Anyone got one yet? If so, what do you think? How does it ride? Worth the extra cash?

Saw one yesterday in the flesh, and IMO its fugly and colour scheme doesnt work, especially not for 4k. Lots more to be had for that money elsewhere Im afraid.

I like the Five 650b in bright orange though, much better choice if you wanted an Orange.

I know we need another 650b thread like we need a hole in the head, but if you are thinking of buying a Five now then you have to ask whether you want the slightly bigger wheel. If only because the move to 650b has produced some tasty bargains on the old 26″ model, so you are paying quite a premium at the moment to have the latest trendy wheel size.

Some folk are sceptical of reading too much into the numbers, but we don’t have much in the way of reliable back-to-back tests on the 26″ and 650b Five yet and the Five is a pretty simple beast, so we should be able to get something from the geometry of the two bikes.

It looks as though the front end (and probably the pivot position) is just the same. So (leaving aside slight weight reductions) the new model has 6mm longer chainstays and a 2cm lower bottom bracket (relative to the axles) plus that slightly larger wheel (bit heavier, rolls over stuff a bit easier etc).

So, my guess is that the new Five is slightly more stable than the 26″ model, slightly less playful and, at the moment, quite a bit more expensive.

I’ve ridden one and infact ordered one. I agree the colour of the RS isn’t as good as it could have been, but was impressed with the ride enough to buy comparing it to my 2012 Five which Is. Great bike in its self.

Ride one

Haven’t ridden the 650b Five, but they did a brilliant job of the Five 29er in terms of making it feel Fivey so you’d expect the same here. I bet you an entire pound it’s good.

Think I’d have some problems handing over £4300 for it though. 319s! And Nobby Nics (cheap spec ones too I think) on an “alpine ready” “enduro” bike, that’s a wee bit of a cheek.

And yeah, it’s John Major Grey.

i know a few people who have them, and have various fives over the years, their general thoughts are that its pretty much the same in 27.5 guise, not massively noticeable at all, not like going from 26 to 29er…

i do agree, they could have jazzed it up a bit, why not do the flagship rs model in a nice bright vibrant colour, orange and black (pikes) would look mint! the dull colour choice IMO does the five no justice unless its dripping with XTR stuff

still id love one, and at 4k its not overly bad value really compared to the five pro (with pikes and x01 etc), still got shite rims on it though, at least bung some flows on the pro2’s!

i know a few people who have them, and have various fives over the years, their general thoughts are that its pretty much the same in 27.5 guise, not massively noticeable at all

So why did they spend all that money to change? I’m not knocking them. It’s their money and their choice, I’m just genuinely interested in what it was about the new bike that made it worth the money to “upgrade” from whatever they were riding before.

i didnt say they did, did i? i said they have owned various fives over the years not swapped from a five to a new 27.5 five……..

they have all ridden giant/spesh the last two years, and when this came out they had a go on it and loved it (its my lbs, so they know their stuff and have been riding for god knows how many years)

the shop staff usually change there bikes every year/10 months and havent had a five for the last 2 years, previous to that they had at least one between them every year! they took a break from them and were that impressed with the new 27.5 version they have all gone back to fives! so to me personally knowing the shop/guys they must have been pretty good

like i said they’ve ridden all sorts and all sorts of demo bikes (five 29ers, gyros, fives etc) and they summed it up that it doesnt feel much different to the previous versions, not like taking a big jump from a 26er to a 29er

ive seen them in the flesh and to be honest i didnt even know it was a 27.5!

Thanks O.W.

As I say, I didn’t mean to imply any criticism of your friends and I did say upgrade “from whatever they were riding before” as I realized that you hadn’t said they went from a 26 to a 650b Five. But sorry if it came across the wrong way. I was just interested in what it was about the new Five that they liked (enough to switch bikes). From what you say it sounds as though it was more a case of preferring the Five to the giant/spesh bikes they were on than any great difference between the 26 and 650b Fives.

