A can of Five Orange worms

frankspencer1979

Ok, I'm not looking to start armageddon here, just after a quick explanation.

Why do some people have such hatred for Orange Fives. I've not got one, and probably never will have, but I don't get why they divide opinion so much. From my point of view, they seem to ride well, get consistently good reviews and have a good spec for comparable money. Plus there's the kudos, for some people (me included) of them being hand built by porn loving, hammer weilding northerners. I can see the swing arm might not be to everyones taste and I get the impression they're a bit heavy, but surely that doesn't justify all the...... bile!?

I don't see threads on this forum kicking off over Treks, Giants, Cubes, Ragleys, Specializeds etc', so why the Five every time!?

cooldad

A bit crude, expensive, quite heavy.
But mainly because owners tend to think they are the only bikes worth having. Some anyway.

Or maybe it's just a forum thing.

I blame Wiggle.

chez_m356

cooldad wrote:

A bit crude, expensive, quite heavy.
But mainly because owners tend to think they are the only bikes worth having. Some anyway.

+1 and lets face it, if it was really british, they would be based in sheffield and it would be made of steel

ilovedirt

They're actually not heavy at all, had a lift of a friend's the other day, certainly not the best spec in the world, and it was really light! I'm not sure why some people dislike them so much. They're cheaper than some other top end frames and ride really well...

sharky1029

+1 for the bit heavy and some owners (not all) overhyping them a bit

But they are bombproof and ride fairly well
I want to see a carbon Five - now that would be awesome even if it was only a limited run

benpinnick

I don't like them because they ride very averagely, but have a fairly premium price tag, and those porn loving northerners clearly skipped their welding NVQs. That said, I guess mini clubmans are popular too. You just can't figure some things out.

Anonymous

Specialized get a kicking too. At least from Audi driving investment bankers in Surrey

Swing arm design doesn't do it for me, but I'm not keen on that design on any full sus. Give me a traditional triangle any day, Luddite that I am.

Anyway, good (inserting stereotype here->) solid lardy guy weekend warrior trail centre bike :P. Makes me wonder why I haven't got one then as that's me down to a T

chez_m356

to be fair, i don't think the bikes are the problem at all, i quite like them myself, its like cooldad says, the problem is the large number of swellheads that own them and can't accept that there are other bikes that are just as good if dare i say it even better than what they have paid probably a little too much for, that and the fact the everyone knows that they will bite at the least provocation

cooldad

BITD they made very desirable bikes
Orange Clockwork


Clockwork Orange

ilovedirt

All the people I know that ride them are actually very good riders, perhaps you guys just know the wrong people If I was out to buy a new XC/trail bike, it would probably be a five.

cooldad

Orange rider after being trolled

benpinnick

ilovedirt wrote:

All the people I know that ride them are actually very good riders, perhaps you guys just know the wrong people If I was out to buy a new XC/trail bike, it would probably be a five.

I don't know anyone who owns a five. Statistically it seems impossible I know

cooldad

I can't think of one neither - obviously only know really rubbish riders.

chez_m356

ilovedirt wrote:

All the people I know that ride them are actually very good riders, perhaps you guys just know the wrong people If I was out to buy a new XC/trail bike, it would probably be a five.

fanboi

benpinnick wrote:

I don't know anyone who owns a five. Statistically it seems impossible I know

ive never even seen one in the flesh :shock:

Anonymous

cooldad wrote:

Clockwork Orange

Viddy Well.

benpinnick

I've seen plenty. They roam in gangs around swinley and the Surrey hills, but I've never gone and struck up a conversation... 'hey how are you? I see you ALL have orange fives. That's not at all weird, really it's not.'

ilovedirt

chez_m356 wrote:

ilovedirt wrote:

All the people I know that ride them are actually very good riders, perhaps you guys just know the wrong people If I was out to buy a new XC/trail bike, it would probably be a five.

fanboi

I've had a couple of oranges and enjoyed the looks, simplicity of the design and the geometry (ride wasn't the best but it wasn't bad either).

