[Closed] "Mega" or "Five" You decide for me (maybe!)

Covert 😕

NO, listen to the rules.....!

[url= http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/index.php?page=product&info=162&x7fc9d=0gf1ss27sa7qm3blbeunffk3btku304k ]YT Wicked 150[/url] for the same price as the Five frame?

Titus El Guapo or a Heckler.
This is STW you didn't really expect people to answer [u]your [/u]question did you?

Butcher...not Heckler.

Mega, and buy yourself a ccdb with the change...

Not sure if this'll help sway your decission, but Rutland cycles had a medium mega frame in raw finish for £699 when I was in there a week or so ago, was tempted to buy it myself, might be worth giving them a call at the Whitwell store to see if they've still got it.

Personally I'd find it very difficult to justify a 5 at double the price if these were the only two frames I was looking at!

why are all these bikes so small (Mega, YT, Canyon Strive etc). It's not fair, I want one but being 196cm tall they just won't fit.

Sorry, as you were (although if anyone does know of an option not in the silly money price range let me know)

It's between these two cos I'm showing amazing and supportive loyalty to my LBS (and I ride/drink ale with him).

The Mega does leave some usefull change for bits, the 5 don't.

I'd get the five if i wanted a trail bike, and the mega for riding bigger mountains. I have a mega and it's great if you have the big terrain to do it justice. You could build the mega as a lighter trail bike for those long days out but it would sort of be missing the point.

Whipersnapper, get in contact with Nukeproof. They are considering doing a run of XL megas for guys your size.

I'm showing amazing and supportive loyalty to my LBS (and I ride/drink ale with him).

will he be giving you and 'amazing' discount then? I'd expect around 15% off anyway but seeing as your mates you'd get a lot more would't you which could have an effect on things? Ok you'd have even more money left over for bits if you went for the mega but with a decent discount you'll have enough money for a maxle and possibly CCDB (if you wanted one) for the Five. Don't forget though that if you want a custom frame colour for the Five it could cost up to £100!

I can't comment on the mega as ive never ridden one but i love my five, although for the same price I do like the look of those transition Coverts!

Just in case you were unsure of the covert, here's mine..
Its a brilliant bike.
A couple of brand new frames on ebay for [url=www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Transition-Covert-2011-Frame-Orange-Small-Fox-rp23-Rear-Shock-150mm-Travel-/260905048053]£1100[/url] and [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Transition-Covert-6-Travel-Enduro-2011-/260884066728 ]£1099[/url]

[IMG] [/IMG]

Can't comment on the Mega but I bought a 2012 Five back in October. Quite simply blown away buy this bike... I'm 6' with a 31" leg so went for the 17" frame. At first it felt slightly wrong but changing the 50mm stem for a 70mm sorted it. From then on it's been a revelation. Regular 40km rides on it, comfortable and fast but when you point it down hill... I'm carving gully's and searching for jumps - brilliant 😛 😯 😛

Huge recommendation from me. Also, I get your comment re LBS as I did the same. But I did get a very good deal 😉

I would certainly stay loyal and go with the five. Fantastic bike with exceptional custermer service. The covert is more expensive in the long run when things go wrong!

Yeah I may not be telling the truth about the 5, mates rates....still dear though.
I really can't stretch to the maxle for a five.

I think it's gonna be the Mega, it has a bolt through rear, sounds as though they are both similar weight and both "stiff as", but still slightly worried about the 150mm forks on the mega. They're not changing as brand new.

If you buy the Mega you'll always be left thinking "what if I'd stumped up the extra for the 5?".

I would be wary of taking advice from rupert on this. Here's a post of his from 3 months ago. At the time he was riding a Dawes Galaxy! Several posters suggested that a bit of trolling was going on, myself included.

"rupertpostlethwaite - Member
New to the forum so hello everybody, my question is regarding the new orange persuite, I've been recommended this by my biking friends, who say it'san exceptional allrounder and one that i'm interested in finding more about. I've chosen the orange brand as they have a very good reputation and exceptional aftersales policy. At the moment i'm riding a dawes galaxy but now feel ready to bite the bullet and "update" my bike, i also feel my riding has improved over the two years i've been cycling and maybe worthwile buying a f/s "full suspension" so could anybody please share with me there experiences of the new orange persuite? what size frame should i be looking for? I'm 5ft 9"
Thanks all.

POSTED 3 MONTHS AGO # REPORT-POST"

This might help [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-nukeproof-megas ]http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-nukeproof-megas[/url]

Thanks for that matt! 🙄 was that not 3 months ago, I know a lot more now hence the latest post! Yes ok if that's what you think. Have you nothing better to do than check peoples history!

