I’m after –

Fun
Efficiency
Can handle big hits
Low maintenance bearings
Good cable routing
Silence
A seattube i can insert a long dropper in

A quick fun bike that gives me now excuses up, along or down and will open up gaps here, there and everywhere.

My extensive hunting says the 5010 is the one the fulfils the above.

Does my interpretation of the 5010 correlate with reality?

Cheers.

The only issue with the cable routing (if it’s anything like the bronson) is the brake routing is optimised for US config (cack handed). Not messy, but not perfect.

Wrecker – noticed that, going to run brake internal on the right of the DT, gear cable external on the left of the DT, cables cross in front of the seattube.

THos Cotics are meant to be good fun. Or even an Orange?

The 5010 is brilliant; I rode it for a three day 200 mile coast to coast, raced the Ard Moors enduro on it, ride all the Tweed Valley trails on it. The stock bike is well matched with the Pikes (even the basic version) being able to take big hits. The cable routing for the rear brake is annoying but you’ll get over it I reckon! Lifetime bearings for the original owner is a winner. I have a size large, am 6ft and could easily run a 150mm dropper.

You won’t be disappointed.

The cables are an annoyance.

There aren’t any cable stops on the DS of the downtube, that’s going to look even worse than running them the right way.

I applaud SC for sticking with external brake routing, but they just needed tabs on both sides.

There are other bikes, Scout Carbon, Whyte T130 that sit in the same sort of area.

Threaded Bottom Bracket and external cables same as my Bronson are great if you maintain your own bike. Like time warranty and bearings. My Bronson has tabs for brake hose on the left TBH Ive never noticed such stuff as its more about how it rides TBH than aesthetics. Cotic and Orange aren’t in the same league IMHO.

Love mine. Some deals to be had at Stif at the moment as well.

Cotic and Orange aren’t in the same league IMHO.

Which league? THey’re all short travel full suspension frames aren’t they?

Cotic and Orange aren’t in the same league IMHO.

Yeah those Orange’s are stuck in the dark ages.

Cable stops?!?!
I hate the bloody things!

Yeah those Orange’s are stuck in the dark ages.

Said someone who hasn’t ridden a recent one.

Orange have evolved a simple idea over the years, the geometry is bang on the money, and the single pivot is probably the most fun you can have with your feet on pedals.

Back to the OP. Mikeep rides one, he loves it. Fast, responsive, light, nimble. It’s not an Enduro Gnarpoon, but youd be looking at a Nomad or Bronson if that was your bag.

The routing really isn’t that bad at all, you’ll probably think ‘oh, that’s a bit shit’ and then completely forget about it.

Said someone who hasn’t ridden a recent one.

I’ve had 4 Orange’s. I recently had access to a bike shops full demo fleet through a mate so I’ve ridden brand new 5’s and Alpine’s. They’re the same as they ever were.

Back in the day when all suspension bikes were pretty crap at least Orange had the advantage of being relatively simple and reliable. Now that other bikes work incredibly well, almost everything else makes more sense.

I have a 5010. My previous bike was an Orange Five. The 5010 wins hands down, particularly in terms of rear suspension.

Scout, everything you want as long as you can tame the cable rattle.

Wrecker – noticed that, going to run brake internal on the right of the DT, gear cable external on the left of the DT, cables cross in front of the seattube.

Impossible to do it like that as the right hand tube for the cable runs straight to the seat tube for the internal dropper routing.

Comparing an Orange Alpine or Five to a SC 5010 :
aren’t these bikes better compared to a Bronson or Nomad ?
As I often read that the 5010 is preferred above the Bronson..

Anyone tested the 2016 Orange *Four* (short travel) and a 5010 ?

Well the 5010 is good enough for Danny Macaskill . . .

They’re all great bikes, although Orange more likely to tick your ‘lack of maintenance faffage’ box

I demod the Four and 5010 a few months ago. 5010 was superb; very well made, no flex, easy to manual, good climber. Orange Four felt slightly more visceral; not as composed, more pedal feedback. I preferred the Orange. The only reason I’ve not bought it is I’m not convinced the Four will be as good on the annual Alps trip as the 5010, and I understand the Five has been reworked a bit to ride more like the Four but have more travel.

Imo ‘better’ is very subjective. I like a bike with loads of feedback, one that gives me confidence to jump and pop off things, happy to put up with a bit of pedal bob. My riding buddy just likes to sit and steer with no pedal bob. Different bikes suit different riders

Hard to make a bad choice with your shortlist tho

Scout, everything you want as long as you can tame the cable rattle.

I believe the new version has the T.I.T.S (tubes in tubes system)

It makes cable routing easier but not sure if there’s still potential for rattling.

