First Ride Review: Orange Alpine 6 – a classic reborn

Riding the new Orange Alpine 6

To give us a good first ride experience on proper trails Orange flew us out to Punta Ala, where we tested the Orange Alpine 6 on a variety of trails ranging from fast and flowy with berms and jumps to steep, rough rocky tech and everything in between. We rode the RS spec Alpine, with the Pro spec Fox Performance 36 fork and DPX2 Performance shock. The RS model tested was running a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain and Guide RE brakes. It was decked out with Stans Flow wheels and a Rockshox Reverb with 1x Remote. Finishing kit was taken care of by Burgtec and Renthal.

We chose to ride the size large Orange Alpine, as on previous models our 183cm tester preferred the size large over the XL due to the high seat tube on the latter. Due to Orange’s new sizing revamp, however, he could have ridden the XL with plenty saddle clearance for when things get rowdy.

A good long travel enduro bike has to feel stable and confident from the get-go, and the Orange Alpine 6 does just that. The long wheelbase and increased reach over previous models is noticeable and put us in a strong position for attacking the trail with confidence. The lower bottom bracket is noticeable too and we felt nicely integrated into the bike. On fast flowy trails, the Orange Alpine 6 handled much better than we would have expected from a bike of its stature. The high anti-squat of its single pivot suspension is a positive here as the bike felt taught under power and accelerated nicely up sharp climbs and when sprinting out of the saddle. The Alpine 6 is also very stable in the air and felt eager to pop and launch off every undulation in the trail. Its 165mm of rear travel absorbs compressions from landings and drops in a smooth and controlled way and feels forgiving in the event of a case or less than ideal line choice.

However, the single pivot suspension design can also be a double edged sword for the Orange Alpine 6. On very rough trails with high-speed bumps and holes, the suspension seems to get caught up, chattering over obstacles rather than absorbing them. This meant our tester sometimes had a hard time keeping his feet on the pedals on particularly gnarly sections of trail due to pedal kickback. This is emphasized when braking hard, as the high levels of anti-rise firms up the suspension and reduces its capacity to respond.

Climbing on the Orange Alpine 6 is made bearable by its high anti-squat numbers (153.5% uncompressed in 34-50t gear ratio), meaning it pedals nicely without noticeable bob. The climbing position is neutral and we felt pretty comfortable between the wheels on short climbs. The slack seat tube angle, however, is the Alpine’s kryptonite. At 74 degrees we feel it is just too relaxed for a “winch and plummet” bike, which will do most of its climbing on long fire roads to the top of gnarly descents and race stages. On the smaller sizes, this may not be as noticeable but the dropper post extension, coupled with the Orange Alpine’s relaxed seat tube angle put the rider far behind the bottom bracket.

When it comes to reliability, the Orange Alpine 6 is always going to do well. Its two big bearings make it both reliable and hard wearing, and when the time comes to change them it’s an easy job that can be done in less than half an hour by an intermediate level home mechanic with Orange’s bearing kit. Overall, the evolutionary changes made to the new Alpine 6 all translate to positives on the trail. The revised geometry makes it a confident descender at high speeds, and the bike fits better due to the sizing revamp. We do however wish Orange would steepen up the seat angle to make the Alpine 6 more comfortable on long climbs.

Conclusion

The Orange Alpine 6 shines on fast flowy trails were a lively ride dynamic and confident handling are needed. However when the going gets rough and steep the more advanced suspension systems used on its competitors do offer a smoother ride. Orange have always had a cult-like following of fans, those who love the simplicity and ease of maintenance offered by the single pivot design, and who do not care that an FSR bike is more efficient or that a Twin Link may be faster on rough trails. Luckily for the company from Halifax, this is the best Alpine 6 they have ever created, and if Orange’s get you excited, this is the hardest hitting one yet.

For more information head to orangebikes.co.uk

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