Orange PHASE 29 PRO-LINE Review

As a component giant, Shimano is mostly known for its dominant position in bicycle gears. But with the EP801, the Japanese are clearly showing that they can look beyond their own plate too. Even nasty steep sections are effortlessly climbed by the motor. The Shimano EP801 conveys a riding feeling. The average range can become a problem especially for long mountain bike rides.

The outstanding chassis with 170 mm front and 155 mm rear boosts the confidence of every rider and lets them discover new speed realms in descents. Setup-Nerds can squeeze out the maximum performance from the chassis thanks to the many setting options. The thick 38mm stanchions on the fork provide an extra dose of steering precision and performance. At the brakes, Orange instals upper class brakes with four pistons and 2 millimeter rotors from SRAM. At the drive components and the remaining parts, Orange uses very good parts. With a flat 64° angle , the geometry follows the current trend. For the very good geometry, the developer team of Orange definitely deserves props. Such a knack for detail in geometry is rarely seen.