RevellRider

cooldad wrote:

BITD they made very desirable bikes
Orange Clockwork

I love the Hite Rite on that Orange. None of this leaking air you get with modern adjustable height seatposts

angry_bird

I've said it before, I like the way they look, I like most of the ones I've ridden. Weight of the bike doesn't bother me too much, my issues are:

Price. (last May orange chucked the price of the frame up from £1250 to £1400 and it's now comes with a lower spec shock).
Spec. Goes with the price really but orange don't do the best specs for the money, far from it and some of their component choices at times are bizarre. The options that orange do give you for spec changes are annoying too.

"Bombproof" no they're not, ok they replace them when the break but I've seen several that have failed.

If yeehaa were still here he'd probably point out at that the single pivot thing is old and dated, also that a Marin is much better and have the lifetime bearing replacement thing

Now the big one, Orange owners, they include the likes of Danny Mac, but... there are a disproportionate number of owners who believe 5's are the bestest bikes ever ever ever made because MBR says so and are willing to spend stupid money on them, only to look down on other peoples bikes because they're not as good. My cousin owns one and is constantly making comments about other bikes, if I make any comment about her bike there'll be hell to pay. Some of her favourite lines are "yeah but I've got an orange 5", "it's basically the best bike ever". In addition to it whenever I mention a bike I'm looking at and say I wouldn't mind owning she'll always come out with the same line "yeah but it's not an orange 5 though".

But at the end of the day, ride what you want to, just don't be cock about it.

DodgeT

Just eye watering ugly for me.

Yes I know it might be good, but (and a big butt) Susan Boyle's good, but you aint gona see me riding that either

cooldad

benpinnick wrote:

I've seen plenty. They roam in gangs around swinley and the Surrey hills, but I've never gone and struck up a conversation... 'hey how are you? I see you ALL have orange fives. That's not at all weird, really it's not.'

Unlike the burgeoning Santa Cruz crew.















Mainly because I can't afford one.

d00m

Orange sussers have always looked this way. Like a two wheeled tank.

benpinnick

I don't think the two of us make a crew + DK likes to ride his toy bike sometimes.

benpinnick

Also, we'd all need the same Santa cruzes. Maybe we could all buy hecklers in green, orange or red? One of us will need a neon pink one though. I nominate Cooldad.

cooldad

Will match my lycra.

Anonymous

We've got at least two others even if one is a clown bike (Tall Boy).

chez_m356

Angry Bird wrote:

Now the big one, Orange owners, they include the likes of Danny Mac, but... there are a disproportionate number of owners who believe 5's are the bestest bikes ever ever ever made because MBR says so and are willing to spend stupid money on them, only to look down on other peoples bikes because they're not as good. My cousin owns one and is constantly making comments about other bikes, if I make any comment about her bike there'll be hell to pay. Some of her favourite lines are "yeah but I've got an orange 5", "it's basically the best bike ever". In addition to it whenever I mention a bike I'm looking at and say I wouldn't mind owning she'll always come out with the same line "yeah but it's not an orange 5 though".

so your saying a large number of orange 5 owners are like you cousin? hmmm whinging women then

stubs

I can never understand why people go on about the quality hand made in Halifax thing when they look like they were welded by a blind man bouncing on a trampoline, more bird sh1t than Nelsons column. Strangely I do like the look of them, just wouldnt pay for one.

Northwind

sharky1029 wrote:

But they are bombproof

And this is one of the reasons they get stick- they're no more bombproof than most other bikes. And their warranty support's nothing to write home about either.

This thread isn't the same without Grantway and Flow. "My Five can do 4 foot drops try doing that on a Giant LOLOLOLOL I rode it round Climachx once so it's like a downhill bike"

Miss you

cat_with_no_tail

hehe, Did Grantway get hit with the banstick in the end, or just get bored of being laughed at?

lawman

Cat With No Tail wrote:

hehe, Did Grantway get hit with the banstick in the end, or just get bored of being laughed at?

OH man!!! Grantway, now there's a blast from the past!!! think he was bansticked in the end, for slagging off all french bikes and actually having a sexual relationship with his 5