Orange 5, worth the money?

OK so I am looking at getting a Full Suss and have always fancied the Orange 5. However, the price is a “tad” high when compared against other bikes such as the Pitch Pro or a Trek EX8. I then looked at the ST4, no cheaper, are they worth it?

Help

Steve

Mate’s just replaced his for a Whyte E-120, he wouldn’t have got rid but he mashed the BB threads and it wasn’t economical to repair. It was 7yrs old or so.

When we went to Spain last yr there were 2 others on 5’s that swore by them.
You probably need to try one – I find them a bit ‘active’ compared to my Stumpjumper FSR.

very versatile; can build up light to cover ground at high speed or build up burly for lots of fun, or can do summit in the middle.

I like em, lots of traction, good simple fun bikes.

Get a test (Bike Treks in Ambleside?). I think they look ace and would have had one if not for the unmissable price I got my Intense for. Dirt and MBR both seem to rate highly as do others. I’m sure with an RP23 and time setting up you’ll be able to get a feel that suits you.

Mine is. It’s strong, simple, low maintenance and fun. None of those multiple pivots just for the sake of it.

Of course it’s not!

Still a cool bike though.

I’d have one, just on the strength of rave reviews from mates who’ve already got them.

buy the Orange.. support the UK Ecomony 😉

When I was looking to replace my Turner Flux with something more versatile I took a Five for a test ride, not expecting a lot. I was very, very surprised and it really became a no-brainer decision.

As Squirrel says they tick a lot of boxes and while they’re pretty ugly (in my opinion) they ride really well up, down and across the dirt. I don’t think you can put a Five in the same class as a Trek or a Specialized, simply because the Five is hand made in the UK and Orange generally are a premium brand still.

The RP23 is custom tuned by Orange and I don’t know what they’ve had done to it but I never ride with the ProPedal switched on and it still goes like the clappers. But then going back 12 years, my first ever full suss bike was a single pivot Marin, so maybe I’m just more tolerant to the suspension action than some!

Cannondale Prophets get good reviews and are very similar 140mm ish travel single pivot, and much better value.

Already have a P7 so quite like the Orange feel, its just the price tag that worries the bank manager (wife)

Be very careful with the size of frame you buy.
I was told 2 buy a 18″ by LBS but found it a tad 2 big. Swapped it for a 16″ – much more fun. By the basic model and you can upgrade it over the next 5 years. Best money I’ve ever spent – today I’m buying my 5 a Gravity Dropper… bring it on kirroughtree.

mine was worth it, but then i traded a chameleon and a phone for it.

Owned one for a month now, definitely no regrets yet.

Buy a 5. I’ve been loving mine since i bought my 2007 frame in July last year. I only use maximum pro-pedal on the shock for road or fire roads, with the shock open it just flies!!

I wouldn’t call it ugly although it’s very much a case of function over form, thats why i like it though. A full-sus couldn’t be more simple surely?

Not neccesarily the lightest 5.5″ travel bike but it carries its weight so well.

Some say they are noisy due to the box section construction but i disagree with that.

Ive had three! And would have one again, dont really need a ‘susser for most of the riding I do now. As above, try before you buy/compare a few others?

Previous posts have said it all! I’ve had my 5 now for nearly 5 years now, I’d buy another, and another, and another! I love the simplicity of the single pivot. I have an RP23 on it much better than the Manitou 3 way it came with. My wife also has a 5 and loves it( although a bit too good for her Tissington trail rides with the kids, what she doesn’t realise is its also my spare bike ;-)!

Definately worth it. Purchased my 5 Pro in May ’07 and I’ve not considered another bike since. Reasonably light (for a 5.5″ FS bike, especially as it looks like its made from girders), good looking (if you like girders), tough, do-it-all bike. As said previously rides up, down, over and across things with relative ease and speed with loads of feel and rider feedback. Its a pleasure to ride.

My wife has a Five and says it’s absolutely fantastic, I have to say that on the odd occasion that I’ve ridden it (when she’s had her back turned) it has felt really lively and it definitely brings out the kid in you.

Better a noisy bike that works than a silent one that’s always in bits.

If I were in the market for a single pivot full sus frame I’d be looking at Cannondale rather than Orange.

As you say, Orange are very over-priced considering the relatively poor build quality and simplicity of the design (hardly paying off years of R&D are they?)

For some though the fact a frame is beaten out of old filing cabinets in the UK is enough to for them to swallow the premium of having a ‘Made in UK’ sticker on them, with the actual ride and build quality being secondary.

Its your money at the end of the day but you don’t see many bad reviews of Cannondale Prophets.

Like you do see loads of bad Five reviews? I must have missed those ones. Seems to me the Five’s evolved over years – albeit subtly, since the original design was pretty good to start with.

i have a five. if i were buying new i’d get the frame/shock and build it how i want it, but i bought my 08 SH.
i felt at home on mine very quickly indeed, which was really pleasing. given the cost though i would look at the commencal 5 closely. used to have a prophet, and i’d like another go on one now, but i can’t see them staying cheap for much longer given what’s gone on with the exchange rate.
nice choices though. have fun. 🙂

sootyandjim I think you’re a tad off the mark, my Orange frame (UK built Subzero) is very well built, not a single issue, but you’re right, you don’t hear that many bad reviews of those Crack-n-fail profits Cannondale Prophets do you?

