Orange Phase Evo (2024 – ) review

Orange’s bikes have always sold on their no-nonsense looks, the engineering informed by the steep, rocky trails surrounding its West Yorkshire manufacturing base where they are designed, tested and then built. If not as snazzy looking as some of the carbon fibre bikes offered by more mainstream rivals there’s a simplicity and authenticity to them that attracts a strong following, the firm’s agility meaning it can adapt to fast-moving developments in e-bike tech like the lightweight Bosch SX drive unit at the heart of this Phase Evo. This and the smaller battery means it straddles the divide between regular mountain bikes and the full-power electric ones Orange also offers, the Phase Evo otherwise sticking to brand fundamentals with its burly aluminium frame, simple suspension and on-trend ‘MX’ wheel sizing of a 29-inch wheel up front and 27.5-inch rear. A version with 29-inch wheels front and rear is also available for those who prefer this format.

See ‘Ride & Handling’ for more but the Orange is a conventional mountain bike in the sense it has a regular, upright riding position for maximum control in demanding terrain. Even the size large we tested had a nice low frame to help the sense of chuckability, the ‘dropper’ seatpost giving the option to put the saddle down via a control on the handlebar to help confidence downhill. Orange has also chosen its parts carefully, taking advantage of the motor’s assistance to fit shorter cranks for improved ground clearance and reduce the risk of pedals hitting rocks or roots.

The Phase Evo is built for riding demanding off-road trails rather than the daily commute, so doesn’t come with the mudguards, racks or built-in lights you get on more town-friendly e-bikes. Which is fine, because nobody is going to be buying it for running to the shops. For such a focused machine it’s not totally impractical, though, Orange taking advantage of the chunky frame to include a nifty little storage compartment to carry spares, a lightweight waterproof or – as tested – a bag of Haribo to keep you fuelled for a long day in the hills!

The latest tech is blurring the boundaries to a degree but e-mountain bikes have traditionally been divided between ‘full-power’ ones with bigger batteries and more powerful motors and those like the Phase Evo with smaller and lighter drive systems. While they don’t offer the same boost up the hills they are much lighter and ride more like a regular, non-assisted mountain bike on the trail. In this respect they suit riders with a base level of fitness seeking a more responsive and chuckable bike. Of these ‘mid-power’ e-bikes the Phase Evo is an impressive compromise, with Bosch’s latest motor at its heart and enough battery power for us to get well over 1,000m of assisted climbing on a charge through avoiding the temptations of Turbo mode and sticking to Eco or Trail settings instead. For a supposed mid-power bike the Phase Evo has a serious kick, and felt more electrified than other mid-power bikes we’ve tried. We were also impressed with the power of the Shimano brakes, which had serious bite even when we were clinging on for dear life on some seriously steep terrain.

If not the fanciest Oranges have always ridden well, helped by the fact it’s a small company staffed by keen riders. It’s also got a history of being on top of the latest trends in the sizing and geometry (the angles of the tubes making up the frame) that dictate so much of how the bike rides. For its part the Phase Evo combines stability at speed with a sense of playfulness in more technical terrain. It’s an interesting comparison in this respect with the seemingly similar Specialized Turbo Levo SL we’ve been running, the Orange feeling a little less stretched out making it better on the steeper and more challenging Scottish trails we rode bot bikes on. If you ride flatter terrain something like the Specialized may suit you better, the experience demonstrating the value of trying different bikes to find one that suits your proportions and preferred riding style.

British manufacturing gives Orange some unique advantages but does increase costs, meaning the Phase Evo looks pricey compared with rivals. Fans will accept that as part of the deal and the parts on our Phase Evo Factory were all top-notch. They’ll take some stick if you ride the Orange as intended, and because you can ride harder and for longer on an e-bike you may get through chains, sprockets, brake pads and other components faster, especially if you ride through winter. Rigorous maintenance can help but the costs with top-line e-bikes like this don’t stop with the purchase price.

We’re reassured by Orange’s choice of a Bosch motor on the basis its e-bike systems are well proven. They’re also more serviceable than some, meaning if something goes wrong further down the line you stand a chance of finding a specialist who can fix it. The rest of the parts on the Phase 5 are chosen for dependability over fanciness as well, which fits with Orange’s reputation.

Like most e-bike battery and motor combos the Bosch system on the Phase Evo has a two-year warranty, while Orange guarantees the frame for three years, or five years if you register it. The rest of the components, like the suspension forks and shock, are covered by the respective manufacturers. If anything does go wrong your first port of call is the dealer you bought the bike from but there is the extra reassurance of buying from a company based here in the UK rather than shipping its bikes in from overseas via a distributor as most rivals do. In terms of servicing any competent bike shop will be able to stay on top of most jobs, though the motor and suspension parts may need specialist attention when required.

True to its values Orange favours functional parts over fancy ones, though the Fox forks and rear shock on this Factory model are a worthy upgrade over the ones you get on other Phase Evos if you can stretch to it. We liked the choice of British-made Hope hubs, given their reputation for longevity in the toughest of muddy riding. Similarly, the Shimano XT gears and brakes strike a good balance between performance and cost while finishing parts from Burgtec – another respected British brand – shows the attention to detail you’d expect of a company staffed by folk who actually use the kit themselves.

The choice between the Phase Evo and full-power e-bikes like the Patriot and Phase elsewhere in the Orange line-up will be very much down to personal taste. Fans of the latter will prefer the raw power but for those with the legs to put some pedalling effort in themselves the Phase Evo has a more natural feel, the relative lack of weight making it much more fun to fling about. If you’ve been sceptical about whether or not an e-mountain bike is for you or not this may just sway you…