[Closed] Turner 5 spot... what's it for?

I demo'd a load of 140mm bikes a couple of years ago whilst trying to decide what to get and didn't rate the 5-spot very highly at all. I realise that's probably quite contentious and I can't back it up with anything tangible, it just didn't feel right when compared with the others.

Are you thinking about buying one?

Edit to add: Which was disappointing as I originally wanted to get a 5-spot. Shows the value of test riding as many bikes as you can. And not just round the car park!

I demoed one because i wanted an Ibis and couldnt get a test ride on one. The Turner has good quality sus action which feels like it has more travel like most DW link bikes.
I would say the Turner felt VERY solid, it was stiff, obviously strong and you could really hurl it into the rough stuff. I just couldnt deal with the weight on the flat and up hill.
To sum up I would say that its a cross crountry bike for people who are big guys and ride their downhills hard without worrying about being the fasted uphill

Putting together a list of bikes to try and the 5 spot is on the fringes. Do hear people rave about them but for me it seems to be lacking something, can't quite work it out, hence the post.

2010 5-spot here, 150mm revs, big brakes, fairly light build (27lbs something).
I love it!
The frame is rock solid, suspension is superb. It could easily take a more"full on" build, but I prefer to keep it reasonably light.
No problem with the head angle. Isn't that just the latest buzz thing we are being dragged into? Too slack = too slow on fast and tight singletrack!

Ride one and see how it feels, see my edit above. 5-spot was top of my list til I actually rode it. (Not saying it's a bad bike, just not right for me)

Titusrider, that sounds about right. Probably not the bike for me then as I'm not a heavyweight and like going quickly up and down. It's tempting as a burlier alps bike with bigger forks, but there are more suitable bikes out there for less cash.

Stanley, interesting comments. Why did you go for the turner over something like the blur, or even the mojo, for example?

Tonyd, what did you get after all the test rides?

Orange Five. I tested:

Orange Five
Turner 5-spot
Yeti 575
SC Blur LT
Scott Genius
Trek Fuel EX8 (120mm)

I wanted to try a Lapierre Zesty but couldn't get hold of one in my size easily and was getting demo fatigue!

In the end it came down to the Five and the Blur, I was between sizes on the Blur and wanted to buy British if I could so went with the Five and haven't looked back.

Have a good hard think about your typical riding as I've since ridden a Yeti ASR5 and think it is an awesome bike. I'd probably still go with the Five however as I wanted more of an all rounder. I ride fairly regularly at Swinley, Peaslake, etc so 120mm would be plenty there but also get to Wales occasionally and was out in the Sierra Nevada last year. The Five has handled everything brilliantly so far (not that I'm a particularly good rider!)

Oh, and I was coming from a 2004 Stumpjumper (100mm).

Rode a Blur (some time ago though) and really didn't like the folding-in-the-middle VPP. Too expensive for made in Taiwan too. Really don't like the look of the Mojo and couldn't afford one if I did!
The Turner appealed owing to it's fairly traditional tube designs, build quality and pivots that last for ages. I nearly bought a 5-Spot many years ago, but was right between sizes (5'10"). The medium was too small and the large too long. The DW_Spots are shorter, so a large is now a perfect fit for me. Got a good deal on the frame too.

An issue now that some people may say is rubbish, but makes me well happy that I bought the Turner:
I actually bought an 09 model (£1500 from CRC last April). Built it up and was initially very happy until the first time I came to drop the seatpost. It only dropped 5mm before grinding to a halt. The problem was weld penetration. That is a sign of a very good weld, BUT it should have been reamed before leaving the factory. I would have been happy for CRC (or someone other than me) to pay me to get it reamed properly, but CRC were rubbish about this.
I emailed Dave Turner directly and one email and 2 days later I had a brand new 2010 frame arrive, and in my choice of colour. I swapped the bits over, and sent the 09 frame back.
Yes, it was a QA cock-up, but was sorted out fantastically by the legendary Turner back-up.

Edit. On the heavy weight rider thing; I weigh about 11.5 stone on a heavy day.

