Would this be overkill for the UK?

Would the Fork Slacken the bike further from 67 degrees?

Any comments welcome!

Personally, I think a Five is too slack with 160mm forks – gets a bit vague and sloppy. You’d be better off with a dedicated 160mm bike IMO.

Plenty of people run 160mm travel on Fives and seem to like it, though.

Thats what Danny Mac runs on his mate. Yes it slackens the angles and makes it a bit beefier. I think its what they put on the 5am as well. Perfect for uk use.

If ya dont like it ya can always try an angle adjust headset see how that works out.

I have a SC Butcher at the minute which I love, but have the chance of a cheap 2011 5 frame, just wanted to try one one out (and see what all the hype is about) with the Fork off my Butcher! If the 5 suits my rid in better (Peaks etc) then sell the Butcher.

Got plenty of mates who run 36s on their Fives and they love it. Depends what you like riding I guess – good for the steeper and rougher stuff in Calderdale, Lakes etc. Check out the Orange posse in films elsewhere on this forum – some of them run that set up, and it seems to work perfectly.

Like Fortunateson09 says, it makes it ride like a sack of shite.

I had a Five AM (Fox Float 36’s) as my last bike. It was fine on the way down, but it handled nasty on the flat, and going up was extra crap.

I reduced them to 140mm after a while which made it a lot better, then sold it and bought a Five Pro because I was basically carrying an extra pound in weight on the forks for no reason.

wouldn’t have been easier and a lot cheaper just to have swapped the fork? .. or am I missing something?

You’re missing something.

17″ frame instead of 18″ (they didnt do them in 2011) 10 speed (which to swap to alone is stupidly expensive), kashima 32 RLC’s, kashima RP23, lighter wheels, better brakes, proper geometry, all for £200 more than I sold my old one for.

..ah, I see, sounds a nice spec.
I’m going in the opposite direction..put a coil shock on a couple of weeks ago and just about to put some 160’s on my five.

Ahh, you will see what I mean then.

If you need 160mm you would be better off with an Alpine.

36s dropped to 140mm is the best setup your after

I got some 36s for the alps. I ended up putting my 32s back on when I got back to the UK as I found it a bit much for the UK…. I still have them though for the next time I go doing big mountain stuff. 🙂

I have a float 36 on my 5 its been mainly run at 140mm but changed it to 160 the bike does not feel any were near as balanced

It’ll take your head angle to 66 just like the Five AM.
Overkill? Depends how and what you ride… allows you to attack the slightly rougher stuff.
I did the Mega on my Five AM and Tour De Ben Nevis on mine this year so I’d say the combo was pretty versatile.
I also have an 18″ Alpine which I acquired after realising the Five AM’s limits on the Mega, the 16″ Five got a bit “choppy” at speed but that was a pretty extreme environment.

I used Lyriks on mine and have recently swapped to 140mm forks. The bike feels much better balanced with the shorter forks.

[/quote]If you need 160mm you would be better off with an Alpine.

I have a Butcher already, just wanted to see if the 5 will offer me anything different

I have the 2008 5 AM its great on the Downs
But feels totally wrong on Single Track and tight
berms and corners.

I would put a 150 fork upfront would be a good match

If you really want 160 buy the Alpine 160 to be honest
You can’t beat a balanced bike.

I have a Butcher already, just wanted to see if the 5 will offer me anything different

Ahh it will mate, as long as you stick to 140mm you will love it.

Great combination, stick a CCDB on the back and you have The One Bike To Rule Them All.

I had fox talas 32s [old one 130mm travel] on my five – killed them and bought some 36s – my beautiful bike turned into a big. Felt more like a tank going around Kirroughtree. Sold the 36s and now have some fox floats 140mm – much better.

I don’t even know why they still sell the Five AM to be honest. They designed the Five around a 510mm axle to crown, brought out the Alpine and were supposed to be doing away with it.

sBrock, new 5 with maxle and coil shock 36’s up front is very capable, and tracks through most stuff, I think it is a much stiffer bike than my Heckler was and perhaps more than my Nomad, peeps say the rear end is flexi but mine is not at all feels stiff as hell, 90Kg rider.
to me with a coil shock its a much different bike just like the Heckler is. Just put my old Pikes on while my 36’s are going to be serviced so that will be fun to see how forks have progresssed since I bought the Pikes. Its what I always wanted my heckler to be, 😀

Haven’t really ridden a long-forked Five enough to get a full picture of it, but it felt too tall to me. The slackness didn’t bother me- was about the same as my own bike, maybe a little steeper- but it seemed like the small difference in BB height just was enough to upset it a little. YMMV of course but it just seemed to lose its best features.