Orange is brand steeped in history and has remained true to its roots, being British through and through. The frame is made from Reynolds 853 tubing, all neatly welded together and with gussets around the head tube and top and down tube it should fend off wayward flex when pushing on hard.
The R8 is offered in two builds; S or Pro. Upgrades on the £1,679.99 Pro, pictured here, include a Fox 32 FRL 100mm fork up , Shimano SLX shifters and front mech and an XT Shadow rear mech with a Race Face XC Evolve Triple X Type chainset and Avid Elixir 5 brakes.
Wheels comprise of a pair of Hope Pro 2 hubs built up with Mavic XM317 rims with DT Swiss Competition spokes. Finishing kit is all decent solid stuff stuff, grippy Maxxix Advantage 2.25in tyres, FSA headset, Orange branded bars, stem and seatpost and a comfy SDG Bel Air saddle.
We’ll be putting it through its paces and bringing you a full review very soon.
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