@stanley wow, that's some service!

2009 here.

Built mine up as a 'big days out in mountains' bike. Demo'd loads of bikes including all those mentioned previously. Liked the easy maintenance and general reliability of the 5spot and the fact that the head angle is more suitable for long rides with plenty of climbing compared to many bikes with slacker head angles. DW link is great for saving your energy over the course of a day's ride.

Oh, and as said above, Turner aftersales is the best in the business...

I went for the Mojo (SL) because I loved the suspension action but didnt like the weight and didnt need all that strength (im only 10.5 stone)
never looked back 🙂

A lot of people are very loyal to Turner and his customer service has a lot to do with it. I can get a good trade in price on my HL 5 spot which I've still got going strong. I'm not heavy at all, but I like how the bike rides and how it's made to last. Not riden a DW one though.

My story from a while back about Turner customer service........

I recenly bought a Turner 5 Spot frame from Shiny off here. I was really pleased with it and built it up on staurday.
Even after just throwing it together and a quick ride up and down the road it felt perfect straight away.

Then I decided I'd just whip the bearings out, give them a quick wipe, apply new grease and re-torque them. Everything went well until I came to the last seatstay one. It was really tight and I couldn't undo it so I decided to tighten it an 1/8 of a turn just to break any threadlock......snap......the head came off the nut My heart sank as I realized what I'd just done.

Quick get the big hammer! But thaty would not shift it, I tried all sorts to press the broken bolt out of the frame but nothing worked. This is the point I should have walked away, had a think and remembered my dad's an engineer who could have just popped it out with one of his many machines at work. But no, i reached for the drill...big mistake! After what felt like an hour of drilling with my garage floor covered in swarf and sweat the bit popped through the other side. Unfortunately it went through the rocker link as well

Damn, Damn, Damn!!!!!!!

Yesterday, after calming down I rang Turner in the States. I spoke to a great guy called Greg. I explained that I'd bought the frame second hand and told him about the drilling episode. After he stopped laughing I asked if I could buy a new rocker plate link and new bearings etc. He said, 'don't worry we all do stuff like that, I'll get everything sent out to you today free of charge'.

BIG RESPECT TO TURNER BIKES

Mrblobby. Go and try a Blur LT2. The new version of VPP is streets ahead of the old one and also banishes the old bearing maintenance issues. Stiff, unbreakable, great on the climbs and very confidence inspiring on the descents. If you want it for alpine duties as well as general XC stick some Fox 36 Talas' on the front so you can wind them down for climbing but have lots of travel and a slack head angle for the descents

I have to say the thing that struck me most about the Blur (think this was LT, not LT2) was the climbing. I flew up the climb on Whites Level.

At 5'11" I bought a DW large (on Dave Turner's personal recommendation) and found it too big and too steep). The 2011 is slacker and lower, and with a tapered head tube you could run with an Angleset to slacken it further. I'd quite happily ride a medium 2011, but in the interim bought a Mojo HD instead.

Tonys, I have an old blur xc that I use for cross country and trail. If i was replacing that then the asr5 would be top of my list.

Looking for a bigger bike that's more suited to bigger stuff and a summer trip to morzine. This is where the 5 spot came in. Am tempted by the 575. The Five and the alpine are also tempting, look a bit agricultural though 🙂

Seem to recall reading that DT only went for a slacker headangle and tapered headtube through marketing pressure. ie. everyone else was doing it, the mags banged on about it, and if he didn't follow suit then his bikes would look old hat.
Funny this fashion thing, my 07 Handjob was regarded as a fairly slack angled bike in it's day, now regarded as being almost too steep for anything except xc.
Tapered and O/S headtubes? Biggest load of marketing tosh in years!

mrblobby - ride as many as you can, it's the only way to find the right bike for you. I thought the 575 was similar to the 5-spot, almost too plush - I like 'em rough and ready 🙂

I seriously need to whittle my not so short list down a bit then sort out a few test rides.

