Do you like a high or low front end ?

Why I ask…

I love, and I am still in love (if you know what I mean) with my 2011 Five and I’ve got a few bikes. I always wanted one but of course Demo’ed a few of the usual subjects before buying it, and after a blast around Kirroughtree with a Five I knew it was the bike for me. When my new bike arrived I thought WTF it just did not seem right, anyway after a few tweeks, the trails finally came alive when I had the stem slammed to the headtube and then cut the steerer accordingly. I have been happily riding it like this since. All good you would think.

However, I ride with a few different groups at varying skill and fitness levels and the one’s that are the fastest are almost to a man saying my front end is too low. I tried one of there bike and the front end seemed way too high ( spec stumpjumper evo)

I plan to try fit a higher front end to the Five as an experiment ( just swapping parts from other bikes) so I will be finding out soon enough, I also know it’s personal preference, but just interested in your thoughts ?

Fair enough bike talk is boring on a Saturday night so here’s a pcture of my rusty nail 😀

Lowish

Low and wide for front end grip and control. I tend to run about 20mm rise bars (750mm wide) slammed to the headset or with just a 5mm spacer below it. Feels good to me.

There’s not a direct correlation between front end height and rider speed, btw.

There’s not a direct correlation between front end height and rider speed, btw.

🙂 Accepted, but there was that day 🙂

Edit> and thanks, I can get 5mm under my stem and I have got some 20mm risers I am might try that before swapping forks etc.

I go back and forward on this, I used to go as low as I could but more recently they’ve been creeping back up. Just do whatever feels right.