[Closed] 2010 5-spot owners... compared to newer geometry?

bump .. also interested

I wouldnt say worrying just two different frames. One felt more XC angled and one AM.

Subtle subtle differences but the later felt sit in/relax from the off. You are pondering a cheap deal? No get the latter IMO.

Im not a confident rider. The latter made me relax/enjoy.

I have a 2010 5.Spot. it has a steeper head angle than 2011/12 versions. As Hora has intimated this makes it a bit less relaxed than the newer ones. My other bike is a 2011 flux, so I find it to be a lot slacker. FWIW I've ridden it pretty hard at lee quarry and in the peaks (Jacobs ladder etc) and I find it to be really good balance between confidence inspiring slackness and the handling and general rideability that 5Spots made their name on. If you can get a good deal on a frame and you want something that'll go up, down, around, through, off etc pretty much as well as you're ever going to need, then I'd say get stuck in, I doubt you'll regret it (I got deal on the flux and bought it because they were being discontinued and I'm a bit of a sucker. But if I could only have one it'd be the 5Spot for sure because it's just very very good at everything 😀

Ps. I dont like slack slack. I hated the summer season and my c456 is happy without those slacksets.

It would be a 2010 one for me, then again still on a HL 2005(ish).
Surley not the only one who doesnt realy like all this <70? head angle rubbish, its all magazines go on about.

I ride my 2010 with and without a slackset in.

Yes, there's a noticeable difference. Which do I like?.... Both! 😀

With stock HA it's the funnest singletrack ripper you could imagine - fast, nimble steering, precise, goes-where-you-think-it-should...

With a slackset in, it's a little more stable at faster speeds on steeper, gnarlier stuff and is noticeably slower in the steering.. all good for jumpier, rougher stuff.

That's the beauty of the Turner 5 Spot - the MOST versatlie mountain bike bike on Earth.

Can't compare my 2010 with newer version but compared to my Heckler I found the 5 Spot a lot slacker and more confidence inspiring, I have been considering changing my stem to a DH one instead of my FR 25mm rise stem as I reckon I would prefer that for descending and now I understand how to position myself after being Jedi'd.

For me the angleset and offset bushes in the 2010 mader it better but not great. It felt a tall bike. The 2011 was 🙂

I seem to remember reviews of the old 5 spot talking about a MASSIVE headtube that meant a really high, awkward front end.

Hence you could only get max a 1degree slackset in..

It's only got a [i]'really high awkward front end'[/i] if you're a) completely incompetent or, b) a total numpty or c) both! 😯

Take one for a lengthy ride.. then you'll know what they're actually like. There are plenty of very, very good riders out there on 2009/2010 5 Spots who are far better than you or I.

If you want to see for real what they can do, check out any of Superstock's posts/videos over on MTBR.

The reason for asking is that the Mojo SL doesn't feel stiff enough for the riding I'm mostly doing now. Its ace for local riding, racing etc, but for actual fun and pushing it on technical stuff it feels a bit out of its depth.

If I could afford it I'd buy an SLR or HD in a heartbeat, but over two grand for a frame is bonkers.

If the flux had 120 rear travel, and mud clearance then I'd have one again.

Ridden on a 2010 5 Spot with the 'really high awkward front end' and all-too-steep head angle....

Ridden my 2010 5 Spot in the Alps, Lakes, Peaks and the Pennines and never felt like i need a slacker head angle.

The new 2012 5 spots are going cheapish on CRC at the mo

Not my size though 🙁

Digger why the abuse?

People say the c456 is ugly...and??
Specialized may dull handling (neutral) bikes ..and?
Who is offended? Are you in the Turner-hand gang? 😆

Until this thread the 5 spot was the bike I would have bought without testing to replace my asr5 and see me into MTB retirement- it's my dream bike. Now I'd have to test one, cheers. :-/

Digger90 - Member
It's only got a 'really high awkward front end' if you're a) completely incompetent or, b) a total numpty or c) both!

What's the headtube measurement, before you burst into tears?

