It’s officially show season in the UK. It’s a chance for the industry to catch up over some beer and exhibition food, and for distributors and dealers to make plans for the coming summer. Over the last three days, the entire UK bike industry has been flocking to Silverstone Race Circuit to check out the trade only Bike Place Show. After the disappointment of being told we would not be allowed to do a hot lap of the circuit we headed inside to check out all the latest products and found some very unexpected surprises.
Orange Stage 6
We knew this bike was coming, having spent considerable time on its awesome little brother the Stage 5. But damn! The new Orange Stage 6 looks purposeful in the flesh. With 160/150 mm of travel and 29-inch wheels, this bike looks like it’s built with one aim in mind, to get rowdy. Rocking a 65.5-degree head angle and a 1245 mm wheelbase in Large it’s ready for action. The Orange Stage 6 reminds us of that mate we all have, you know, the one who turns up at parties with a bottle of spirit and who you know at some point will start a fire! We cannot wait to give it some hammer in a test.
For more information check out Orange Bikes.
Orange E-MTB
Now, this was the shock of the show! More surprising than Donald Trump’s Twitter outbursts, Orange have created a new E-MTB that looks very near to completion. The bike is based on the formidable geometry of the Alpine 6, retaining all the vital geometry numbers such as 160 mm of travel, and chainstays that buck the ‘crazy long’ E-MTB fashion. A Shimano power plan keeps the Q factor tight for maximum shredability, and the single pivot design should provide massive traction. This is an E-MTB for mountain bikers, the Orange team have been hammering it for a while now and are super stoked with the handling. Like strapping a jet pack to a Doberman you just know it’s going to be fast and ferocious. When asked when and how much, we heard whispered rumours of July 2017 and a price just a little north of £6000.
Schwalbe Tire Booster
In the field of good service to mechanics and marital harmony, the Airshot tubeless inflator deserves a Nobel peace prize. No other aluminium cylinder has saved the world from so many A-grade swear words. The Airshot inflator has become a must have in any tubeless tire fettles armoury, so it’s great to see Schwalbe licensing the device and spreading the love with the £54.99 Tire Booster. The second you see the fast rush of air effortlessly pop a troublesome tubeless tire onto the bead you will shed a tear of joy knowing that life will never be the same.
For more information check out the Schwalbe Website
NEOS Air Smith Dagger Shock pump
Have you ever tried to adjust your shock pressure on the trail without a shock pump, you know “I’ll just let a few Psi out with a twig” psssst.. “shit”. Hands up, who’s done it. It always ends up with you riding home with 5mm of travel, and the bike dragging its belly on the floor. With this slimline pump, you can stash it in your pack and never be caught short. Before you say that “A shock pump without a gauge is as useful as an ejector seat in a helicopter”, there’s a hidden in-line gauge that slides out of the hose as you pump. We love it and for £32 it’s not too pricey either.
For more information, keep an eye on the NEOS Tools page.
