Would appreciate any owners advice on the above. Speshly from someone who has owned both at some time or another.

Cheers M’dears!

Hecklers are cheap taiwanese shite.

Fives are made out of wonky filing cabinets.

Wouldnt bother with either

Fives are made out of wonky filing cabinets.
Thats right, ally filing cabinets re-welded in Halifax.

Get a 5.

Does this help? 😀

I have owned 2 Orange 5’s (2007 and 2009) and currently own the Heckler. I bought the Heckler as, of all the bikes i’ve owned, it is the closest geometery wise to the 2007 Orange 5 i wish i had never got rid of. The newer slacker 5’s are just not the all-round bike it once was IMO. Some love the new geometery but i hated it.

Hecklers and 5’s are no longer that similar really. If you want all the latest features like Tapered Steerer tubes and bolt-thru rears then get a 5.

All i can tell you is that i think the Heckler rules. Mine is around 28.5 lbs as pictured but people build them up in all manner of ways.

Awaits mboy and Flow’s opinions 🙂

Im all about the Heckler, the O5 just felt a bit wooden, in my opinion the heckler rear end feels plusher.

Both great bikes , I had a 2007 Heckler and now have a new 5 , Nomad inbetween, Heckler is great value at the moment, 5 is becoming quite expensive, both inspire confidence and both can be built up long travel trail or burly AM , I really like both, I think if you go for a 160mm fork Heckler is the way, 5 is too slack with a 160.

never heared any say bad things about hecklers.
i had one and loved it.
orange five…………….noisey, expensive, agricultural.

I;m trying hard to resist getting some 160mm forks for my Heckler….the Fox 32 just don’t seem right for the way i want to ride it!!

+1 with Ton

“never heared any say bad things about hecklers.
i have one and love it.
orange five…………….noisey, expensive, agricultural”. – had one good but did crack!

I had a Lyric coil on my Heckler and a DHX-5 coil out back, sweet 😀

Zesty!

Awaits mboy and Flow’s opinions

LOL

Seconds out, Round 2 😉

Seriously though, both are a pretty well refined version of an old design, both do a similar job though as stated, the new 5 is now slacker. I was never a fan of the old Heckler (too heavy, it was almost as heavy as a Bullit), nor of the old 5’s, both newer designs are significantly improved.

That said, you can get more for your money by looking elsewhere…

I own a 5. Love it. Demo’d Heckler. Loved it. Went with the 5 again as I was really just replacing the 2004 frame so all the components I had customised just tranferred straight over.

Both excellent single pivot bikes. Dont listen to all the p!sh on here about this is better than that. It all comes down to the price, the build, the setup (of that build) and above all the colour.

I found my Heckler rode better with a coil shock, but I feel the same about my 5 so maybe thats just me, maxle and taper head tube Heckler would be pretty much upto date and super stiff, price would get stiff then, at £899 they are a great frame.

I’ve just bought a new Heckler (RP23) after owning 3 Hustlers over the years. I will always have a soft spot for Cove and loved them but just wanted something different and fancied a change. For the money the Heckler is brilliant. As Ton and the others have said, its mostly positive. Climbs very well and i’m really enjoying mine. Need a longer fork though when funds allow. The fives are brilliant bikes too. You can’t go wrong with either. Its all about riding the thing.

Isn’t the Butcher an updated Heckler?
http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/butcher/

nickegg – Member
I’m trying hard to resist getting some 160mm forks for my Heckler….the Fox 32 just don’t seem right for the way i want to ride it!!

Hecklers loves 160 forks. But make sure you get something with travel adjustment for steep climbs.

How about a 5 Spot…the 2010 can be had for £1300 and the backup / warranty from Turner is amongst the best in the business.

Isn’t the Butcher an updated Heckler?
http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/butcher/

Not really it’s an APP design so half way t a Nomad.

Had an 06 Heckler now got an 08 demo’d some 5’s

Hecklers are cheap taiwanese shite.

PMSL Well made in factories that make most of the worlds bikes – would rather that than “Hand Made in America” or worse still “Made in Brum on a Friday Afternoon”

My only issue with my early heckler was running it with a float rear shock as that was a bit flat compared with the heavy DHX5 I had.

New one is running an RP23 and it’s brilliant solves any of the problems of the float.

Run 160mm Bombers on mine a little slack but how I like it

It’s definatley a bike you can build into anything.

Get a heckler with RP23 Upgrade and Spend the spare cash on a Fork Upgrade.

Love my Heckler.

