[Closed] Anybody ridden the 650b Five yet?

http://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/monday-morning-debrief-33/

Will be just the same as the old model but with weaker wheels.

orange squeezing 27.5 into a Five frame

[img] [/img]

[quote=roverpig ]How does it ride compared to the old model?

unless somebody is prepared to ride blindfolded I doubt we will know. Probably about the same 🙂

I'd be surprised if it rides just the same. They've shifted the bottom of the seat tube forwards (with a shallower angle) and made the chainstays a bit longer to accommodate the larger wheel (so much for there being no difference between 26" and 650b). So, even if the wheels themselves make no difference those changes must have some effect. But it would be good to hear from somebody that has actually ridden one. That Monday morning debrief is a start (thanks). So, it climbs better than a Patriot 66 ! That's a relief 🙂

so much for there being no difference between 26" and 650b

You're a marketing dept's wet dream.

I've briefly ridden the 5 RS while out riding with the Dirt mag boys. I liked it, nice slack Head angle, defiantly a different feel to a normal 5. The only problem was that it was a M and I need a L so I'd like to try the correct size.

so much for there being no difference between 26" and 650b
You're a marketing dept's wet dream

so is 99% of the bike riding population of the USA, go read pinkbike, some of the stuff the yanks come up with is hilarious.

You're a marketing dept's wet dream

On the contrary, I'm highly suspicious about the 650b wheels themselves making a difference. It wouldn't surprise me if the 650b Five feels a bit more stable than the older model, but that's just because the chainstays are a bit longer. Actually I don't have a dog in this fight at all. I'm still trying to decide whether I prefer 26" or 29ers 🙂

same here, although i'm really not a fan of 29ers.
the benefit can't be as clear cut as the manufacturers would like us to believe, why else would dan atherton choose not to ride the new tweener GT force and instead ride a 26" wheeled prototype?

Orange did good work on making the 29er ride, basically, like a Five should. So I reckon the 650b one will be similiar, instead of obsessing about chainstay millimetres etc they'll have just made an overall package that does the same job as the 26er one in a slightly different way.

b45her - Member

why else would dan atherton choose not to ride the new tweener GT force and instead ride a 26" wheeled prototype?

Eh, Affy's proto is a 650b, according to Pinkbike and Steve Jones anyway... The main differences are the geometry, he doesn't like the production model. It's his teammate that's on the 26er.

So that's it there will be no more 26in 5s.

So I reckon the 650b one will be similiar, instead of obsessing about chainstay millimetres etc they'll have just made an overall package that does the same job as the 26er one in a slightly different way.

Although, in order to do that, they probably had to give some thought to how long the chainstays should be 🙂 But I take your point. It's the overall package that matters and no one number is that important. In fact, the more I test and ride 26" and 29ers the less interested I become in the wheel size. It always seems to be the least important thing when comparing two bikes and only matters at all because of the other changes that are made to accommodate it. Regardless of what size wheels it has the new Five is just the latest evolution of the model. I'm just interested to know what direction that evolution took.

So that's it there will be no more 26in 5s.

Not for 2014. But who knows after that.

Not for 2014. But who knows after that.

I'd assume as Orange (despite their profile) aren't the biggest bike manufacturer on Earth, if there's demand for 26" bikes, they can soon make them.

I have ridden the 650b and compared to my five I found :

When you first get on feels very much like a normal five.
Climbs better, it is 3lbs lighter then my 2012 model.
Rolling speed is quicker ( slightly)
As with the five, when this go downhill or technical it comes alive.
Loved the 1x11 setup
Hated the avids
Stealth dropper is a nice touch

My mate went on an orange trade demo day type of thing. He said he found the 29 to be not a pleasurable riding experience, but loved the 27.5. Its a cliche, but he said it had the best attributes of the 26, and the 29er combined. He enjoyed it more than the 26er 5.

Thanks. Did your mate say what it was he didn't like about the 29er ?

@fodmtbguides: I guess a chunk of that 3lb difference is down to the 1x11 setup.

I tried but its about 28.713% more fallieroffiererer than the 26

Climbs better, it is 3lbs lighter then my 2012 model.
Rolling speed is quicker ( slightly)

He did, he said when it went into the twisty stuff it was unresponsive, just not as much fun.

I really like 29ers, but am thinking about the 27.5 5 myself, after what he said. Id defo hire one for a full day ride first though.