Did a santa cruz demo day a few weeks ago

The 29er Hightower was the one I’d want to race on

The nomad was the one I’d take to the alps

The 5010 was the one I’d want to take on an all day epic

I’ve fancied a 5010 since they were still called solo but after checking the geometry of one I’m surprised to find that a 2016 5010 is pretty close to my 2010 orange 5 that I sold as it was too dull unless I was riding at near lightspeed.
I’ll have to test ride one to see what they’re like.

Is the 5010 the modern day Blur4x?

a 2016 5010 is pretty close to my 2010 orange 5

Those two bikes are very, very different.

Demoed today and bought

Congrats!

You know that pics are mandatory now, so we can collectively go ‘oooooh, shiny’ criticise your lawn/skirting/whatever minor fault we can lay our eyes on.

Mmmm, nice, enjoy!

And yes we need pics.

Is the 5010 the modern day Blur4x?

I think so. I’ve got a Blur TR and remember lots of reviews saying that it was the modern 4x – low, short travel, lots of fun etc. But then the Blur TR was discontinued with the Solo/5010 being the closest iteration but in 650b format. To suppress my desire to get a 5010 I keep telling myself I’m riding its 26 inch cousin!

Either way, if the 5010’s as fun as my Blur, you won’t be disappointed. I’ve used mine for all day epics all the way to blasting down the Pleney black in Morzine. My talent runs out long before I find the limits of the bike!!

2x 5010s went on a cross country ride by mistake… Splat. So much fun, excellent choice.

Was going to by myself a 5010, but my wife beat me to it, and bought me a T130s.
Having ridden both, can’t say I’m that unhappy..

Love my 5010c. Got a 140mm Pike on and its way more capable than youd expect. Rode the Scottish Enduro series on mine, all day rides in the highlands and local techy forest stuff daily. Faultless performance.

OP I would love to hear how you find the 5010. I’m currently riding a Blur LT and seriously looking at one of these as my next bike.

I believe the new version has the T.I.T.S (tubes in tubes system)

It makes cable routing easier but not sure if there’s still potential for rattling.

Just on the carbon frame.

Good choice. Likewise, one demo… immediately yep, having that 😀

Fun, fast, agile. Best bike I’ve had and for 90% of my riding I’m not missing anything with 130 travel instead of 170/160 on my old Nomad. Though the 5010 can go up to 150 front I think (check with them for warranty though). I was thinking of adjusting the Pike to 140 but for all I do 130 seems fine for now.

Only issue is the bottom bracket is quite low. Not hitting the BB at the moment, but pedal strike are more common than on my old Nomad, for same length cranks. Though can adjust to that with technique.

Need to finalise the cabling, fit my fox 36s once I’ve travel adjusted tem (140mm). Waiting on 35mm clamp stem for the carbon bars it came with.

Got an offset shock pin on the way, so imagine 140mm forks and that will put the HA t 66* and maintain the low bb/steep SA.

In terms of how the bike rides, rode black mountain on my patrol Saturday, ha the est time I’ve had a bike in a long time (riding moto line with some big guns).

Demoed in peaslake sunday, trails I got bored of were really, really fun again.

That’s how I’d describe it, fun, big BMX that felt as composed in the rough as the patrol, but infinitely more fun.

Feels solid too.

I went from an old (2010 maybe) Commencal Meta 5.5 to a Santa Cruz 5010.

The most obvious benefit so far is weight. I wouldn’t take the Meta out on all day rises or anything XC orientated as it was too hefty. I eventually bought a hardtail for those purposes.

Eventually my Meta became too costly to maintain. So purely based on a cycle around the skills centre outside the local shop, I went with the 5010 to replace the Meta and the hardtail. It weights not much more than the hardtail, and has nearly as much suspension as the Meta – so fits the middle ground perfectly.

I do like the 5010 a lot. It is taking a bit of time to get the suspension set up properly. The Meta was fit and forget, but the 5010 seems to need a bit more know-how, and I haven’t educated myself on what the dials and pressures are supposed to do on the shock. I have so far gone from too springy to too wallowy. I’m basically trying to get it set up the way that my Meta felt, but no luck so far.

fanatic278 – keep on with the suspension fettling. It’s worth it.

Looking good deanfbm.

I’m guessing you got a frame to build up yourself. Did it come with the Santa Cruz carbon bars then? Like to know what they’re like if you’ve not used carbon bars before, considering getting some for mine eventually.

I’m having to mess around with the shock settings too, similar ‘too spring to too wallowy’ feeling, might try a volume reducer as I’m carrying a few extra pounds these days.

Mine came with a 2x transmission, need the granny for the local climbs, but I’m not so sure about just having a ‘middle’ ring as such, I’m nearly spinning out on some of the long undulating and downhill routes I ride. 3x on my other bikes, and sometimes I hop up to the big ring for extra speed whereas on the 2x I’m in the ‘big’ ring and smallest cog on the rear which I think will lead to rapid wear on the small cogs at the back and more replacement cassettes?

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