Another one here who uses a 2010 5 Spot for everything and doesn't find it too steep or too high.
For what it's worth I run 150mm revs on the front and set the sag on the back a bit more than Turner suggest (18-19mm at the shock with me standing on the pedals rather than the 17mm seated that Turner say in the manual), so mine is running slacker and lower than it would be with the stock set up and 140 forks. I've considered getting a slack set or offset bushings but when I thought about it I couldn't actually think of anything that felt wrong about it as was, so I left it.

Seems to work fine for this kind of stuff for me:

I had a 2009 and went to a 2011 and for me it was night and day.

The 2011 was just more fun on the downs and tight twisty sections.

what size are you rikon? Merlin have got some cheap 21" 2011 frames as well

Digger why the abuse?
People say the c456 is ugly...and??
Specialized may dull handling (neutral) bikes ..and?
Who is offended? Are you in the Turner-hand gang?

Apologies... Having re-read my reply I can see how it can come across as critical/abusive. Certainly not intended.

Stating the head tube is too high as if that we're an accepted fact rather than a personal opinion may be misleading the OP.

The HT lengths on 2010 and 2012 Spots are exactly the same, so the only difference is the HA. With a slackset in a 2009 or 2010 Spot therefore there a rider has exactly the same bike. It will steer exactly the same. All else considered, stating that theres a night & day difference between them is purely down to the HA, nothing else, which as we've seen, is easily fixed with a slackset.

As Superstock's videos and photos prove, along with many others, the 2010 Spot is an incredibly capable bike.

I think what Horas reply will be that the new one can have a zero stack lower headset cup. Meaning that you have have 5mm lower front end for the same HA.

The question is, does that 5mm really make all that difference with a 150 fork?

And is there anything else stopping the 2010 from feeling like the 2011 onwards?

I do wonder if Horas 2010 didn't feel as good as the 2011 because of the offset bushing, putting the shock into mid stroke. Any comments mark? Be interested to hear your thoughts.

Hi Rick Iv had a Horst link 5 spot an Ellsworth Epy, then a 2009 DW spot now a 2011 Spot.

Firstly the 2009 DW link 5 spot rides like a turner. Just does, ok.
Feels like a good bike, climbs very well goes down great. Im not that tall 5`8 on a good day and ride a medium frame, never felt the front was that high, still had stem spacers fitted.
Got a 2011 frame built it up and love it, can I say it feels loads different, nope. I dont rember getting on it first ride and think wow night and day! I think the price that new 2010 frames can be picked up for makes them a cracking buy. As i recall the 2010 HA was 69* so not mega steep.
The latest frames are 67.7* HA so they only took 1.3* off it, not huge!
BTW where are you if in the lakes your welcome to try mine.
Enjoy! 😀

2009
[IMG] [/IMG]
ON up lift for Fort William DH track[IMG] [/IMG]

2011
[IMG] [/IMG]

Any thoughts on how much a good condition secondhand 2011 5 spot frame should be worth?

Will reply tomorrow proper but 6-700 MAX for a 11. I remember a few places selling them for 1400 max.

Hmm... Cheers mark, your old 2011 was offered to me for £900. Obviously depends on what its worth to the seller, but I was thinking it was a bit too steep.

Would have been ideal a little cheaper too 🙁

When I shifted to a Sultan recently, My '11 one, good condition, went for 750 on here.

Like toons had both (enjoy the night ride tomorrow toons I am at work) . I prefer the new frame. But more importantly my new one was a replacement because weld on taco strut cracked. New one looks far sturdier design at that point as well as feeling better. Get 160 forks on and enjoy. I love mine.

And some of them have been knocked out for a grand this year new.

My 11 in great nick went for 800 with a CCDB with a ti spring! Couldn't really have got much more when Merlin had them for £935, gits. Still, my 2012 Sultan turned up today, every cloud...

I got offered £700 for mine so I decided to keep it! Nice spare bike eh?

Digger90 - Member
Ridden on a 2010 5 Spot with the 'really high awkward front end' and all-too-steep head angle....

