Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)
  • Orange 5, Trek EX9 or Specialised Stumpjumper?
  • tecywill
    Free Member

    Need help! I’m lookin at buying one of the above but don’t have a clue which one to get? I need it for all day riding on local routes and the odd trip to Afan and it needs to go uphill as well as it does downhill.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    5 is a barrel of laughs.

    4ndyB
    Free Member

    Test them all then buy the Orange.

    It climbs well, descends like a bat out of hell & eats singletrack for breakfast.

    MrNutt
    Free Member

    that would be the five then.

    tecywill
    Free Member

    I was thinking on the Orange but is it worth the extra money over the other two?

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    I just plumped for an ST4 over FSR/Marin/etc etc – yes I have ‘downgraded’ kit, but it is a great ride…

    bobster
    Free Member

    As a former 5 owner I would recommend one (So why former I hear you cry? I went back to a hardtail as the 5 made everything too easy)

    tecywill
    Free Member

    Well I had a Giant Reign before but it was too big and heavy for me so how is the reduction in travel going to feel?

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    i had a 5, was a lovely bike,thought the low maintenance of the single pivot would be ideal for me, what i didn’t bank on was the awful swinger shock on it, bobtastic!, this was pre proper propedal shocks though, so if that’s sorted it’d be a great bike, having said that i now have an ex8 and i don’t hardly ever use the pro pedal setting on it as it really doesn’t bob, even out of the saddle and is great fun, it’s always said on here though, get a proper test before you buy, not just a car park test

    bobster
    Free Member

    Sorry can’t comment on the Reign never tried one, but I tried all 3 you listed.

    forgotmename
    Free Member

    Try the ex9 before you buy anything else, very light ride, good parts, good value and good reviews. So far the nicest handling bike i have ridden, i have tried both other bikes, several times, and they dont come close. imo.

    BigBoyXC
    Free Member

    I came from a 2008 (same shape etc as 09) Stumpy FSR Expert, found it very wooden and the brain did not work as well for me. Looked at the EX9, Orange 5, Giant Trance X0 and Santa Cruz Blur XC.

    Rode all of them…….

    Went for an 08 Trance X0 from http://www.paulscycles.com (he still has 2 18″)

    Reason –

    Lighter than all of them incl. the SC.
    Orange I found too wallowy for my weight (large!) and pretty heavy for climbing, I have to go up a lot before I can play from where I live.
    Did not need the real beef of the Orange.

    Came down to EX9 and X0 – went for X0 becuase of the deal avaliable but very little to split them. Got mine for £1645 down from £2400. This years X0 is £3500!!

    Worth considering!!

    Just wanted to add to your headache!

    DeeW
    Free Member

    Had a sit on an Truk EX9 and couldn’t drop the saddle far at all: seat-tube pivot seemed to stop the seat dropiing more than a couple of inches: would totally rule it out for me.

    dicky
    Free Member

    The EX9 spec is great, one of the few bikes that I’ve ever bought where I didn’t immediately want to change a load of things on (apart from the tyres…). It rides really well and is a lot more fun that I thought it would be. And on my cheap fishing scales it comes up at about 26.5lbs and rides like it’s even lighter. It gets my vote.

    tecywill
    Free Member

    I looked at the Trance but all my previous bikes have been Giant so decided it was time for a change. Looks like its going to be the Orange for me then. Anyone had any problems with the Orange before or any reccomendations?

    Foundry
    Free Member

    Test all of the above and have bought the Orange not ridden in anger yet but the demo was ace. Climbs well very good on singletrack and no bob so ticked all my boxes. Stumpy was nice but I felt it was just a little boring for me, felt like it needed swoopy bars and a basket on the front. Ex just felt a little light and twitchy for me. try before you buy. Enjoy the hunt, good luck.

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    2nd the tyres on the trek, only of use if we get dry sunny trails, so no use at all actually

    Wookster
    Full Member

    Mate owned a stumpy, sold it and bought a five its just brilliant amazing, every where form the south downs meridas and afan it eats it all cant speak highly enough just avoid the x9 option and stick with the XT x9 on mine has been awful shame as on my cove its alway been faultless 😆 get a test ride but you really wont regret buying it!!!!!!

