looking to buy a used five or St4 i’m 5’10” ( in old money) what size are you riding?

IMO you need an 18 inch.

I ride a 20 but am nearly 6 2.

Five is a great bike, the Ford Mondeo of MTBs.
Easy to ride, looks after you and cheapish to maintain.
Thumbs Up

I’d agree an 18″ sounds right for you – on a five. After trying an 18 and a 20 I went for the 20 – I am exactly 6′ and prefer a longer bike than some others I ride with. I don’t know if sizing on the ST4 is the same or not.

+1 for Orange John’s comments on it being a great bike. But at £2k to £3k+ new I wouldn’t call it the Ford Mondeo – perhaps more an upmarket BMW or Audi . . .?

this came up before the majority said 18 ” though some said 20- 30 % ish say 16
I have the 18 at your height and it is fine but not “chuckable” Basically 17 ” would be perfect so decide whether you want a slightly larger bike but not to big or a slightly smaller one but not too small.

At 5’10” I found the 18″ too big and swapped it for a 16″. Much betterer

I would say 18″ I’m just over 6’1″ and i ride a 20″

5’10” here and found the 18″ too long, 16″ five perfect for me.

Orange Five. I’m 5’10” and umm’d and are’d about this for ages.

I demo’d an 18″ and 16″. The 18″ was fine cross country, but I found it too close to those important parts of the body (my nads) when blasting down something rocky or steppy. The 16″ was a great for chucking about and throwing down hills, but too cramped for climbing and cross country.

I badgered Orange to let me buy a 17″ frame a few months ago, I’ve been using it for about 6 weeks and it was definitely the right decision! Went for the Fox Talas 120-150mm fork with a 70mm stem. Looks good too – if I had the patience to work out how to put a picture on I would!

Tis perfect for me – just do it!!

Time to ride, in the rain, again.

Okay, that wasn’t too tricky! Hopefully a photo of my 17″ Orange Five is below?

Bush! At least its stopped raining.

Grrr. Try again…

DSC01737 by BikeandBaconButty, on Flickr

Small ones are more juicy

16″ @ 5 foot 10? good grief.would love to see a side on pic of you sitting on this bike.

5 ft 11

18 inch, longish legs tho. perfect fit.

Just have to try a couple and see which feels best before you buy.

I’m 6’2″ on an 18″.

I tried a 20″ & it felt enormous.

5’11” and 18″ Alpine 160 here. Spot on. Short stem (60mm) but I’d recommend that for a 5 or ST4 as well.

5’10.5″ on an 18″. Spot on.

5’10” myself and ride an 18″ ST4 – fits great and only got better when I put a 50mm stem on it.

I’m 5’7″ and currently waiting for my 17″ Five to arrive. Completely confident with my decision until I read the above and now paranoid I should have gone for a 16″!! Sleepless night ahead I think . . .

5’9” on a 16″ with 70mm stem here. Can’t imagine riding something ~20mm longer on my local trails, but I’d like to try in case I’m wrong! It’s a 2005 model, so has a straight top tube and about the right crotch clearance when stood over it. But you’d be looking at ones with the bent TT, I’d guess, so might be Ok with the 18″. However, I’d need to try an 18″ with a 50mm stem to be convinced about using the stem, on a do it all bike, to correct the fact it’s too long for me (if that is in fact the case). I tried a 50mm on mine: great going down, shocking going up. Ok I could put the saddle forward on an 18″ which would help, but there is a point at which stems get too short for all round riding. I like a lot of body English and the trails I ride are very technical so sitting in between the wheels and spinning doesn’t work for me. 70mm stem keeps the weight over the front when I want it there, but I’m nicely position, i.e. not too stretched, to get my weight back when I need to, which is pretty often around here. I have about 340mm of seat post showing in the raised position, too much? Enough of my needy rambling.

I’m 5’11” and ride an 18″ Five. If I was to buy a 2012 one, I would buy a 17″ as the only difference is it has more stand over than the 18″, the effective top tube etc is exactly the same.

I tested a 16″ and it felt way to small.

I am 6′ and ride an 18″ Five.
normally I have a 50mm stem and it feels great
For XC/enduro racing I like to stretch the cockpit out with a 65mm stem.

For me a 20″ would feel just too ungainly.

My girlf has a 16″ Five and is about 5’8″ and she thinks that is spot on for her..
Test ride both a 16″ and an 18″ to give you an idea. (though you dont often find used Five going second hand.) (the 17″ has just come out so very unlikey to find one of them.)
HTH

5′ 9″ on a 16″ Orange 5 with a top tube of an 18″ limited run from Orange/Strange , 40mm stem, inline post awesome fit, plenty of room around the jewels when seat is dropped,

Edit: 240mm of seat post showing not 340mm!
Other thing I should have said is I have about 20mm layback on the seat post (it’s an I-beam). This may mean I’m compensating for the frame being too short and have my weight too far back? What do others think? Would mean I could move the saddle in line on a 17″ and still have the same reach with my 70mm stem. Hmmm maybe my ramblings are no use at all.

Jeffus: that sounds perfect for me, wanna sell? 😉

martinxyz – Member

16″ @ 5 foot 10? good grief.would love to see a side on pic of you sitting on this bike.

?

5’11+ a bit and an 18″ ST4 + 50mm stem fits perfectly, (as does amedium Cotic Soul if that helps?).

Other thing I should have said is I have about 20mm layback on the seat post (it’s an I-beam). This may mean I’m compensating for the frame being too short

Yep 😆

Jeffus – Member
5′ 9″ on a 16″ Orange 5 with a top tube of an 18″ limited run from Orange/Strange , 40mm stem, inline post awesome fit, plenty of room around the jewels when seat is dropped,

What year is that? I measured mine a while back and it doesn’t fit the standard figures.

I’m 5 10. Rode a 18″ for two years then swapped it for 16″.
The smaller frame is much much more fun.

A bike that is too small for you can’t really be described as fun

So if I read you correctly: it can’t be too small, as he’s having so much fun.

@theupsetter I hear you, I tried an 18″ and even with a short stem it felt too big. The 16″ is perfect for me, it feels just right and is great fun to ride. Although what do I know, I’ve only been riding mountain bikes for 20 years, there can be no possible way of knowing when a bike fits me or not 🙄

I’m 5ft 9 and a bit and ride a 16″ ST4 with inline post and 70mm stem. I have short arms, though.

To the OP.

Post on Orange Mountain Bikes wall on Facebook and ask what size you will need, I’m taking bets they will say and 18″, or a 17″ 2012 for more stand over (like I said the ETT is the same as an 18″), 16″ will be like riding a kids bike, fun but too small.

If a 16″ fits someone thats 5’10”, whats a 20″ for, 7 footers? 😆

No wonder there are so many “my bike has cracked at the seat tube” threads on here 🙄

It depends what sort of riding your doing.

If like Flow, you just mince XC loops, then an 18″ might be best.

However, if you’re into riding downhill and sending the Chatel roadgap like randomjeremy, then the 16″ might be better.

If a bike fits it fits, whether you are riding to the shops for your mum like you do, or riding DH.

If a 16″ fits someone thats 5’10”, whats a 20″ for, 7 footers?

by the appliance of simple maths, i’d say someone that is 6’2″

May have something you are interested in. Drop me a line.

thanks for the tips .. plumped for an 18 mth old 18” five.
1990 I bought my first Orange ( a 19” clockwork dx all rigid toe clips with 150mm orange stalk from Stif when they worked out of a lock up garage and sold wind surfing stuff)
If i have as much fun and time on this as i did that i’ll be well chuffed