How do you feel ‘over biked’ ?

If you believe the journos, then the ST4 is pointless compared with the 5. I like my ST4 though; would like to try it with 140mm forks.

http://www.use1.com/product/000077/sumo-xcr-aluminium-/

save a bit of cash get and try this for a bit of back end bounce.

or if uppy/downys have a bit of give in them that many be an option as well

Maybe try a 5″ bike with a “different” suspension design ?
Just thinking the 5 is probably quite an active frame. Also perhaps your particular build is quite porky…
(The bike, not you as in you).

Something with a lighter build, more effecient suspension might be where your looking to be. My Ventana used to run with coil Pikes, big heavy tyres, generally a heavy build etc. Fitting air Revs, lighter – tubeless tyres & generally lighter kit transformed it.

I doubt an ST4 would dissapoint if thats the way your erring.

You could go the other way and beef up the 5. Leave the Inbred for general riding and then put some big forks and brakes on the 5 for silly days.

For me at least, I would have thought that an ST4 and an Inbred are very similar in terms of the terrain they are designed for.

I felt the same way as the reviews tend to, I didn’t think the ST4 had enough advantages over the Five- it’s still not an amazing pedaller, suspension isn’t that much more sophisticated, and it’s less inspiring pointed downwards. Found it pretty disappointing.

But it depends what you find overbiked about it… If it’s being used for XC stuff then maybe something like an Anthem just makes more sense than either.

Mbr prefered a Specialized! Get away!

Yes, because they’re so notoriously anti-Orange 😕

I have a five a built and inbred 456 with a load of old bits. the inbred then turned into a bluepig with a load of new bits and I have 2 chunky bikes instead of 1 fun and 1 pedaller. Make sure you dont go the opposite way and end up with 2 similar ones!

i will keep the five and the pig may be swapped for a proper xc machine.

The five pedals well enough for most trips so try a bit more air pressure, lighter tyres and maybe a slightly different riding position.

Alternatively if its getting a bit tired then why not try an st4?

How many years has the Orange 5 won trail bike of the year…?

This year’s fiddle to let it win was even more outrageous than last year so they might just be creeping towards having something else take the trophy.

(this year was fantastic though… Set a £2000 budget. Get a Five that’s under the budget. Notice it has some issues, spec optional upgrades that take it £300 over the budget. Give it extra marks for how good the upgraded parts are. Take marks off Zesty- which is significantly under budget- for some cheap and easily replaceable parts)

I agree with the above poster about ending up with similar bikes – that’d be a mistake IMO.

If you have a hardtail, it seems to me that replacing the Five with something a bit less heavy hitting would mean you’d be making your suspension bike closer to your hardtail. If you’re in a position to have two bikes, you might as well have two different ones and keep the contrast.

I’d go the other way with the Five – beef it up, big forks, big tyres, double and bash. That way, if I wanted short travel I’d ride the hardtail, if I wanted a suspension bike I’d ride the big fun bouncy bike.

The solution of getting a smaller travel bike seems the thing you’d want do if you were downscaling your current two bikes into one ‘do everything’ bike.