That works then by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

I know a few were interested. This is the 2011 frame built up with the kit from my previous ST4. Shock is the RP23 with a firm compression tune from the original.

The ST4 works for me because it’s long and low (and I’m gibbon armed/dwarf legged), and rides like a hardtail on steroids. The ride today was a Malverns special, bits of everything road/firetrack/woody singletrack/fast rocky wide open descents/few jumps and drops and some big steps. Steep as well, 20k, 880m of climbing.

Best way to describe it is like the old one only better. It’s still got that lovely low slung ride – perfect for chucking it into the turns, but also stable on the fast descents. But the two things you notice are it’s stiffer, at the back I can’t feel a hint of flex as I bashed it down some steps.

Secondly with the pro pedal off it’s somehow plusher, sits in the travel but then ramps up at the end. Perfect really. I think with the PP on, it actually isn’t active enough and I ended up just leaving off except for road climbs.

Climbing granny ring grunters, the only flex I could feel was in my wide bars. Rear just squats and grips. If anything I felt the front may be coming up more on the really steep stuff, but not sure why that should be.

It is a whole lot of fun to ride, off to Coed next week, then the Peaks a couple of weeks later. We’ll see how it does there. But so far, so good. One ride isn’t enough to know how good it will be, but all the good stuff of the old one is still there (although it rides differently, hard to explain, tauter certainly, not sure how else to describe it) but none of the stuff that wasn’t so good.

good to hear; contemplating this as I prefer shorter travel. Please add thoughts after more riding!! 🙂

Sounds good. Sigh of relief then 🙂

I have to say that I think it looks much lovelier than the other Orange FS bikes.

is it as heavy as the old model ?

I think it’s a bit lighter. Head angle might be half a degree slacker as well. Apparently “old” Medium was about 7.4lbs with shock. On my shonky scales this was just over 6.2

I think the 7.4 was wrong, it was never heavier than a Five which is 6.8 for a medium.

ooooh. nice.

They way I looked at it, the Orange 5 is £2800, the Alpine £3000 and the ST4 £2880 – more than a Five? 😕

I guess it depends how and where you ride but it seems a lot of money for an xc type bike especially when the Five is actually cheaper and, I would say, far more upgradable.

Not to say I’m knocking your bike, looks fantastic in red with white wheels and red bits and bobs, 10/10 😀

Very happy dog in your Flickr pics too!

I have a Pace 405 I don’t ride much. I don’t need the burliness or the big hitting ability of a five. It’s mad really – like the MF column this month – that we think of 120mm/110m bikes as “trail”.

If I lived in the Peak District or somewhere super rocky, then yeah a Five or the Pace would be ideal. But living in the Malverns where 90% of my riding is FoD, Malvern Hills, CwmCarn, South Wales, etc the ST4 is perfect. Like a hardtail for old people 🙂

And if you’re spending that much cash £80’s not really here or there. I remember a few years ago when (MBR specifically) the vogue was 6 inches is what we need everywhere. Clearly nonsense!

Anyway lots more 5s out there than ST4s. Choice is a wonderful thing 🙂

Dog is very happy. I think he’s on drugs.

I think its a shame the ST4 (which I love the look of) is no lighter than the 5 (which I think is a pug).

ST4 is the front runner in my “do-it-all* bike stakes”, once I can justify moving from my hardtail.

* do-it-all, probably should read do-everything-i-need-it-to-do (scared of real mountains!)

Well it’s half a pound I guess. More about how it rides. I’ve not ridden a five but I wanted something that didn’t overly soak up the ground or be a super plush monster that didn’t reward a bit of sprinting.

Mine’s probably 28lbs. My hardtail is probably 3lbs less than that. Both with decent kit/tyres on. I reckon that’s pretty amazing for bikes you can take anywhere and ride over most stuff.

Sure a 23lb full suss would be lovely (Carbon Blur LT anyone?) but not sure the cost/any compromises are worth it.

That is one of the nicest bikes I’ve seen on here in ages.

I bet it’s a great bike to ride but by Christ it’s ugly!

Last two posts… the ying and yang of STW 🙂

Really pleased to hear good things – I pick mine up tomorrow.

Quick question for OP, you mention that you’ve re-used the shock from the old model, but I thought I had read somewhere that it uses a different length shock this year, what with the mounting being on the top tube?

Did Orange not ship it with a new shock?

Still a 190mm shock.

I was pointed back to this thread 😉 Yeah same shock, there was some talk of changing it, but Orange accidently sent me someone else’s frame about two weeks ago, and – before sending it on – I had a butchers. Same shock/same compression tune.

Since writing the review ^^^ I’ve put around 200k on the ST4 including a fantastic 3 day trip to Wales. It’s also got very muddy and wet. Never missed a beat. Brilliant at Co-ed, fantastic here and in the FoD. Not even thought of riding anything else. It really is proper silly confidence inspiring.

Anyone want to buy a barely used Pace 405!

how have you got it built up? lightweight XC or burly Trail monster?

Which one, the Pace or the ST4? 🙂

Pic of the ST4 at the top of this thread.

Alex, I’d be really interested in the pace 405 frame if your serious.
What size is it?

Cheers
Raddaz

I’m a big Orange fan

But that’s gopping