Orange 5 – first go & impressions

So, got myself a go on a Five yesterday while my bike’s in getting serviced and thought I’d stick up my thoughts. For info, my usual bike’s a wee Trek 6300 hardtail with upgraded forks (100mm Rebas) and brakes (XO’s).

I had an 18″, which I ‘think’ may be a touch too big – a slightly lower 17″ with the same reach would be about ideal I reckon.

Anyway, took it for a spin round the Red @ Kirroughtree and after a bit of getting used to I really rather enjoyed it.

Anything remotely rough &/or downhill was a hoot, obstacles, rocks, roots and drop-offs that I normally would either struggle or just walk over were just obliterated on the Five. No problem whatsoever, it was almost like cheating.

However, on the climbs I was struggling a bit. I don’t know whether it was me, getting used to full-suss bobbing about, needing to tweak the set up a bit or just that these bikes are built for down rather than up, but it felt like much harder work than the old hardtail.

Would I consider actually buying one? Damn right, but I’d definitely like to try a few alternatives too.

I have just sold mine, but did kirroughtree red on it last sat. Of the various 7 Stanes I reckon that route was more fun on my 5 than any of the others. As you say the rocky rooty stuff just gets swallowed up. In our group of 9 the fastest climber was a Titus fireline 29’er and fastest on the downs was the 5.

Trek 6300 hardtail with upgraded forks (100mm Rebas)

This to any reasonable full sus will make trail centre downs feel great (though there is a place for good fun HT’s up there – mine had 150mm 36’s on though)

but I’d definitely like to try a few alternatives too.

Best thing to do, I reckoned the first full sus I rode was the one for me, and the next one and the one after that – then I rode the Kona and knew there were some bad ones….

On the ups and down thing, I remember being on a bike treks demo day as somebody rode up on a HT preaching that on the steep ups thats where the HT really owned it and why they were great, as I span past on a FS bike 🙂 It will never get as light or direct but it can get close with fitness. That occasion was on a 160mm Carbon Nomad.

Unsure if there are many bikes that can impersonate it…are you looking for names of bikes or just the manufacturers? I’m sure Huffy would make something…;-)

Although I don’t currently own one, I’ve had plenty of Orange single pivot bikes and I’ve got to say that despite what people may have you think regarding the superiority of linkage designs, there is “something” about the 5.

bought aa five frame myself, 18″ about a month ago or so. Thought the angles were perfect coming from an 456ss but felt there was alot of pedal bob on the climbs.

sent the shock to Loco and got it back the other day, the difference is night and day, its gone from being a great bike, to a bloody awesome bike.

It not climbs great and as you say once you point it down the hill it takes off!

Definitely reccomend one!

Having moved to a Five from a Stumpjumper HT I didn’t find any difficulty in climbing quickly. In fact I would say that over technical rooty rocky climbs, the Five (and other FSusers) are better than HTs because the back wheel is kept more in touch with the ground. But I would agree that a HT gives a slightly more direct response to pressure on the pedals.

But I fully agree about the downhills – lots of obstacles that I wouldn’t have attempted on the HT were ironed out into somethign I felt comfortable to tackle.

full sus will make trail centre downs feel great

so will my nanna’s shopmobility scooter. Take a five out to the lakes or the peaks and let it rip.

TBH just about every mtb company makes something to do the same job as a Five does, and most of them do it well- just becomes a matter of taste.

Buut, what Orange do better than most is that instantly-familiar thing, you don’t really need to figure out most Oranges, you just jump on and go.

(at the weekend I testrode a 146 and a gyro, at the end of the hour the 146 still felt weird and unpredictable, meanwhile I happily rattled the Gyro down the rocks and drops on the fort william 4x course 🙂 )

I’ve been round the Red @ Kirroughtree on a Trance and reckon it would be a hoot on a Five. Just enough rocky stuff for the extra travel and slacker angles to make themselves felt in a good way.

As Northwind says though, there are lots of 140mm 67 degree trail bikes out there. None seem to divide opinion quite as much as the Five. To some it is outdated and crude, but it is an easy bike to love. Maybe it is just that it feels so instinctive to ride. It’s a bit like a faithful old collie. A bit creaky, but you know it will never let you down and will always be willing to chase one more stick.

By the way, Northwind I don’t suppose you could be persuaded to give us a more detailed impression of the differences between the Gyro and Five29 now that you’ve ridden both. Maybe a new thread, to avoid derailing this one.

I originaly wanted a Whyte T120, so booked one for a demo with cycleworks at Surrey. As you could take out 3 bikes I took out a Stumpie Evo and a Five. Didn’t like the Whyte, The Spesh was good, but the Five was fun. And thats what I want when I ride.

Interesting…

As an owner of an ASR-5 at 120mm, would it be worth buying a frame and sticking some hoops / decent forks on it – then at what length is best?

Seems like it’d be an overlap of the ASR5 rather than the “next fork length up” and therefore into the naintaining 2 bikes bracket?

I went from an Orange 5 to an ASR5 and the ASR is a different class when it comes to climbing. It was 140mm forks and is good when pointed down, but not as good as the Orange.

What’s more importtant to you?

ScottChegg – Member

What’s more importtant to you?

All round performance. In which case I’ll stick with the yeti.

If you are looking at the Five then you should also consider Orange’s two wagon-wheelers; the Gyro and Five29. My impression from testing a Gyro (having owned an older Five) was that it climbed much better than the Five. It was on a par with my 26″ trance, which is consistently around 10% faster up hills than the Five. The bigger wheel also gave me more confidence and stability on the descents and felt as capable as the 140mm 26″ Five. But that’s the view of a nervous mincer. It would be interesting to hear whether the same holds true for more skilled riders. My guess is that, if you have the skills to really push it, the Five is still the better descender.

not sure there are that many true 140mm 67 degree head angle trail bikes, most have 150 forks and 67 head angles.

Will do Roverpig- but in short 5-29 quite good, Gyro quite pointless 😉

Thanks. I’m looking forward to the full thread. Should be quite exciting 🙂 Maybe it will even put me off buying that Gyro !

Don’t get too excited!

All round performance. In which case I’ll stick with the yeti.

I think a 140mm fork would be a benefit, TBH. I couldn’t get along with the ASR with the fork at 120mm, but that extra bit of travel at the front really opened up the performance of the thing.