So I’ve finally succumbed to the growing pressure to join the Orange Five club. I make no apologies to all the Orange haters out there (why the feelings run so strong is anyone’s guess).

Ride one: 1000m up and down around Les Gets + Morzine.

Climbed up Mt Cherry from Les Gets, then round the back to Encrenaz, up to Col du Basse, then down to Essert Romand, then back up to Les Gets.

Plenty of dry dusty stuff, some mud, leaves, snow and ice thrown in there for good measure.

Verdict – it’s just ace. Fun with a capital F. Most similar bike I’ve ridden to my old Blur 4x.

IMG_4290 by guybowden, on Flickr

IMG_4296 by guybowden, on Flickr

Build is standard Pro
Float 32 RLC FIT fork
Plus thompson bits
Sunline V1 745 bar
XTR shifters
XTR Trail pedals (very nice btw)
tubeless upgrade – 2.2 conti mountain kings. Pleasantly surprising how good these were, I thought they’d be the first things to go.

Avid Elixir 5 brake “downgrade” – as nice as hope brakes are to look at, they just don’t cut it here for extended riding for some reason – don’t know why – plus this downgrade help pay for the XTR goodies 🙂

And once the Straightline Silent Guide arrives, it’ll be a 1×10 with 34t chainring.

Plus a reverb post when Rockshox get around to delivering more of them!

Nice brown colour as well.

Let the Orange flaming begin! I’m off riding 🙂

Never ridden an Orange,but I like the colour! 😀

Build is standard Pro

– just realised how un-“standard” the build is – chainset, mechs, chain, cassette, headset – those bits are “Standard” on the Pro build. The rest isn’t.

Nice build.

Not tempted to go for the AM build being out there in the proper hills, or even a 36 fork?

Very nice indeed. Currently own a ’07 Five and strangely tempted to buy a new one. Then very tempted to take it to the alps 🙂

The colour is a bit poo…

…IGMC

I like that brown, like the new SC colour

brown is the colour of winners!

Like the bike, not the colour. Much like the opinion dividing spread, it’s a bt marmitey for me.

Most similar bike I’ve ridden to my old Blur 4x.

can’t wait to tell higgo that – as he’s still got it! 😛

Nice place for a ‘first ride’ on a bike!! Jealous doesn’t even come close…

What no orange haters? Blimey.

Got a good 2000m + descending on her today. Think its fantastic.

I have got a set of lyrics that’ll go on there when summer comes. Until then the 32s are pretty damned good I have to say.

And yeah, like the 4x but probably less maintenance… bike design has caught up at last!