The Orange 222, an amazing bike for its time. It started the whole revolution of DH bikes becoming lighter. It had adjustable geometry with a single pivot and enough suspension to sit in the travel. Looking back, the bars were narrow (685mm) and the stem was long (75mm) because it had a short top tube. We ran Michelin's Le System tires, too.
For me at the time, the 222 suited my riding style really well, as I didn’t have the power or strength other riders had. I felt like it was made for me. I remember my mechanic, Mike, finding a crack in my frame at the World Cup in Kaprun, Austria. Our frames were lighter than production, and I remember swapping over to a spare, production frame. It just didn’t feel the same, so I ended up swapping back to the cracked frame. I rode that frame to the end of the season. - Greg Minnaar
Greg Blasts his Orange 222 at World Champs in Vail, 2001. He was the only rider to hit this gap.
Comments