We exclusively reviewed the latest Orange Five prototype in issue 58 of Singletrack but here’s the official press release
It’s finally the first of July and time for the official release.
The Five has long been synonymous with the Orange brand, a masterpiece of evolution. Over ten years of tweaking and refining have gone into keeping the Five at the forefront of the trail-riding scene. The 2011 version continues to push forward, it’s not “all new” and we haven’t come up with any ridiculous acronyms for the same old, it’s just the next Five. A state-of-the-art pièce de résistance, or trail tool of simplicity? Whichever, all we know is nothing is more fun to ride…
The 2011 Five stays true to its roots as a low slung, fast handling trail whippet which can play gently in the Dales or storm a black run. The mix of Monocoque construction and custom butted 6061-T6 Reynolds tubes keep weight down with a new tapered headtube adding stiffness. A 30.9 mm seat-tube adds compatibility for more ‘dropper’ seat-posts and we’ve added ISCG mounts for securely fitting a chain device. The same single pivot position continues to keep the suspension balanced between sensitivity and efficiency with the bearing system promoting stiffness and reliability. The Five has already become a classic, and it just got better.
Highlight features at a glance:
Tapered head tube
Cane Creek Frustum ZS accommodates tapered forks which improve stiffness and reduce weight.
Zero-stack and semi-integrated headset reduces stack height to keep a low front end without shortening head tube lengths.
30.9 mm seat tube
Seat-post diameter increased from 27.2 mm to 30.9 mm allowing a wider selection of height-adjustable ‘dropper’ seat-posts.
Top tube cable guides to neatly secure ‘dropper’ remote cables.
ISCG tabs
ISCG tabs allow more aggressive riders to securely fit a wide selection of chain devices.
Five S (£2199.99) – Out now!
The Five S kicks off the 2011 range with a custom tuned Fox RP23 keeping the frame sprung. The new Rockshox Sektor takes the hits up front while the tapered steerer keeps the front end stiffer through the rough stuff. A 9-speed Shimano groupset keeps the gears turning with Avid Elixir brakes taking good care of stopping. Orange finishing kit, Shimano hubs, Mavic rims, and an SDG saddle finish off the sorted component package.
http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/2011/five_s/
Five Pro (£2799.99) – Out now!
The 2011 Five Pro comes with a tapered Fox Float RL with QR15 axle system to improve tracking. Hope hubs keep the wheels turning with Hope Tech X2 brakes keeping them in check. Shimano Dyna-Sys takes care of the transmission with 10-speed SLX and XT providing a wider spread of usable gears with smooth and reliable shifting. Quality finishing kit completes the package, but if there’s anything missing, check out our custom options calculator.
http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/2011/five_pro/
Five AM (£2899.99) – Available from July 5th 2010
The Five AM is for the big boys, a harder riding version of our iconic trail model. Meant for epic climbs and terrifying descents, the AM is the bridge between the Five and Alpine 160. It climbs with the efficiency and accuracy you’d expect from the standard Five, but with a Fox 36 and Maxle rear as standard, it provides a slacker, more surefooted feel on the descents. Not hardcore enough for you? Upgrade to a Cane Creek coil shock and add a chain device.
http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/2011/five_am/
Five SE (£tba)- Available from October 2010
If you want the best of the best we will be offering a complete SE package with 10-speed XTR. However, spec and pricing is to be confirmed with late availability on most of the parts. In the mean time we can offer the 2011 bike with 2010 XTR transmission, ask your dealer for details.
http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/2011/five_se/
Check out your Five options
If one of the specs above doesn’t fulfill your needs or hit a desired price point, have a look through our options calculator and customize your Five. Finishing kit upgrades, different forks, custom colours, it’s all available to make sure you get the perfect Five straight out of the box.
For Full spec listings and pricing visit the Orange Mountain Bikes website
Comments (7)
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i like it and the santacruz superlight i wouldnt know which to choose
The SL and the Five are miles apart (travel/angles), how can you even have them in the same choice bracket?
Easy choices – SL for a fast singletrack up or down, 5 for downhill fun on a different level.
The heckler is sc’s equivalent to the five imo, i’m a five owner and i love it but if i was faced with the choice of a new frame i’d be hard pushed to justify the new five over the heckler now its been reduced to £900
Except that they don’t ride the same at all.
the old five and old superlight weren’t far apart – now they’re very different beasts.
im thinking would the five be overkill for me i dont ride trail centres just natural singletrack and several woods that are fairly local to me.so would a superlight be better.
Legin probably, but that no reason not to try a 5, as your heart should rule not your head.
I have a Prophet and an SL, love the Prophet much more than the SL, just cause it’s more fun.
Don’t care if I’m seen as ‘overbiked’ cause I’m having fun…