Like you do see loads of bad Five reviews? I must have missed those ones

Did I say the Five had bad reviews?

Its just the Prophet has outstanding reviews across the majority of the mtb press, is a comparable product and costs a damn sight less.

Unless the OP has ‘patriotic’ issues or some other irrational reason to spend his money of an arguably poor value product then choosing the Five over the Prophet would fall into the category of ‘fool and his money’.

Of course were the price of the Five to drop to one more comparable with the Prophet…

Oh, I just noticed, the term Crack-n-fail has appeared, how predictable. Of course Orange’s history of poor warranty support for its many failed frames is just ignored as the kind of quaint thing you get from a handmade British product producing company.

For the full house MrNutt you could mention how Orange bikes are the only bike that could have propelled Steve Peat to the top of the DH scene.

Its your money at the end of the day but you don’t see many bad reviews of Cannondale Prophets.

Haven’t seen any bad reviews of the Five either.

What I have seen is two Prophets broken clean through at the headtube, not seen that on a five (yet).

lets not forget that Orange bikes are the only bike that could have propelled Steve Peat to the top of the DH scene. 😉 😆

What I have seen is two Prophets broken clean through at the headtube, not seen that on a five (yet).

Volume of sold product vs failures?

dunno, personal experience is two to none though… 🙂

I’m sure fives do break, i’m just hoping not as catastrophically as that, one gave my friend a good collection of stitches…

Have just returned from a factory visit to orange today.If you question oranges manufacturing quality I suggest you arrange a visit to see for yourself and talk to the guys who actually build them.If you think they are poor value for money after seeing the work that goes into building them then you truly qualify as a “tightwad” (they meet the criteria to go the u.s hanbuilt bike show!!!).If you think the sole reason to buy them is because they are british then you’ve missed the point.As for warranty I suggest you look at the definition warranty not guarantee.

Hi mate I have a five, got it in august the best bike I have ever owned. Had a stumpy fsr still have a cove stiffee. I really like the bike it’s really tough climbs well flies down hill, never ridden a cannondale so cant comment. Orange are very good on the test ride front so I would speak to your LBS. But I would not even think twice about buying one again.

Couldn’t care less where my bikes are built, whether they’re built by machines or blokes, the neatness of the welds, or how noisy they are – all I’m bothered about is ride quality and reliability. Had Oranges for years and they’ve been mint.

Thanks for all the replies, I’m not patriotic or anything, I like the P7 and the 5 definitely appeals. To minimise cost I have been thinking of just getting the S and then upgrading the forks and hubs before delivery. Still leaves me with SLX for a £2k bike.

I think everything else I can upgrade over time. Any thoughts on this approach.

Mine’s a year old this week – been faultless!

I can’t speak highly enough of it – in fact I’ll stop now because I’ll just start gushing…

They’re built well, plenty of miles, still rides like it’s out of the box. But ignoring the practicality and good value (ok I paid ’08 prices and it was good value if you ask me!) – it just rides so nicely. It’s aggressive and lively, rides light, somehow seems to really look after you to (just when you think you’ve over done it, it somehow steps in and saves you)…

There we go, I’m doing it again, I’ll stop. 🙄

Hey! have you seen the one for sale in the classifieds section?

Uk edition Commencal Meat 5.5-mostly SLX £2150.Santa Cruz Heckler R Kit-SLX £2100.Konan Dawg Delux-SLX £1900.Need to get with spring 2009 pricing mate and there is more likely than not another increase on the way.

Gibbon, how did you wangle the factory visit, have you got somebody on the inside?

As for the debate it all got a bit handbags and brollys over the prophet and 5!

They are expensive, granted. But you are paying for a frame that starts off as sheet aluminium, cut, bent, folded, welded, heat treated etc etc. Its not a piece of junk mass produced in a factory in Taiwan like some of the others which have a tiny ‘Made in Taiwan’ sticker hidden away underneath. Some of the components supplied on the 5 can be a bit iffy. Mine is a 5 Pro 2005, and the headset was u/s within a few months. The Hope hubs were crap (not Oranges fault really though). It wasn’t all XT but all the manufacturers cut corners on items that aren’t noticed. If you have components already then consider building it up. The only reason I bought the complete bike was I had the money to do so at the time. I wouldn’t dismiss building one as I enjoy building bikes up.

At the end of the day, if you end up with a 5, however you get it bought or home built, I don’t think you will regret it.

Trade.

Does seem expensive as my yeti 575 was only 1175 for the frame, although many people will think its a made in taiwan piece of junk. I did like the look of the 5’s though and maxle on the rear would be good.

its amazing how much stuff has gone up since December though

575’s are £1500 now.