Looking around at what the other staffers are riding the Commençal fits into the growing trend for lighter more pedalling-friendly bikes. The 32lbs, 6in travel tech sleds of a year ago are being left at home in favour of something that won’t have you coughing up a lung on the ascents and capable of doing a few more descents too as you’re not knackered from dragging round a beast that seems to be stuck to the ground with tyres made of putty. The downs can be a bit more of a battle, but that’s also part of the fun.
Having recently had the run of several similar bikes throwing a leg over the Super 4 still makes me smile. It’s that combination of lightweight urgency, confidence and fun inducing angles coupled with capable suspension that come together to make a bike that leaves little in the way of compromise for those looking for an all rounder.
The idea with our long term test bikes is that we ride them continuously to find what’s good and, more interestingly, what’s bad about a bike. With a bike that costs as much as it does it can be pretty much taken as read that the Commençal Super 4 is a great bike. No stunning realisation there. It’s therefore of more interest if there’s a flaw in an expensive bikes, in this case carbon, armour.
So, it’s taken a while to get the Super 4 to be anything less than, well, super, and its failing is more of a small flaw really. Some bolts are a bit rusty. There you go, nothing dramatic, just a bit of oxidisation. To be honest on a frame this expensive it is a bit of a let down, the rear shock bolts seem to be made from the cheapest of cheap metals. Tightening or loosening the bolts leads to rounding out and they rust. Commençal say they are not up to spec and would be changed under warranty, so no big deal, just a bit of a let down on a super-bike like this.
Just because the frame is made of carbon doesn’t mean it’s been treated any differently to the rest of my bikes, it’s been thrown in the pile outside the pub on night rides, dropped on rocks, had light batteries velcroed to it, zip ties attached to it and scuffed from the constant brushing of fat five tens and baggy shorts on the frame. A bit of scratching on the lacquer and a few scuffs here and there are the worst of the damage. No carbon scare stories here. Sorry.
Under heavy front end braking there is a clunk coming from the headtube so some headset love is probably in order. Either that or the headtube is about to shear off. I’ll let you know either way.
OK so it might not be the newest and shiniest any more but Shimano’s 970 series XTR drivetrain has been faultless. There is an element of Trigger’s broom, but this drivetrain started life on my Giant Anthem long term over two years ago and I’ve changed the chain twice, the rear mech once (because it had an argument with a large stick) and the cables three times. The chainrings could probably do with replacing some time soon but I reckon there’s a months worth of riding still in them. Special mention has to go to the XTR shifters. Whilst the rest of the drivetrain is a case of lighter and sexier than XT or SLX the XTR shifters are a case of just plain better. The speed and ease at which gears can be pulled and pushed across the block under load is addictive and after using them any other shifter just feels a bit of a let down. I’d happily run Deore mechs rather than XT if it meant I could have XTR shifters.
Magura’s Marta brakes are a perfect match for the frame; light, powerful, reliable. I’ve just changed the front pads because they got contaminated but that’s been the sum of their maintenance. If only all brake brands were as fuss-free.
I’ve had mixed experiences with Mavic wheels in the past, some have been faultless and others no end of trouble, these Crossmax ST have been the former. Zero maintenance 100% functionality. Unlike their owner.
As always a tip of the hat to the Continental Rubber Queen Black Chili tyres. Another season (dry this time) and no need to change them. I love how boringly great they are.
So, in summary, it all just works. Boring I know, but it’s good to know that the expensive stuff does last and continues to work despite being uncared for if not unloved.
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excellent – still at the top of my list to replace my Meta 4 when the time (and money!) comes…
I’ve been reading Sim’s reviews with interest. I’ve got a Super 4 and have ended up with a very similar set up albeit a bit heavier as it’s a lower spec build. 120mm bolt through forks, light wheels, grippier rubber, shorter stem is where I’ve gotten mine to and I absolutely love it. Great traction up technical climbs, great tracking fork to pick my way through obstacles, an absolute hoot down single track!
I agree that it’s very much an all rounder but it wouldn’t be half the bike it is without a really good tracking fork (I have a 120mm RS Reba with maxle) so keep that in mind if you decide to build something like this up.
I think my (alloy) super 4 is brilliant too. Can’t say I’ve really noticed a great issue with the standard SID 100mm forks, but then I’ve no supposedly stiffer versions to compare to.
Would be an expensive upgrade as I would undoubtely want to keep the SID’s for some probably immesuable speed benefit on the occasional race I do!
my alloy one has been an excellent ride but the seat tube cracked where the main cross tube meets it after only about a year. Warranty was rapidly sorted but my replacement frame is the neon red 2010 colour which looks a lot like pink! The new frame seems slightly heavier and beefier but it has left me feeling very nervous on rough descents waiting for the frame to crack again. I love riding it but I am not sure I will ever get my confidence back. Time perhaps for a new frame, the SC Superlight seems a contender now the price has dropped.
If I were building it up from the frame alone I’d get 120mm bolt-thru forks, no question. Fox F120s in a 15mm flavour probably. Given the choice between 100mm bolt-thru and 120mm QR I’d go for the 120mm forks. The difference it makes to the overall feeling of the bike is much more marked, for the better, than the difference the addition of a bolt-thru would make.
Worst of all worlds here then (100mm QR) 🙂
Don’t care though, It’s still a new(ish) bike falling into the ‘What? you could have bought a decent car for that’ bracket and I’m loving it.
Interesting comment about preferring upgraded shifters over upgraded mechs, but this makes total sense when it’s the shifters that we feel and touch. Unfortunately, however, it is upgraded mechs that catch peoples eyes and egos more than the hidden-under-the-bar shifters so manufacturers always spec bikes this way round.
I’ve got a Meta4 and would def look at this as a replacement should it ever need it, I love the Meta, best riding bike I’ve owned and that’s plenty now including much more expensive bikes. Mine got a 120mm Fox 15mm fork on it and it’s improved it no end over the 100mm QR version it replaced. Only complaints with mine is that the paint chips easily and it’s a little porky, but I can live with that.