Yeah Matt, leave Rupert alone. I'm sure since December he's been shredding the gnar lots on his Orange Persuite in the snow and shitty weather.

SO... Mega or 5 ?

So Rupert, in the space of 3 months you seem to have progressed some what from riding a Dawes Galaxy and stating in your profile "I’m new to riding and thought what a jolly good idea to start my learning on a cycle forum".
You are now able to tell us that "The covert is more expensive in the long run when things go wrong!"
I only check peoples history when I am buying things from them, I think that they are trolling or talking B.S.
If you are for real then I apologise unreservedly.
To the OP if you are going for the 5 then I would say a rear Maxle is highly desirable and only cost effective when buying new.

5

Dont think youll be missing out if you buy a cheaper frame. Orange 5 are one of the cults on here and Im amazed there hasnt been more of a frenzy to recommend them on this thread TBH. A riding buddy of mine swapped his 5 for a Mega and I know he doesnt feel he's missing out....another guy I ride with has a 5 and swears by it...

If it were me, I'd buy the Mega and use the extra money for better build...Just make a decision and if it's not right, punt the frame! Either of those will still sell 2nd hand no bother.

5 !

They seem quite different bikes though, with the Orange Alpine being more Mega like. I'd say that if you want a bike for big terrain then get the mega, otherwise get the five. Your choice of forks suggest that the five may be the better bet for you.

matt24k has got a point! If you dont know from personal experience why try and influance somebody's opinion when you dont know jack?

I have an Orange but at full rrp they are overpriced. You'd have to really love the brand and your lbs mate not to get the mega from jejames in the link, basically half the price of the 5.

I actually think coverts are one of the best value frames in the class, you're getting $2k niche quality ala Yeti, turner for $1k Mega/Heckler money.

If the fork choice [b]has to[/b] define the bike, then I'd go for the Five.

That aside, the choice depends more on your proportions and intended riding though.
I have a 2010 Five with 44RC3 Ti forks and love it. It hasn't felt out of its depth yet in Lakes, Calderdale, etc, which is where it gets most of its use.
I'm 6'2" with a 34" inside leg and the 20" Five is perfect for me with a 50mm stem as I'm long legs/shorter body. It's far more manouverable in tight techy stuff than the Commencal Meta 5 that I rode previously.

Haven't tried the Mega but I'd not build one with less than a zochi 55/Fox 36/RS Lyric.

As other have said, I'd think of the Mega as more of an Alpine 160 equivalent.

i am unsure of 5 frame weight but having seen the weight of mega's in various builds (all with lyriks/36's) you are having to spend big to get it under 30 lbs.

mine is 34lb with lyrik coil u u turn, reverb, pro 2 evo/flows, xt/slx.

one more thing to consider is you what drive chain set up you want to run. The Mega can only take a single or dual set up with a max chain ring size of 36T. On the Five you can run bigger and a triple. Its more relevant if upgrading an existing bike and wanting to just swap all the bits over. I haven't ridden either but have mates who have got them and neither has said a bad word about either bike.

@twotonpredator ...

which have you got? the Five or mega?

I have mega with rockshox I think 140 or 150
I like it. it does big stuff and small stuff. even canal bank stuff and on the road stuff it's my only bike and I like it .

can the OP find one in his area to have a go on welcome to have a spin on mine if in the west Yorkshire area.

Buy the bike you want the most, in my experience gut feel is generally right.

Easy
if the frames weigh roughly the same, in one hand hold 2 bearings, in the other the load of bearings from a multipivot bikes, and ask yourself one question, if the frames weigh the same, where has the extra metal been removed from to achieve the same weight !

My feeling is that if you're trying to shoehorn the wrong forks onto a bike it's not going to be that nice. I also think the Mega is kinda overkill for most riding in the UK, but some people like that sort of thing.

Given the choice, I'd go for the Five, although my money would probably go somewhere else.

catvet - Member
Easy
if the frames weigh roughly the same, in one hand hold 2 bearings, in the other the load of bearings from a multipivot bikes, and ask yourself one question, if the frames weigh the same, where has the extra metal been removed from to achieve the same weight !

Dunno about you, but my suspicions would be towards that mahoosive ugly swingarm on the five.

Recommendations so far...11 ish for the 5. 4 ish for the Mega.

you need to ride both and decide which is best for you! thats the only way. you may decide you dont like either and get something completely different

Bit strange, this one. You want a bike to fit your 150mm forks bit it can only be a 5 or a mega because that's all your friend sell?
I think you'd be better off finding a bike which suits you and your riding style, rather than what suits your friend to sell you.

