#(R.I.P.) Orange Sub 3

A dipping of one's toes in

the world of Full Suspension

Orange Sub3 2003

Bought as a frame and rear shock in absolutely immaculate condition November 2011 with Avid Juicy 7 rear brake off ebay

i had searched for one for a long time as it is essentially a full suspension version of my Evo2 so i thought i could make a good comparison to figure out if full sus was for me, mixed feelings....i built it up with new drive chain and cannibalised the Evo2 but kept that in good shape still, i nicknamed it "The Beast" as it did feel big and like there was nothing i couldn't do on it, I hadn't quite made my mind up about it when the Elite frame opportunity came along and to afford it "The Beast" had to go so i broke it down to sell (not sold it yet though) i would like to keep it, i loved the bounce and the super plush ride, it really improved my confidence over jumps and drop offs which helped on the hard tail but i think it was making me a little lazy cos when i got back on the hardtail i was all over the shop and i decided i would pigeon hole myself as more of a purist! and stick to hardtail which is why the Evo2 has become so minimalist and old school to see how far i could go removing modern tech before i stopped having fun or starting having problems, i haven't got to that point yet :-) so R.I.P. Sub 3

Was built as:

Fox RP3 Rear Shock

Fox Talas 32 Front Shocks (perfect match)

Raceface Deus XC chainset

Shimano SLX shifters and rear mech

Deore front mech

XT hubs and Mavic 717 rims

FSA Pig DH headset

WTB Rocket V saddle

Avid Juicy 7 Brakes

Orange updated oversized finishing kit

Continental Vertical Protection tyres

About me

Why Mr O......

......the only person who sometimes refers to me as that is my bestest cycling buddy Tim, mainly cos like other people he thinks i am little obsessed about all things Orange, so it seemed appropriate for the title of the blog as he is probably right.

Some more about me

I have been tinkering and modifying and customising bikes since I was a nipper and of course riding them, the fiddling it has to be said though, is as much an obsession as the riding, more so sometimes, always planning and researching the next mod or the next bike, be it mine or someone elses.

still in my 30's i have a couple of sprogs who are old enough that i can fit cycling around them quite easily and use my commute to work (28 miles each way) for training to lesson the impact on the family....btw, i dont commute every day but it is a goal

My cycling

First and formost i have always considered myself a mountain biker, for many years i also considered myself to be quite a good one until i saw some proper riders but hey, i get by and i can hold my own with enough lack of fear to keep things interesting. I started riding regularly after changing jobs and working somewhere that backed onto miles of military training ground with public access and for training i can think of nowhere better.

2010 i was casually asked if i wanted to cycle from Lands End to John O' Groats with a bunch of guys from church (yes i go to church) to raise money for a couple of charities, Meal-a-day and Help 4 Happys, sounds like a laugh i thought, but I ain't no roadie (this was my first attempt at a blog).....so using the cyclescheme i bought myself, sorry....lease hired.... the closest thing i was prepared to ride to a road bike....cyclocross, oh yer i ain't wearing lycra neither.

It was on this ride than i found that great cycling didn't have to be adrenalin fuelled singletrack and could in actual fact be found in calm scenery, killer hill climbs and being able to cycle pub to cafe chatting with ya mates, well about 5000 miles and 4 pairs of lycra bib shorts later i reckon i can legitimately refer to myself as part roadie at least.

I love riding my bikes but my cycling habits change frequently, so my favourites come and go and one bike might sit for a few months before getting excited about it again. 

The stalwart though which if i could only have one bike would be my Orange evo2, it is still after nearly 10 years the single best purchase i have ever made, 2012 was to see it retired in favour of my new Orange Elite but i thought i could just keep it going with some of the scrap i still had, mostly worn out bits from when it was new, however after piecing it back together for winter hack, single speed use i just just fell in love with it even more and ended up spending more pennies i didn't have on it.

Why a Blog

Every purchase made, ride ridden, goes through a painstaking OCD researching stage before commitment and execution, so with this in mind i thought i might give something back by sharing some of my cycling experiences so others can make, hopefully, more educated decisions on their own purchases and/or events as i have used so many other peoples info to help make my decisions.

additionally i have a useless memory so i thought it would be helpful for me to keep all of the cycling information that is important to me in one place.

#8 Genesis Vapour CX

Get me to work bike



 

Routes

Links to Routes i have done and may want to repeat

4 bridges training ride

43 mile circular route that touches on the chilterns going over maidenhead bridge, marlow bridge, henley bridge and windsor bridge
Sports-tracker: 4 bridges 

#3 Orange Elite

Race Ready Super light Hardtail

No Carbon but frame is only 1400grams

Orange Elite

Bought as a frame, I'd wanted one for a while having fallen in love with the colour scheme and thinking this would be the ultimate upgrade to my battle weary, ageing Evo2

As i built it: (Ready for Torq 12hr)

I built it up cannibalising bits off of other bikes with some brand new latest spec stuff

Rockshox Reba RL white forks (new)

Hope zero stack tapered headset

SLX shifters & rear mech (almost new)

Deore front mech (almost new)

Raceface Deus XC chainset (Almost new)

SLX brakes (new)

Avid discs (almost new)

XT hubs and Mavic 717 rims (from Evo2)

Specialized Avatar 143 saddle (from Evo2)

Bontrager grips (new)

Hope seat clamp and skewers (from Evo2)

Orange updated oversize finishing kit (from Evo2)

It has also looked like this:

Ready for Bear Bones 200 2012

Currently:

Languishing in the shed, unused since BearBones 200 with a buckled wheel and wobbly hub :-(

#2 Scott CX Comp

It's not a road bike

It's a Cyclocross!

Scott CX Comp

"Lease Hired" April 2010 collected May 2010

Aluminium frame, carbon forks

Shimano Tiagra shifters & front mech

Shimano 105 Rear mech

FSA Gossamer Cyclocross chainset

Scott saddle

Tektro CR-520 Cantilever brakes

Tiagra & scott hubs with Alex Race 28 rims

FSA tapered integrated headset

Scott finishing kit

Continental Speed King tyres

Summer time it might look like this:

as above except:

Specialized Avatar 143 saddle

Vittoria Rubino Pro 700 x 23 Tyres

Scott Oiler

Ortlieb Micro saddle bag

Crud Racer 2 Mudguards

Winter time it might look like this:

Continental Top Contact winter 2 tyres

SKS RaceBlade XL mudguards

#9 Genesis IoID (2009)

genesis frame replacement for evo