I tried but its about 28.713% more fallieroffiererer than the 26

I'm out then. It's all about the fallieroffiererness for me 🙂

Couldn't resist 🙂

the biggest issue, is it still wipe clean in case you get over excited?

I've heard very good stuff about them, and I believe it. Didn't stop me buying one of the last 26" Fives though, just because chuckability and fun-factor were a priority for me, not just speed. Plus, on some of our more techy local trails even a 26" wheel can seem like a very tight squeeze. The 26" Five is amazing, and the 650b almost certainly is too, just slightly different. Think I'm right in saying there's a great-looking 650b Five demo bike available for hire at Blazing Saddles in Hebden.

Eh, Affy's proto is a 650b, according to Pinkbike and Steve Jones anyway... The main differences are the geometry, he doesn't like the production model. It's his teammate that's on the 26er.

GT themselves said he was on a 26" prototype for the WES races in the new force launch article.

"Dan Atherton, the spear point of GT's Enduro team, swore off 650B wheels at first, but after helping to dial in the geometry and ride of the new 150-millimeter-travel Force, he changed his mind. Atherton says, however, that he will continue to develop the 26-inch wheel prototype enduro GT he uses on the racing circuit."

source: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/GT-2014-Four-models-of-the-new-Fury-DH-and-Two-Trailbikes-650B-S.html

Here is the actual bike, you can see the 650b logos on the rims

[img] ?1368129914[/img]

GT's blurb is just that, never trust a marketing man 😉

@roverpig not sure it would makes that much difference as mine is 1x10!

Never mind the wheel size. LOOK AT THE STICKERS OH GOD
[img] [/img]

They've turned many peoples favorite fapwagon into a halfords specialalike 😉

dan atherton was certainly on a proto 650b at the 1st round of the UKGE coz i seen it wiv me own eyz

I like the stickers.

Peelable stickers?

I like the swingarm stickers. Not sure about the rest. But man, that's an unflattering photo (orange seem to have dropped the ball a wee bit with the official PR shots too, lots of boring colours etc. Neon orange or GTFO.

(ok, my Orange is boring blue and white but that's still better than John Major Grey)

Looks like the filing cabinet rumours might actually be true!

It just looks like orange have just given up on caring about looks. They know the will sell so decided just to keep it as low cost to produce as possible. Luckily it's cheaper so that's no problem.

no one buys an orange for it looks so what difference do the sticker matter?

I don't care. I was just playing. They're only stickers, that bike looks like every other five to me.

[i]I'd assume as Orange (despite their profile) aren't the biggest bike manufacturer on Earth, if there's demand for 26" bikes, they can soon make them.[/i]

Spot on! 'Oy Bert, get them old 26" jigs out the cupboard will ya, the 650's & 29ers are out this year, & tell Joe Barnes & Guy Martin just so they know'

Mick, get t'old 26" jigs out t'cupboard

FTFY

Climbs better, it is 3lbs lighter then my 2012 model.

Even if they've saved a couple of hundred grams from the frame, the wheels, forks and tyres will add it back again I'd guess.

Wonder if they've sorted proper clearance for doubles, that was always a bit of a mess up at their end.

I rode both the 29 and 650b (medium for both) back to back at a demo day at Dalby the other day. I haven't ridden an orange 5 before though, so can't compare to the 26" -sorry!

The 29 was heavy and felt unresponsive in tight stuff, until you really threw your weight at it. Once you got the hang of riding like that it was good, but I suspect for unfit people like me it would be very wearing over a longish ride. The 650b was like a different bike - it was lighter for a start, but could make the corners without leaning on the bars like a gorilla, and climbed way better. If I had the money I would be very very tempted...

I tried the new 650b at a dealer demo day and was very impressed , I ride a 26" 2013 five normally and was so impressed I had to demo one again and have since ordered , rolls fast feels light and sprightly through the turns I was stunned by how confidence inspiring the bike was

<rant>
Bit annoyed with this whole 650b revolution shite, bought a decent set of 26 wheels last year thinking oh well if anything the wheels won't change so I'll get some good'ns. How long until everything's on 26.75" wheels? </rant>

650b does not mean a radical change in the rear triangle:

Tracer 2 chainstays 16.9"
Tracer 275 chainstays 17.0"

This is kinda the point of the 650b idea: A bigger wheel without making a longer bike. (not that there is anything wrong with long bikes)