Wrecker, bit more to it than that. Been looking and pondering for months....Hecklers, El Gapos, Coverts, Ariels, Butcher even sod it I'll stick with the 456. Money's tight dude. 😉

Fair enough polisherman.
I would recommend that you stay on the 456 for now. Save some more money and buy something you [i]really[/i] want, not just something you can afford at this moment. Go demo some. You may have to live with this purchase for some time.

Yeah, I wanna Five!....or possibly a mega (but not too sure now)

It's replacing a Cove Hustler BTW. 😉

Another +1 for the mega. I've got one, with Coil-U turn Lyrics....built to 31.5 lbs for 2400 quid. As I said earlier it will ride fine at 150mm, there's a guy on here who runs one with revelations.

It's slacker and longer than the 5, more stable at high speed. Depends what you want.

creamegg, i have a mega.

i run it single ring 34 tooth. no front mech for delamere mud too destroy. straitline silent guide all the way. best component i have owned to date.

sure it's more than i need for most of my riding, but I regularly do peaks/north wales where it's stiffness and climbing prowess (for a big bike) come into it's own.

@twotonpredator.

ok, as a comparison my Five is a shade under 34lbs but is built quite burly with CCDB, Hope V2's 203 front and back, Reverb, fox 140 forks, straitline pedals and gamut aluminium chain device

IMO if you are concerned about weight, why would you buy a mega frame, its kinda missing the point
If you are settled on the forks for whatever reason, buy the frame to suit.
if you buy the mega, you will want to upgrade to 55s/36s/Lyrics as they suit better.

agree with several posters who point out that a more apt comparison would be Alpine 160 vs Mega. You are stuck with the 5 and i cant suggest a comparable frame that falls into the bargain price range which is attracting you

I agree about the mega and alpine 160 being a better comparison. I sold my alpine 160 at the back end of 2010 and have since been riding a Bfe but wanted another full suss so bought a mega which arrived yesterday.

As much as i loved the alpine 160 it did not do anything better than the mega and at more than twice the price of what i paid for the mega it was not worth it to me.

PolisherMan - Member
Recommendations so far...11 ish for the 5. 4 ish for the Mega.

Well, this STW afterall.. 😉

Cannot see th fork being the issue its 10mm the diffirence between running a external cup. I cannot see that you would notice that...

Whatever you get you always think what if? But thats just the way we are once you have the new bike though im sure you will enjoy .

I just got a Five and i can say that it is amazing!! best bike i have ever ridden goes up hills with ease and you would not beleive how good it is riding downhill. AMAZING

tony24 - the travel difference is 10mm but the axle to crown distance between a Rev and Lyrik is more due to chunkier crown.

It's not just angles though, the frame is built to take more abuse so a Lyrik would maximise its descending ability. Running a Revelation would limit what you can dish out.

I'm having a similar dilemma - just bought some RLT Tis but fancy a Mega. Trying to decide if I can live with the weight for the performance gain.

A mate (ex DH racer) has just gone from a 5 to a Mega and loves it. Slightly slower up, much faster down. Depends what you want to do really.

For the cost of the Orange frame, he could probably sell his 44's and pick up that Medium frame from Rutland Cycles and a pair of 2011 66's or Lyriks on sale. ****ing love mine, the headtube is so short I can run the bars at the same height my old mans Nomad's bars could be run if he was using 140mm forks on it. When I slam the bars down low it wanders around much less on climbs than any other 160mm bike I've tried.

I'm only running 2.2 tyres at the moment but it corners harder than anything I've ridden except DH bikes. Doesn't have as much pop off jumps as a sub 30lb bike though. I might spend the money and get mine down to 30lb, but I can't decide whether I want to run a coil or a vivid air on it.

Save up some more money and buy an Ibis,

What, like two/three times as much? Why? The Nomad Carbons a better bike anyway. The frames only about 600-700 grams lighter (The HD 160 is about 6.05 lb right?)...... for about 1200 quid more. That's way way over the 1 gram per 1£ rule. Could save more weight buying lighter parts.

If I was going to spend 4k/5k on a build I'd still buy a Mega/YT/Titus/Butcher and just put lot's of really ****ing bling components on it. Bos suspension, R0 brakes, KCNC seatpost, Selle Italia carbon seats, full XTR/XX, Enve wheels, ti bolts, tune bottom bracket etc.....you know saving weight where it actually matters.... unsprung weight at either end of the bike....keeping the heaviest components the budget dictates centralised.

If it helps I have just bought a Mega from JE James £728! And it doesn't look cheap, it looks really good quality. 🙂

No idea what it rides like though 🙁

Have fun Mugboo, it will ride fine. Is it the 2011 or 2012 model? If you have a 2011 model.... ring the shop. You are entitled to the updated rear chainstay.

bwaarp - Member

The HD 160 is about 6.05 lb right?

6.5, according to Ibis.

