It’s tough to imagine a day when the Five doesn’t make it into this list. It’s just so simple, yet so effective. It carries speed like few others do, but perhaps its greatest quality is its lack of quirkiness. With this bike you just know where you are all the time, and that aspect of a bike should never be underestimated. Because of its relatively simple design it’s also easy to fine tune the suspension, there’s no fancy leverage curves to have to take into account, and with a good shock this bike will work as well as any in the rough stuff. Couple all that with a new tapered headtube, 30.9mm seat tube (for adjustable seatpost compatibility), and ISCG tabs and the Five just got even better.

Price: £2799.99
Orange bikes 01422 311 113
www.orangebikes.co.uk