    Paceman
    Free Member

    Used to own a 2007 Stumpy Comp, nice bike in all conditions but never really inspired me. Nothing at all wrong with it and a great bike for most people IMO. So, in search of the grin factor, I demo’ed an Orange 5 and a Pace RC405. Both were fantastic and much better than the Stumpy climbing, descending and especially on fast twisty singletrack. I bought the Pace in the end as I got a better deal on an ex-demo frame, but would also have happily bought the Orange instead with no hesitations. You really can’t go wrong with this bike, and it’s British too which must be commended in the current economic climate.

    nickegg
    Free Member

    5!!!

    GaryLake
    Free Member

    Been getting the itch to replace my Five lately (’08) for no good reason other than wanting something new. Everytime I ride something else I’m reminded why I bought the Five.

    Even at the Bike Radar demo day yesterday I was doing the skyline final descent on a Lapierre Froggy (biiiig bike) thinking, my Five would probably be quicker and more fun right now) and was doing white level climb on a SC superlight thinking, this really isn’t all that quicker than my Five going up either.

    *swooon*

    warton
    Free Member

    I test rode the 5 and the EX9 and went for the EX9, its just an amazing bike, climbs so well, but comes down like a bomb, but agree with the tire thing though, i put 2.35 Nevagals on and it made a huge difference…

    The 5 was a great bike too, its all about personal preference, ride them both and see what you think…

    skiprat
    Free Member

    I looked at a 5 and an EX8 (same frame as EX9 but for link) last year (pre big price increases) and got an EX8. The bike felt right from the start. Just feels sooo smooth on any surface. As above, tyres are crap.

    Ride both, and then ride both again. Your the one thats going to be riding it!! Enjoy!!

    mudshark
    Free Member

    IMO the Orange ST4 is a better bike to compare with the others than the Five – I’d shortlist it…

    http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/2009bikes/bike.php?model_id=98

    sharki
    Free Member

    The 5 needs to be ridden hard IMHO if you don’t you’ll never appreciate just how much fun and capable it is, it’ll climb fine but really reward you when you point it downwards and let it go, a stiff uncomplicated rear end will keep the rear end in place and will reduce you to a grinning fool on fast swooping singletrack….

    No experience on the trek but expect lots of in house kit and a ‘just does it feel’ from what i’ve heard from mates it’ll feel great on the ups and downs at whatever rate you’re pushing it but there still maybe bearing issues like treks have been well known for.

    Also worth a look is the meta 5.5. and marin 140’s.

    There’s many bikes out there now in the 5.5 travel guise and it’s really not a case of picking the one with the best review or what your mates say are good,.

    Book some demo days, try out many, ideally on your local trails and see what feels right for YOU.

    BTW i had a five and changed it for a chameleon and did my ass thank me? hell yeah cause now it’s a ss i don’t have to sit on it…..

    get a five, you’ll love it!

    bomberman
    Free Member

    the st4 isn’t really in the same league as the 5 – it’s not as burly and has 4 inches of travel. it’s the kind of bike you’d want if you were missing being involved in the trails a bit more as i think bobster pointed out. The Dirt review said it was a very fast bike but none of the builds offered on the orange website are particularly lightweight (although the dirt testbike had an xtr crankset fitted). You’d notice the difference coming from a reign to an ST4 whereas i think you could get away with a lot more on the five.

    the st4 would be a great race-bike with a nice lightweight build…

    foxyrider
    Free Member

    My old stumpy pivot bearings had it after 1 year and a half – descended nicely but I love my new Orange Five. I would def go for the Orange Five but I am biased – no don’t I just thought that would mean the Five is ridden by more people and more common 😉

    nodrog2
    Free Member

    Just to throw another bike into the equation, off the peg heckler. I own a Heckler and it’s a fantastic bike. Would quite happily own an orange 5 as well. The Ex9 is a great bike also but not quite as solid feeling as a 5 or Heckler. This years stumpy is a good bike if not a great bike, better on the down’s than previous years though. If you want the best climbing bike then get the trek. If you want more fun in the singletrack and on the descents then the orange ticks all the boxes.

    mildred
    Full Member

    5

Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)

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