7 draw and a bridge.

I also suspect that thinking of bar height in relation to saddle height may be the wrong anyway. It makes sense to set the bars at whatever height feels best going down, when I’m stood up anyway, so saddle height is irrelevant.

Damn good point, a lot of the rules of thumb, or obsession even, with fit is a hangover from road biking, and isn’t really applicable for a trail bike optimised for the alongs and downs. As long as you can get it uphill in safety and sensible comfort, it’s the down, with the saddle out of the way, that matters.

Even on non-fireroad XC this is true I think, roadies spend hours in a single position, on any mountain bike ride, we’re all over the bike.

some thoughts on this here: http://www.bikemag.com/gear/bike-exclusive-konas-2014-process-line/

re-powder coated 2006 patriot 7+
(top service from Orange – they even found some old stickers to suit…)
chrome bars to go with the new headbadge.

still working out which chain device…

I know that you can get any bike re-painted with a bit of effort, but the fact that you can send a frame that you’ve used and abused for years off to Orange and have it returned looking and riding like new for a few hundred quid certainly adds to the appeal.

more pics of the powder coating.
the finish is spot on.
they also replace the bearings, check for cracks etc.

I can just about bear to look at them these days, but my god, I’d forgotten how fugly they were with a straight top tube.

How d’you mean like?????

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I quite liked the look of my old one too. Although I guess I’m in a minority and those cables would drive me mad now.

How long did it take teddy? My Patriot’s been with them 2 weeks.

Godzilla,
just under 3 weeks…
i dropped off and picked up from the factory myself.

And I thought mine was bright! Gotta love a neon pink Five and they look even better dirty 🙂

That pink is bright… cool girls bike 🙂

Mine on Breasty Haw at Easter. 2012 frame, 150 Revelation RTL Ti, Pro2/Mavic wheelset, Maxxis tyres, now with XT cranks and MRP Mini-G2, XT/XTR drivetrain, Reverb, Thomson stem, Renthal Fatbar Lite bar, SDG Bel Air – definition of functional, fantastic handling and built-down-the-road-from-my-house bike. My other bike is an equally as functional but built-a-bit-further-down-the-road Curtis S1.

on a bridge

on a bigger bridge

That’s an interesting selection of bikes.

I tend to prefer the brighter colours, but have to admit that DaveBoyWonder’s bike looks right in that setting. A gritty northern bike in some gritty northern rock. I think I understand the “functional” comment too. It’s just as complicated as it needs to be and no more.

I think there is more to the Five than that though. It’s taken me a long while and a fair few bikes to really get it. If you take a Five and a modern multi pivot bike for a quick spin around the block (or back to back loops around the garden as I did) you could be forgiven for thinking that the Five is just outdated and clunky. Yet there is something about it that keeps bringing me back.

I’ve only ever had one FS (a SC Blur ‘Classic’ that I still have), and I know nowt about suspension.

Can anyone enlighten me on the single pivot vs multi pivot issue? For your average MAMIB (Middle Aged Man In baggies), who’s more likely to be mincing around CYB than taking on ‘Fab’ in Provence, does it really matter ?… does multi-pivot have real world advantages over the venerable 5, Superlight, Kona Process and so on, for a normal bloke?

Well this is my take, having spent lots of time comparing two different (older and newer) Fives with my 2012 Trance. YMMV of course, which is all part of the fun.

For just riding along the Trance was undoubtedly smoother and more refined. The thing I really like about the Five though is that it comes alive at precisely the point where the Trance gives up. Actually that’s not quite right. The Trance doesn’t give up, better riders than me can ride it up or down anything. But the Five just feels fun at the point where the Trance started to feel scary.