Orange's AD3 Electric Mountain Bike Is Unlike Anything You've Seen for a Reason

If you've never heard the term adaptive bicycle, then this piece should help to get a better understanding of what can be found on the market. These machines mainly focus on offering riders with disabilities the possibility of enjoying this pastime activity.

Now, adaptive bicycles come in all shapes, sizes, and abilities, but one cycling team (Orange Bikes) has put their brightest and best together and, over the course of six years, have developed and built the Phase AD3, an adaptive bike that its riders compare to the feeling of solid downhill monstrosity.

Right from the start, the one thing that made me curious about the AD3 was its two front forks and wheels, and believe it or not, it's one exceptionally equipped machine. Oh, and it most certainly is an e-bike. Time to have a look at how we're pushing our human limits.

The story of this bike includes a number of people, but two main characters are Alex Desmond, Orange's Senior Design Engineer, and Lorraine Truong, a life-long lover of cycling who tested this machine and helped in its development.

One of the main discerning features of AD3 is the front wheel construction featuring two wheels, two forks, two headsets, and of course, two brakes. There are even two sets of handlebars, but one set is there to control each wheel independently.

That front construction is controlled by a custom "cantilever linkage," which Desmond came up with. It allows the front wheels to shift vertically without affecting pitch; a straight vertical movement occurs. This allows the bike to remain in a stable position as it rides over terrain. This is a godsend for riders with little to no leg control. Lorraine's reaction says it all.

One benefit of the actuation that occurs at the front is that it reduces suspension input on the rider by 50%. While the bike is built around 175 mm (6.9 in) of travel, the actuator allows the AD3 to clear obstacles up to 345 mm (13.6 in) tall.

As mentioned, this machine is electric. With that in mind, Orange drops a battery with 504 Wh of juice powering a peak 2 kW continuous motor with a peak output of torque of 150 Nm (110 lb-ft). That's nearly double what you can currently find on the market. As for the sort of range that's achieved, 700 m (0.43 mi) of technical climbing or 25 km (15.5 mi) of trail riding.

As for secondary components, Fox seems to be the most commonly occurring component manufacturer, but that covers just suspension. How the frame is built or what sort of secondary components are mounted to the bike, there is no mention. But we can tell a few things by the images, and one of them is that the frame appears to be completed from aluminum.

In the end, bicycles and inventions like these do a couple of things. First, they offer disabled riders a legitimate cycling experience, and secondly, it opens up the market just a bit more for manufacturers. Hey, every dollar counts, doesn't it? Personally, I would like to test something like this, but in my current physical state. What about you, how do you feel about this sort of machine and what it offers?