After phoning the LBS where I got my 5 to ask about the price/availabilty of pivot bearings, (to be advised they had a 5 year warranty) I was asked to take it in today. When I got there I asked Richie the main mech man what they were like to do & he said, ‘You could change these in a forest, in fog, at night, using an Allen key & a brick. Imagine trying to do that on a Santa Cruz’
Took him about 15 minutes if that.
Handy to know If your pivot bearings collapse in the middle of a forest with some bricks nearby (& you’ve got some spare bearings & an Allen key) 😆

Orange 5 carrying bricks and spare bearings (thing of the weight) a STW holy trinity 🙂

Always fancied an Orange 5! The new model with ISCG is my dream bike.

Imagine trying to do that on a Santa Cruz’

Heckler bearing change took me a lot less than 15 minutes. 😉

Yep, it’s easier to change the bearings in a Heckler than a Five.

Oh me, me, me.

At least a Santa Cruz doesn’t look as if its been made in a forest, in fog at night using an allen key and a brick.

That said, my Santa Cruz is going up for sale shortly to be replaced by a Five. I also got glasses for the first time last week…

haha DaveyBoy :). any frames that aren’t a case of hit it sideways till it comes out?

Blur LTc arrived on our house last week (GF’s) a thing of beauty. With grease ports in the linkages.

When the bearings need doing we will drop them in the shop.

Get a hard tail. No issues with bearings there.

At least a Santa Cruz doesn’t look as if its been made in a forest, in fog at night using an allen key and a brick.

Which reminds of a woman I spent 18 months with, nothing really to look at but……sorry, I’ve just come…

Get a hard tail. No issues with bearings there.

Really?!! I must get a HT! Oh hang on, there’s one in the garage next to the (very little used) road bike.

shortcut – Member
Get a hard tail. No issues with bearings there.

Yep, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Bearing issues are normally just brought up by people justifying getting an Orange or a Hard Tail.

The rest of us just appreciate the ride that having more than one pivot/linkage

Heckler bearing change took me a lot less than 15 minutes.

Northwind – Member
Yep, it’s easier to change the bearings in a Heckler than a Five.

+1 x2!

Bit of a fail that one mentioning a Santacruz that’s a far easier job lol.

As opposed to a Blur/Nomad.. where it’s not 🙂

All of the Orange 5 owners I’ve met have been simpletons who dont have a clue about bikes, or how to ride them.

Its a good job the bearing changes are easy.

Weird.

Can’t for the life of me figure how a Heckler can be an easier bearing change than a Five.
Neither are hard but having owned both, the five is hands down the easiest job.

Heckler = Allen keys ( unusual sized buggers as well), screwdriver or similar and mallet/block of wood.
Five = Allen key and fingers.

Step 3 from Orange website = Notsoweird.

Step 3: With both bolts slackened,
and standing on the driveside of the
bike, tap the swingarm away from you.
Note: Hit only the weld!

TBF if the job is so simple OP why did you have to pay the LBS to do it for you?

Not so much a win for the simplicity of the five as a fail for the initiative of a five owner…

Velcro fastening shoes? or do you get someone in the shop to do your laces up for you?

TBF if the job is so simple OP why did you have to pay the LBS to do it for you?

Not so much a win for the simplicity of the five as a fail for the initiative of a five owner…

Velcro fastening shoes? or do you get someone in the shop to do your laces up for you?

and standing on the driveside of the bike

Are the frames strong enough for a 14st fatty to stand on it?

I tender that the last place you’ll find an Orange 5 or a Santa Cruz is in a forest, at night, in the fog.
Forests, night time & fog are the domain of steel bikes, with man size wheels.

At that time of night, Orange 5 riders will be down the wine bar, sipping Chianti.

How many people have a catastrophic bearing failure suddenly whilst on a night ride?

“takisawa2 – Member
At that time of night, Orange 5 riders will be down the wine bar, sipping Chianti.”

You’ve well and truly rumbled me there.

How many people have a catastrophic bearing failure suddenly whilst on a night ride while carrying a brick?

No wine bars round here , only forest

At that time of night, Orange 5 riders will be down the wine bar, sipping Chianti.

Chianti goes in the camelbak

How many people have a catastrophic bearing failure suddenly whilst on a night ride?

Err ….. 7 ?

(Is there a prize for whoever gets it right)

The OP’s in trouble, I hear the screech of Audi tyres approaching…..

How many people have a catastrophic bearing failure suddenly whilst on a night ride while carrying a brick?

We always carry a hod of bricks and premixed mortar on our nightrides, saves the worry of finding shelter or huddling under a bivvy bag if you build your own brick bothy.

shortcut – Member
Get a hard tail. No issues with bearings there.

Is that from bitter experience with your 5 Spot? 😉
Have you still got that? That was a nice bike.

Easiest frame to change bearings on I have worked on is a Yeti 303 (the one with the two rails).

Every bearing has its own pinch bolt, so just a case of undoing the pinch bolt, removing bearing, putting a new one in an re tightening bolt.

Only problem is, there is about 3 times the number of bearings than on normal frames.

Another week another 5 Willy waving thread

Yawn

This constitutes ‘a laugh’? Bet you’re a hoot at parties.

We don’t need bricks. There’s dry-stone walls everywhere round here so we use those to change bearings on night rides. Keepin’ it real, yeah!

I’ve no doubt the bearings on my BLT2 take longer to change than an Orange, but the top ones lasted 3 years and the bottom ones 4 years, both with zero maintenance so quite happy to let the bike shop do them. And they went gradually – no catastrophic fail

takisawa2 – Member

I tender that the last place you’ll find an Orange 5 or a Santa Cruz is in a forest, at night, in the fog.
Forests, night time & fog are the domain of steel bikes, with man size wheels.

If 29ers make cycling easier then while they may be more “man-sized” surely they should be referred as big dull girly wheels?

njee20 – Member
This constitutes ‘a laugh’? Bet you’re a hoot at parties.

Wow, sense of humour failure. I thought the story was hilarious! Imagine actually being there must have been mental.

Shirley it is a non-willy-waving orange five owners thread?

Whilst you are changing the pivot bearings in your heckler/superlight/bullit in under 15 minutes with an allen key and a brick, you can also laugh at how many hundred pounds less you paid for your frame than you would have for an orange. 😛

[edit] Also bearings are garuanteed to original owner on SC’s, non? So as long as you are not in the woods in the fog and dark when your SC bearings fail, you can also get them for free. 😀

How many people have a catastrophic bearing failure suddenly whilst on a night ride?

I have, at the top of Puke Hill. Was fixed by none other than TJ with an allen key, a flask of single malt and some choice swear words. Pronghorn PR6 Trail, fwiw.

Wow, sense of humour failure. I thought the story was hilarious! Imagine actually being there must have been mental.

I can bring my Orange to your next party …..think of thr laughs we will have

I changed mine in 15 minutes at home, without a brick, but I did need a heat gun, and they had lasted about 8 years. Do I get a sweetie?