Pictures would also be good, if you have any. 🙂

I’m back to seriously considering a Diva again atm as the Heckler just doesn’t have the spark I was looking for.

Also…..anyone know if you can fit a CCBD on a short Diva 5? I’m thinking it’s unlikely to have the room?

looking at the Five Diva in Orange’s website it looks like it could be tight to get a CCDB in there in the conventional position. But theres no reason why you cant have the CCDB back to front or upside down or both.

I’d drop Orange an email tomoro if I was you.

Ta, that was pretty much the decision we came to. 🙂

So I guess no-one here actually owns a Five Diva then?

how does the five differ from a heckler?

Doubt Orange would spec a shock that wouldn’t fit.

@lbg – no one who has an Orange 5 Diva has read this thread and responded in the last 7 hours, which on a stunning Spring day with dry trials isn’t perhaps a total surprise !

MrsG owns a Diva (14inch long) but it’s a 2007-2008 so not much use for what you want to know.

cruzheckler – Member

how does the five differ from a heckler?

It’s slacker as far as I can tell from the specs.

It’s got a tapered head-tube so I don’t mind spending out on a new set of blingy forks. 😉

I own a five diva pro took it to Stainburn forest today. It’s, a 2009diva tho…..my son has a ccdb on his orange alpine..loves it. Duno bout the five tho…. But I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that orange are trying the ccdb on the five. Drop them an email..

elaine anne – Member

I own a five diva pro took it to Stainburn forest today. It’s, a 2009diva tho…..my son has a ccdb on his orange alpine..loves it. Duno bout the five tho…. But I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that orange are trying the ccdb on the five. Drop them an email..

Thanks Elaine 🙂

I have a feeling I met your son at Lee Quarry a few months back….on a purple alpine?

My OH has a CCDB on his 5 and it really has turned the bike into a total beauty – I swear he was a quick down Cwmcarn on it as on his DH bike, if not quicker. 😯

Is yours a short or long Diva (or did they only do one version in 2009?) What fork are you running out of interest?

Thanks 🙂

hi yup my son ~ he has a purple alpine… 😉
yeah my frame is a short’ frame as im only 5ft in height..ahhaha… im running ‘fox float R’forks forks on my Diva..140 travel.. the orange Diva was the only ‘full sus’ bike that fit me..lol…i have short legs body ….goddam ‘god’ didnt provide me with long legs…
yeah i luv my Diva…..its an apple green colour… i chose that colour first in my area 😉 since then ive seen a few apple greens around… disco black people seems to like too but at the moment i see alot of the sky blue colour around..

Thanks 🙂 How does it handle? Is there anything you would change? Do you think a 160 on the front would upset the handling seeing as the frame is so compact?

My other half has a Five Diva long, 2011 frame. She runs it with a pike for uk and a 36 van for the alps and DH. The bigger fork does change the feel of it a fair bit and makes it a bit much for general use, however it’s awesome for the alps/uplifting. In general its a great bike, really confidence inspiring.

I have a fox van rc that fits the frame just, (piggy back facing down and mounted at the swingarm) if you fancy to measuring up the CCDB and let me know the dimensions, I should be able to tell you how it compares?

Hi bedfo – thanks for the response 🙂

I have the LBS on the case to try and get me a short Diva hire bike in, and the guy did say he would speak to orange to see if it could come with a 160 on the front. I’m not too hopeful I’ll get that luxury on a test bike, but it was worth asking so fingers crossed!

Thanks for the offer of measuring up the CCDB – tbh, I may as well wait until the hire bike comes in now and I’ll be able to check with the OH’s, but kind of you to offer.

No worries, yeah nothing better than trying one. I reckon the CCDB will just about fit!

We’ve had demo bikes from orange in the past (old st4 and a five) and they both came fitted with the bigest fork they’d take, so with any luck it’ll have the 36 up front!

Good luck with it!

Quick update – my LBS has finally got a date from Orange for the test ride (4th May as the bike is out until that date) and I’m pretty excited to see how it rides. 😀

Unfortunately Orange have said no to testing it with 36’s on the front and also confirmed the CCDB will definitely not fit 🙁

But hey ho, it may be a good thing, I need a trail bike for all dayers in the UK, trail centres, pedally stuff and what-have-you……

….although my heart is saying maybe I want to be looking at building up the Heckler with kashmina talas 36’s up front and a CCDB on the back, lighter wheels and components, 2×10 drivechain, get it powdered-coated nice…maybe then I might like it a bit more 😉

totally missed this thread first time around, Mrs Legend could have an input here.

