Orange Phase 27.5 Factory 2023 Electric Bike

More Information
Brand	Orange
Suitable for	Everyone
Wheel Size	27.5-inch

Situated in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Orange Bikes put their hearts and souls into their hand-fabricated mountain bike frames. Standing by their intrepid single pivot linkage design but also branching out into other areas of innovation and expertise, an Orange is a bike you can really count on.

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Orange Phase 27.5 Factory 2023 Electric Bike

At Orange Bikes it's all about the ride, and we've made substantial improvements to Orange's e-bike chassis which deliver the most engaging trail feel, The 180 front, 170mm rear travel Phase will take on the biggest terrain, and is not shy when is comes to sending those gaps. Excelling where the uplift doesn't go. Some of the best trails lie beyond where your lift-pass takes you – enter the Phase.

This 27.5 wheeled version is the one for riders who perhaps prefer more pop and agility on the trail, and lean more to the fun side than the speed side of the ride. Riders of shorter stature may also find the 27.5 option is a better fit.

The second generation of the Phase E.P.O. model incorporates the new Shimano 8036 battery technology which has allowed us to revise of the ergonics of power assist controls - it's one those little things that can feel like a big difference.

Big adventures and an e-bike with big ideas, way above the lift station. Fast and sure footed, the stability in the Phase's geometry will give you confidence on any trail.

The new Phase features a brand new and improved frame and the Shimano EP8 drive system with the 630Wh integrated battery, offering 25% more capacity for even longer rides.

The Ride

The confident geometry, with its agility and stability is better than ever, and for the 2022 line up, we’ve upped the travel both front and rear, while keeping that low CofG Orange are famed for. With a power assisted bike long travel makes sense, climbing with extra watts in your legs or descending at speed, this bike needs to take the hits in its speedy stride.

The 2022 Phase MX geometry solidly ticks its performance orientated boxes with a 64° head angle, 76° seat angle, balanced reach (483mm Size: Large), With 165mm of travel from the 230x65 metric shock and a reduced offset 170mm travel fork.

The Frame Build

At Orange Orange never stand still. With every iteration of Orange's models Orange hone Orange's production processes to improve the frame's performance and features where needed, and this one is no different. With state of the art aluminium craftsmen who hold years of experience, Orange think that the frames Orange produce today are among the finest we've ever made and indeed probably the finest in the world. Orange don't know of anyone else that goes to the lengths Orange do to create a performance mountainbike frame.

The new 2022 Phase frames have had a raft of new features, tweaks and changes. The most obvious is the re-layout of the front end, which integrates the Shimano EP8 motor more elegantly into the downtube which houses the integral battery unit. The rear swing arm construction has seen some modifications as well as a couple of details such as relocating the Shimano EP8’s wheel speed sensor into the disc rotor. The rear mech is attached using a Universal Derailleur Hanger. UDH for short and as the name implies universally available everywhere should you ever need to replace it, but has features that mean in the case of an impact it is designed to slip slightly and has the ability to “re-rail” the chain back onto the small cog, so more robust, less hanger replacing.Something that was painstakingly pored over was the suspension characteristic of the new Alpine 6, with everything Orange gained from that bike Orange wanted it to translate across into the Phase models. Revisions have been made to the shock mounts to accommodate the new metric rear shock (230x65) and the increase in travel from 160 to 165mm, Orange have also focussed on increasing the amount of progression in the system which has seen a substantial increase, reduced the bike's anti-squat value and decreased the amount of pedal kickback in the system.

The final piece of the puzzle is ensuring the battery is easily removable for easy charging. The battery is removable using just an 4mm allen key, so no more bolts to undo or keys to lose and it take's just a matter of seconds to drop out a battery. If you've gone through a 630Wh battery and you still want more then “double battery days” are very much a reality and Orange have a system that means this is as easy as possible. Second batteries are available from Orange and will come with the protective cover as standard.

The 'Engine' Shimano EP8 Drive Unit

We have worked closely with Shimano since the introduction of the very first Electric Powered Orange model. The Shimano drive assist philosophy is very much like Orange's own. Their system does what it needs to do, then stays out of the way when it's done its job, letting you ride the way you want to.

