Submitted by
rubberneck
a Weekend Warrior
from england Date Reviewed: April 2, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1600.00
Purchased At:
shop
Strengths:
spec, stiffness, bombproof, simple rear sus' maintncne, kudos, MADE IN ENGLAND, GOT IT CHEAP.
Weaknesses:
wtb headset(gone), conti bananaskin tyres (gone but saved for summer,,,,maybe), skewers x3(gone),pedals (gone), gas-weld blow holes on inner swing arm directly in the spray arch (gaffer taped over), rear facing seat stay clamp slit (gaffer taped over)
Similar Products Used:
1995 raleigh thingybob,sunn revolt ti, kona hoss, kona dawg
Bike Setup:
M4s (no squeal) cane creek S-8, high rollers, good old shimano deore skewers, v8s (first and last pair) , xt gears with sram chain
Bottom Line:
THIS IS MY REVIEW FOR THE ORANGE 5 PRO 2008 NOT THE SE,,, cant be bothered to write it all out again
having resisted the urge to write an excited 'ive got a new bike' type reveiw i thought id to get used to it first and then give my 'expert' opinion. first impresions where good, the bike had almost the same geom' as the OB (old bike) so i didnt back off so much and found it handles a lot,lot better up/down/over my usual trails and seems a genine 'do-it-all' bike
CLIMBING- i wont give it all that "climbs like a goat" b*ll*x but it does seem to like to gently strole up any 'do-able' hill. i dont really feel the need to use the propedal and the front end stays where it should
FLATS- this bike is a lot quiker in and out of turns which 'after a few journeys over the bars' im getting used to, the bike seems to lack the acceleration of the OB but feels more user friendly on long hauls and it has given me the confidence to try bigger downhills/drops/jumps which is afterall why i chose the 5, that and the fact its obviously built with winter abuse and long lifespan in mind.
DOWNHILL- point and shoot is a term you hear descibing some bikes and the 5 is one of them,,, it almost feels as though the bike goes into some kind of auto-pilot when you point it down hill,, which is a bit annoying as my local trails are now tame incomparison and im having to look further afield for my adrenalin fix ,, but that isnt a negative
TOP TIP, the stickers can be peeled off and put back a few times (i stuck mine to the fridge with no ill effects) and i chose to go without as im not a 'look at me' type of chap. i had it custom sprayed in the chrome grey which is almost the same colour as the floats and makes the bike look SERIOUS. also, the blow holes on the inner swingarm look like they may trap a fair bit of shoite over the years but a bit of gaffer tape has sorted that small problem.
OTHERSTUFF, after a while the pro2s give up their CLAK-CLAK-CLAK and are now more of a zip-zip-zip and as has been stated before they do give OAP dog walkers a bit more time to get out of the way,,,,, i kinda like them
IN A NUTSHELL, the best £1600 ive ever spent and until they bring out a carbon,auto-travel-adjusting,gear-hubbed-rubber-chained version, i cant see myself needing another bike or upgrading kit for many years to come.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stephen O'Raw
a Weekend Warrior
from Johannesburg, South Africa Date Reviewed: February 17, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Van Gaalens
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Light frame, beautifully built.
Weaknesses:
Single pivot - has it's benefits and drawbacks. Loose front end on climbs and pedal feedback in the big chainring.
Similar Products Used:
Schwinn Rocket, Ibis Mojo
Bike Setup:
Revelation 426 fork, RP 23 shock, hope hubs & Dt Swiss 5.1 rims - XT other bits
Bottom Line:
The Orange 5 is dead - long live the Orange!. Got hit by a car, ending a love affair with this bike. All good things can be said about this bike. A few things are apparent though - you need a wind down fork like the Revelation 426 or Fox Talas on the climbs, otherwise it all gets a bit floppy in front. The single pivot will give you pedal kickback in certain gears and the shock can get bouncy if run too soft. The steering is "relaxed" - you need to anticipate corners a bit to set up the bike. Despite buying an Ibis Mojo I am looking for ways I can have this frame repaired and kept as a "backup". Nuff said.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stephen
a Weekend Warrior
from Johannesburg Date Reviewed: September 4, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Great riding bike - responsive and direct.
Weaknesses:
Likes a pumped up rear shock, otherwise the BB gets too low. A bit fiddly to clean around the swingarm/seattube area.
Similar Products Used:
Schwinn Rocket Ltd, Mongoos Teocali Comp
Bike Setup:
Rockshox Revelation 426 Dual Air - Race Face Deus cranks, XT shifters, front & rear mech, Avid Juicy Carbon 185mm brakes, Thomson x4 Stem & Elite Post, Chris King headset. DT Swiss 5.1D rimson Hope Pro II hubs.