14″ long Diva
RS Revelations
SLX dual setup cranks
X7 mechs/shifters
SS hubs with Mavic 719s
Advantages front and rear
Hope stem (70mm for general playing)
Easton EA70 bars
Deore brakes

makes for a bike much more fun that any I own 🙁 also surprisingly light (when compared to my, very XC, Anthem)

shitty phone pic:

IMAG0195 by mark_penman, on Flickr

Thanks Legend – does Mrs Legend have any good points/bad points to say about it?

Very nice looking bike!

Current feedback is that it’s just “**** awesome”….. not exactly useful but to put it into context this is in comparison to her current IH Sunday and her old Patriot and jump hardtail. No bad points found after a few months riding (well maybe lack of active braking, but that’s a given)

Brilliant, that’s what I like to hear! 😀

Thanks!

So I finally got a test ride on the short Diva and it was a real mixed bag, but overall I did indeed fall in love with it and am gonna get one….when I have decided on spec. Input welcome!

The short is a perfect size when out of the saddle. Sitting and spinning it was small, but fine with the saddle back on the rails.

Some things were componentry issues that would be easy to remedy (wider bars, get rid of triple set up, run SRAM, put on some proper pedals as the flats the bike shop put on were the worse I have ever ridden). ADvantage tyres performed much better than I was expecting. Loved the X2 brakes – I’ve always run M4’s and was surprised at how good the X2’s are.

Was crackingly accurate with the 140 mm on the front, like, the front wheel went where I put it (a novelty for me). Went round bermed corners like (for want of a less cliche saying) it was on rails.

Wasn’t as great at climbing or on the flat as I was expecting (but then I’m not great at climbing so I suspect I was expecting miracles and it still hurt!). Pedalling over rough stuff wasn’t great, but I suspect that may have been a lot to do with the awful pedals.

Absolutely came to life on the descents, more than I imagined it would, but the air can on the back was poor. The bike shop set it up and said I might need to let a bit more air out, I ended up putting an extra 20 PSI in and was still blowing through the travel, even on the relatively tame verderers. The air fork performed better than I expected, although I did have to run it hard to stop it diving.

Felt a little undergunned with the 140 mm up front on more DH orientated trails, took it down the DTV race track for Sunday and it struggled on the steeper bits. Ski run is hardly full-on DH either…but saying that it was fine for 90% of it.

Best thing of all – felt awesome to jump on. Well balanced and responsive.

So, I’m gonna get one but have NO IDEA how to spec it.

160 mm up front or stick with the 140 mm?

Go with coil forks even though I promised myself what I needed was a nice light 140 mm trail bike?

The CCDB doesn’t fit so I’m likely to keep an air can, but maybe get it pushed.

And then the hardest decision of all……what colour scheme to go with?!!

The short is a perfect size when out of the saddle. Sitting and spinning it was small, but fine with the saddle back on the rails.

I may have missed something above but are you sure that you need a short? A long one is only 2cm longer in effective TT but would put your saddle rails in a sensible place. Also the long diva is just a normal 14 inch five with different spec parts unless I am mistaken.

Don’t buy one with 160mm forks until you try one with them, its totally different. I personally don’t like 160’s on a Five.

Glad to hear the X2s are good Jo as I’ve just bought some for the HT! 😀

What shock did it come with Jo? My Pat was rubbish with the DHX Air but I think thats a problem with that shock on single pivots, I thought the Five was meant to work with air shocks?

Random suggestion – would a cane creek air can fit? Might not be much smaller than the DB but worth a bit more investigation maybe?

Wibble89 – Member
I may have missed something above but are you sure that you need a short? A long one is only 2cm longer in effective TT but would put your saddle rails in a sensible place. Also the long diva is just a normal 14 inch five with different spec parts unless I am mistaken.

Yes. I have sat on the long and it definitely feels too long. It was awesome being on the small, I could really move my weight around and just felt 100% at home with the size.

skywalker – Member

Don’t buy one with 160mm forks until you try one with them, its totally different. I personally don’t like 160’s on a Five.

Thanks for the input skywalker, this is what I am most worried about. I am used to riding stupidly-slack, but the whole point of getting this orange is so that I will have something that handles a little better on normal trails than what I have at the moment.

I am, however, wondering about the Float 150’s (FIT-RLC)…seem like the best of both worlds?

SammyC – Member

Glad to hear the X2s are good Jo as I’ve just bought some for the HT!

What shock did it come with Jo? My Pat was rubbish with the DHX Air but I think thats a problem with that shock on single pivots, I thought the Five was meant to work with air shocks?

Hey SammyC, fancy seeing you here 😉

It came with a Fox Evolution RL

I have spoken to a man-that-knows-his-oranges and it turns out he had similar issues with blowing through the travel on his new five because its been specced with the larger air can which doesn’t work with the single pivot…which was sorted with a J-Tech revalve.

Dashed – I’ve read VERY mixed reviews on the CC air and wouldn’t want to risk it tbh.

