I am looking to upgrade to a shiny new bike. I have or got it down to either an Orange Five S/Pro or a Trek Fuel Ex8. Any opinions?
If I did go for a Five is it worth the extra for the Pro or just to go for an S and upgrade the fork and hubs? Also, does anyone have any gen on whether the £100 MAXLE option is worth it or not?
Any other advice appreciated.
Cheers.....
Personally I would work out the costs of the extras on the pro and go from there. Meaning are you going to notice the difference between slx and xt and apply it to all the upgades. I would def get a maxle swingarm though as i feel thats the direction bikes will go
If you do a lot of climbing I would think about getting the Fox Talas on the front....I ride in the peaks and I am glad I went for them
I have the 5 AM Medium 08 up for sale.
But I would advise to get the fork upgrade to start
getting the best out of the bike.
Regarding the Maxle The 5 frame is very point and shoot
and very stiff.
Unless your doing a lot of rock garden or heavy root
sections then not really
But if your looking to keep this bike long term, then
have the upgrade.
If intrested on my bike in fab condition
grantway01@hotmail.com
Tailspin - I bought a Five S with the Float upgrade and have upgraded the rest slowly as stuff wore out. The Pro is nice, but like tails says - i'm not sure you'd notice the difference with the Hope bits other than aesthetically.
By the way - mine is for sale! - PICS HERE
email me if you may be interested samcreed@hotmail.com
Are we talking about a rear maxle? If so, if you need extra stiffness of a rear bolt through the five isnt the bike for you. Its very stiff on the rear- Ive felt no flex at all. Doubt you will but again if you are a technical hardcore rider the fives underbiked?!
Ps. Im 15.5stone. I'd spend the extra on the fork upgrade (as above)
To second the maxle swingarm comments - I have never felt the back end squirm and I ride all sorts, including plenty of rock gardens, roots etc. Very direct.
I just took my new Five out for its maiden voyage yesterday, and to be honest I can understand why people might feel the need for a maxle back end. I had a Sub5 years ago, and I seem to remember it being a fair bit stiffer at the back. Having said that, the new one is not excessively flexy as it is, it's just that I noticed some flex, (but then I'm not exactly the world's lightest rider...)
"S or Pro?" Good question. To be honest I'd be tempted to go for the Pro. The forks alone are worth the upgrade, but when you consider that you're also upgraded to hope hubs and brakes, rather than the cheapest avids and deore hubs, it's a bit of a no brainer. The hub bearings WILL wear out, and judging by the repair jobs I've had recently, the freehub will fail fairly quickly too on the shimano hubs. There's a fair weight difference too...
The only downside I can see with the Pro is that godawful colour. That alone would merit a custom paint upgrade...
a 3rd on the Maxle comments - I have ridden both, on typical trail centre stuff (GT) and couldn't feel any difference - I weight 12.5 st - maybe I'm just a crap rider ! (I couldn't feel the difference with a bolt through fork either though !)
I would get the Maxle from a convienence point of view...it's good if you need to take the wheels out alot (to get in the car etc).
I would have liked it on mine, just to compliment my Rockshox forks if nothing else.
The 5 swingarm is plenty stiff as is though.
I've had a number of fives and sub-fives, and here are my thoughts:
Personally, I did feel flex at the back end, and could get my most recent five (2007 model) tied in knots. However, I don't think this is to do with the QR/maxle option, but rather lack of metal. I have a Nicolai Helius and Marin xlt, both of which have QR rear ends, and neither of which feels particularly flexy. The trade off with these is the overall weight is a few pound higher (probably due to the extra metal). Also, neither of these bikes have the "lively" feel that the orange has.
My advice is that of a bike tinkerer. That is, if you have other bikes that are QR (or maxle), go with the standard that gives you the most interchangeability/swapping around options. E.g. I went for QR because all my other bikes are QR and I like to be able to swap wheels around if i get a problem, plus I've never had an issue with QR.
With regards the pro model versus S. I'd definitely go pro because the upgrades will last a lot longer than the basic S stuff. A good example is the hubs, as mentioned above; Deore are weighty and don't last that long, and a wheel re-build is just an inconveniance you don't need.
I bought an S + Float, + Hope Hubs, Brakes and Headset. It worked out I was only saving about £120 at the time but I was already spending way more than I could afford on the S and I was only missing out on XT and RF cranks), circumstances improved and I added x9 and fancier cranks as stuff wore out or I got bored and got the itch. No regrets, it'll be 2 years old in Feb and I can't believe I still don't want a new bike!
I have however got a bolt thru vanilla on there now, might be worth trying to blag that instead of the float, worth the extra 0.5lb weight penalty if you ask me. Oh and try and blag better tyres, 2.2 Mountain Kings are so at odds with the Five's ability and will just hold it back. I'd say 2.1 Nevegal rear, 2.35 Blue Groove front.
To be a bit clearer, the Hope/Fox bits ARE worth it, so it's a case of seeing if the S + Hope + Fox parts vs the Pro makes most financial sense to you.
07 is different to the 08 and definitely a diff between 07 and 08? More overbuilt and slacker angles.
I went for the Pro when i bought mine, if you dont like the colour some shops will swap between standard colours for free...
*cough* Sunset cycles *cough*
As for the Maxle rear end, i'd consider it dependent on the type of riding you do, if its big rocky, rooty stuff then yes. Oh and i dont think the Five is 'underbiked' for anything in this country at all really.
I thought '07 and '08 were as good as identical other than the '08 got a custom tune in the shock.
'09 was deffo slacker and had skinnier downtube and extra folds in the swingarm...
And seriously, 16 posts without owners pics! Shame on you STW!