Bottom Line:
My last review was whilst I was building the bike. I have now had a couple of weeks to ride it and it keeps getting better. Had to get used to the sharper handling though, was expecting the slacker head angle to slow the handling but it is crisper than the Schwinn. Rear shock pressure is critical - too low a pressure and the pedals will clip anything slightly higher than the surrounding landscape. The pro-pedal on the RP 23 is a great upgrade - gives the bike great freeride/XC crossover flexibility. It is a single pivot so pedal kickback is noticeable but limited to bumps taken in the big front chainring, noticeable but not disturbing. I can recommend getting an adjustable fork otherwise the front does get floaty on the steep uphills - the Revelation 426 (100 -130mm) or similar seems ideal, even if the bike is designed for 140mm forks. I didn't build the bike light, I wanted durability, but everyone who picks it up says it feels lighter than the 13Kg's it weighs, I think this is a function of how rigid & tidy it feels. All the usual gumph about climbing like a goat, descending like a bomb, yadda, yadda applies to this bike. This is a great bike, If you have only one "do it all" bike then this should be it.
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Submitted by
jay
a Weekend Warrior
from Barnstaple, Devon, England Date Reviewed: August 13, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Haldon Forest, Exeter / Okehampton
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
Bike IT, Newport, Barnstaple
Strengths:
Great Frame / Fork / Shock combo for price. Solid Feel. Looks great. High quality frame, tough. Not bad kit for price. Orange Kudos.
Weaknesses:
tCrank is basic Shimano (Hollowtech) crap. STem/Bars are average-bit skinny. Tyres are AWFUL (Conti. Gravity) they've gone already. Headset is WTB basic - gone already.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Enduro Elite. Marin Mount Vision. Orange Patriot.
Bike Setup:
Fox Float 32R / Fox Float RP3 / XT Rmech / Deore Fmech, shifters, 'Shimano'(No range spec - WTF!), Wtb Wheelset, Hayes 9.
Bottom Line:
So far a great bike, but marred by the total w*nk that are Conti. Gravity tyres, swapped over now to some old school Tioga Factory Dh 2.1s so hopefully my experience will improve from here on in. Easy to throw around, tough, great starting spec except for some real (Bizarre) weak points - (crank, H/Set and tyres!) Got a Chris King NoThreadset to replace the WTB one that was shagged when i bought the bike, the shop were great and credited me the replacement cost but i got a CK myself to make sure it never goes again. Can see myself getting some Halo Freedom / Ck wheels sorted soon, and a decent crank (Saint / Raceface?) All in all, well chuffed. Got it real cheap, cos 2006 model and also through BikeToWork scheme. Paid around £900 for a £1900 bike. Get in. Top marks all round for the moment.
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Submitted by
Stephen
a Weekend Warrior
from Johannesburg Date Reviewed: August 3, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
Fantastic workmanship
Similar Products Used:
Schwinn Rocket - lots of bearings that go "crunch" in the night!
Bike Setup:
Rockshox Revelation 426 air U-turn Fox Float RP23, Chris King Headset, RF Deus cranks, XT rear mech & shifters, Avid Juicy Carbon 185mm brakes, Thomson post & Stem
Bottom Line:
Still building this baby but have been impressed by how easy it is to work on - all bearings/brake interfaces were pre-faced, worksmanship on welds, etc is good. The geometry is longer and flatter than you would expect - the front hub is 1 and a half inches further forward than on the otherwise identically sized Schwinn.
More feedback on frame to follow as the build is completed and the fun begins
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andy Welch
a Weekend Warrior
from Wakefield, UK Date Reviewed: June 13, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Dalby Forest, UK
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$4500.00
Purchased At:
UK bike shop - Wheelspin Cycles
Strengths:
A tough no nonsense design: Perfect for UK conditions - lots of mud and rain, easy to clean.
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
Scott Genius MC30 - but sold it: not tough enough - nice bike, good when it's working well but had some rear shock problems with it
Bike Setup:
16" Pro spec with Thompson post, Hope pack and fork uppgrade, plus SRAM X9 and Race Face Evolve drivetrain, Hope Mono Mini (183mm) with floating rotor brakes, Shimano M647 DX pedals, WTB All Mountain rims, Hope Pro II hubs, Fox 140 RLC forks, Fox RP23 shock etc
Bottom Line:
On the expensive side, but pure fun.
- Easy to clean and maintain with top quality kit. - Fantastically sharp, just point and go, with direct trail feedback for maximum involvement and enjoyment.
So far so good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew Moore
a Weekend Warrior
from Leeds, UK Date Reviewed: June 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Glentress Forest
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$3900.00
Purchased At:
TheBikeOutletYork
Strengths:
Excellent for strength and low centre of gravity. The b ike bombproof though have changed a few core components. The Bike itself can cater for 4ft drops with ease whilst tearing up the trails with ease. Uphgills are no different. Slightly light front end though this is adjusted by seat position.
Weaknesses:
Headset, Seat post and stem. Continental tryes had to go.
Orange 5 Pro with Chris King headset, DMR V12's, Thomson stem and seat post, XT cogs and chain, Manitou 4 way swinger.
Bottom Line:
The bike is awesome. You can throw it anywhere and yet each time the bike shows you the same respect. Wether going up or down this bike stays true and solid. Looking forward to thrashing around Scotland very soon.
$
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