I can only speak about what I experience, see and here. Yes I read about the Rocker issue in mbr and a few extra snippets. However internet forums are only the tip of the iceberg in real life.

Not everyone will be a forum user or go onto a forum to moan about something. They’ll just deal/endure with the shop they bought from etc.

Intense is another brand that springs to mind with the misaligned rear triangles etc. Who else?

If we’re talking anecdotal evidence with no stats backup, I’ve never seen a snapped Commencal in the flesh but someone on a forum ride cracked their Cotic ti. So, using STW forum patented maths, 100% of cotics crack and 0% of metas crack.

I have a meta for sale that’s not cracked… 😉

Hora

It origininaly took long for warranty replacements as Commencal required the cracked frame to be returned to Madison for inspection before replacement. this meant shops had to strip them down and ship them off, wait for it to be dealt with at Madison, then again in Andorra
when the scale of the problem became apparent they changed this procedure so that the shop could instead send hi-res pics of the crack, and the frames serial number by email to Madison, this meant the rider could then keep the frame unti the replacement arrived (none of the cracks I understand resulted in failure, the frames where still rideable)
Many dealers did this well (Real Cycles springs to mind) others continued to insist on the old procedure (I heard of several frustrated Evans customers)
No denying there where problems though, I know a couple of people that where waiting 6 months, but then i know others that got sorted in 2 weeks. Alot depended on the dealer they bought from, not just Commencal/madison

There was also a delay as Commencal/Madison decided it was pointless replacing 2009 frames with 2009 frames so delayed some replacements until 2010 stock was in the country and available

I think now all the problems are behind them. I have not heard of one warranty refusal by Commencal and have heard of a couple where frames where out of warranty or clearly damaged by mis-riding that also got replaced

I own two Commies and yeah I guess I have some brand loyalty to them, I do know a little more about the issues than most that just hear the internet stories though although my next bike wouldnt be a Commie, not unless they come up with a radical re-design and bring the Meta up to date (watch out for the 2012 model 😉 )

Shame really 2009 did alot of damage to their reputation, they are still good bikes and ride well, but thats not enough when your spending £2-£3,000 on something you need security that it won’t fail and a warranty of 2 years these days isnt really good enough

So what bike did you go for in the end, or didnt you?

Naughty me went for a large brand new Blur4x. My medium was always a tad too small. Probably the same size of a medium meta5 sadly.

Lifer – Member
“Anecdotal evidence is good enough when Commencal are being discussed, but not Cotic?”

Eh, no, anecdotal evidence isn’t good enough for either. But then this is a thread about a cracked commencal which is being responded to by other people with cracked commencals 😉 OTOH Juan is demanding people provide stats to prove him wrong, but has never bothered to provide anything to back up his comments, not even anecdotal evidence.

OH gawd, just looking at the 4x makes me want to rush home and stroke it.

Its like owning the best sex-swing in the world 8)

Chrisrhayes – you don’t have a mail address in your profile but could you send pics of your rear end (realised what I did, then left it in for amusement) to me?

And as for pics – i’ll happily get some and post them at the weekend. Hora – no apology necessary, I’m no lightweight, but I’m not into big drop-offs or jumps either. The rigorous maintenance schedule that my bikes are subjected to might mean the pivot has been loose, though… 😳

This any good to anyone? – medium 5.5 frame parts.

That does look rather lovely Hora . . . but then I’m a sucker for orange 😛

OTOH Juan is demanding people provide stats to prove him wrong, but has never bothered to provide anything to back up his comments, not even anecdotal evidence.

No I have responded to hora. Which is a big difference. There is a thread lurking on the forum somewhere where this issue have already been discussed.

I’ll have a search. I don’t dislike either. I owned a orange five so I’m hardly a orange-hater either. The only brand I don’t like is Ellsworth because of the I’d….