That was an awesome vid! Those trails look cracking!

Yeah, I convinced my missus to let me sell all her bikes and build her a 2011 Sultan. Maybe I should have kept that for myself...

If I could have afforded to keep mine (i.e. got away with it with the wife) I'd have kept mine too

Keeping two high end turners and a Cotic hard tail was too indulgent for me! Plus I needed to recycle the cash for the new one

I've built mine a little less burly than it was. I intended to build cheap from the classifieds, it's ended up with brand new 2013 revs, new 2013 monarch RC3, new arch ex rims, 2x10 XT, new cassette, chain, chainrings, M785 XT brakes, carbon havoc bars, new pedals, full linkage rebuild (new bushes etc), UST RQs. Kicked the ass out of it a bit. It's not quite finished yet but it should be lovely!
I also have a blur LTc.....
I'll put a pic up when she's done.

Wrecker.... how does your 5-Spot compare to the Blur?

toons - Member
I had a 2009 and went to a 2011 and for me it was night and day.

The 2011 was just more fun on the downs and tight twisty sections.

POSTED 1 DAY AGO # REPORT-POST

Sort of agree with Toons on this one.

I also had a 2009 medium, then went to a 2011 large (warranty replacement).
It took a few bits of fine tuning to get it to ride how I wanted, 50 mm stem from 70 mm and had to get slightly higher rise on the bars to compensate for the integrated lower headset. (numb hands after riding)
Now I am happy with the ride, although my build is not light, around 32lbs; I find it makes me quicker when I take my Ellsworth out for a ride.

First ride on davosaurusrex's old 2011 XL planned for this Saturday! It certainly feels different to my previous run of UK classics (Hemlock and Five). The front does seem a bit high in comparison but then it is an XL frame and my old forks still just about fit (no room left for spacers where previously had room for 4). Build not quite up with wrecker's as I have done a lot of recyling but should come in at around 31 lb.

Let's see a photo! Where are you taking it, Surrey Hills?

Yep, early morning blast around some old favourites. Was there last Sat on the Hemlock and so I want to see how they compare (and cope with mud).

Ok first things first before certain people take things personal about a bike manufacturer I'm not the worlds best rider, I'm Joe normal. However I can spot very small differences inbetween tyre brands, spacer positions, shock bushes etc.

I think what Horas reply will be that the new one can have a zero stack lower headset cup. Meaning that you have have 5mm lower front end for the same HA.

The zero stack headset REALLY helps. It may be only a slight drop but in conjuction with all the other subtle angles it made the bike feel lower/stabler.

And is there anything else stopping the 2010 from feeling like the 2011 onwards?

I do wonder if Horas 2010 didn't feel as good as the 2011 because of the offset bushing, putting the shock into mid stroke. Any comments mark? Be interested to hear your thoughts.

Fitting offset bushes helped. I fitted into both eyelets. The WC headset to me was/is overpriced. Its not high-end and its quite low quality for the price. I personally feel it was a waste of money. The bushes felt better. I felt better with a quality standard headset in. It gritted up and was well, for me no better than a FSA Pig in quality. Not bad but a Pig is £21?

Going over to the new frame I kept offsets in for a while. It was even better with those in. As I said I'm a nervous rider but a sorted frame really really helps me blossom.

Naturally gifted riders can rag a odly angled Intense down anything with speed/even get on with. I'm not one of those. I need a sorted frame.

I'm not part of the slack gang. The C456 is ace as it is.

Wrecker.... how does your 5-Spot compare to the Blur?

Before today's slop fest christening ride and wearing the circa 2006 xt dual controls with pride. Thread to follow - how do i adjust a ccdb shock without messing up the ride.
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8216/8373299055_ec951e178a.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8216/8373299055_ec951e178a.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/15305180@N04/8373299055/ ]12jan13[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/15305180@N04/ ]bubswilby[/url], on Flickr

Here;

http://forums.mtbr.com/turner/ccdb-settings-dw-5-spot-687533.html