Earliest Orange P7 ?

[Bevelhead]

Hi All,

Having got my old P7 back home after lending it out for a few years, I was trying to remember when I bought it.. the winter of 94 / 95, from Neil Walton in Didsbury.. having lurked on here for awhile, I found a thread that explained the frame number on the bottom bracket. I had a look at mine, to find it was made in November 94, (A41100300).

Does anyone know when P7s went into production? I may be wrong (it was a long time ago :? ), but I reckon they hadn't been out long when I got mine..

Thanks.

 

[dablk]

That depends on where you stand on the P7 being a "7th" Prestige or new bike with different tubes/specs

Some reading for you..

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... p;t=143591

 

[secret_squirrel]

93 was the crossover year although not entirely sure if that was model or calendar year.

If you take a look at the 93/94 brochure in the gallery you'll find it lists both the prestige and the p7 on that year.
When I bought my prestige I had the choice between P7 and Prestige.

 

[brocklanders023]

As above, you could get one in 1993, along with the last of the Prestige stock. It didn't replace the Prestige, if anything did it was the Elite and Vitamin T (as a light race bike).

P7 was the first bike to use Orange branded steel tubes, followed by the last Clockworks in to C16. Hard to keep building a Prestige when your not using Tange Prestige tubes anymore I guess (although, saying that not every Prestige used Tange, just most of 'em).

 

[Bevelhead]

Thanks for the info everyone, btw when I bought my P7 it was being sold as the tougher version of the Clockwork, bit heavier maybe but much stronger, particularly the forks..

 

[secret_squirrel]

Thanks for the info everyone, btw when I bought my P7 it was being sold as the tougher version of the Clockwork, bit heavier maybe but much stronger, particularly the forks..

You were told sales porkies. It essential replaced the prestige although it was aimed at a very different niche. As noted above Orange effectively had 3 high level race frames - one in each material - and some riders found the prestige too flexy. Personally I love the prestige's ride. The p7 was meant to be bombproof in comparison although Orange were quite shy in ponying out it was heavier than a clocky but stiffer.

 

[Bevelhead]

Well, I 'upgraded' from a Clockwork to get the P7, probably the nickel plated frame and more elegant forks sold it to me, rather than the finer points of the spec. The Clockwork was sold to my younger brother, he still has it, hardly used in all these years and still mint and original, I even found the sales receipt the other day from the bike shop. I don't need anymore MTBs, but I'm tempted to take it off his hands

 

[secret_squirrel]

I know the feeling - one of my friends still has my original clockwork - I've told him I want first refusal if he comes to sell it.

 

[Dossa]

Well, I 'upgraded' from a Clockwork to get the P7, probably the nickel plated frame and more elegant forks sold it to me, rather than the finer points of the spec. The Clockwork was sold to my younger brother, he still has it, hardly used in all these years and still mint and original, I even found the sales receipt the other day from the bike shop. I don't need anymore MTBs, but I'm tempted to take it off his hands

Could do with some pics of both here.......

The early nickel P7's had purple (or sometimes black) frame decals - usually a sign of a '94 bike

'95 ones had orange decals as a rule, so did '96.

Post '97 is irrelevant!

 

[brocklanders023]

Thanks for the info everyone, btw when I bought my P7 it was being sold as the tougher version of the Clockwork, bit heavier maybe but much stronger, particularly the forks..

You were told sales porkies.

No he wasn't, that's what the P7 was.