Since the 222 back in the early Noughties, Orange’s downhill bike has flown the flag for great British engineering. The 322 is the latest incarnation, and having been in the pipeline for a while, it should be a good ’un.
The frame
Built from sheets of aluminium carefully made into a custom shaped
monocoque mainframe, the 322 resembles Oranges of the past, but with one big difference.
Its shock is mounted in a cradle within the down tube, meaning Orange can get
the bike to behave just how they want it to and achieve a more progressive
spring rate. The vital statistics include a 135x12mm back end, 73mm BB shell
and 1.5in head tube.
The kit
Although the 322 is only available as a frame and shock package, Orange
built us up this complete bike to test, with a Fox 40 fork and DHX RC4 shock. The
Shimano Saint shifting didn’t miss a beat, even after the MRP S4 chainguide
took some big hits.
Carrying on the British theme, the bike runs on Hope Pro2 hubs, stops on
Hope M4 brakes and has a Renthal cockpit, consisting of their Fatbar and
Integra direct-mount stem. The 322 frame complete with this solid, dependable
build kit tips the scales at a reasonable 17.7kg
(39lb).
The ride
Rolling into our local downhill test tracks, the first thing that really
stood out was the 322’s massive amount of lateral stiffness, which meant the
bike would, on occasion, deflect and slide when leaning over in particularly
tight turns.
This is by no means a bad thing though, and when you’ve become
accustomed to it, is a large part of what makes the Orange feel so solid and dependable.
Although the 322 isn’t necessarily the comfiest of bikes to ride, being
unforgiving at times, this solid, bombproof feel will no doubt win over a lot of
riders’ hearts.
The revised shock position has made a big difference to the suspension
feel, especially towards the end of the stroke where a ramping-up is now far more
apparent. In large, slower compressions such as when landing big jumps, the progression
is perfect and feels really well controlled.
However, the rear end can feel rather harsh over larger high-speed
compressions and square-edge hits such as big rocks or roots. This is the flipside
to that simple, cheaper to maintain single-pivot design.
The sizing of our ‘long’ test bike was perfect for our 5ft 8in tester,
with the 63-degree head angle and 1,210mm wheelbase creating tons of stability
and a reassuring, confidence inspiring feel. The 445mm chainstays help to
position you centrally on the bike and make shifting your weight around the
cockpit that bit easier, yet they’re not long enough to prevent you hoofing the
front end up as and when it’s needed. This is the quietest Orange downhill rig we’ve
ever clattered down the hillside on too.
Orange have pushed themselves back into DH bike territory with this
solid feeling, quiet single-pivot machine
FRAME 6061-T6 aluminium monocoque, 200mm (7.9in) travel
FORK Fox 40 RC2 FIT, 203mm (8in) travel SHOCK Fox DHX RC4 BV
DRIVETRAIN Shimano Saint mech and shifter, Race Face Atlas cranks, MRP S4 chain
guide
WHEELSET Hope Pro2 hubs, Mavic EX721 rims
BRAKES Hope Tech M4
BAR/STEM Renthal Fatbar/Renthal Integra
SEATPOST/SADDLE Thomson Elite/SDG Falcon
WEIGHT 17.7kg (39lb) without
pedals
PRICE 3035$ (frame only)