And if you can get a frame for £900 then do it..

Is a Five frame really worth the extra £??

I’d very much doubt it.

Save the extra and get a coil shock IMHO..

Own a Heckler.got my 55’s shimmed down to 140mm on mine up front,dint feel the need for 160mm up front.

dhx5 coil on rear at mo but have an rp23.

Have just got my Heckler built up completely. Its kind of an ‘All Mountain’ Build i think the fashionable term is, built with RP23, 36 Talas’s, a mix of XT and XTR, MTX rims on Pro2’s Easton contact points etc – by non means trying to be a weight weenie (not yet as im skint) but it still comes in at 30lbs. I think Some Stans rims or Easton Wheels, Carbon haven bars – lighter stem, and it would drop nicely under 30lbs while still being able to handle the abuse.

Rode a friends before and was so impressed with the way it pedals etc that I bought one – the first non Foes susser ive owned since a patriot about 6 or 7 years ago (which I didnt get on with).

Rides nice and feels capable on the DH’s . Should be plenty strong enough for so local DH tracks. I’ve see my friend hit everything he hits on his V10 on our local tracks on it (Kinver and Ribs for those that know them). Seeing him tyre tap trees and Suicide 25′ gaps brings a certain confidence thats its suitable for hammering down and throwing around as well as spending half a day in the saddle climbing.

As I said I have mine built with 36 Talas’ 100mm for climbing, 160mm for DH and 130mm for every thing else.

Seems to work quite well 🙂

As for the cheap Taiwanese crap bit, well iirc they are made by Pacific cycles – renowned for the quality of their work, they build Canfields, and banshee/mythics etc and you dont see many of those breaking. Yes some hand built bikes might be finished better but you see plenty of USA hand built Intenses snapping 10 to the dozen… Plus then theres the 10week and counting wait for new rear ends. Santa cruz have their warranty pretty well sorted.

Plus you can pick up a S/h latest shape Heckler for 400-500 quid. Bargaintastic!

Save your money and just get a second hand prophet.

I have a Heckler and think its a great all round ride. It climbs ok, is confident going back down and is a very capable in a all conditions.

Its never let me down and I’d happily recommend one.

considering the difference in price between the H and the 5, it seems an odd question 🙂

nickegg: if you want to put a 160 fork on the H, I would recommend you get an adjustable one; the 160 is great for just pointing in downwards smiling, but it becomes too slack to be a great all-around bike (I got a Lyric coil u-turn on mine, ride it wound down to 130mm 90% of the time).

5s look silly with their tiny tope tube and mahoosive down tube.

Had a 5 loved it, sold it, regret selling it.

Bought the new Heckler, Love it, NOT selling it

Try em both, buy the one you likes the best.

Get a transition covert.

I’ve ridden both and prefered the Heckler, the new 5’s just feels too slack.

It would have bought a Heckler but I found a BLT at a price I couldn’t refuse

My Heckler has a DHX5.0 coil and U-Turn Lyriks, little heavy but it still climbs well and is mucho funno on the downs.

Based purely on the ’08 version of each, my mate has the Heckler and I had the Five. I found the Five too long and a horrible chore to climb on, but point it down on fast and flowing descents and it was in its element.

The Heckler felt almost too short and cramped and far more upright as a result. But through tight and twisty singletrack I much preferred it to the Five.

They’re both good single pivot bikes and I guess what you ride and your body shape may come into play. Nowadays, given the extortionate cost of the new Five I wouldn’t buy one because I don’t think they’re worth £1500 personally.

The SC Butcher is probably worth a look though and maybe a Meta 5 (not sure how much they cost these days mind you!).

Heckler here too, its a great bike, can’t really fault it – may be the effective top tube is a little short for a large frame but I make it fit me.

Fork choice is down to RS Lyrik Coil U-Turn or Fox 36 Talas.

Shame i can’t use my Tricon wheels with either 🙁

I tried both on my Heckler, got to say the Talas was great flip the lever and away you go , and I did notice the weight difference, over the Coil Lyric, for plushness the Lyric was awesome.

How about a nice Morewood Shova ST?

get a surly

Heckler, and a great price. And the 2010 5 Spots are one sale at CRC for £999! Awesome frame.

Thanks for input folks. Finally opted to buy the s/h Heckler frame on offer after hankering for a Five for some time. I wouldn’t have taken the plunge if it wasn’t for the +ve Heckler comments on here.
Be certain that I’ll be back here bitching about you all if I don’t got on with it though 😉

What colour did you get?