right, looks like an Orange 5 is the next ride
been looking at fork options, tempted to try vanillas over floats this time, also considering pikes too

can anybody give some insight on this, usual mix of xc, trail cairngorm type rides ….

also 32 or 36 and why

ta

36's are a lot stiffer than the 32's. If you run a big disk up front, or loking for some alpine action, I'd go 36. However, 32's are still a great fork.

I ran 140mm rev's on my 2006 5, swapped to 36's, which felt a tad big, and gone to Pikes for the strength over the Rev's.

If you're getting a newer 5, I think they're corrected for 36's (160mm travel), so that may be the best option – they hardly weigh more than Pikes, but are better forks (especially if you can get them in a sale).

36 Talas here, 100mm on long steep climbs & 160mm on the way down. Sure the new 32 Talas with the 15mm axle would be a great choice.

cheers mildred

pikes keep popping up as a kind of half way house, ive seen them on a few 5 spots recently too, quite a popular choice

i reckon it totally depends on your priorities…

my mate (twang off here) uses a float 140 qr15 on his. he is a fairly light guy and rides a 16 inch frame so gets away with giving it some stick in the peak etc.

i used some fox qr15's on my blur 4x and found them noticably less stiff than a pike, im 6ft and 13stone and tend to ride through rather than round stuff so a bit different to twang.

ive got a 5 now with 36 talas and they are ace for me. not much heavier but noticably better than my pushed pikes, plus slacker head angle for daft dh stuff. 130mm setting for traverse or easy dh stuff, 100mm for climbs.

if you think you will get the use from the 36's, def go for the maxle option on the frame. makes a big difference!

slowrider

already decided on the maxle, so i suppose the 36's is going to be the route for me

I reckon Vanillas. The sky in the Skyline shop reckons they are discontinuing the Vanilla Rs though, so you may be left with having to pay more if you want them. As someone who is a bit of a luddite when it comes to fixing my own bikes, and given their plushness, I'd go for coils.

I reckon windable travel as a priority. Slacker angles on the latest ones- If I try climbing (which is hard for me) with my Lyriks wound out its bloody hard. Wound down though its easyish. If you went for fixed-travel forks you'd lose some of the versatility that partly makes this frame IMO.

cheers , will give these comments some thoughts

getting a few demos sorted with different set ups to check it out

Heres mine (prefinished). 160mm is too low IMO:

15QR Vanillas here on mine. SPring is too heavy for me so only getting about 110mm at the moment but still a mile better than the normal QR Floats before it… Coil FTW!

Very pleased with the Vanilla RLC's on my new Five (I'm about 13 stone and use the bike for general clumsy trail riding in Peak, N.York Moors & Scotland and they cope with whatever I can bounce off) er…in fact, so pleased with them, I've just bought a pair of Vanilla R's for my other bike – if your interested in the Vanilla R, you might be still be able to get some discounted '09 ones (the prices of the '10 models have really shot up)

You're going to be a very happy man, great bikes 🙂

I have a 2004 frame which is 130mm at the back and running Pikes which are stiff, plush and turn out a sweet head angle with 70mm stem for speed of steering.

hora
those lyriks look sweet as a nut

white looks super pimp but i'm a sucker for stealth colours greys/ black

so many bloody choices, weather to go the self build route or buy a pre built, reckon ill prolly go the self build

i foresee some shiny bits in the post soon

cheers for all the inputs

We need build pics/update. The forum demands this 8)

I've been more than happy with the Revelations on my long termer, they'd seem the obvious choice for "usual mix of xc, trail cairngorm type rides"

Been running Fox Floats on my 5 for a couple of years, and only tend to use the bike for big all day rides which I probably do once a month on average. Stanchions already starting to go. Same happened on some Fox Vanilla's I had on another bike.

By way of comparison, I run Pikes on my hardtail riding 1-2 times per week in all weathers in the Peaks, S Pennines, Calderdale etc which gives them a fair dousing in the ultimate bike mashing paste, and they've been a dream. Love the strength of the maxxle, and the stanchions haven't a mark on them. Would defo be tempted to go for either them or Revelations now they're bigger, just on the basis of them lasting longer.

Just to confuse you more how about some 2010 Revs. Nice and light and they are upto 150mm for next year. They also have the maxle light and as Dave said they sound like an obvious choice.

I'm not recommending one over another but I am really pleased with my 32 140mm 09' Talas Forks. Nice to wind-down up steep climbs.

I got the QR but would def go maxle front and rear if I did it again!

Bloody 3 week wait on a build from the factory at the moment tho. And they're talking about the price going up half way thru!