So that's even less value for money then, must have been thinking about the Nomad C. If you really must have bling... the Alu Nomad cost's less and weighs the same as the HD160. Also prefer the trail feedback you get with aluminium frames..... but that's just me...apparently feeling the "buzz" of a trail is a bad thing *laughs at the thinking of roadies who become mtbers*.

I've had a Five (2008) and now own a Mega. The Mega (imo) defecates from a great height all over the Five. The Mega is stiffer, more stable at speed, more balanced when the wheels leave the ground, better at climbing.... all round I find it a much more capable bike. The only down side is the Monarch shock, I've swapped it for a DHX4 coil and its transformed the bike.
The Mega just seems to inspire confidence and for the money, gives you so much more bike than the Five. I'm going to stick a set of Totems on mine with one of those headset slacker jobies and I've got a decent mini downhill bike!
If I was in your position I would try and test both, but the Mega is where my money would be going
Ta
Mark

I've got a mega and as Brant says it great for 'all round gonzo badness'. It's a brilliant bike.

However I've never ridden a Five. There won't be many who've ridden both and those who have certainly aren't you, with your style of riding. The only way to figure it out is to ride each one.

Then you can decide, but avoid the 'it's-all-about-the-kit' pitfalls this sport has embraced over recent years: if it rides well for you who cares how much it cost or the name on the frame?

'it's-all-about-the-kit' pitfalls this sport has embraced over recent years

💡 8)

Demo'd a 5, Alpine and Mega. Bought the Mega. Absolutely no regrets. Beats a 5 on the downs, matches the Alpine on the downs and way better on the ups.

Scary Carey, so you reckon a coil is worth it on the mega then? This is my first air shock and although I love the propedal lever, I want more midrange support as I tend to straight line everything not caring about what's in the way.

I'm loathe to increase it's weight though, it's great for getting out there and building trails or finding new ones. Do you think a vivid air would solve my woes or would I be better off going with a coil vivid, if so which tune?

Quite simply, get the Mega and stick a coil on it!!! As much as i like Orange,(local firm to me) I rode a Five and just didnt get on with it, altho i did love the Blood which is sadly no more.

Bwaarp you sound like you ride like me so i would defo recomend a coil. I may if had a duff shock
but i just couldnt get it to feel right. I understand the weight thing but the performance of the coil
will more than make up for the weight sacrifice. Not sure about the Vivid shock, the guys at NP are
very helpful and are probably the best people to advize on which tune.

Yeah I'll give them a ring man, I've been impressed with the sensitivity of monarch for trail riding but uhhh for hucking, downhill tracks and general sillyness I want more compression support. Thx.

Time for a CCDB muohahah

also if you really really want one bike to do everything, get two sets of wheels. One pair with some really light trail centre rim (eg crests) and 2.2 tyres....then spec the other set with heavier duty rims (eg flows/521's/5.1s/6.1s) and high rollers or 2.4 all-mountain type tyres. Again, that's something to factor in when thinking about the cost of a frame.

Wheel weight makes a lot more difference to climbing than frame weight.

Made my choice. There was a late charge for the pro Mega gang. But with better warranty, more compatable fork size and gut feeling, it's gonna be a 17" 5 in black (white forks) with maxle rear end and Hope reducer headset.

Thanks for the great response!!

Where's me coat and van keys....?

PS. There'll be a 17" Cove Hustler resprayed with RP23 on the classifieds soon (Orange? may be a while!)

Very cheap!!!

Ok, good reasons for the decision. But promise, and I MEAN promise that whenever you get it built and take lovely pictures of it in your garden, don't post them with a thread title like "WARNING Orange 5 content!!!" Absolutely natural to want to show the forum your shiny new thing, but these 'warnings' really boil my urine!

Enjoy the new thing!

I have a Covert which I love but if I were you I'd get the Mega then spend the money saved on trying out different suspension. First port of call would be some 160mm forks but you'll have more fun trying out rear shocks, I've had a 2011 rp23, monarch plus rc3 and ccdb on my Covert, the ccdb is amazing but the Monarch even moreso when you consider the price.

I have never tried a Mega so can comment on it but I absolutely love my Five, cannot see how you will be disappointed. If you can stretch the budget look at the ccdb option.

The UK made thing did influence my purchase, not because it’s necessarily better but at times when the economy is on its arse surely my money is better spent supporting British manufacturing, hence spec’ing as much Hope kit as I could afford as well

Colour choice sounds good 😀

[IMG] [/IMG]

Nice five, but you could have warned us! 😈

I was sorely tempted but thought better of it 😉

whoops double bubble

yeah i do like that. nearly as nice as mine! 😆

need some orange pedals though to match the orange bits! and a seatpost clamp