I think Northwind’s point is also a good one. Orange are pretty good at making bikes that carry the Five name feel like a Five, regardless of the size of the wheels.

rover – sorry was’nt meaning to sound sarcastic there, they have literally run giants or spesh between them for the last 2 years….then they had a go on a five 27.5 at a launch type thing and they were all impressed with the RS version saying that it still felt great like a five should and no noticeable difference on techy stuff

id personally as i know them trust the judgment pretty well, they are not orange fan boys, they try all sorts as there own personal bikes and have been impressed with the spesh/giants they have been using, but they must have just felt at home on the new 27.5

yep and NW is spot on thats basically how they summed it up, it still feels like a five, not in the same way a 29er though, they said it still feels like a 26er which IMO is a good thing as to be honest it didnt need changing anyways, but at least its now futureproof so to speak and still feels like a 26 five

i honestly stood next to one couldnt tell it was a 27.5 until i read the tyre logos

the RS is a good spec apart from the rims, the hubs are still hope so great, but the rims let the package down, and brakes (which are personal) other than that id not be upgrading anything else so 4k to me (id get discount on that too) isnt so bad

id defo be ditching that x01 bashring too, not needed (i know they had to use it to pass tests) and looks gash too! without that on it would instantly be more attractive to me

Thanks, we’re cool 🙂

at least its now futureproof so to speak and still feels like a 26 five

Yes, there is that I guess. Although that does assume that 650b really will replace 26″ over time. I’d have to agree that all the omens point that way at the moment, but I wonder if it’s still too early to tell for sure.

Fortunately for me (since I hate the grey colour scheme) I don’t have the legs to cope with 1×11.

🙂

yep thats assuming the 27.5 takes over the world! i cant see orange with being a small company have thought about this lightly, so i expect its here to stay

it would be one hell of a risk if it did go tits up as id imagine the 26″ five is easily the best selling model they do

like i said from the feedback ive heard its all good and not affected the performance from the 26″ version

it would have looked mint in neon/mandarin orange, all black pikes, all black x01 (including cassette), with a black stealth reverb, and minimal graphics…that would have looked classy yet, still looking not so in your face (if you dont find the orange colour in your face of course)

im sure you could get a different colour one if your absolutly desperate, though i believe they are only doing a run of 50 of the RS version

I have one , I originally had a 2013 five pro with 26″ wheels and got invited to a orange demo day to try the new 650b , I went with the mind set that this 650b job is a big gimmic , the next day I ordered one I loved it , still has that five playfulness , rolls faster , and seems faster everywhere , I have since getting it done pb times round my 2 local trail centres ,

A lot of people seem to be slagging orange for going 650b and suggesting they are just trying to jump on the latest fad, all I can say to them is to try one before you slag it

I would wait it out until the market comes to it’s senses again and realises nobody’s buying into there marketing bullshite and have to revert back to the 26″….it will happen, mark my words 😉

I would wait it out until the market comes to it’s senses again and realises nobody’s buying into there marketing bullshite and have to revert back to the 26″….it will happen, mark my words

Do you have any evidence that “nobody’s” buying into their marketing BS?

I have since getting it done pb times round my 2 local trail centres

These comments always make me LOL.

Why does it matter if you’re faster when you’re timed? I prefer a bike that *feels* faster and more fun, I couldn’t give a monkeys if it’s actually 2 seconds faster on my favourite trail, just if it makes the trail more fun to ride.

A lot of people seem to be slagging orange for going 650b

Not really slagging them, but I am surprised. They seem to trade quite heavily on their no-nonsense Yorkshire image. They’ve stuck with a single pivot, claiming that it is just as good as any of these new fangled multi-link designs. Presumably their core market are of a similar, dare I say conservative (with a small c) mind. I wonder if they’d have been better placed playing the “650b is just marketing BS” card. Still, I dare say they know what they are doing.

sia20 – Member

I have since getting it done pb times round my 2 local trail centres

Do you not find you always work a new bike harder though? Joy of a new ride, I go out and get them good and broken in, then it’s back to business as usual and stopping for haribos every 20 seconds.

