Fantastic dilemma to have but not sure which to go for? 3000ish budget.

Want it for xc around local area, trail centers once or twice a month and a trips to the alps every year. Read and watched lots of reviews on line and just thought i would put the question out their if anyone could help me make up my mind!

try them both out fella!

Jungle (UK Santa Cruz importer) should send there demo Blur to your LBS if they are any sort of decent bike shop, thats what they did for me when I took a demo on a Butcher, they charged me £50 but this came off the price of the frame when I ordered it.

Had both, and do the type of riding you describe, and it would be the Five all the way.

Had both, and do the type of riding you describe, and it would be the Five all the way.

Thats why the OP needs to try both as both have totally different suspension platforms so will ride with different character.

The Santa Cruz is very size dependant, you definately need to try one to get the right size. I found although the med. looked right on paper the large was a better fit.

The Santa Cruz is very size dependant, you definately need to try one to get the right size. I found although the med. looked right on paper the large was a better fit.

Been today to test ride an orange, which was not their so just tested the blur and found the medium too compact and the large a much better ride

I tried both, you can get a better spec five £ for £ compared to the blur.

For me the five rode a lot better too. Just suited me more.

Also consider the Ibis Mojo HD140, suffers the same problem as above, £ for £ you get a better spec five than you would Ibis, the Ibis rides lovely though and looks so sexual compared to both the blur and five, especially in clear carbon.

I have a Blur ‘Classic’ (04). They have no doubt moved on a lot since then but the mud clearance isn’t great on mine, and the lower linkage actually makes a nice ‘mud collector shelf’ to boot. Worth checking if you are riding in the UK – a UK designed frame is likely to be better for mud.

You can spec a real nice 2012 Five Pro, then haggle to get at least 10% off RRP.

Mine had most of the option boxes ticks, factory 32 RLC forks, factory RP23 shock, Hope headset, hope BB, gobo xm saddle, reverb dropper, Thomson stem, hope m4 brakes, custom colour, Easton haven carbon bars, maxle rear. RRP was £3728 and I got it for under £3300 with some v12s and shock pump thrown in.

Wish I’d gone neon green frame with neon yellow rims, one planet has a demo in that colour and it looks mental.

Interesting point about mud clearance, not even considered that.

Also very interesting to hear you were able to haggle on a five. Like your five – looks the dogs bo**ocks!