I got a stock Five Pro '09 model and love it. I wouldn't bother with the Maxle upgrade, but I do think the pro is worth the extra over the S. I personally wouldn't entertain the Trek over the Five. Also, in my experience, the customer service offered by Orange is outstanding.
I asked pretty much the same question a few months back and ended up getting a five - no regrets at all. It's an absoutely cracking bike!
I test rode the five and EX8 both twice (for whole weekends) to be sure. They're very different, the Ex8 is a good bike, a wee bit lighter and better climber. However, the Five is just soooooo much more fun! It doesn't feel heavier when riding and downhill it blows the EX8 away - and actually once you get the hang of riding the bigger fork, it actually climbs very well too - especially the technical stuff.
I went for the Pro, but then took off the wheels, tyres, cranks, cassette, rear mech, bars, post and grips - selling it all and swapping across the stuff from my HT (which I converted to ss). For me this was by far the most cost effective way. It was a bit of a faff but the stuff I swapped over was all good kit and actually a bit lighter, but I got more money for the stuff from the Five as it was brand new. My LBS also gave me 10% to start with.
Oh and I totally agree with GaryLake re tyres. The man gives VERY good advice!
(EDIT: And from the Orange site, it looks like you can get it in electric blue, white, grey or orange - free of charge. Not a bad array of free colours imo.)
GaryLakeAnd seriously, 16 posts without owners pics! Shame on you STW
Davy - that's some quite generous cable routing you've got going on there. And I think you might crash if you're light sits at that angle 
Nice bike though - there's a reason they're so popular (I don't ride one but everyone else I ride with seems to)
Lights angle is pretty much spot on. :p
After the faff of threading the brake hose & gear outer through the swingarm, I'd lost the will to trim them down. 
I'm actually selling a brand new 2010 Orange Five Pro (Insurance replacement) for £2100. Gonna get some pics tonight and post a proper ad in the classifieds. So you can get a Pro for almost the cost of an S if you like!
I can vouch for Badgerpoo if it's worth anything, had a garage full nicked and was forced to get replacement from Wheelies so sourced his own bike elsewhere and bought the Five from Wheelies on insurance on the proviso it would be an easy sell!
(Whether the Remedy he actually bought was the best option remains debatable mind, but that's another thread :wink:)
Quick tip on changing gear cables on the swing arm in 10 mins.
1 Unclip the brake cable from the Gear shifter lever.
2 Leaving the Old Black Outer sleave in place.
pull out the Old gear wire.
3 Now thread New Gear Wire through the old outer Black sleave
and connect to Gear shifter lever.
4 Take off the Old Black Outer sleave
5 Now cut the new Black Outer sleave to size,and put a little
oil into the sleave so cables run smooth.
6 Now push onto new Gear Cable and pull through into place.
7 Now final connect your gear wire cable.
8)See no more zip ties on the swing arm !!!!! 
That only works if you have an existing cable there. Mine was a frame only/first time installation jobby.
I 2nd the talas option. Although I prefer the float fork, living in the lakes I do really miss not being able to drop the front end......I have both the trek EX 8 and the 5. I am selling the trek
Heres a pic of my 2010 orange. Not had a chance to ride it yet but gonna bed it in at cwmcarn this afternoon
'08 in Fools Gold (ignore the steerer, maybe if I bother to rephotograph it I can stop typing this)
I am waiting for mine as an insurance replacement from Wheelies.
Gone for Pro with RLC FIT (never liked TALAS)upgrade, maxle and perf pack.
Can't wait!
I'd get the Five. I wouldn't personally bother with the Maxle though.
There is a brand new one on sdh for sale.
Would love it but too far away for me.
i got the orange 5 pro in May, i was looking at the five s and doing upgrade but in the end it was going to work out not much cheaper than the pro.....
i love my five pro so much that i ride it 3 times a week....its a total addiction, its a wonder it doesnt fit in my bed ! lol
its a buzz for me and at as its the small 14 inch frame it just about fits my 5ft small height....
love it to bits and thats coming from a woman !!!!! who cant keep off the local fells....
maxle was worth the money for me. its not just where you ride but how you ride it i reckon. if you are a flowy, light rider with a bit of finesse and dont really crash through stuff at silly speed then it may not be worth it but tbh, why go for the flexy option? its only £100 after all!
Davy in that case if its a frame only
you use Electrician rods.
The rods have different attachments on the ends.
You will need the Eye on One rode and the Hook to
pull it out the other end.
Or use a old metal coat hanger with a slight arch in it
so it will pop out the other end.
Will take 15 mins Max start to finish.
Go for the five, i got my 2010 frame built up last Fri and left for North Wales on Sat! Had 4 days riding there and it's fantastic, took all the black runs with ease, probably the nicest and most fun bike i've ever ridden...i also like the the thought of 2 bearings to replace after winter instead of the 8 on my previous bikes!
the trek ex is not on the same planet as a orange 5. i know ive had them both. get a test ride on a 5 now!
Tailspin - any reason you're not thinking of the Orange ST4?
I recommend you test ride. I know loads of people love them, but it's really personal taste.
Only because I did test ride the "pro" and disliked it compared with a TranceX. Which was annoying because I really wanted to like it - it being British and all.
So test ride it
Thanks guys. Some great advice and i'm glad my instinct to get the "five" is the popular choice. I will try and ride one with / without Maxle rear and see if I ca notice but from most of the posts it does not seem like there is much of a difference. My only caveat to that is that I want to make the frame as future-proof as possible and if all bikes will creep across to Maxle in the future the this may be the way to go.
ST4? I have looked at it but it but not really considered it to be honest. Maybe thats an oversight on my part. I do like the idea of single pivot though. I'm still running my Marin single pivot from a few years back and I like the feel from the single.
Cheers
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