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Hob Nob - MemberCovert better looking? Blimey. Transition are one of few manufacturers who make Orange's look well finished.
Not true of any of the Transitions I've seen.
I tried an MDE Damper in Italy recently, pretty in raw lacquer. climbed better than and descended as well as my cove gspot.
The finish and build quality on the Transitions is to a very high standard. They are designed to be really durable and ridden hard with low maintenance. It's truly staggering that anyone sees an Orange 5 (snapped or otherwise) as better looking/finished than a Covert???
Your levels of standards must be lower than mine then. A Transition is not a 'very high standard' at all when you compare it to something that actually is a high level finish, such as a Nicolai.
I'm not saying the Orange is an amazingly well finished bike either, just trying to provide a bit of balance 😉
Your levels of standards must be lower than mine then. A Transition is not a 'very high standard' at all when you compare it to something that actually is a high level finish, such as a Nicolai.I'm not saying the Orange is an amazingly well finished bike either, just trying to provide a bit of balance
It's a bit random of you to say a covert makes an orange 5 look good then totally change your tack and bring a hand made, German precision engineered, 6 month waiting list Nicolai into the equation. Of course the transition finish won't be as good as that but that doesn't mean Transitions don't have a high standard finish too. I have owned several hand made boutique brand MTBs over the years and currently ride a Devinci Dixon that's hand made in Canada with stunning build quality so I would say my standards are higher than most but that doesn't mean my Transition TR450 isn't built to a very high standard too.
Back to the topic, clearly someone considering an Orange 5 cares more about function than form so the Covert is a good alternative in a similar price range and is worth a look.
cove hustler? Great bikes!
marin quake 07.
tough as boots, climbs like a fat goat with rockets and 1.5'' head tube, so you can transfer whatever forks you have. And very unfashionable so IT types don't raise the prices.
No-one's said it yet so I'm going to.
Meta 5.5.
Just buy a Five
HansRey - Membermarin quake 07.
That seems a pretty random comparison for a Five... Wolfridge, sure, or whatever the Wolfie replacement is in their new, incomprehensible range.
My 5, looking really "ugly"... 😆
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Not going to argue with you there 😉
Trek Remedy 9 , fit a rear view mirror, you can then watch your mates on an Orange 5 going uphill and down hill:-) 2008 model never missed a beat apart from expected renewals.
you can then watch your mates on an Orange 5 going uphill and down hill
Deluded
Buy it. It's British made. Looks like crap. But it's British. And folded metal. And ugly. And not that nice to ride from what I remember...
Or go test ride loads of bikes and if that is the one you want, buy one. If you really want to...
Heckler
flow - MemberDeluded
Remedy's certainly a better climber than the Five... Descending, mmm... Too many variables. What rider, what sort of descent. They're differnet enough to shine in different ways.
their junk
i dont think it's so random. Mines set up at 160F/168R and it pedals very well, climbing is easy. It's better VFM than a new orange5 and just as ugly
Have had fives now riding a 2011 Zesty, of any bike I've owned suits me the best works well at the trail centre, the alps, natural trails and uplift days. Utterly confidence inspiring works well up and down plus it comes with a 5th warranty.
Go for a Heckler, ( i have 1 for sale ) Pics available. shameless plug... Or as other people say a Zesty, both are amazing bikes. Or maybe a Canyon, slightly heavy though, cube stereo which are nice. even a Ghost which are decent spec but a tad pricey but get good reviews. Maybe even the new Pace, super looking trail bike. or Kona coilair deluxe for something a little more All Mountain. JE James have them in stock half price for £1,500, Infact what ever you bought would be better than an Orange, sorry but i just hate them.
Maybe I can add a useful response?
I have ridden MTB for 20 years and went from rigid to hardtail, then full suspension then back to hardtail.
This year I met up with an old friend riding a Cannondale RZ140 and I struggled to stick with him on my Orange Elite apart from uphill where I cleared off!
2 months later I took a Five for a demo ride and promptly bough it that day! Climbs as well as my hardtail, more comfortable on most trails and it scares me going downhill as it is so much quicker.
I can genuinely say it is the best bike I have ever owned.
^^^ +1
the finish on my transition is very durable. plasters radio paint job for the win 🙂
5 every time.
I've got a 2007 5 and a 2010 Alpine. 5 climbs better and is a fair bit lighter but the Alpine can't half descend.
