Photos: Orange Bikes

Orange Bikes have bolstered their range this year with the recent introduction of the brand new Segment, a 110mm travel 29er designed around a 120mm suspension fork. As is the trend for trail bikes these days, the Segment looks to be long, low and slack that should ensure the bike is capable of more than its travel might otherwise suggest.

“Designed to be the fastest all-rounder we could make, the Segment takes preconceptions about what is possible on a short travel bike and pulls them apart,” says Orange.

For too long full suspension bikes have been categorised by their travel, and traditionally the Segment’s 110mm would have seen it fall neatly into the cross-country sector. That’s starting to change as we’re see a load of manufacturers design short travel bikes but with the sort of geometry previously only found on longer travel bikes. This combination of short and tight suspension and slacker playful geometry makes them ideally suited to UK trail blasting.

The Segment is available in just two sizes, medium (17in) and large (19in). Both share the same 67.5° head angle and 71.5° seat angle, with the size large having a 620mm effective top tube length, 1177mm wheelbase, 450mm chainstays and 330mm bottom bracket height.

The Segment slots into the range between the 110mm Gyro, which has more of a cross-country bent, and the 140mm Five. The Segment takes some of the geometry cues from the Five but combines the compact suspension of the Gyro.

Orange are offering the Segment in three builds, the S, PRO and RS. The range topper RS build as standard features a RockShox Pike RCT3 120mm fork and Monarch RL shock, Shimano XT brakes and SRAM X1 groupset with MPR chain device, Hope Pro II Evo hubs on Mavic 319 rims and a Kore 50mm stem and 800mm bars.

Here’s a video of the new bike in action, which gives a good indication of the sort of riding the Segment is designed for and capable of.

Here’s the full Orange statement:

A 120/110mm travel 29er that can ride way beyond its travel figure, the Segment balances its inherent big-wheel unflappability with a taught and playful ride that encourages you to let it go faster, both up and down.

With its confidence inspiring low-slung stance and the kind of angles more often found on longer travel bikes the Segment is the short travel bike that can, and does. From laps of black runs to off-cambre, off-piste sections you’ll be dropping seconds and your riding mates.

As you’d expect from Orange it’s built to go the distance with a proven, high-performance, low-maintenance single pivot suspension system and the latest, most widely adopted features such as internal dropper routing, a 142mm rear axle, ISCG tabs and a 1.5inch headtube.

The Orange Segment, greater than the sum of its parts doesn’t even come close.

You can see the full range here.