So in recent months I’ve test rode stage 5, Hightower and Hightower lt. The Santa Cruz were great and i don’t want to here why there the best bike in the world blah blah blah. I really liked the orange. It was just fun. Maybe I’m odd but I like the shape I like the ride and the bike suits me.

But before I pull the trigger is there any real world reason why I shouldn’t? Does every frame crack, is getting a bad on fixed a uphill battle or are the just a simple honest uk mountain bike?

Cheers

If you want it, go for it!

Alternatively continue to ride your current bike and spend the money on riding somewhere amazing 😉

I’m sure you’ll get the usual people slagging them off. Old design, filing cabinet, dodgy welds yadda, yadda, but I’ve had my Five since 2013, it’s not broken yet (obviously not riding hard enough) and it’s always fun to ride. What more can you ask for really? Only reason not to buy a Stage Five (if you like the ride) that I can think of is that they don’t do neon orange any more 🙂

I had a demo ride back to back on both bikes in the summer. The Hightower was set up 27.5+ so it wasn’t a completely fair comparison but I much preferred the Stage 5 out of the two.
I’m not in the market for a longer travel bike at the moment but if I was the Orange would be top of my list.

I have a Stage 6 and it’s brilliant, hope this helps.

Tall_martin – unfortunately time dictates travel wont happen plus I live in the north east Scotland so the trails are decent

Roverpig- I quite like a good filling cabinet or a iron gate. Last a lifetime lol

See, this is interesting. I demoed a High Tower and thought it was the best bike I’ve ever ridden. I still want to demo an Orange at some point to compare.

Then again, I want to demo loads before next summer 🙂

Do it! I took the orange out thinking it would be rubbish but it was an itch I had to scratch, couldn’t be more wrong. Felt ace!

I have had 2 santa cruz’s and they were very good, but changing to an orange stage 6 this year was an eye opener, it’s both faster and more fun to ride, a little more trail feedback but such efficient suspension that the feedback becomes a positive attribute and helps you find more grip if that makes sense?

I am on my 4th full suss Orange, weigh 17st and have not managed to crack any of them. Stage 5 looks ace and I would be all over one if my old 5 29 hadn’t been too much bike.

Where are you at in the NE? Cyclehighlands have Demos in I think if you fancy another run out on one…

I did a car park test on the stage 5. Seemed nice…

Was cyclehighland I took them out at so got a decent test on proper trails. I’m pretty tall and there demo is a L which will be tight.

Overpriced!

I’ve had a stage 5 for a few months now and I’m more impressed each time I ride it.

It’s so damn quick and great fun to ride.

I recently brought a stage five after demo’ing everything (specialised, trek, santa cruz, evil etc..) in a wheel size agnostic fashion and the stage five was by far the best bike for me. 20 minutes on it and the only issue I had was whether to go for medium or large. If it works for you I say get one.

What is climbing like compared with the other bikes you tried ? Or is it not a bike for people who care about such things 🙂

Climb was ok. There’s a 45min straight up from the cycle shop and it got there. Santa Cruz was a little better but just a bit dull. Agree prices are a bit high but frame only will build one up way I want it.

Ps one thing I did love was the Santa Cruz carbon wheel but at £1600 – no thank you

Picked up a stage 5 frame today!!

Thing is, you cant really go wrong with an orange, they’ll always be different bikes to buy and try, some better some worse, but you know what you’re getting and itll serve you well for years to come – get one!

Not ridden the Stage 5 but it’s getting some cracking reviews.

I’ve always been a fan of Orange bikes, they are as you say, just simply fun to ride.

I also tried a few different makes/models as I was looking at getting a new Five at the time, after selling my older Orange (only because it was a bit too small) but I opted for something else (a cheaper alternative to an orange) but after 6 months of having this new bike, it just wasn’t the same, I missed my old Orange! so parted with the 2017 bike and went and bought another Orange again…just had to be done.

Demoed the Stage Five for three rides and loved it: fast, fun and just ‘right’. Classic Orange. I’d have bought one if I hadn’t ultimately decided to go for a 27.5 (2017) Five instead. Stage Five was probably faster in the rough and in straight lines, 27.5 Five just felt a bit more nimble on very tight, twisty natural tech and, for me, felt a bit more fun. Depends on what constitutes a fun bike tho – very personal. Ridden nothing but Oranges for years and can’t fault them for year-round reliability and performance in the Pennines, Lakes, Alps, BC, Spain.

Personally they arent for me. I had a classic 5 and never got used to the breakjack locking the rear suspension.

I’v got one.

Had it for 2 months and its mint! Spec’d with Ohlins TTX 22M coil and RXF36 fork.

