The Phase MX is our mixed size wheelset E.P.O model. With a 29” front wheel paired with a 27.5 rear wheel and 170 mm front and 165mm rear suspension travel, We think this makes the Phase MX a strong contender to be our most versatile E.P.O. model to date. The mixed 29/27.5 wheel set has settled in well with its combination of fast rolling, bump absorbing big front wheel combined with the agility of the 27.5 rear makes it a winning combination. It's not just on World Cup DH or EWS bikes, it works well for riders of all disciplines and we now have popular MX models from hardtail through to the Phase MX: Our brand new, big travel eMTB.
The new Phase MX features a brand new and improved frame and the Shimano EP801 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 we 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 we never stand still. With every iteration of our models we hone our 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, we think that the frames we produce today are among the finest we've ever made and indeed probably the finest in the world. We don't know of anyone else that goes to the lengths we 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 EP801 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 Alpine 6, with everything we gained from that bike we 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, we 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 we 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.
