Ok so me & the missus have spent most of it on clothes, booze, a telly, & a nifty beachcaster, but I'm gonna buy me summink shiney with 2 26" wheels & pedals, & it'll be bouncy. It'll also, because I'm BRITISH!, be built in somewhere like…I dunno, Halifax say. So, what'll it be?
I'm an ageing XC rider who likes to be comfy & doesn't want to feel like he's riding an articulated bike. & I'm keeping the HT.

doesn't want to feel like he's riding an articulated bike

I'd avoid single pivot designs then.

*cough* Santa Cruz dropping prices of superlight and heckler frames (£799) *cough*

not orange I know….but still….

That must be one HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEE tele.

Lapierre Zesty 914 perhaps may just be the ticket.
Looks the dogs and certainly will urge you to ride more I would of thought.

+1 for the above comment even though I too am tempted in the future to buy Orange. I would definitely suggest to try a single pivot before laying down what an Orange costs.

Personally, it would be a Lapierre Zesty 914 or a Yeti asr 5 Carbon if I had the money to blow on a bike of that calibre.

Having said that, is the Yeti a single pivot even though it's got a link to control the shock stroke?

That must be one HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEE tele.

It's actually a portable, you haven't seen the size of the wife's wardrobe!

I realise I need to actually ride a 5. My mate had a Patriot & he loved it, I tried it but not really in anger. Dunno If I could own something French (or with a French name) It's not in my nature. 😉