The brand new Shimano EP8 unit is an improvement in every way to the previous model, making what Orange considered the best even better. The new drive unit is slimmer, sleeker and more compact than its predecessor, but don’t let its size deceive you. The EP8 packs a punch with enough power to get you to the top of any epic climb. The streamlined, integrated design not only looks the part, but it also allows for increased ground clearing for when the trail gets technical.

Everything about the EP8 is designed to allow you to focus on the ride. The new unit operates with little noise, letting you to focus on the natural sound of the trails without distraction. The newly refined Trail Mode utilises all 85Nm of the EP8’s power to effortlessly and intuitively assist you on your ride. Whether tackling loose sand or steep mountain ranges, the drive unit rapidly and seamlessly self-adjusts so that you can be safe in the knowledge that you’ll always have maximum traction and control. The harder you push, the more power will be delivered to assist you, meaning that no trail is off-limits.

The lightest full-power system, weighing in at just 2.6kg and with a 36% reduction in drag compared to the previous model, the EP8 will not hold you back. An improved clutch mechanism makes for a more responsive ride, with a smoother cut-off when pedalling above 25km/h. All of this puts you in complete control of the bike, with fluid pedalling and no surprises. The EP8 also offers an improved Walk Assist Mode, fully supporting you to push your bike with a one button control, allowing you to hop on and off with ease.

With the E-Tube Project App you can choose from 10 levels of assistance and set the maximum amount of torque best suited to your ride style across three modes, allowing for a fully customised ride before you’ve even put on your helmet. Preferences can be saved to different profiles so that you can quickly and easily switch between them for different terrains, or if swapping from the daily commute to weekend trails.

The EP8 also offers peace of mind. The smart, heat-conducting magnesium materials and a completely redesigned motor housing means that the unit handles rising temperatures on climbs easily, guaranteeing you maximum torque for longer. The new colour display is also fitted with an anti-theft mount and is optimised to be visible in bright sunlight, meaning that you can spend less time with your head down and more time enjoying what the bike has to offer.

Technical Spec

Here are the technical specifications of the Shimano EP8 drive unit:

Pedal Assist Modes

All three support modes will assist until 16mph.

Eco - Riding support while enabling maximum range
Trail - Gradual support for encouraging sportive riding
Boost - Full support for maximum boost and uncompromised climbing
Walk Assist - As additional mode, walk assist can be easily enabled with the assist switch

Compact Concept

Short chainstays (shorter chainstay length ensuring better manoeuvrability)
Narrow Q-factor of 177mm (compact and lightweight design for better handling with same Q-factor as current Shimano XT)

Performance

Maximum power: 504W
Nominal power: 250W
Maximum torque: 85Nm

Weight of Drive Unit

2.6 kg

Genuine Shimano 8036 Li-Ion Battery

Integrated version (630Wh)
Charging: 80% after 2,5 hrs / 5 hrs from 0 to 100%
Battery life: 1,000 cycles

Features

Frame designed and built in Britain
5 year frame warranty with Limited Lifetime Crash Replacement
Shimano EP8 Drive Assist
27.5 wheelset
Shimano 8036 630Wh integrated battery in downtube
Quick release battery for easy charging
Boost 148mm rear hub spacing
Orange trail honed geometry
Reduced offset fork
Long top tube short stem for high-speed stability

Shimano EP801 (Gen 2) Features

85Nm max torque - Max assist ratio: 400%
2.6kg total weight
10% reduced volume (compared with E8000)
36% less drag (compared with E8000)
Improved ride profiles for more powerful feel on a wider range of pedal cadences
Fine tune modes with E-tube App
Improved heat managment to maintain power on long climbs
630Wh Lithium Ion integrated battery
Same 177mm Q-Factor as a standard XT crankset
New Shimano Steps Satellite System On/Off Switch
4 Assist Modes (Walk/Eco/Trail/Boost)
Mechanical Walk Assist improved to the level of Intelligent Walk Assist (Di2)