I reckon this thread probably goes someway to promoting the Five – could you see a similar thread about a Trance getting to 4 pages long!?
I’ve just got my first five – think it’s ace fun – much more so than a heckler I’ve owned (angles) – less faff than the Blur 4X I had (bearings) – less quick down than the Nomad or Last Herb AM I had obviously – very lively in comparison, I can’t just plough through a rock garden any more, but that’s OK – skipping about is just as fun – it’s all about riding a bike after all – if it takes longer, then to my mind that’s a good thing – more time having fun on a bike! And it gets up the hills better than any of my previous bikes (probably a lot to do with weight being the correct side of 30lbs)
Probably too much bike for most of the UK, but out here in the Alps it’s great – we’ll see how I feel once I stop climbing for my downs and the lifts open. But then I may just get a cane creek shock and fit my Lyrics on the front.
Versatile? Yep. But then you could say that about a lot of bikes around the 140mm mark.
For me the simplicity is great. So there’s a bit of brake jack or whatever XYZ path square edge blah blah. But I can’t see this bike being out of action for any length of time because of bearing issues. The 4X was a pain in the arse – the Nomad was much improved in that department.
Ultimately it’s a free country. Buy one if you like it, don’t if you don’t.
Anyhow – there’s my two penneth.