Hi
I’m after a few bike recommendations, i’m in the market for a 5″ travel full sus bike.

I don’t do massive drop offs, general singletrack and trail centre ridding, would like something fairly robust due my weight (16 st).I quite fancy the Orange 5 pro but have read mixed reviews.

Got a max of £2.5k would consider good condition second hand but none in the classifieds.

Cheers

Orange are decent bikes but personally I don’t like the look of them!! Mr MC has a Kona Coiler and loves it, it’s old now 2004 but problem is it’s quite heavy. Have you looked at a Giant Trance?? Santa Cruz??? I’m sure there will be millions of suggestions coming along soon!!

Have you thought about a cube? something a little different which are becoming slightly more popular!?

Trance X

Get one like mine, they’re easily the best, all the others are rubbish.

That’s the answer you’re always going to get.

£2,500 will get you a very nice bike. Buy some mags, read some reviews, and more importantly than anything, ride some bikes and see what you like the best.

The Orange 5 Pro is arguably the best 5″ trail bike out there for the cash, and no, I don’t have one. Mainly because Hecklers and the best, and all the other bikes are rubbish. Oh, apart from Chameleons, but they’re not full-suss.

I don’t have a Trance X – ridden one though.

Rocky Mountain Altitude 50?
Commencal Meta 5.5
Corsair Marque.

Scott Genius 50/40
Santa Cruz Blur LT
Lapierre Zesty
Stumpjumper

All good bikes. Let us know what you end up chosing. 🙂

get yopurself to a demo day – some bikes of a similar spec on paper will just feel ‘better’ than others

To help in the futile attempt of narrowing your choice down – it’s probably better to ask which 5” full sus bikes should I absolutely avoid!

Good luck – fortunately it seems most bikes these days are of a high standard due to such a competitive market place – your chances of picking a turkey are small.

Make sure you demo the GF Roscoe too – rode one at a demo day that was meant to be for MrsP to find a new bike & was sorely tempted.

as above demo,demo, demo.

Tested a Yeti 575 recently on some lovely Lakes trails and did`nt get on with it. So much hype on here, so disappointed.

Had a go on my mates Orange 5 demo on some trails out of Hawes and loved it.

Currently ride a Kona Dawg 05 vintage

My bike choice has changed since the demise of my old hardtail so I will now be demoing hardtails starting with a P7. Did not like the old P7 so not sure how I will get on.

Really fancy a Genesis Altitude but believe 09 bikes are all but sold out.

As of today, altitude availability appears to be…
Altitude 30 16″,17.5″,19″,20.5″
Altitude 20 19″
Altitude 10 19″, 20.5″
Altitude 00 16″, 17.5″, 19″

As above, go ride some……I’ve got a Blur LT and like it a lot but think I’d be having a test ride on a Lapierre or 2 if I was replacing. Zesty the 5″ I think?

£2.5k is plenty…..

Love my Blur LT2, but you wouldn’t get one for £2.5k, or a Yeti or Intense, etc. Suggest top of the range mainstream. Test rode the Giant Reign 0 – great bike, just shaded by the BLT2. Very well kitted out as well.

One thing was proved when I went through the process last year, as said above:

DON’T SPEND £2.5K WITHOUT PROPERLY (GETTING IT DIRTY) TEST RIDING AT LEAST 3 BIKES

Hi mate I have a five. I rode a lot of bikes before I bought it I had a stumpy, tried a heckler marin etc, but the five just feels right, brill bike.
I got the pro and then upped some of the bits, rims fork etc through orange. I cant fault it for my riding.

Best advice is get a few demo bikes (and by that I mean give a deposit and go off for the day on the trails on it, (my demo five I had for the weekend so really got to get used to it and I loved it.) I also got my mate to ride my other bike so I could swap to what I already had to see if I had a better ride plus they got a go on a new bike too!)

But untill your try riding it all day up hill and down you wont know. However if its a scott genius they are pants!!!!!!! 😆

Thanks all for your replies and advice, i’ll definitely go out on a few demos.

Wookster, do find that the orange climbs ok, thats my initial concern with the long forks that cannot be reduced?

Cheers

Yes mate it flys up hill (with my whippet mate on it!) Its a good climber (With me on!) doesnt wander like you think it would mate, and it sticks to the dirt like glue. used it all over from meridas to wales to local woods cant fault it so far! I really think its worth you giving one a go. Best of luck and enjoy nothing like bike shopping!!

Have you thought about a cube? something a little different which are becoming slightly more popular!?

haha. they are fricking everywhere here. it is all you see beside the bikeshop’s ‘own’ brand. sickening really.