Off the Shelf or Build!! (Stumpy vs Meta 5)

bigG23

Hey

Will be looking to get a new bike in the next few months. Currently like the 07 Stumpy Comp and the Commencal Meta 5.5.2. I want a bike that can climb well but flow well on the descent (I like to ride trails and the odd easy downhill section).

However not really sold on the idea of the 08 Stumpy having Specialized sus as have read about problems with the Enduro. Love the look of the 08 Meta 5.5.2 but haven't seen that much on the spec.

My problem is that I am a big guy and the bike will need to be able to take a lot of abuse, having a budget of around £1500 - £1700 would it be better to buy the Commencal or Stumpy "off the shelf" or would it be better to get the frame and build it? If it was built would the spec be rubbish for my budget?

Ps would appreciate views of current Stumpy and Meta 5 owners on build quality, durability, components and any problems?

All advice appreciated

Father Faff

I've got the 2007 5.5.1 which is just the same as the 5.5.2 but with 500gm of weight saving and a bit more bling. So far it's been fantastic and it's certainly tough - though I have managed to break a brake lever when I fell on it. The bike came with a dodgy front shifter which took a while to diagnose. Once the SRAM stuff is bedded in it works a dream. The climbing is pretty reasonable and downhill it is so confidence inspiring it's positively dangerous. It really gets into its own when you need good traction (like technical uphill sections) and it's as steady as a rock on bouldery downhills. Because of the wide bars steering is quite twitchy on uphills/flats but this is very useful on fast downhills as you can change direction quickly. Comfort is great for longer rides. Brakes are excellent but organic pads wear out quickly in the wet - put syntered ones in if you will do a lot of wet riding. High Roller tyres are really good on rocky terrain but are quite heavy and not super fast. If this summer ever dries out I might experiment with lighter faster tyres. Basically its an excellent all round ride and will easily cope with the toughest terrain as well as smooth singletrack. Not sure there are any 2007 5.5.2s left in the UK but if you can get one go for it. I don't think much changes for 2008.

Father Faff

According to J D Cycles, Ilkley website they've got plenty of 5.5.2s in stock as well as a demo bike to test ride. That's where I got my 5.5.1 fom.

russ0228

right firstly only "you" will know which bike is better as stumpy owner wil say the stumpy and meta owners will the meta.
both bikes are great for what they were intended for. if you want a great trail bike with a slight bias for comfort and high mileage then go for the stumpy as it is more suited for that type of rider in mind. it has a slightly longer top tube stretch and steeper geometry and has the "yawn" lock out lever. if you want a great trail bike with slight bias at the whole fun factor then the meta is what yo want, with a shorter to tube and slacker geometry and traction being the life and sole of the design.
from all the stumpy's we sell the majority of them want comfort and they are looking to do a few events. where most of the meta buyers are looking to try their hands at a bit of everything and are looking to have traction most of all.
three member of staff where i work have metas myself included. the rest are either stumpies or santa cruzes. you wouldn't said that a few years ago. we were a sea of spesh owners back then.

p.s if you do decide to go down to your lbs to try both bikes. please get the them to adjust your controls and most importantly set up each bike properly for weight and rebound. as if this is not done then no matter what you do you will be not be able to feel just how the manufature indended them to feel like. happy hunting!!!

ddoogie

I own a Stumpy that I custom built and I was in exactly the same position as you are in just over a year ago!

Let me explain how I came to this conclusion. My initial thoughts on the two bikes were that the Meta and the Stumpy were both similarly equiped and similarly priced. The Stumpy certainly looked like a lighter bike and, also on that note, looked a little less equiped to handle a "deathgrip" downhill section!

