Orange 5 with 36's or Alpine 160

Have got the choice of either of these bikes. Spec is pretty similar.

Going to be riding snowdon, Enduros etc.

Advice?

Thanks
Peter

If it is the new Alpine 160 i’d go with that.

My vote would be for the Alpine.

Which wheel size/frame design?

New Alpine looks pretty sweet, I’d have one over a 26″ Five with 36s.

And over a 650b Five probably.

I have a 5 and an Alpine 160, I have tried the 5 with 36s and to be honest the Alpine is a much nicer bike to ride with 36s on.

Its a 2012 Five and a 2012 Alpine.

Tried an Alpine 160 and a Five AM and bought the Alpine. Handled better, more comfy, much much quieter swing arm. The 5 is great with shorter forks and probably all the bike that most people need, but with longer forks it just felt wrong. Handled like a boat, BB to high, etc.

The Alpine’s a great bike, geo is spot on, it’s only downside is it’s not the best at uphill, but I found it better going than the Five AM. And who buys a bike on the merit it’s good uphill over DH potential?

neither i would go for a nomad!!

Alpine. Buy the frame the forks were intended for.

neither i would go for a nomad!!

had one. Sold it quicker than any other bike Ive owned. Bought an Alpine. Which I’m keeping.

can i ask why??

cant see me changing my nomad

it was a Mk1 and I got sick of the bottom linkage compressing with every pedal stroke in the granny ring, effectively shortening the chainstay and yanking the rear wheel forward half an inch with every crank of the pedals. And having to spend 90 quid on a bearing/pivot kit every 9 months. Later models improved with revised linkages and better bearings.

The Alpine climbs like a mountain goat by comparison and havent had to go near the bearings in 2 years.

tbh im not the best climber but i dont have a problem with any peddle bob.

they’ve been a few threads in the past comparing the two bikes.The concensus by those that had actually ridden both was that the Alpine was better all round… (and I have a five with 160’s).

Pedal bob? Lockout? All frames have some bob.

Fwiw I love my Five with 36’s. turns it into a right hoot when the trail points down. No complaints about the bb being too low, riding like a tank, boat or anything other than a massively fun bike.

Can’t comment on the Alpine though

I too ride a five AM fitted with fox 36’s and the Cane Creek DB Air- zero pedal induced rear end bob when honking uphill and I am in the region of 19 stone all up weight. Of course it always helps to pedal in circles too 😉

I’m sure orange fsers are great bikes, but for some reason they look like a Transformer vomited.

If it’s the alpine 2012 then I’d go with the five with 36s, loved mine, flow downhill and could throw it around easily, now I’ve got the alpine 2014, it feels just as light, yet a lot more stable at speed.

My current 5 started as a 2009 AM. Always thought the Fox 36 160 were just a bit too big for it after having a 140 5 before it. When the forks turned to mince I replaced them with 140mm DT’s.

If it was my choice I’d go Alpine over a 5 AM but normal 5 over the Alpine, if that makes sense.

N.B. I’ve not riden an Alpine but am not very ‘rude’ these days so the 5 is enough for my riding style.