As good as the 5 spot is, I'm not convinced it's for me. Though the customer support does sound impressive. I think turner and ibis are about the only companies where I've read nothing but praise for their customer support.

So what's on your list currently? And where are you located?

HL 5 Spot here. Only had room for one bike so needed something that would be a good all rounder (from XC to weeks lift assisted in the Alps). Very pleased with it.

sizing: 5'11. Medium with a short stem if great. Need decent technique on tech climbing but very good fun on decents.

Had a weekend on a DW 5 Spot (big thanks to Nirvana Cycles for a courtesy bike while mine was waiting for a suspension service). While i can understand why people like it, I have to say that I wasn't a great fan. (Kept clipping my right heel on the large rear triangle, bike just felt heavier and removed from the trail. although it landed jumps very well)

Tonyd - it's quite a long one. In no specific order...

Intense Tracer 2, Ibis Mojo HD, Transition Covert, Devinci Dixon, Nicolai AM/AC, Chumba Evo G2, Blur LTc (or maybe a Nomad), Banshee Rune, Turner 5 Spot, Yeti 575, Nukeproof Mega, Orange 5 (or maybe a 160)

For how much I'd use it, I'm starting to lean towards the NP Mega. Ticks most of the boxes and is half the price of many of the others. Though it is an unknown quantity and Nukeproof customer support sounds a bit worrying. Having said that I do really like the look of a Nicolai 😕

Think your doing the best thing really, going and riding them yourself. Don't matter that much to me people going on about bikes on here, only when you've got a leg over one will you ever know. I've had a HL 5 Spot and now have a DW 5 Spot, best two bikes I've had, they just fit and ride so well where ever I've taken them. But they ain't going to be that way for everyone, hence test riding all that you can. Plenty to choose from out there too. And yes, Turners customer service is awesome too.

Ive had a 5 spot original not dw link for three years and its been fantastic, I swap forks around regular and it runs equally as good with 32s or 36 talos depends on what your doing.
I am a big lad max 16 stone and it rides like a dream.
Ive always found its not the weight or the bike its the rider, ie how fit and how much practice you have had.
As for the turner its done well in the gravity enduro also on steep stone clad paths of cham.

On yeah, and I'd defo be looking at the Transition Bandit, that looks a wee great bike.

mrblobby - Member
Tonys, I have an old blur xc that I use for cross country and trail. If i was replacing that then the asr5 would be top of my list.

The Blur LT2 has nothing in common with with the old XC apart from the name. It's a proper all mountain piece of kit with the beefiness and geometry to go with it. Standard builds include 160mm forks and it will happily take 4-5ft drops all day. Positioning would be somewhere between your XC and a Nomad. IMHO it's the best all round bike out there - others of course will disagree

Yeah there seem to be a lot of happy 5 spot riders out there.

Got a lot of test rides to sort out!

The BLT has probably been on my list the longest and I came very close to picking up an LTc recently. Not sure they really do it for me anymore. I'd like to run a chain device too and think a BB fitting sounds a pain compared to tabs. My local Santa cruz dealer do decent test ride scheme so will give one a go.

Giant Reign? Look past the unfashionable name and it's a great bike. I rode with many guests on Orange 5's last year and it more than held its own.

Cove Hustler should be on your list.

MtbRoutes, can you get the Reign as a frame only? Maybe I'm a sucker for fashion but it doesn't really do it for me. Nice bikes though and the new range are the first giants for a while I'd consider buying. Mrs Blobby has a small Anthem Xw and it's a gem of a bike.

Big Pete, not really considered the Hustler... off to have a look.

Came from a 05 large heckler with 5th element coil to a med 09 DW 5 Spot, (Toons's) initially with pushed rp23, but changed for a fox van rc with ti coil. I'm 5'11.
Initially used all the parts off of the heckler, but ended up updating most of the components.
Noticed a more efficient ride, and it is only a bit slower xc than my ellsworth truth.
Went up Derbyshire last week, rode a route that I had previously rode the heckler on and I am more than impressed with the 5 spot, lot more stable climbing and descending. (no chain suck or brake jack)
Ride with rockshox sektor; coil, with 110 to 150mm adjustable travel, which helped on the climbs.
Link to the Turner forum, find it useful for technical issues and opinions.
http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=31

What about a heckler?