I think Carrie Poole rides a Diva, and she might have 160 forks on…..maybe!

The upgrades I would get personally are;

1) RP23
2) 140mm 32 RLC’s
3) Performance pack 1 (which is a bargain)

The rest of the upgrades are pointless because you pay for almost full price for them but you don’t get the standard part as well. You would be better off selling the bits and buying the upgrades yourself.

Jo – small air can will make quite a difference, a difference for the better in my view. The feel and ability to really push on the low volume shock was good.

And I agree with flow, sorry, I mean skywalker – 160mm forks on a 5 don’t feel as nicely balanced to me.

And keep it light – don’t be tempted by your love of coil forks just yet.

And I agree with flow, sorry, I mean skywalker

Ahhh come on maaaaaaaan, thats not even funny anymore!

Why does everyone say that?

I am, however, wondering about the Float 150’s (FIT-RLC)…seem like the best of both worlds?

I run the 150mm RCT3 revelation’s on my Five and it feels fine. Its an 18″ though so not sure how that will differ scaling down.

I’ve recently gone to some 150 air revelations from totems on my other bike which are coil. I’ve always doubted air forks and their abilities but I was wrong. Theyre bloody good.
So flow/skywalker what’s the story?

Presume you are getting just te frame? I have seen some really good deals on the diva frame only.

I thought it was really small with the short being for people under 5″. I tried the long but went with the 16″ as I am 5″5. Love it though, so go for it!

My son was eying up the 14″, and the short would be perfect for my 11 year old, but he is not getting one of course. Still, it would make a great junior bike!

Have a search for the frames, especially if you want to change the spec. I have the pro ( bought used) with the 140 foxes, it feels nice. I will put on my 36″ for the alps.

Go on, get one!

So flow/skywalker what’s the story?

There is no story, someone just decided I was someone else, presumably because I have a Five.

Thanks all

I’m gonna have to go with full bike I think because it needs to go partly on credit.

I’ve made the decision, despite pondering the 150’s to stick with the 140 mm upfront. In reality I rarely get to the AM stuff any more, and the 140 mm will be better for trail centres. If I was to suddenly have a decent bit of luck and end up living in the lakes then I’d reconsider the fork choice, but I’m betting the bike rarely leaves the undulating Midlands. I’ll still have the big bike for the DH stuff which will remain my focus anyway.

The bike shop are pretty helpful and have said they can be versatile with the spec, even if it means swapping bits out of their stock.

So now it’s just the colour decision…… 😉

Thanks 🙂

PINK!

Heh…

I’m gonna go with black-as-black-can-be and name her ‘missy’

So, Missy arrived today and is just the cure I need for the post-Alps-blues 😀

Looks good Jo! 8)

After riding the Diva for a fair few miles now, I feel like it’s probably worth giving a bit of a review, in case anyone else drags this thread out of the archives whilst trying to decide on a new machine.

Obviously this is just my experience/opinion and is based on my riding style and type of trails. I know there is likely to be many people out there who would review the Diva in a completely different light.

After much deliberation, I went for a 140 mm-reasonably-light build to run on all day rides and to blast about at trail centres, but that would still descend well. The bike does exactly everything I wanted it to, but is way better at technical climbing than I was expecting….and feels SOOOO fast. My list of excuses has now run out! It is an absolute blast to ride.

Fit: the fit of the ‘short’ is perfect for me…I’m 5’3″, short torso’d/long legged and hate being stretched out. In addition, I can really move around the bike a lot.

Suspension: when I first got the bike, I could not get it set up for love nor money. It was either blowing through the travel front and back, or skitting round all over the place. I knew I was likely to need the back tuning from speaking to others who run air can with the the 5, but wasn’t expecting so many problems with setting up the (kashima) forks. The ‘CTD’ feature just felt a bit gimmiky. I was very worried I had made a serious mistake not speccing a 160 mm up front, or going with coil.

In the end I had both the fork and shock tuned by J-Tech to add some mid-stroke compression. I cannot even begin to tell you the huge amount of difference it has made. Now the bike really feels like a rocket. I use all the CTD settings (and I’m notoriously lazy with stuff like that) and they all have a role for varying rides.

If you get the Diva, and want to run air, prepare to pay out to fine tune it.

Other stuff:

The bike came with a long cage XT mech, even though I specc’d a gamut chain device. The XT mech cracked in 40 miles. The failure was manufacturing fault and it’s being replaced under warranty, but it still seems daft not to spec a more appropriate mech when someone has paid to upgrade to a gamut. The long cage just flapped about. I now have a ‘zee’ mech on there.

I never really appreciated what ‘brake jack’ was until now….I am hoping it is going to cure my ‘dragging brakes’ habit. 😆