Hi,
Since shortening my cranks I've had to raise my 125mm reverb in the frame.
I am now bored of occasionally catching my shorts on my saddle or being hit up the bum jumping.
To counteract this I have started to manually drop my post using the qr, which sort of defeats the point of a dropper...
I'm considering drilling a hole in the seat tube for access to longer drop options.
I have read previous posts and I don't want this to disintegrate into engineering arguments over stresses...
I have 230mm from the top of my seatpost collar to the bottom of the seat clamp.
FOX kindly have a fitting guide on their website and I know that I have enough clearance for their external routed 150mm transfer, but I can't help thinking that stealth is a better idea for future proofing.
Can anyone measure their 150mm-170mm drop posts and let me know the distance from qr to seatclamp?
Also if anyone else has drilled their Five any pictures would be great!
Thanks,
Si
I've not drilled a Five, but I have drilled my fatbike - two 5mm holes and file, and a cover from e bay glued on....
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Thanks Monkeyboy.
That actually looks pretty tidy!
I would speak to Orange and get their advice, to which you know what the answer will be.
If you can get away with a 150mm post - fox do their transfer in external flavour at 150mm
I would speak to Orange and get their advice, to which you know what the answer will be.
It's a 2012 frame so would be out of warranty this year anyway?
There's lots of threads about people drilling frames to fit internal routing. Ive not seen a 'oh my got I've destroyed my frame' thread anywhere yet.
What size seatpost does it have?
Youy sure it's not 27.2?
Quite a good 'how too' [url= http://www.peterverdone.com/drilling-holes-in-perfectly-good-bike-frames/ ]here,[/url] just ignore the Americanism's....
Also you can get away with a smaller slot / hole if placed correctly.
I'm quite blase now, drilled my Hemlock (not the toughest frame in the first place!) and my fatbike, no bother with either. I'd happily do it again.
Pro tips- do it offset to one side, doing it in the middle is neater but impossible for tool access. And instead of doing a slot, last time I drilled a single hole at the angle I wanted the hose to pass through. The less hole (and the nicer the cut) the better I reckon.
I asked Nicolai about my frame and they said to keep 25mm from any welds...otherwise fill your boots.
Obviously Orange might be different but reckon you'd be fine.
BillOddie
What size seatpost does it have?Youy sure it's not 27.2?
A 2012 is 31.8
[url= https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/archive/2012/five_pro/ ]You sure about that ?[/url]
I'd like to see you fit a 31.8mm diameter seatpost in it then !
(Even if you meant 31.6 it ain't going to fit)
2011 onward fives are 30.9mm. Loads of seatpost options
steel4real - Member
You sure about that ?I'd like to see you fit a 31.8mm diameter seatpost in it then !
(Even if you meant 31.6 it ain't going to fit)
So 31.8 is the seat clamp size - I knew it rang a bell from when I had one.
Take a look at the BikeYoke Revive - the 160 version has a lower stack height than a 150 Reverb.
This chart is missing some of the newer models, but still useful.
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Thanks for the replies, feeling that I will definitely break out the drill bits!
The bikeyoke revive looks like a good option but I am still thinking of going for a 170mm reverb.
My current old model , external routed version has 45mm of exposed lower post showing.
Are the old external and new stealth versions structurally the same?
I'm thinking that 125mm + 45mm might just work if there are no further complications....
The latest of 3 frames I've drilled.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/473/32264346150_751fb7fa99_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/473/32264346150_751fb7fa99_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Ra6d3b ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/79912681@N06/ ]Kayak23[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/273/32264349900_4bda63f907_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/273/32264349900_4bda63f907_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Ra6e9Q ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/79912681@N06/ ]Kayak23[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/344/32264357270_cd303e5b6b_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/344/32264357270_cd303e5b6b_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Ra6gkU ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/79912681@N06/ ]Kayak23[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/584/32643826125_9149ecdb76_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/584/32643826125_9149ecdb76_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/RJC9dn ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/79912681@N06/ ]Kayak23[/url], on Flickr
I drilled my old giant frame without any issues. As Grace said keep away from welds or obvious stress points. I ordered some specific grommets from CRC that made it look like it was meant to be there. I think they were from a nukeproof.
Get the drill and dremmel out. What's the worst that could happen.
i think you may be pushing it a bit going for the 170mm, but that's me. you only have to change shoes or pedals and that 5mm may come in handy.
the ks droppers externally routed have a fixed cable, so you don't have to manage it the same way as the external reverbs.
also, internally routed is a bollock IMHO, and most i see still seem to have most of the cable outside the frame....
( FWIW i have both an integra and an external ks ).
just my 2p.
I asked Nicolai about my frame and they said to keep 25mm from any welds...otherwise fill your boots.
Liteville, confusingly, have a different opinion
I'm using an external Fox Transfer anyway......
internally routed is a bollock IMHO, and most i see still seem to have most of the cable outside the frame....
The advantage is that you don't have a big loop of hose moving about constantly which can get in the way snag on stuff and rub te paint off your frame. I'm not bothered about internal routing I just want a tidy solution and internal routing gives this.
The advantage is that you don't have a big loop of hose moving about constantly which can get in the way snag on stuff and rub te paint off your frame
As mentioned both the KS Lev seatposts and Fox transfer have the cable fixed on the static lower stanchion, so no flappy cable.
That's why I used the external Transfer on my 301, rather than the stealth version. There's only about 100mm of cable visible at the post end anyway - of course it'll be different on an Orange, where it can't come up through the top tube.
Hi. I've looked on eBay and couldn't see the rubber covers/cable exit grommet's. Any chance you could post a link to one like you've used?
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152273825393 ]ebay - internal cable cover[/url]
Use a bit of two part epoxy to stick on.
That's the ones I used too. Rubber grommets that actually push through the frame are a nicer solution but require a much bigger hole
Muchos gracias!
Sorry to bump up this thread but I'm thinking on drilling my 2014 Five 29 too and was wondering where's the best place to drill the hole as I see the new frames have it in the downtube?
As far as I can tell the latest Orange bikes just have a hole quite high up on the downtube then route the cable via the bottom bracket. I guess it could be an issue if you use a BB without a tube (as the crank axle could presumably rub the cable) but it should be easy enough to follow the same route on an older frame.
Not quite, the current Oranges route just above the bb so it doesn't actually pass through that area apart from the huge pita that is fitting.
From memory I think my 5 29 had the welded section between the down tube and seat tube so you might be ok.
Oh right, thanks. That would explain how they can use a 30mm Hope BB (without a tube) and not rub the dropper cable. I was wondering how that worked.
drilled a last year 26" orange five (2012?) this spring. took the shock out to lift the swingarm up and drilled as high as I could in the seat tube above the bottom bracket coming out the side but slightly forward if that makes sense. its done a summer of enduros, lakes and alps and its not cracked. I was surprised to see the seat tube is about a mile thick. used the method of a guy who did a commencal on here.
the other option is for a KS lev.. It's cable point is at the seatpost clamp, rather than stealth or at the seat.. Worth thinking about if you dont really want to drill.
http://www.kssuspension.com/product/lev/
Anyone ever had any other successes drilling an older Five then? Need to drill mine tomorrow, probably just going to be on the seat tube somewhere but would be good to actually see a photo of what someone has done
Fear-driven morning bump