I've been having dark thoughts about the super cheap deals Merlin have on Commencal 5.5's but having looked around a bit it seems they can be a bit snappy/breaky – not good.

What's the stw view?

I'd really like a chumba xcl or orange five but ££ are thin on the ground at my house.

Cheers

Buy it,stare at it,find the crack,return it,wait for 6-8weeks and if you time it right you'll get a non snappy 2010 version for not much money.Joy.

Just had a look- the place I got my Chumba from for 600 notes and has now sold out 🙁

Thing is. Meta for 699 with full warranty? GO FOR IT!!!

If I browse forums too much I get depressed about owning one – keep thinking it's going to snap in half.

Then I go for a few proper rides and start loving it again.

The ride is great, it's really good & fun bike. Traction is fantastic, no problem with pedal bob (even with PP off). It's a beast on downhills.

Just a shame the build quality seems to be a bit inconsistent, tho mine seems all good so far! (bike's an '08 5.5 and I'm 14 stone and clumsy)

Don't do it, i had one for 2 months, i'm only light and quite a smooth rider but it cracked in 3 places! I researched my rights/spoke to trading standards and demanded a refund as they are not fit for purpose.
It's not deemed as a reasonable amount of time to wait 6-8 weeks for a replacement which will do the same again, they are currently replacing 09 front ends with 2010 front ends so you end up with funny colours!
I would go with an Orange, it will be worth waiting for! Got one on order at the moment!

Hugh

Thing is the Orange is basically twice the price. I should have bought Hora's XCL when it was on sale.

Maybe I'll wait until the 2010 stock goes out.

If you have a spare bike it might be worth the risk, otherwise 6-8 weeks is a long time between rides.

Meta for 699

Where? Oh, frame only, gotcha

I'v got a hardtail so that wouldn't be too bad I guess – it's the hassle though…

After suffering with a XT wheelset that kept killing the freehub, and having 3 very long walks back to the car. Combined with the expense of paying to post them back each time (which adds up quickly) plus having to buy/hire a spares when they broke on holiday. I wouldn't bother, buy cheap buy twice, and all that.

I think Retro83 has summed it up perfectly from my point of view.
I spent the first month worrying if I'd made a mistake but now I've bannished those thoughts and just enjoy riding what is a fantastic bike, especially for the money.
No cracks to report (09 Large UK) but still can't stop checking every now and then.
Descents just seem to be getting shorter though 😛

Positives- not ALL Meta's crack
If yours does crack you wont have to wait two months as surely Commencal are allover this now and will have the front triangles ready. Plus- you'll only wait once?

Im not a fan of Commencal neither am I a detractor either.

some good feedback cheers

anyone want a blur 4x frame? 🙂

After suffering with a XT wheelset

Not really relevant to the Commencal frame tho is it?

Me? I've had two crack and am awaiting my third strike. If this one goes I shall be demanding a full refund. Great bikes to ride but welding was done by a first year metal work classjudging by the time they seem to last…

I have a meta 5.5 (2007) and four of my friends have either 07 or 08 models. All ride pretty hard, about 12 – 13 stone and been to the alps at least once riding DH trails all day. None of ours have cracked. Think about how many people have them and how many threads you have seen about cracked ones.

The grip they give you is insane and downhill they are fantastic. The frame is slightly on the heavy side but then the price isn't. People rave about the Orange 5 because they have one, from the ones I've seen on the trails bobbing about on the up hills I'd rather have the Meta.

Give Steve at Real Cycles a call (they will match merlin I think) – he knows a lot about them and will be able to tell you about warranty etc.

MRanger156, I think, from what I've read, it's the 2008 and 2009 frames that are cracktastic?

Not really relevant to the Commencal frame tho is it?

Relevant to buying something because it was a 'bargain' and suffering with it because it was unreliable though. So not completely irrelevant.

Especially as I was dealing with the same shop as who are doing this deal, who were great but ultimately I didn't want to get on 1st name terms with the warranty bloke, and having to live with 4 to 6 week turnarounds sucks arse, especially when its sunny out or you are on holiday having to run around trying to find replacements.

It's relavent as I've got a possible warranty bent seatpost that I've still not returned – should use lbs's I suppose 🙂

I need to have 12cm of seat post inside the seattube.
From the commencal rep in my bike shop.

Possibly, they changed the design slightly then but 3 people I know have the 08 and none have had anytrouble. The Meta range also became very popular in these years so there are prob more of them about.

I think its worth a gamble, if it cracks you will get a new 2010 bike and I think they come from a new factory. As I said before call Real cycles as they know what they are doing. I bought mine from there and when I bent one the bolts that holds the shock in place (must have bottomed out the suspension in the alps) they sent me a new one for free.

The worse things about the full bikes is that some of the commencal own brand parts are not the best (headset, hubs, handlebars).

tell you what. you buy it and i'll swap my old five for it.

It would be a frame swap for my blur so parts aren't really an issue.

jam bo – seen some pictures of you riding, so i reckon that five may have had a bit of a hard life! 😉

I should have bought Hora's XCL when it was on sale.

I have an ex demo XCL frame (ridden about 6 times) for much cheapness, and you will NEVER kill it!

http://www.progressive-bikes.co.uk/news24082009.html

Si, what size seatpost and what type of front mech does it take?

How easy is it to change bearings?

pfft. i reckon sharki gave it a harder time before i bought it off him. at least i try and pick lines….

31.6 seat post, E-Type front mech.

Bearings are easy to change and are standard sizes so cheap to buy, not that they will need replacing for some time yet!

lol – bit tattered is it?

still in one piece…

Another thing to bear in mind is resale value. I sold a frame on here recently (07) and only got 200 odd quid for it. I would have just built it back up but I felt it was too long for me compared to my other bikes. Unfortunately the suggestion that they break has torn the arse out of the second hand market. In my opinion they are actually a bit of a bargain second hand if you stay away from 09s. There are a lot of Commencals around here and I know the actual odds of a breakage are very low, especially on the 07s and 08s.

They are beautiful bikes to ride. On the other hand, the Chumbas look nice too!

Si have you tried selling those Chumbas in the classifieds? They'll be snapped up if you put them in there.

I just got a Meta 6 frame cheap. Full warranty.

If it cracks I will ride it till end of Oct and then send it back.

If it doesn't fine. Some bikes have problems.

08 Meta 5 here, 2 summers in the alps, lots of wales and peaks riding. I am 14 stone and not smooth, more point and pray…

I love it, I was with a mate on an Orange 5 in the Alps this summer, we swopped for a day and I preferred the Meta, just seemed more "alive".

I think of Metas like Alfa Romeo cars, not the most reliable no, but FUN and great value…

Si, ygm

Fill yer boots:

http://www.realcycles.com/products.php?plid=m24b58s26p1596

http://www.realcycles.com/products.php?plid=m1b58s1p1574

If it does break. You only need to send it back once. After all, they'd fit the new and improved front triangle no?

those are great deals, and Steve at Real Cycles knows his onions(/commencals)

Christ 599 for that medium!

Christ 599 for that medium!

Frame Only – but still a good deal.
Lots more
http://www.realcycles.com/

but only till Sunday afternoon.
Risk of crackage but 2 years warranty for it to fail in.