Went from a Transition Patrol Carbon and i feel much faster on the Orange, even though (shock horror) its shorter in reach and wheelbase. I’m riding an XL with a 35mm stem and i’m 6ft 2.

I did worry about the weight at first, but for me its not noticable. I’m running a XM1501 wheelset (30mm internal width) so that helps.

It absolutely destroys rock gardens and rooty death, its also really predictable over jumps and easy to whip around.

Get one!

Can’t offer any useful advice to the OP, but I think we need to see this bike…

Had it for 2 months and its mint! Spec’d with Ohlins TTX 22M coil and RXF36 fork.

funny that because I never noticed it other than the internet telling me I should 😉

+1 jam bo – just let the back brake off. Oranges feel smoother and better the faster you ride them into rough stuff. Current crop is flipping awesome.

Can’t offer any useful advice to the OP, but I think we need to see this bike…

Just updated, pics a bit crap but you get the jist!

I’ve pretty much shunned carbon on this build as well – the only thing left is the carbon Renthal fatbar!

Very nice. I was wondering what colour you’d gone to deal with the yellowness of the TTX. Black is a safe bet, but I think I’d have to have gone for the new fuschia.

Funny how the big wheels look kind-of small on the XL frame.

@beer247 that Stage 5 looks mint in all black. I rode the Demo Stage 5 three times at the 1st demo. I kept trying others then trying the Stage 5 again to “just check” it wasn’t a placebo. It was so playful. The Stage 6 wasn’t available in Medium then until the 2nd Demo when I got to try it. I just prefer the slacker S6 although have to admit the S5 was absolutely superb.

Coming from 26ers so I really do feel the wagon wheels.

@jam bo +1 for the brake jack. Learn to brake early then let it go. I do feel pedal kick back on the Five when you let off the gas but never on the Alpine.

Got an “at my desk” hankering after a Stage 6 that’ll vanish when I jump on the Alpine until I’m next “at my desk” :D. Just wish it had a metric shock. Need I worry?

Black is a safe bet, but I think I’d have to have gone for the new fuschia.

Its not actually black, its a custom grey colour apparently.

I thought the 29″ wheels would take some getting used to, but it feels just the same as riding 27.5 (just with added grip!)

I have had a Stage 5 in the RS build for 6 months now, and love it. It’s an easy bike to ride fast. Push it hard and it’s f*ing fast, especially through rocks and roots. It’s fun, it’s flickable, it carves and rails turns. It’s comfortable enough to ride all day and it’s an easy bike to live with. If you can afford it, then there’s no ‘real world reason’ why you shouldn’t. You won’t regret it! Hope this helps.

That ohlins is sexual! Major want. Think minds made up (or just more cemented). Bring on the ORANGE!!!

2015 Five for me. Top top bike I’d say. Used it on all sorts of natural trails, trail centres and downhill courses. Done some epic climb in the Alps on it and never had a problem with the climbing ability of it. Just good fun all round. Haters gonna hate lovers gonna love.

transition sentinel

Nah, maybe as an alternative to the Stage 6 but I find it hard to believe the Sentinel will be as much fun to ride and as good an all-rounder as the Stage 5.

Reviving an old thread, but since there is someone using this with one I’m interested in how does the Stage 5 work with a coil shock? I’ve been using DVO Topaz since i got mine 10 months ago. Suberb combination, but as a heavy rider I’m interested in slapping a CCDB Inlike just as a test. Just don’t know how coil shocks work with stages.

“Just don’t know how coil shocks work with stages.”

All the current Oranges have pretty much constant leverage rates through the travel – they’re not regressive like some often were but they’ll still use up the last third of the travel with a coil shock quicker than many riders would like. However the first two thirds of the travel may feel nicer so…

I know it’s not Stage dependant, coil is just an idea I’ve been toying with. On my local trails there used to be so many oranges and they used to be mostly equipped with coil shocks. Now I don’t see them that much anymore to ask people what they like about it.

But yes, What you describe can be deducted from the constant leverage rate and it is mostly the same with other models as well. I just miss the sweet supplesness of the coil, but even with proper settings I can blow the travel on the big hits with my air can, so it might be better idea to stick with the air shock atleast for now.

“On my local trails there used to be so many oranges and they used to be mostly equipped with coil shocks.”

I think Oranges used to be prone to having slightly regressive rates and old air shocks were very non-linear, starting out hard, going soft and then ramping up hugely. That would make them harsh at the start and soggy and squishy in the midstroke, so a coil would feel far better, especially if it had enough high speed compression or end stroke ramp from the IFP to soften the bottom out. Air shocks are much better now with their big negative springs and larger volume air cans.