Best of all, they're BRITISH, well engineered, durable paint finish, simple suspension setup that WORKS and doesn't need bearing changes every 6 weeks (I change my 5 bearings about every 12 months and its an easy and cheap job every time. If there's any play on the rear and its not the swingarm bearings its the shock bushes - good luck finding the source of play on a Spicy)
My 5 just doesn't break - its had a right hammering over the last few years, week in Alps, numerous enduros, drops, jumps and it just keeps going when others around me are having problems.
The only thing I don't like about the 5 is the through swingarm routing of the rear brake hose. Clatters around a bit inside the swingarm on rocky descents, the Alpine is much quieter but its a small price to pay.
I'm considering a new frame myself and if I do get one it'll be a 2012 5.
Remedy's certainly a better climber than the Five
I had a 2010 EX9 and the Orange climbs better than that did, I can't see a Remedy climbing better than an EX.
Now riding a 2011 Zesty....... it comes with a 5th warranty
Lucky, you will be needing it.
Now riding a 2011 Zesty....... it comes with a 5th warranty
Lucky, you will be needing it.
Possibly but nice knowing still covered in year 4 and 5 and not reliant on goodwill or a crash replacement contribution.
True, I'd rather it not break in the first place though.
Since Nove 2010 I've had a 2011 Cube Stereo Race (sold it as bought too small frame), then got a Trek Rumblefish 29er (sold it as was a great descender and a dreadful climber) and went and bought a 2011 Lappierre Zesty 514. I found the Zesty to have an excellent build quality, great spec (way better than 5) climbs really really well, looks the business and descends really well.
The 'snapierre' moniker seems to be unfairly obtained and I've met far more Orange owners who've suffered frame failures and ended up paying Orange couple hundred quid to refurb the frame 'at the same time' 🙄
Good marketing ploy that, when the customer returns for what should be a free warranty claim then squeeze ore money out of them for the same used and abused frame.....
Also bear in mind most of the other brands owners aren't evangelical 'hear no wrong' types either...
The Snapierre name stuck for a reason mate, they break way too often and they still haven't sorted it.
I took a trip to GT last month, they has two Zestys, yes TWO, in with cracked bottom bracket shells. Quality workmanship there.
The Five Pro and the 514 are pretty much the same spec, obviously you should have gone to Specsavers.
Apparently for 2012 they have sorted the saggy rear suspension on the Zesty by changing the leverage ratio curve. It might ride half as good as a Five now.
The Five Pro and the 514 are pretty much the same spec, obviously you should have gone to Specsavers.
So you don't now have to pay £100 for bolt through fork? You DO get powerful Formula brakes, carbon swing arm, XT wheels on a FIVE now then???
So you don't now have to pay £100 for bolt through fork?
On the Five as standard you don't no, they have the same fork as the 514, but for £100 you can upgrade to some Fox Float RLC Kashima coated puppies.
You DO get powerful Formula brakes
You do, cheap ones though. I prefer the Hope breaks on the Five, as would many.
carbon swing arm
Lets hope that lasts longer than their alloy.
XT wheels
Nothing like some old school cup and cone hubs.
Again I would take the Hope hubs on cheapo Mavic rims, they are plenty strong/stiff enough whilst still being light.
5s are the biggest rip off bikes money can buy, stupidly priced and crap spec.
5s are the biggest rip off bikes money can buy,
Now that they do a 22"?
TBH I don't think they're a rip off. Nor do I think they're crap. Just not for me...
Big Dave, obviously your name has nothing to do with brains.
Flow....Obviously you are not a scientist either... idiot.
Flow - scientist?? Hmmmm
I love these topics.
All the people that wont spend the money or don't have the money just slag off more expensive products.
I love Apple products and yes there are other brands but it is a premium brand that I for one am prepared to pay that bit extra for.
It is the same with my hobbies, motorcycling and mountain biking. I ride a Ducati and an Orange Five, both are way more capable than I need but I work hard and love having these products.
Hope brakes don't always get the reviews they should for ultimate power but if you have a problem they sort it. I needed a dust seal on my XC4 Pro Levers (younger readers may not remember these!) so I range them up and they sent one out FOC.
So my opinion is you get what you pay for.
Say no more!
Get a 5 ....
Really simple to work on, one single pivot instead of a dozen as on some bikes, very strong and takes lots of abuse and it's British!
Have riden mine in alsorts of weathers at local XC, trail centres to doing the Passporte in the Alps, where it took a right beating and could keep up with fat lads on downhill bikes. The faster you ride it the better it goes, wouldn't swap mine for anything else full sus wise.
The hardest decision is what colour!
morewood shova awesome bike.