Review of Commencal 2007 meta 5.5.3

Posted on 12:02 PM No Comments

I purchased my 2007 meta 5.5.3 in may08 after i realised i could'nt afford the 2008 model!

However, this machine is awesome and I actually prefer the looks of the 2007 (of course i would say this after paying for it!), and its supposedly stiffer in the back end than the 2008 model.

The slacker head and seat tube angles make the bike so comfortable on the downhills without compromising uphill ability. The bike goes uphill much better than my old hardtail bike which allways wanted to lift the front wheel!

The bike has enabled me to do things I never though i could do, it inspires so much confidence on jumps and technical downhill sections.

I recently came back from a trip to les-gets/morzine and the bike is still in one peice (im a little bruised though from a silly accident at the end of the chavannes chair lift!)

Upgrades :

Marzochi all mountain 2 2007 160mm eta/with 20mm maxle (perfect for adjustability in ride height, but heavy)
Mavic 321 rims with dt swiss spokes + Hope front maxle hub/XT rear hub (Really strong fit and forget rims)
Spank white oversize downhill riser bar 2" 710mm (really strong and wide for control)
Spank stem 0 degree rise 50mm oversize (short for downhill control and low rise keeping the front end down)
Shimano m545 cage SPD pedals (great pedals)
Oury super thick bar grips (original were too narrow for me, oury are perfect and really sticky)
180mm formula oro rotors (extra stopping power, however need alot of initial adjustment as they sounded like a hari-crishna band)
Maxxis Minion 2.7inch, wire bead, 2ply 40a front tire, downhill tubes (Really heavy wheelset now, but bombproof, no pinch flats, super grip)
Maxxis High Roller 2.5inch, wire bead, 2ply 60a Rear tire with downhill tubes (again heavy, bombproof, 60a compound allows rear to slide)
Weight........a bit on the heavy side (about 16kg with the heavy wheels and tires) but this is my downhill setup!!

Summary :

Thankyou commencal (Max) for building an outstanding bike which has enabled me to do things i thought were impossible.
For the money the bike cost me its a bargain, and outperforms most in its class although not as light as others but this depends on the build.
The bike looks amazing and always gets more attention even though alot of people don't know of the brand, although in morzine there were commies everywhere about 5 out 10 bikes were commencal mostly hire bikes thou!
This bike has great ability and can keep up with the bigger bikes no problem, i would'nt want anything bigger.
The rear suspension is fantastic...you don't need platfrom lockout with this bike and pedal bob is minimal, and the travel feels like more than it actually has.
The paintwork has been ok so far although cables have worn through paintwork on the downtube after 2 months use (a bit of tape in these areas will save your paintwork).
Haven't tried the original forks it came with as i wanted a little more travel so i bought 160mm marza forks wich have slackened the angles even more, but i run alot of sag in the front forks so geometry is almost the same when on the bike.
Make sure you buy the right size frame for your height im 6ft and have a large frame which fits perfect.
Check for burs inside the seat-tube as I scratched up the original seatpost badly.
If you buy the 5.5.3 i would recommend upgrading wheels to a stronger set.
Formula brakes are fantastic even in 160mm form...so much modulation control and power.