Looking at buying an orange five second hand. 20″ I think as I am 6’3″ and currently ride a large 19.5″ santa cruz superlight.

Its a question of headtubes, have any owners on here ridden both an old style straight and a tapered. Wondering if there is a noticeable differance or have they just made the new ones tapered to fit in with all things new and in vogue.

And before everyone starts yes I know there are other bike brands out there, I dont care I just want a five. Rode my mates last year and loved it. I just cant decided wither to spend a bit more and get a tapered as a pose to a late straight. ….

TBh I cannot really tell – non tapered 5 compared to a tapered carbon 456

It would not make or break a deal tbh but I have not done a side by side comparison on an

I Have owen both an 08 & 12 model. for me the Tapered Headtube is not something I notice, but there are several differences between my two bikes I do.

Head Angle, Slacker on later model & for me, better

Bolt through front & rear axles, not qr, better (esp Front obviously)

I also have wider bars & shorter stem on new bike, again noticably better

Personally Id be after a maxle rear end & the slacker head angle of the new versions, but thats just me

Hi dair86

I’ve got a 2012 orange five 20″ tapered head tube and maxle swing arm. I have only ever had full suss fames with tapered head tubes so be baised. I have had tapered steers and straight steers in the frame tho, and i personally do find you can tell the difference when each one is fitted, especailly when you got up in travel to the 160mm.

had ago on a friends spesh pitch not long ago straight headt tube and it did feel slightly different, differnt how i dont know. but the whole bike was not at still as the five with maxle and tapered head tube.

any more questions drop me an email in my profile.
i low and behold have my frame/complete bike/ rolling frame up for sale, with canecreek db.

hope thats of some help to you

Fives are brilliant love mine. Never understand the knockers i am sure they forget they are handmade frames, if it had a US flag on it they would be all over them yes they are single pivot but that means less to go wrong. Which ever you get it will not let you down and you will be able to just get on with having fun.

Tapered head tube can add stiffness but considering how bendy a Five is, it’s pretty irrelevant, drop in the bucket compared to the rubber swingarm. Don’t worry about it. If you’re planning to fit some bendy fork like a Fox 32 then maybe it’s more useful as a tapered steerer will help with that, but the better answer IMO is to fit a better fork and the Five deserves it. OTOH fork availability can be better with tapered steerers.

Can’t remember, did the tapered headtube come in at the same time as the current geometry (which is mint) or was there a straight steerer the same shape?

I don’t get the bendy comment? It’s noticeably stiffer every where compared to my old pitch.

Take the back wheel out and give the swingarm a squeeze or a twist, it is quite funny. Effect of beams instead of tubes and triangles I suppose. Tyres buzzing off the swingarm etc.

It’s not a criticism mind- most people like stiff and marketing men certainly do, but I like how the rear end of a Five has a bit of freedom, probably my favourite thing about ’em. I just reckon it’s not a bike to stress about stiffness with.

Tapered steerers I am cynical of, because more than once someone rode my C456 and commented that they could really feel the difference that the tapered steerer it doesn’t have was making.

I can’t tell either. Think the biggest noticable difference on the front was going from 9mm qr to 15mm bolt thro, or that could have been a combo between new forks, a tapered head tube, qr15 and going from alu bars to stiff carbon. So tricky to tell unless u change one component at a time.

Can’t remember, did the tapered headtube come in at the same time as the current geometry (which is mint) or was there a straight steerer the same shape?

Mine’s an ’09 – It has the straight headtube and a qr rear, takes a 27.2mm seat post, but (I think?) has the same geometry as current. I think it changed after the ’08 version…I could be wrong…

Ridden both an 09 and currently a 12 20″ five

I can’t tell any difference in stiffness, always had bolt through front and back and I don’t get the bendy flexy comments either.

Only thing I would say is new frame has a better junction between all the bits at the head tube, it has iscg tabs, it has a more dropper friendly seat tube size along with hose guides for it- that was my reasons for swapping and I’m glad I did.

I had a 2006 and now have a 2009. The 2006 was great but was a lot steeper then the 2009. They changed the geometry a fair in the years between my bikes but I believe it has not changed since 2009. As others have said, worth going for a 2011+ if you’re bothered about chain devices and dropper posts but if not a 2009/10 will ride the same. I wouldn’t worry about if it’s tapered.

I’d defo recommend a maxel rear though. My 2006 didn’t have one and was noticably flex, my 2009 does and it’s much stiffer and miles better for it.

Had both straight and tapered head tubes and couldn’t feel the difference. Maxle does feel more substantial when riding but biggest difference for me was having 20mm bolt through forks and a 30.9mm seat tube diameter.

I have 2012 five and absolutely love it never met anyone who owns a five and says anything else think Orange only went to a tapered tube because that’s the way forks went, the rear is where the flex is I would advise a maxle. People say flex I say finding the grip!

It wouldn’t worry about a tapered head tube but the maxle is definitely a worthy upgrade if you can find a frame with one. BTW you will love it…no gimmicks, just loads of fun!

Five Am here with maxle rear end and 36mm forks with 20mm bolt through needless to say…no flex.. 😀
Oh yeagh awsome bike ive had others but this is more like an old dog or trusty freind ill never get rid

Tapered head tube is definitely a marketing gimmick, works too because I bought one 🙂 Can I tell the difference……no! Maxle rear, yes 🙂

I used to have an ’09 Five and when I cracked it, I replaced it with an up to date, ’12 Five. I’ve not noticed any difference in the front end stiffness – there might be one, but it’s too subtle to notice in the real world. There are too many other variables to pinpoint it to the headtube.
Bear in mind though, I cracked my frame at the join between the down tube and head tube where there is now a gusset on the newer frames, so I’d be wary of an older frame – if they’ve changed the design, they must have done so for a reason!

The Maxle rear end is a vast improvement though – that is stiffer. Still flexible, but not as much.

have an 09 five and love it…and as northwind, I really like the bit of flex in the rear triangle..
the 2009 has the straight headtube, 27,2 seatpost together with the NEW geo !
for me the five is fine with 1 1/8 ..
I`m not a big fan of the tapered standard…for me its a marketing thing..
so..very good that orange decided to spec the new alpine 160 with the 1.5 standard.. 🙂