@creamegg
That actually made me laugh out loud 😆

And I’m almost tempted, just to see the look on her face. I think she’d eventually forgive me?

@crush83
<adds Knolly to his Google List>

@Wl
They have a men’s 14″ Five at Cannock so we’ll pop down there and give it a whirl.

Hi spw3,

I’m neither 5ft 2 or a girl; BUT when I rode on an Orange demo day in the Lakes earlier this year, one of the laydeees who was riding with us was similarly sized and on a very small framed Diva Five (or whatever the girly version is called), and she couldn’t have heaped more praise on it. I’ve known her for a while and she’s ridden all sorts of bikes (from Konas to a current santa cruz). Bit tenuous I know but if your GF has the chance to ride one then go for it.

It’s good to know. The size range, paint quality and longevity of the Fives are certainly a point in their favour.

Yes I’m sure the very real and totally a big issue “brake jack” is what’s holding you (and every other rad to the sick) rider up.

Nah, what’s holding me up is slow riders like you in front of me 😉

Once I started noticing it I found I couldn’t ignore it. When I bought my first two FS bikes there wasn’t a lot of choice in terms of suspension design but now there is. And since it bothers me it would please me to avoid frames that it built into its feature set, if at all possible. But of course it might not be possible, given other constraints.

Oh, going back to headtubes… Can you not fit a 1.5 steerer into a 44mm head-tube? That opens up a couple more choices. Does the Mega come in size tiny?

On the other hand master the brake jack on a single pivot and it’s your friend.

Nice way of dropping the center of gravity in a corner.

Barrel had his Stab modified so the floating brake arm could be used to increase brake jack to give better cornering

I reckon a lot of people don’t ‘get’ single pivot Oranges. They ride them once or twice and say they’re not plush, but they’re missing a trick. If you ask me they’re designed to be ridden fast, and when you let the back brake off and hit rough stuff hard, they’re super smooth (or at least, smooth enough) if the shock’s set right. Besides which, there’s a whole lot more to a decent FS frame than just plushness.

mikewsmith – Member

On the other hand master the brake jack on a single pivot and it’s your friend.

On fence- a mate of mine says this. But then he used to say “there’s no such thing as brake jack”. And then he sold his Orange and said “Man, this new bike’s awesome, no brake jack” 😉

just had a look at the 2013 range and there is no P7? the only hardtails are the Diva, Crush and Clockwork.

although the Clockwork is only £899….hmmmm 29″ hardtail from orange for cycle to work, sounds like a winner.

Dude, no-one is going to make 1.5″ forks or head-tubes ever again

You mean, apart from Cannondale, no-one is going to make 1.5″ head tubes ever again?

Andy

Talking of Cannondale – would a small Prophet fit her? I have a frame sitting in the shed that I’ve been meaning to get sold for a while now.

please let her have a go on a five if she hasn’t already, I wanted one for years and when I went to buy it I rented one to be sure and hated it, its all personal nothing to do with headtubes and paint jobs, I got a cheap used heckler and loved it and you’d think they would be the very similar

loved brake jack too once I learned to brake in bunches rather than ride them as it smoothed out the trail as it skipped across the top of everything

It’s good (ie can engage it) on the heckler meant to be different on the bullet.

I reckon a lot of people don’t ‘get’ single pivot Oranges. They ride them once or twice and say they’re not plush, but they’re missing a trick. If you ask me they’re designed to be ridden fast, and when you let the back brake off and hit rough stuff hard, they’re super smooth

I rode it hard – very hard, Alpine still not competing with a Nomad or Blur LT for the same money.

@mikewsmith
Never seen you ride a bike hard, never mind VERY HARD on a tue night 8)

Weird that. I’ve seen tons of folk riding Alpines, Fives and Patriots very hard on very rough trails in the Alps and Lakes, and they seem very happy. Kinda ties in with Dirt’s verdict on Alpines and Fives too. Still, I guess Keswiki’s point highlights the problem with comparisons like this.

Err, I was refering to mikewsmith not the bikes he rides 😀

The only thing I have to say RE 2013 Oranges (and this is as a 2012 Five owner) is – HOW MUCH??? The prices have gone up even more. When most company’s prices are going down.

Weird that. I’ve seen tons of folk riding Alpines, Fives and Patriots very hard on very rough trails in the Alps and Lakes, and they seem very happy. Kinda ties in with Dirt’s verdict on Alpines and Fives too. Still, I guess Keswiki’s point highlights the problem with comparisons like this.

Conversely you’ll see loads of Nomads and Blurs being ridden “very hard” in the Surrey Hills and South Downs 😛

although the Clockwork is only £899

That’s the first Orange hardtail I’ve seen that doesn’t look ‘right’. It must be the clown wheels.

Conversely you’ll see loads of Nomads and Blurs being ridden “very hard” in the Surrey Hills and South Downs

Polls.

I got an Orange 5 to irritate Cannondale owners, job done.

Get her a fatty, job done

Bikescene are doing a stumpjumper evo frame in small for 699.99 I replaced my five frame with one of these and it’s great.

Err, I was refering to mikewsmith not the bikes he rides

Now trying to work out who Keswicki is…..

Oranges, Blurs & Nomads were ridden on demo out of Biketreks so ridden like it’s someone elses!