Just have a chat with the boys at orange, im sure they would do it in another stock colour if required..???

Have always liked the five and have come close to buying one in the past after a few demo rides. I really like the styling of the RS and it looks ok value for what you get to me, although the tyres would have to go. Could always get Orange to respray to a different colour but personally from the pics I think it looks ace!

I’m biding my time and waiting for the RS Turbo.

i quite like it – and love to have one

but pray tell – what does a £4k paint job look like?

Can we please have another thread about the 5 RS same time next week as there doesn’t seem to be enough discussion about it on here?
If I wasn’t a cynical guy I’d think Orange themselves start a new thread here every few days.

+1 Rickon – sia20’s comment on faster times around trail centres actually does even more to put me off buying one than my existing disinterest in 650b. Having said that, Orange know what they’re doing, and if long distances and fast times are someone’s ‘thing’, the RS is probably a very mint bike.

Thinking of pulling the trigger on a new five, I’m 5ft 11, medium or large? Will have to arrange a demo ride I think!

Oscillate Wildly – Member

id imagine the 26″ five is easily the best selling model they do

It might not be the case any more since their hardtail range seems to have lost the plot completely, but at least a couple of years ago, the hardtails outsold the made-in-halifax ones by quite a lot.

I read the review of the new Five in Dirt today. It’s always hard to cut through the stream of consciousness writing style, but I think the reviewer quite likes the Five. I couldn’t tell if he thought the new one was any better but he seemed to think it was a good bike. His main argument though was that it was now pointless. The Alpine is better for Alpine stuff and the Five29 (with decent wheels) is better for UK trails, so the 650b Five is really just for people that don’t have the nerve to buy a Five29.

Well it’s a point of view I guess.

but pray tell – what does a £4k paint job look like?

Orange don’t paint their frames.

Depends what you mean by uk trails in relation to the view of the smaller wheeled five being pointless. Not so sure I would fancy carrying the 29er on my back to the top of Nan Bield in the lakes for example. The five rs being fairly light for a 150mm trail bike.

With the same build a Five29 will only be a couple of pounds heavier than a Five 650b though. So is that really going to make a big difference on the carry? Also, if you are carrying up to ride down again then wouldn’t you rather be carrying the bike that will be better on the way down even if it is a couple of pounds heavier?

Not that I’m that interested in a 650b vs 29er debate, but if you accept the argument from Dirt that the Five29 is better on the trails maybe the small weight penalty isn’t going to be a big deal.

If only because the move to 650b has produced some tasty bargains on the old 26″ model,

Don’t suppose you’d like to share where I might find these would you? Please? 😀

Well you have to fit a 20″ model, but £600 off for a frame with full kashima loveliness and a maxle rear was enough to tempt me 🙂

bike scene ORANGE CLEARANCE FRAMES

It might not be the case any more since their hardtail range seems to have lost the plot completely, but at least a couple of years ago, the hardtails outsold the made-in-halifax ones by quite a lot.

Was told by a chap at Stif that the best sellers atm are:

1- 5.
2- Alpine.
3- Gyro.

I was dicussing the Gyro at the time. There’s a reason they stopped offering such a range of HT’s (including the as iconic as the 5 P7). My guess would be they didn’t sell enough of ’em. 😉

Well you have to fit a 20″ model, but £600 off for a frame with full kashima loveliness and a maxle rear was enough to tempt me

bike scene ORANGE CLEARANCE FRAMES

Have been very tempted by that offer myself, especially when you add the Kashima 32’s for £1550.

