk (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:13)

SO NICEE!

[Reply]

piebloke (Jun 22, 2011 at 3:54)

Oh Yeah. The Patriot is back. Gota be the coolest bike name....

[Reply]

mountguitars (Jun 21, 2011 at 14:34)

im so stoked resurrecting an old single pivot......NOT!

[Reply]

jaybird951 (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:18)

a clump of iron like the marin.........wow.....looks cool though...but why so serious...shave some weight...

[Reply]

PhoS (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:11)

dialed

[Reply]

funkymonkey144 (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:51)

S'alright

[Reply]

speedy27 (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:40)

again the same

[Reply]

HTNDave (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:56)

Still dont like it Frown

[Reply]

dansands (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:06)

ORANGE FTW

[Reply]

david-hill (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:59)

NAICE

[Reply]

Joezwls (Jun 21, 2011 at 13:53)

YESSS

[Reply]

rickyretardo (Jun 21, 2011 at 19:03)

Orange=POS

[Reply]

svdhrider (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:59)

looks like a better version of an 04 specialized bighit spec

[Reply]

theedon (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:52)

Wal-Mart

[Reply]

Below threshold threads are hidden

caliber-410 Plus (Jun 21, 2011 at 14:05)

Canadian Eh!

zorba73 (Jun 21, 2011 at 14:09)

What?

mountguitars (Jun 21, 2011 at 14:31)

caliber-410, its built in halifax somewhere in the UK. not in halifax, nova scotia, canada. fail! LOL!

caliber-410 Plus (Jun 21, 2011 at 15:30) (Below Threshold) show comment

What Ever!

benjiscott82 (Jun 22, 2011 at 5:11)

''... halifax somewhere in the UK.''

YORKSHIRE GOD NAM IT

mountguitars (Jun 22, 2011 at 12:44)

sorry mate. i guess its pretty obvious i don't know much about the UK. i just know what country orange bikes come from. thanks for the geography update.

[Reply]

cjames80 (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:11)

single pivot designs suck. you can keep your brake jack and pedal bob, I'll be cruising by you on my vpp

Downhill-Christy (Jun 21, 2011 at 13:55)

You're obviously yet to ride something like a GT, or a Trek, or a Morewood, or an Ellsworth? All single pivot designs which minimize pedal bob and almost eliminate pedal bob. Single pivot, I should add, does not just refer to having only 1 pivot...

thrice (Jun 21, 2011 at 14:45)

I would pretty much bet he has. I have too. Thats why I love vpp.

Downhill-Christy (Jun 22, 2011 at 2:59)

*and almost eliminate 'brake jack'

cjames80 (Jun 22, 2011 at 9:30)

thrice, you hit it right on the head.

Downhill-Christy (Jun 22, 2011 at 10:36)

Well only 1 of the 9 bikes in the 'Dirt 100' was a VPP, and 7 were single pivot... Just a thought

cloverleaf Plus (Jun 22, 2011 at 12:02)

To say that all single pivots are awful is just as wrong as saying that all multi pivot bikes are brilliant - some single pivots are awful but that's not the suspension system that's at fault, it's the implementation of it, just as it is with any piece of design or technology that performs sub par. Orange have spent a number of years tweaking and refining their designs - riders complain when companies change their designs regularly whilst others complain when companies don't change regularly. So which is it to be?!

thrice (Jun 23, 2011 at 7:32)

Cloverleaf, you are right. I spent 3 years riding a single pivot design that had a hard time not bobbing with the best pedal platform shock on the market. Now, I have a vpp bike that pedals great with a shock that has absolutely no pedal platform built into it. A single pivot generally conspires against pedaling efficiency, while a vpp like maestro or vpp from santa cruz, wants the bike to pedal well. Nowadays you don't need much of a pedal efficient design in bikes, since most shocks have some sort of pedaling platform and you can hardly notice the inefficiencies. But for some of us that climb a lot, you start notincing the conspiracy. Granted there are some multi pivot bikes that suck and some single pivots that are awesome, that, in my opinion is the general idea.

max14221 (Jun 25, 2011 at 2:28)

If single pivot is so bad why does the orange five keep getting trail bike of the year and 9 out of 10 in most mags , orange have got there designs of there bikes sorted, i will be getting the new alpine 160 or the patriot in the next few months

thrice (Jun 27, 2011 at 7:35)

If Justin Beiber is so bad, why was he listed by Forbes as number 2 on the list of best paid artists under 30 earning 53 million dollars in year? He must be so good then, right? Popular is not the same as good, and we all know Bike Mags get paid to say bikes are good. I owned a single pivot for over 3 years. A Rocky Mountain, I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just highlighting some of the drawbacks single pivots have.

[Reply]

zorba73 (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:16)

As much as I love Orange, I don't see the need for the resurrection of the Patriot. The Alpine 160 (which pretty much replaced the Patriot) is more than capable of doing what this bike does, set up right. There just isn't a void between the 160 and 224, why create one?

pperini (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:49)

why not? it has more travel, therefore the abuse level of the bike just goes one notch up..wich..is...good!!!

Lordofdogtown (Jun 21, 2011 at 11:54)

As long somebody buys it they will made it - that's the clue Wink

iambike4lyf (Jun 21, 2011 at 12:53)

180s the new trend its seems. soon as fox brought out their 180mil forks!

taletotell (Jun 21, 2011 at 13:48)

Yeah I noticed that too. Fox seems to either have control of the market or they are all in colusion. Seems like a good length for lift access fr though.

mountguitars (Jun 21, 2011 at 14:37)

180mm travel forks have been around even before fox made one. check out marz's 66 and the RS totem. fox was actually late coming up with the 180 last year. there was actually a 38mm stanchion prototype floating in the internet before fox decided to just stick with their 36mm stanchion forks and just make it longer.

taletotell (Jun 22, 2011 at 10:33)

Right, but once fox did it the bike companies made frames to match. That's what I'm referring to. I have a rockshox domain that can be made a 180 if I want. I just don't want. Maybe if I could dial it back down to 115 for the climbs . . .

cloverleaf Plus (Jun 22, 2011 at 11:59)

The Alpine 160mm isn't warrantied for 180mm or dual crown forks and by fitting the bigger fork you set the angles out of kilter - this is a tougher bike that is more gravity orientated than the Alpine. It all depends on the balance of climbing/descending you're after as to which works out best.

mountguitars (Jun 23, 2011 at 8:07)

then i guess you haven't noticed the OEM marz 66's and OEM RS totems flying around. where do you think these forks would be installed?

the 1.5 steerer tube that manitou introduced actually made sense when the marz 66 and RS totem came out and was a failure on manitou's nixon (because of the skinny stanchions it was using) that first came out with the 1.5 steerer tube. the earlier 2007 giant glories, spez demo 7's, 2007 norco shores, and other frame/bike builders were already utilizing the 1.5 head tube because of this. fox and the other frame builders who just started to make a 180 bike last year or just now like the revived patriot are a bit late and are just catching up on to what's already there and this isn't even because of fox. its because they had to complete a product line up to fill a void like the other bike companies that already have a 180 bike.

taletotell (Jun 23, 2011 at 17:05)

Valid point. They just suddenly seem to be everywhere.

[Reply]