Medium or Large

ditchit

Bike companies say different things so does anyone ride a Com Meta 5.5 who knows which size is best for someone who is 5' 11". I know people have different ride positions and not everyone has the same arm/leg measurments at this height , just want a Meta 5 rider's opinion. Any advise appreciated.
Wil

paul380

I used to have one....great frame by the way.

I'm 5'10 and I had a medium with a 70mm stem which was a good fit. I tried a 50mm stem but found it too cramped.

Your pretty much on the borderline between medium and large. Unfortunately the only way to tell for sure is to try them.

ditchit

cheers Paul, looked at the Canyon site and it told me i was a med but i guess different companies have different geometry.

The Rookie

As 5'10-11" is average height, logic would suggest a medium!

5'10" and riding a 16", alos put my dimensions into the Canyon size finder and it comes up with 16.5"

johnsouthwales

i could never use a 16inch frame, that's way to small when i can use a 19. i'd be banging the riser against my knee when turning. 20 i can use but the head will have to be 70mm, shorter stubby ones i'm not too keen on. then again i could use a 21 inch for town use and could be pushing my luck but could be slightly too big for offroad, and that's my limit. 18inch could be that fraction of too short for town use and better for offroad. i'm 5ft 9 so in theory all these guides are pretty accurate but close enough as a general guide, inside leg on top is more accurate, then again depending on the reach and the geonometry of the bike

rockmonkeysc

You need to try a bike for size. I'm 6'1" and vary between medium and extra large depending on make and model.
Never buy a used Meta. Thats one frame that really needs a warranty for WHEN it snaps

paul380

RockmonkeySC wrote:

You need to try a bike for size. I'm 6'1" and vary between medium and extra large depending on make and model.
Never buy a used Meta. Thats one frame that really needs a warranty for WHEN it snaps

Although I cant argue that Commencal did have a problem with cracked meta frames (mainly 2009/2010 frames I think) my 2008 frame had no problems in four years of regular trail centre use. I seem to remember most of the cracked frames were large and extra large which had a different shock mounts.

Check the commencal owners forum for a balanced opinion on 'cracked' frames, plenty of info on there both positive and negative.

ditchit

A lot of folk have a lot to say about Meta frames '08 to 2010 models regarding cracking, heard people say look for extra welds around the head tube etc for better models. I would be quite cautious too if i was going for an alloy frame but i have found a carbon model at a decent price and my only issue is size. I would love this med carbon to fit and this is my problem! The Meta 5 is definately an iconic bike regardless of past frame issues, any other bike would have bitten the dust by now but people still love em to bits, that speaks volumes. Fingers crossed!!!

ditchit

here it is!

rockmonkeysc

It's just an average trail bike, no better or worse than most others.
That one might be worth it if it's cheap (<£800) but it has rubbish wheels (I had a set of them, they are made of cheese) and pretty basic forks. It looks like someone has taken the high spec original components off it and replaced them with cheaper stuff from another bike.

ditchit

Mega Avalanche winner 2010.

rockmonkeysc

ditchit wrote:

Mega Avalanche winner 2010.

Check the results. The 2010 winner was on a Cannondale. Best placed Commencal was fourth.

ditchit

Thanks Rocky, my mistake, it was 2009.

"Just ask Remy ABSALON, winner (on his carbon Meta 55) of the legendary MEGAVALANCHE event at Alpes D’Huez, France, in 2009." quote from Commencals website.

gregwari

Thats the factory carbon 2011 frame, no issue with frames cracking. Issue was with the 2010 ali frames, notorious for cracking on the welds where the top tube was welded to the head tube. I've got this frame, fantastic bike and I've been really happy with it. It's a great bike at home (either Swinley riding xc or Aston Hill on the red run / DH1), any trail centre red and I took it out to the Alps last year where it did me proud. In short, a great trail bike...
What price is it being offered for???

EDIT!! - one last thing, in case like me you carry your bike on a roof rack with a Thule bike carrier. The clamp tries to clamp on the suspension rocker bar! I now have to carry the bike in the car, something to maybe consider