Would love a set of Revs. Buggery hard finding them cheap now though 🙁

hora
£329 here
Rev's bought some from them for the GF.. great pirice fast postage.. genuine forks not shitty OEM ones from merlin etc… (bought a hope Hs and a few other bits from em since… recommended)

I've got some 2010 Rev's ready to go one mine :o)

fozzybear, thats the place that offered me some Fox 36 talas rc's for £540!!

thats a good price though hora!

nothing dodgy about them (company or parts)….
i'm a very happy punter of theres…

Agree. I went with Lyriks previously as they had a mix up. I rang Mojo to double-check they had the improved dampers- mojo said 'all gone'. Bike outlet had put their name on them/off the shelf so it was a mixup and I missed out! 🙁

lyrik are the best forks ive owned Hora.

Fox have weak anno on the stantions.. my bro's worn his out on his air talas.. i've had my forks for 2 years 2 alps visits, no services (until wednesday where i'm tftune servicing them, justified as i was servicing my fox myself every 6 months) only issue i had was the 2 step when they were released…

a little oil has passed the seals (again after 2 years and 2 alps trips don't forget) enough to drop the fork to 150mm height so a clean and service will right that… look forward to another 2 years of smooth, plush, faultless service from them.

I was happy with Pikes on the 5 last week, but starting to consider bigger forks now as I could put the Pikes on the hardtail. I guess I would go with either Fox 36 Talas or RS Lyriks 2-step.
Both around the same price but with Lyriks a bit heavier.
I think I'd be happy with either but which is best?

if your talking air then the Lyrik…. oil… then the fox…
having had 3 x fox forks i'll not go back to a fox air fork again… my air u turn pikes were great too… sad to sell em..

Thanks Fozzybear.
Would the 2-step be too low on the 115mm setting for normal riding on the 5? Anybody else have these forks on a 5?
I'm also looking at selling the current 5 on ebay and just buy a 5 AM new. Would get the lighter swingarm with maxle, Fox 36 Talas and also reset the clock for any servicing 😉

Well I have had my fox's (Talas ) since January – I have been out on them 2-3 times a week off road – I have done the seal service every 15-20 hours and I keep my bike clean and lubed – I have had NO problems with the uppers so dont let Fozzy's story put you off IMHO!

yer since jan.. a few months.. my bro's been riding his a year n a bit…
£280 for new uppers… after a year… no BS no reason to just being honest.

yes the 2 step would be to low imo.. would be lovely to be 130 not 115.. short sighted IMO…

oh and FYI the new 5 AM would be 1.5 deg slacker than your old 5…

yer since jan.. a few months.. my bro's been riding his a year n a bit…

But that makes his an 08' model – Is there any difference? I am not criticising but does he maintain them well – i.e. keep clean and seal service and oil changes as recommended?

BTW I have some 04' Float RLC – the bushings and the uppers are fairly worn inside (need replacing next service) but I have had no problems with the annodising on the uppers at all?

I'm really lazy with maintenance, luckily the Pikes seem to have needed none in nearly 2 years. I split my riding between 2 bikes though.
FB, any idea if the 1.5 deg change is just in the fork or has the frame changed too?

fozzybear I'm still setting my Lyriks up. Changed the xfirm spring back to the standard and fiddling with the compression etc. Ive never really needed them over 145mm even then they are more than enough for me! 8)

foxyrider – Member

But that makes his an 08' model – Is there any difference? I am not criticising but does he maintain them well – i.e. keep clean and seal service and oil changes as recommended?

LoL (not at you just the way companys release stuff, 2010 fox stuff out already!) you would think it's an 08 but the way fox release stuff they were the 09 QR 20mm bolt versions.

cleaned religiously and oiled according to manufacturers specs, also serviced regular by the LBS who sold them to him.

according to tftuned and mojo it's an issue where dirt can get lodged under a seal and then with the fore and aft movement on the fork it can cause the dirt to litterally grind the anno/stantion away, this causes air to them pass the seals at this worn area.

i'm super lazy with maintainance, normally dealing with thing after they break, pikes and lyrik have not let me down yet, unlike fox float RL/C's which weren;t great performing forks (03/06 versions) improved now but needed constant maintainance to keep them running well.

@ SeanOrange both
the new one is designed for a 140 fork (up from 130 last year) so with the taller fork and the bike is slacker too totals 1.5 deg at the headtube after C2A height.

@hora i run mine super plush, turn off all compression damping (except maybe a click to prevent brake dive) and run them 90 psi find thats a great setup for me.

Fozzybears, ah yours are air- mines the coils.

Thats the problem. You are always going to get dirt on the stanchions during a ride whilst the stanchions are sliding up and down. Design fault? Why doesnt Rockshox etc suffer from this?

I'll make doubly sure mine are clean and have seal service then 😉

I'm scouring tinternet now for offers on Lyrik U-turn. I'm still tempted by the 2-step though, as I think I'd use full travel more, just don't want to be caught out with the 115mm setting being too short.