Know which one i'd have! (got)
Heckler is a good bike though; reliable and only two bearings to change/service!
But you can't compare the two, but budgets sometimes dictate/sway choice.

mr blobby youve missed the extra 10% off sale but this is still a steal (£1500 frame +£400 shock upgrade for £1200)

http://www.probikeshop.com/orange-alpine-160-frame-mandarin-orange-cane-creek-double-barrel-2010/63694.html

I thought so anyway 😆

[IMG] [/IMG]

Thanks munqe-chick, I saw that the other day. Still not entirely sure about the whole single pivot thing.

I love my DW 5 Spot I'm 5'11 and I have a Hope Stem : 70mm - Angle 25° - with 680 wide bars and it fist me perfectly, the best bike I have ever ridden, I bought it without test riding one and trusted the reviews and mtbr threads, brilliant on fast singletrack rocky descents technical climbs you name it. I can't fault it.

Turner CS is strong
But if you end up having to deal with the UK importer (silverfish) your ****ed

Read enough threads and you'll find plenty of QA issues with Turners, in the states they have been given the nickname Re-turners by the lbs, as long as your happy with a chunk of the boutique price is there to cover their build quality/design weaknesses

My bike was an insurance replacement for my heckler and the frame was sourced through silverfish there was a delay on shipments at the time but they made my order a priority so no problems there, I have heard nothing but positive feedback about Turner and there build quality and customer service, I wanted some decals and they sent them straight away from the USA so can't agree with wpuk.

Intense Tracer 2, Ibis Mojo HD, Transition Covert, Devinci Dixon, Nicolai AM/AC, Chumba Evo G2, Blur LTc (or maybe a Nomad), Banshee Rune, Turner 5 Spot, Yeti 575, Nukeproof Mega, Orange 5 (or maybe a 160)

Hope this helps!!

What's it for?
had mine from 04 with the romic
shock, spain, alpes dartmoor the
q's and exmoor mainly.
Being sent back to turner to be
refurbed,new bushes,decals,hesd
badge,and repowdercoated in sparkle
black!
How many bike companies provide that?
What's it for?
In my case many many happy trail days.
Ps recently tried a mojo hd and whyte
146 great bikes but hey think the carbon
can wait a little longer.

Thanks all for the feedback.

Heihei, I do like the look of the mojo hd, especially with the 140/160 options. A while ago it was a toss up between that and a burly blur ltc build. Gone off the boutique carbon thing a bit now and loving the industrial look of the nicolai. Rode an AM at Afan a few months back and it was amazing on the downs. Didn't feel that good on the ups, though I'd just come off a long ride on a 100mm xc bike so really need to be compare it against more similar bikes.

Had a go on a five the other day too. Seemed very good at the xc stuff though was set up for a rider about 4st heavier than me so probably not the best test of the single pivot.

Bringing it back to the 5 spot, anyone know anywhere that does proper test rides around Berkshire area?

I know these guys used to do demo's http://www.mountain-trax.com/

Mine is 2 years old and has laughed at everything I've thrown at it.
[IMG] [/IMG]

I bought my DW from Mountain Trax - as above they used to have a demo, dunno if they still do. The Helius AM may be overkill - I'd go with the AC which can build into 28lbs or less. Head for the Hills have a demo AC in Dorking.

I don't think mountain trax do them anymore. Must demo their LT and 575, maybe the orange too.

Would be torn between the AC and the AM. If I could run an AC with 160 forks then I'd definitely go that route. Seem to remember reading about someone who got a custom AC built with some AM bits so that they could run a 160 and not void the warranty. Must dig that out.

ChunkyMTB, nice build btw. Would be much how I'd build it. How do you find the BB chain guide working?

