170mm-travel eMTB uses Bosch motor for built-in uplift
Orange has revived the Patriot name for its new electric mountain bike, which features 170mm of travel, a Strange Link suspension linkage and Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor.
The new electric mountain bike looks set to sit above the Phase MX in Orange’s lineup, with 5mm more suspension travel and the same mullet wheel setup.
The new bike is currently available in only one build, the Patriot LE, which uses a Fox Performance 38 fork and Float X Performance shock. It costs £8,800/$9,900/€9,500.
Return of the Patriot
The Patriot used to be one of Orange’s original long-travel bikes. It was last revived in 2012, long before electric bikes were so prevalent on the trails.
Orange says the new Patriot takes inspiration from the original bike’s versatility and capability, with the new eMTB touted as a gravity bike with a built-in uplift.
Unlike the previous Patriot and the Phase MX, the new bike uses Orange’s new Strange Link suspension linkage, first seen on the Orange Switch 7.
The Strange Link provides 170mm of rear wheel travel and is CNCed from a block of aluminium.
While Orange stayed loyal to single-pivot suspension for a long time, it says the Strange Link linkage is better for powerful e-bikes where grip is paramount and helps with a sure-footed, trail-hugging ride.
Orange says the linkage allows them to build a more progressive shock curve, giving the bike a bottomless feeling through the suspension which is a drawback of the singl-pivot system.
The linkage also means you can use high-volume air shocks or coil shocks, with the leverage ratio falling from 2.86 to 2.14 through compression.
At the centre of the bike is Bosch’s Performance Line CX electric motor, which delivers 85nm of torque and is powered by a 750Wh Power Tube battery in the downtube.
Orange has previously used Shimano motors.
The eMTB features Bosch’s Purion 200 bar-mounted computer so you can select performance modes and view data such as speed, battery range and distance covered.
Orange Patriot geometry
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube length (in) | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| Head angle (degrees) | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 |
| Seat angle (degrees) | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 |
| Effective top tube (mm) | 605 | 625 | 645 | 665 |
| BB height (mm) | 343 | 343 | 343 | 343 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 448 | 448 | 448 | 448 |
| Head tube (mm) | 120 | 120 | 130 | 140 |
| Wheel base (mm) | 1256 | 1276 | 1299 | 1321 |
| Reach (mm) | 444 | 464 | 481 | 500 |
| Stack (mm) | 646 | 646 | 655 | 664 |
| Fork offset (mm) | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Rear travel (mm) | 170 | 170 | 170 | 170 |
| Standover (mm) | 712 | 737 | 751 | 766 |
Orange says the Patriot shares a similar geometry with the Switch 7 enduro bike, which also features 170mm of suspension front and rear.
The Patriot has a 63-degree head angle, which is 1 degree slacker than the Phase MX’s 64-degree head angle.
Both bikes share an effective seat tube angle of 76 degrees, although the Patriot features a longer chainstay length of 448mm compared to the 439mm chainstays found on the Phase MX.
Orange says the geometry has been devised to keep the rider front and centre on the bike for control while climbing and descending.
Orange Patriot spec and price
Orange Patriot LE
- Fork: Fox 38 Performance, 170mm
- Shock: Fox Float X Performance
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX
- Drivetrain: Shimano SLX 12-speed
- Brakes: SRAM Guide RE
- Wheels: Stans Flow Mk4 (rims), Hope Pro 5 (hubs)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 (front), Maxxis DHR II 2.4 (rear)
- Price: £8,800 / $9,900 / €9,500