[Closed] Orange Segment - real world experience

If you are buying new it has been replaced with the stage 4,I have the mk2 Segment and to be honest I have never really gelled with it,they are not great value for money and if you are looking for a short travel 29er I would be looking at one of Cotics

I'd be looking second hand tbh for the very reason you mention, they are expensive for what you get.

A mate had one and I would avoid. Had to replace the shock regularly as it take such a beating being on the single pivot (I also don’t think the frame was very well aligned). And couldn’t fit a bigger shock on the bike. He sold it on and got a message from the seller it had cracked a few months later.

It was advertised as a hardcore short travel 29er and it just isn’t.

If the Stage 5 is anything to go by, the Stage 4 (essentially the new Segment) will be absolutely mint.

Northerntom, was that a Mk1 or Mk2 segment? I wanted a Mk 1 when they came out but two demo's suggested to me the short shock was not up to the job for the larger lad (or lass). I'm surprised by StuE's comment, as I thought the Mk2 looked a much improved bike (longer shock for a start)

Having ridden both a Segment & a Stage 4, all I can say is get a stage 4, its just that bit better in every way!

Mk2 uses same size shock,friend has a mk1 and neither of us have had a problem with the shock.

Then I'm mistaken about the size, I was under the impression that they had changed it, which would have been an improvement IMO, ala the Stage 4

I have a Gyro which predates the Segment. I put a -2° headset in it.
I am a massive fan of this bike and although i have lots of other bikea to ride...160 CF Enduro, 160 HT enduro, xc cf HT etc its my go to bike.

I live in Snowdonia and its a fine machine. I have made it 1x and the -2 headset makes it the same geometry as a Segment. It isnt v light but it is a fun and fast do it all bike. I have some 140 Pikes im going to replace the 120 Fox 32 forks with. This will correct the BB hieght and prob make it even better

Beener

I got a Mk2 about 6 weeks ago for exactly the same reasons as the OP, and it's been great at the local woods. Yet to take it to Wales, but it certainly feels very stable when the speed picks up and is fine over all the local jumps and drops that I attempt (they arent very big so I will probably put a bit more air on fork and shock when I head to Wales).

Re the shock, its a 38mm stroke so getting the 25% sag is tricky. 20% is 7.5mm on the shaft and 30% is 11.25mm. This gives a pretty different feel on the bike, but pretty difficult to actually measure. I beleive the Stage 4 has a 40mm strocke so similar issue.

Its not light, so if your definition of XC is racing, you might want to look elsewhere, but I see XC as long rides and its comfy enough for me for that.

Thanks for the comments - some food for thought.

@TimP - not XC racing - just classic 20 miles in the Chilterns, that sort of thing. I want it for razzing around the woods really. The Soul is great for that, but i have a 29er hardtail which i am using more, so the Soul is just sat there gathering dust.

I haven't touched my Soul since the Orange arrived (Mk3 26er). Did the SDW in a day on my Soul a couple of years ago, and considering doing it on the Segement he Orange this year, but the lack of bottle cages is putting me off at the moment

Got an early 2017 (Mk2?) Segment and I love it. I would not be my choice if regular rides were steep or rocky, but for dicking about in the woods (which is 90% of what I do) it's a superb bike.

The rear shock does have very limited travel, but at the same time, the bike's pretty nimble and reasonably plush within the travel. It will only bottom out on bigger jumps/drops and then not too harshly. General roots and ruts are soaked up well.

I have a larger travel bike, but would only really wheel that out for a ride in the mountains, somewhere rockier. For the local trails, I'd always pick the Segment, not least because it's a fun ride.

In the typical British winter slop, the lack of a low chainstay (on all the Orange full-suss bikes) is, in my opinion, a real bonus.

I've got an over priced XL in the classifieds.... Won't let me change the price so it is negotiable if your interested.

I had a mark 2.

It was ace for the peaks, the lakes and bike Park Wales.

I had it for a year and it was a demo for Orange prior to that.

I bought a geometron as a frame came up second hand. When I cleaned up the frame to sell it I found a crack in the rear triangle. It was replaced without fuss under warranty and I sold the replacement frame on.

+ points
Felt great most places
Super easy to wash. As they have mostly flat surfaces it just took less time to wash than any other bike I've owned.

-
I'm 95kg and if felt a bit unsettled when flat out. I changed the shock for a fox dps and liked it much more

Just bought a factory edition for 48% off list. Well worth it at that price.

Drake cycles have a similar deal and start fitness (an AD) are selling RS specs with a decent discount.

Due to Xmas and wrapping the frame I haven't ridden it yet but it weighs in at 13kg on the bike shop scales - pretty respectable considering the beefy spec I thought.

I have a mk2 and think it’s ace. Does everything I want from big days out to local blasts and I never feel like i’m short of travel. I had a 5 29 before that was very plush but tended to bog down. The Segment feels really nimble compared to that and is a flying machine. First time in a long time I have no desire to get a new bike and have had this for going on 3 years.

My mate has had both mk1. Mk2 and now the stage 4. Had the Stage 4 as his mk2 had multiple cracks, personally wouldn’t buy a mk2 second hand unless the original owner was willing to help with warranty issues. Otherwise apart from the silly shock stroke it was a good bike for U.K. trail bashing.

Real mixed bag of great reviews and cracked frames. Thanks all for the input.

I’ve got a 2016 segment bought off here 2 years ago. I love it, done a variety on it, FoD, BPW, Brecon Beacons but mainly South Downs and Surrey Hills. Mines factory spec. Not found any cracks yet, I don’t go big but I am a bit lardy and clumsy. So far only broken the rear axle and right wrist (on a tree)

Real mixed bag of great reviews and cracked frames

Note the comments above seem to be mixed between the older Segment (and Gyro) and the newer Stage 4 - which Orange stated was fundamentally different enough at launch to give it the new name.

I've had my Stage 4 nearly 12 months now, it is an absolute weapon, and far more capable than the travel figure belies.

I tested a Segment a few years back and theres definitely an improvement, I chose my stage 4 over a Stage 5 as I felt that it was faster more of the time. I've raced Enduros, done plenty of technical/rocky stuff and absolutely hammered mine, no issues.

Regards value, I was also looking at a Flare Max - my Orange Frameset came in cheaper than the Flaremax and has a Fox shock not the X-fusion.

I chose my stage 4 over a Stage 5 as I felt that it was faster more of the time.

That's a better way of saying what I was getting at compared to my 5 29. I'm a 16st lump so give it some pillock but it keeps coming back for more.

tall_martin

I had a mark 2.

It was ace for the peaks, the lakes and bike Park Wales.

I had it for a year and it was a demo for Orange prior to that.

I bought a [b]geometron[/b] as a frame came up second hand.

Funnily enough, my other, bigger travel (160 front/150 rear) bike is a Nicolai Ion 29er. Would be interested to know how you felt they compared.

For me, they way the two bikes ride is very, very different. The Nicolai feels extremely tight, precise and really just want to be ridden fast and very tidily. The Segment is more fun, more chuckable and playful, but will get less composed, especially with speed. Riding them back to back, it takes a while to re-calibrate to the Orange - it almost feels wayward at first - but it is definitely the more enjoyable of the two for me.