In STW style I have to point out that your seat is rather far forward on its rails and your tyre logos are not properly aligned 🙂

BB stinger works fine never had any issues. And for the record, saddle is bang on in the midle of the rails guides - you need better eye sight 😉

😳

Try Nirvana nr Dorking for a demo 5-Spot. If you plan it right, you could test that, then the AC from HftH. HftH are also Ibis dealers and can get hold of 2-Pure's demo HD in if you wanted (or can try mine).

Yes Nicolai will do custom, but does cost quite a bit more. If you went down the Nic route it's worth hanging out in the MTBR forum as lots of helpful and knowledgabe folks on there. Geetee1972 on here owns a Helius AM with some custom geom, but says if he got another Nic he would get an AC again with some custom geom.

I own DW 5 spot. Had a few decent FS bikes the last being an Ellsworth epiphany. It weighs in at 28lbs (is that heavy or light for a 140mm trail bike?) I find it great for all my riding. The frames are so stiff, honestly you can feel the diffrence. As for the head angle being a couple of degrees steeper.... Its still fairly relaxed and climbs well, feels comfortable with a 70mm stem without wandering around. And decends really really well.
Heres mine on the gondola at Fort Will getting ready for a few runs down the DH track.
[IMG] [/IMG]

Go demo the 2011 5 spot it f'ing rocks 🙂

Yeah, thats the best way to climb up a hill NorthCountryBoy. Mine on its way up an Italian Alp. And mine is heavier than yours, so 28lbs is just fine!

[img] [/img]

""Too slack = too slow on fast and tight singletrack!"
True, but its a stiff 140mm FS, is being too slack for tight singletrack that big a concern?
Older (at least 2009?) DW 5spots were 69deg with a 140mm fork, which is about the steepest you can get a bike designed around a 140mm fork
The 100mm Flux DW has a 70deg HA with a 100mm fork, so front end bottomed out (say as you go over the bars on something steep - where the rear is fully extended) or with a 140mm fork the 100mm flux is actually slacker than the 5spot? Surely the 'need' for the 140mm 5spot to be nimble in tight singletrack wasn't so great that it was made steeper (with equivalent fork) than the 100mm flux?

Newer (current) DW 5spots are more middleground with a 67.7deg HA with 150mm fork

"the Mojo and couldn't afford one if I did!"
I thought a mojo about the same as a blur lt and a bit less than a 5psot?

"head angle is more suitable for long rides with plenty of climbing compared to many bikes with slacker head angles. DW link is great for saving your energy over the course of a day's ride"
In this regard the stiffness and weight of the frame aren't a help though?
There are other lighter (almost 1-2lb lighter) DW 140mm frames about for about the same or a bit less money (eg ibis mojo/mojo sl/mojo hd 140)

"you want it for alpine duties as well as general XC stick some Fox 36 Talas' on the front"
Now they only them in 160/120mm, not 100-130-160mm, they won't work as well on 140mm bikes. That leaves you with 'well heavy' RS Lyrik coil U-turns

"there seem to be a lot of happy 5 spot riders out there"
Probably because the thread has 5spot in it?

"can you get the Reign as a frame only?"
They used to be available for £800, but since they've slackened them (from 69deg with a 140mm fork) I think they've dropped them frame only

"sektor; coil, with 110 to 150mm adjustable travel"
1[b]05[/b]mm to 150mm surely?"

I realise there could have been a certain slant on it, but I went to an IMechE talk by Cy Turner (of Cotic) not so long ago and the comparisons of the 150mm hemlock with the 5spot, mojo, 5, blur lt etc were pretty interesting, especially the theoretical linkage driven single pivot 'hemlock' vs. a DW 5spot
If you can get past the 'looks' and 5psot sort of weight (it is £1100, can take 160mm forks and the new chainstays are 1/2lb? heavier) then going by the ST review it looks pretty good

160 fork, offset shock bushings = 67* degree ha.
i'll try one of the offset headsets soon, then lower the fork to 140. it should? lower the bb hight, keeping the ha around 67*...
[IMG] [/IMG]

* ish

When I changed bike 3 years ago I narrowed it down to 3 options and test rode them all within a week to get a direct comparison. If you can possibly sort it, it's just much easier to make the decision when they are all fresh in your mind.