The next step was to actually test ride the bikes. I never managed to get a test ride on the Meta 5.2 but, luckily, my friend bought a 5.4 at the very time I was looking to get a test ride. So I had a shot and it was apparent that it was a very burly machine. It was certainly being restrained by the hefty wheels and fork but I tried not to let that influence my decision. I loved the way the bike handled on the descents. Its an absolute scorcher. It seems to steamroller its way through the track with effortless conrtrol. Yet I was never totally convinced of its climbing abilities. Even accounting for the extra heft it never felt like an enjoyable experience.

When I managed to get a test ride on a Stumpy I knew I had found the better bike for myself. Its accelleration is jaw dropping and its climbing prowess were immediately apparent. However, it was on the singletrack that this bike reigns supreme. Effortlessly flickable and playful. It just begs to be ridden faster and more on edge.

I'd definately advice having a shot on both. There was no denying the downhill destroying qualities of the 5.5 but it just wasn't what I was after for the type of riding that I do (trail centres, larking about on jumps + drops yet with a lot of climbing to get there). The fact that you are a bigger build suggests that you may, however, get on more with the 5.5. You may find that you will be able to work it more on the climbs to get the best out of it.

As for the custom build/off the shelf option, I chose the former. My main reason was the fact that I enjoyed the speccing side of it and the idea that I could buy parts that worked for me and that I knew I liked. Ebay and the internet were my biggest friends. I picked up the frame for a fraction of the RRP and the forks were "never been used", half price on Ebay. I managed to build it all for a shade over £1600. Perhaps closer to £1700!

Scubar

I would definately say test ride both, you can never tell how a bike will feel till you ride it. I tried the Stumpy and i found it i didnt get on with it at all, it felt heavy and sluggish and the way the shocks integrated with each other made braking not much fun either. I find that bikes with pivots tend to handle and brake alot nicer than the straight on shock position that the stumpy has.

russ0228

Scubar wrote:

I would definately say test ride both, you can never tell how a bike will feel till you ride it. I tried the Stumpy and i found it i didnt get on with it at all, it felt heavy and sluggish and the way the shocks integrated with each other made braking not much fun either. I find that bikes with pivots tend to handle and brake alot nicer than the straight on shock position that the stumpy has.

scubar i would normally egree with your statements, but you stumbled on one of them. firstly every bike has a pivot, and the spesh being a four bar design it clearly has pivots. one being the most important pivot on all spesh bikes. which is the "horst link" a pivot on the chain stay. this isolates any and all braking forces. if your air/rebound was set right for you when you tested it then you would of noticed this.
i am not bigging up the spesh as i own a meta. but i feel i have to step in where false statements are made. and yes i do feel i am qualified to say this as not only do i sell/fix both models we are advising on. but i have had suspension set up/repair /mumbo jumbo on from both cmmencal and spesh. sorry scubar

Scubar

I did spend quite a while in there setting up the shox for myself . I think that maybe that design just doesnt suit my riding style as it didnt agree with me at all. Thats why i said its best to test ride them both first if possible. The Spesh is still a really nice bike though.

ddoogie

It does seem strange that you found the Meta to handle braking better than the Stumpy. The Meta has a linkage driven, single pivot design and will, therefore, still be affected by braking and pedalling forces like a simple, single pivot design.

bigG23

Cheers everyone for your help

Russ0228 where abouts is the shop you work in (is it in Scotland)? do you know if they have a Meta 5.2 test bike?

On paper I think the Meta is the bike for me, but will definately try both before making up my mind.

Anyone have any opinions on the 07 vs the 08 bikes?

Ta

russ0228

as far i am aware edinburgh bikes has some meta's on display and i am sure if you were to phone them up they would put one to your name for a wee shot. or the 2008 model is when they will get a proper demo bike as 2007 caught commencal out they didn't realize the impact they would have by moving to a different distributor. the frame only options is all but sold out at madison but they an adin bikes have some meta full builds left. the 2008 are due out this october. i actually prefer the 2007 model as i prefer the graphics.

bigG23

Cheers, I'll give the Edinburgh Coop a shot, i'll let you know the outcome

Thanks