The Orange Segment was released earlier this year. It’s a short travel 29er that aims to flip your preconceptions of such a bike.
When someone mentions a 110/120mm travel 29er, the last thing you’re thinking of is a long, low and slack machine like the Segment. But it really is all three of those things. Long because of the 620mm effective top tube in our size large sample, with its 117.7cm (46.3in) wheelbase. Low because the classic single-pivot arrangement combined with a kinked top tube makes for plenty of standover clearance. And slack thanks to an extra relaxed 67.5 degree head angle.
The Segment frame is hand-crafted in Halifax and has similar industrial looks to Orange's other models. It’s as British as Guy Martin drinking a cuppa. In front of that boxy swing-arm there’s a RockShox Monarch RL rear shock with a stroke so small it’s almost comical. But don’t laugh at the Segment, it means business – and that’s why you’ll find a 142mm rear axle, ISCG tabs and a 1.5in head tube.
Orange but not Orange – this cyan finish is a £100 option
The complete build Segment RS retails for £3,900 / AU$6,200 / US$N/A and that’s a lot of dough. On the plus side, you won’t have to swap anything out. Up front is RockShox awesome Pike RCT3 fork and, despite being a 29er model, it looks brutally stout in 120mm form. The drivetrain consists of SRAM’s wide-range one by X1 system and there’s even an MRP chain device for a true belt-and-braces approach to chain security.
The Segment rolls on Mavic’s 319 hoops laced to Barnoldswick’s finest, Hope Pro II Evo hubs. Stopping is taken care of by Shimano’s much-loved Shimano XT brakes, complete with a staggered 203/180mm rotor configuration. There’s no need to be twiddling with your seat clamp either – the Segment RS ships with a Reverb Stealth dropper already plumbed in.
We’ll be putting it through its paces, so stay tuned for a full review soon on BikeRadar.