Definitely get a demo on the BLT2 - it's superb, and actually climbs best with the propedal off. With a 36 Talas on the front head angle will be a smidge more than 67 deg; wound down to 120 it would be around 69 deg, so good for climbing.

The BLT2 encourages a bit of hooligan behaviour, and seems indestructible. The new VPP system is pretty maintenance free. In 3 years of Scottish all weather use and lots of big rocky descents, the top bearings have just had to be replaced, but parts are FOC as they are warrantied for life. Bottom bearings still fine

Some nice looking 5 spots there. Seems quite common to build them up with 160 forks. Are offset shock bushings a readily available part for these?

Captain M, do keep coming back to the BLT. Had a Blur XC for years now and still love it. Only real complaint is the frequent bearing maintenance. More travel, better bearings, better VPP, it is tempting. The BLT with a 160 fork is a lot more tempting than the Nomad too (which has never really done it for me.) Getting quite common on the trails now though 😉

mrblobby - I think Mountain Trax still sell the 5-spot so if you're after a demo and they haven't got one have a word and they'll most likely get hold of one for you. They're my LBS and where I bought my Five, most of the demo bikes I tested were from there and the service is great. Eg, they didn't have a Five in my size to demo so made a call to Orange and got one for me.

I'd echo the above about riding demo's as close together as you can. I got a mate to come with me and we took out two demo's at a time, riding a set route round Swinley once on each bike back to back. It's the best way to compare. Did it in a kind of knock out competition, the final was held on Whites Level.

Pastcaring, that looks like an awesome bike, id love to point that at a rock garden 🙂

mrblobby - just got an email from M-Trax, the have a 5-spot in medium on sale. It's a complete bike, componentry is OK but if you have kit to upgrade to it might be a good option if that's what you're looking for?

http://www.mountain-trax.com/product/3936/Turner_5_Spot_Custom_Bike

MBR review from 2010 best bike American classics.

Did spot that review a while ago. Notice that Rutland are also doing some good deals on them. Not sure it's the one for me though.

Float 36 on a HL Spot - yey or nay?

Depends on the rockers, longer rockers are better for longer forks IMO,
Here you go, red one with 32's and 5.3 rockers, raw one with push 5.75 rockers with 36's,
[IMG] [/IMG]

Thanks Khani - those rockers are thin on the ground these days tho

Whats it for? Riding.

There are faster, there are more huckable, there are more jumpy, there are stronger, there are lighter, but few come as close as a solid, no fuss all rounder.

5 years and counting. (Thanks Khani)
[IMG] [/IMG]

I loved my old 5 Spot. Fell off it in Canada, the Alps, Scotland etc. It was mucho fun and still going strong else where. I do miss it as much as I love my new one. Which is all a bit guff, get over it doofus. Still, it went boing in a good way.

[img] [/img]

Crc had some 5.5 rockers a bit ago, dunno if they still have
What scienceofficer said +1, not found another as good (for me 😉 ) all-round yet,
EDIT. And what coogan said as well, fell off mine all over the place 😀

Morning, any pointers on air pressure etc for the shock?

Try 10psi lower than your weight in lbs

Ta 🙂

I must admit the 5spot looks really nice in grey/silver with black decals 8)

Hora

Start with body weight in the main air chamber. Get on the bike with all your riding gear, including water in the Camelbak, now check suspension sag. To do this, pull the little O-ring up on the shock shaft; now get off the bike gingerly as to not upset that measurement. Once off the bike, measure how much shock shaft is exposed above the O-ring. For proper setup you should measure about 30% of sag from total stroke.

Dave Turner recommends about 3 clicks in for the rebound and never use the propedal.

[url= http://www.turnerbikes.com/010/010tech.html ]Click here and then click the Proper Shock Set up tab.[/url]