I vote for just riding your hardtail most of the time. I really enjoy my full Susser on more downhill type, dry trails. But on just about everything else (which is most stuff here in Ireland) I prefer my hardtail.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t love both of them.

This thread has almost made me fee guilty for leaving my brand new 5AM in the garage whilst all the cack weather has been around and I have only been able to ride dull boring mud fest local trails on the OnOne 456. Difference is now that I throw the dirty On One back in the garage dirty and dont fret about it where as the last filthy muddy ride on the five I had to clean it properly when I got home 😆
I sold my previous ‘big bike’ to help fund daughters wedding as i only rode it once every couple or three months but boy did I regret it and I will never do such a thing again.
Doesnt help that three years on they are getting divorced and I spent three years getting a stiff backand being to concenred that I would taco a wheel by taking drops and getting any air on the hardtail.
My advice to PO would be if you can afford to keep both bikes, keep the five and ride it as and when you want. their will come a time ie Snowden Rangers path perhaps that you will have more fun on the five than a hardtail IME

If there was one person the Blur TRC was made for then judging by the OP it was him

If you rode at places like coed-y-brenin then you wouldn’t last two minutes on a hardtail! I’ve started riding the black routes and tbh I don’t think you’d get around it on a hardtail without pushing sections.

lol my brother rode the red bull run at CYB on a fully rigid Marin when he was 7 and I used to ride the place all the time as a teenager on a Santa Cruz Chameleon.

That or great troll!

I’ve pedalled everything from 80mm to 160mm, and what I have learnt is that less is more.

Especially in the rear. 😆

Guilt? Weird!

I own stuff, some of which is rarely used. I don’t feel guilt about it. Why would I?

Ride what you like when you like where you like. Life too short for existential guilt.

I can entirely sympathise with the o.p here. I find Five’s boring too.

A big LOL @ people who think you need 140mm of travel to have fun on a bike or ride a certain place.

How times have changed.

I love my five AM too it may be a bit heavy and numb going uphill but its given me great confidence to do stuff id never have done before

the 5 is bang on for everything really does it all,

Just realised that this thread has had a bit of a revival.

You will all be glad to hear I am loving the five at the moment…

Turns out that the shock was badly serviced by Stendec. It has now been Pushed by TF, along with servicing the revelations and fitting a shadow plus rear mech it is back to being fun. Can’t get enough of riding it.

Makes you realise how critical rear shock setup is on single pivot bikes.

Good to hear you’re loving the five.

Though going fast on a HT is still a lot more involving than going fast on a FS (on typical UK trails.)

Riding fast on a folding shopping bike is even more involving, imagine the potential fun (on soft over hardpack, good to firm).

Blower – Member
the 5 is bang on for everything really does it all,

PMSL – from a 5 owner I assume?

Love my 5 for big days out such as Afan , Alps trips and the Peaks, where it makes the riding enjoyable and i feel in control and don’t feel completely battered by the end of it.

For everything else such as local night rides and rides from the door ,20 milers, I tend to ride a SS hardtail which takes all the punishment and wear and tear.. leaving the 5 ready for bigger things.

You probably just need more challenging trails and/or longer rides.

I saw a review last year that said these were very playful bikes indeed, no experience though.

Mine is about to be for sale. What’s the going rate for an 08 Pro in vgc with immaculate XT groupset and Thomson bits ? 😆

mikewsmith – Member
Blower – Member
the 5 is bang on for everything really does it all,

PMSL – from a 5 owner I assume?
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST

What’s so funny?? No blower doesn’t ride a 5, he rides a nukeproof but all his riding mates mostly ride oranges so he realises that they’re the real deal! And has had plenty of goes on ours. I think he may be an orange convert soon! 😀

the most sweeping statement for a fairly average trail bike really 🙂 Most 140mm bikes are very capable, though would be a bold marketing man who would make claims like that. I bet it can’t make good scrambled eggs.

I’ve recently bought a five to replace my blue pig, love it. 😀

mikewsmith – Member
the most sweeping statement for a fairly average trail bike really Most 140mm bikes are very capable, though would be a bold marketing man who would make claims like that. I bet it can’t make good scrambled eggs.
POSTED 7 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

More than just an average trail bike in my opinion, it can be thrown around hard and yet climb alright too.

having tried one it comes about mid pack of the stuff out there, not much in that market that can’t be thrown about hard and climbs alright. Many of the competition can be thrashed and climb really well.

There’s another way of looking at this – is the bike boring? Or is it that you don’t notice it?

Admittedly I live in and around the Calderdale area so I’ve got excellent sweary northerner trails to go at; I also travel into the Lakes/Dales/Peak/Scotland/North Wales a lot.

I ride an Alpine 160 which some may consider overkill for the UK, BUT it’s the only bike that I’ve ridden where I can actually forget about it and just enjoy the riding. Granted it’s not the lightest bike in the world, but I’m not arsey about having to ride up everything in one go, or even ride up it at all if I don’t have to. But it’s more than capable of getting me riding on the razor’s edge on the alongs and the downs.

IMHO if you don’t notice something doing its job, then its doing it well and as it was designed to do it.

But Fives only have two bearings to kill in a British (never ending) winter, win!

Leg-end, Five owner/rider

But Fives only have two bearings to kill in a British (never ending) winter, win!

I’m guessing if it wasn’t made in the UK but still had 2 bearings it wouldn’t get such rave reviews….

IMHO if you don’t notice something doing its job, then its doing it well and as it was designed to do it.

+1

There’s only 2 things to criticise on a Five:
1. RP23 (something coil please)
2. >34t chainring makes the chain foul the pivot on a double set-up.

Everything else about it is as good a compromise as you’ll every find.
My default bike for Calderdale/Lakes/Peak.

Ecky-Thump – Member
There’s only 2 things to criticise on a Five:
1. RP23 (something coil please)
2. >34t chainring makes the chain foul the pivot on a double set-up.

1. On what is basically an XC bike? Nah
2. Not strictly true. 22-36t setup on mine and the Mrs’ bikes run with no issue

^^^ OK legend, I should perhaps have said “can sometimes foul”