Problem I’ve got is that I fancied a go on a 29er as my friends ride them and I’ve seen the benifits but I can’t help but think the size of the wheels will cheese me off in the end and I’d miss the benifits of 26″. I might very well be the sort of person they’re aiming 650b at and that makes me feel a bit dirty. The CTW is back on at work so I’m looking lovingly at a complete new 5 in all it’s 650b glory 😳

Back to the 5 RS I like the look of it. If you don’t like the colour just get them to paint it in one you do 😕 I see they’re offering the option of premium tyres on the Pro spec now so I’m sure you could get them to stick them on the RS. The use of Sram and Rockshox would put me off the RS, even if I could afford it. Pro for me.

chestrockwell – Member

There’s a reason they stopped offering such a range of HT’s (including the as iconic as the 5 P7). My guess would be they didn’t sell enough of ’em.

The P7 went rubbish in about 2011, I think they just stopped pretending it was a competitive option and people eventually figured it out and stopped buying it.

Have been very tempted by that offer myself, especially when you add the Kashima 32’s for £1550.

Yes, the frame and forks deal does look even better as long as you don’t mind CTD. Simon at LoCo (and no doubt others) can upgrade the damper to the 2014 tune for you as well. Personally I hated the one and only (admittedly Evolution) CTD fork that I’ve ridden so much that I went for an older 2012 RLC fork instead.

Problem I’ve got is that I fancied a go on a 29er as my friends ride them and I’ve seen the benifits but I can’t help but think the size of the wheels will cheese me off in the end and I’d miss the benifits of 26″

I guess I have the advantage of already owning a 29er, so I’ve been cheesed off already 🙂 I think 650b maybe makes sense if you are going for the elusive “one bike to rule them all”. I prefer having a couple of bikes to cover different situations though and I want them to be different enough to make that worthwhile. So, the Five is (for me) the play bike. Speed is irrelevant (I’ll take the FF29 if I care about speed) I just want it to be as fun and playful as possible. I’m sure the new bike is great though, as was the Gyro that I had on demo (apart from those awful forks).

Well you have to fit a 20″ model, but £600 off for a frame with full kashima loveliness and a maxle rear was enough to tempt me

Curse my average sizing! Thank you though!

Yes, the frame and forks deal does look even better as long as you don’t mind CTD. Simon at LoCo (and no doubt others) can upgrade the damper to the 2014 tune for you as well. Personally I hated the one and only (admittedly Evolution) CTD fork that I’ve ridden so much that I went for an older 2012 RLC fork instead.

Must admit that put me off the forks a bit too. Not had a go on any 2013 Fox but too many people comment on the ‘dive’ issue for it not to have merit. Saying that, the price and the thought of shiney new toys makes me forget all that. 😆

I guess I have the advantage of already owning a 29er, so I’ve been cheesed off already I think 650b maybe makes sense if you are going for the elusive “one bike to rule them all”. I prefer having a couple of bikes to cover different situations though and I want them to be different enough to make that worthwhile. So, the Five is (for me) the play bike. Speed is irrelevant (I’ll take the FF29 if I care about speed) I just want it to be as fun and playful as possible. I’m sure the new bike is great though, as was the Gyro that I had on demo (apart from those awful forks).

Yeah, if I get a new one it’ll pretty much be my only bike as I’d have to sell a lot of gear to get one (£1500 limit on our CTW). Quite fancy a 29er HT but know I’d end up on the 5 most of the time, just like I do now. I was thinking of getting a second hand Gyro but the 29er issues still stick in my head. If I did that I could keep my 26″ HT but I think I’d just end up wishing I had a 29er HT and 26/27 FS. I know 650b is the work of the devil but having thought long and hard I keep coming back to the thought that it’s probably for me at this moment in time.

The Alpine is better for Alpine stuff and the Five29 (with decent wheels) is better for UK trails

Ergo the 27.5″ Five is the ideal compromise for the UK rider who takes his/her bike out to the Alps once a year. Possibly

Thinking along the same line as you Stilltortoise. I climb a lot in the Alps but next year I plan to have some family time there too, so am looking for a bike suitable for UK (Lakes and Scotland) and the Alps.