MBR mag Meta 666 first ride review

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May 22, 2012, 04:46:11 PM

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Total Voters: 287

[doakys-meta]

MBR November issue has the meta 666 on first ride review. It bitches about the head angle and the amount of sag needed to compensate for it also says it could be doing with a shorter stem.
Having never hada go on the 666 (not evem saw one) anyone 666 riders out there agree or disagree ?

[steveb]

Too steep a head angle? Stem too long? Sounds like they've fallen at the first hurdle and totally mis-understood what the 666 is.

Just cus it's got 160mm travel and beefy parts, they are assuming it's lightweight DH bike, and expecting it to handle like one. Thing is, that aint what the bike is designed for, the clue really is in the name, it's a Meta not a Supreme. It's a beefed up longer travel Meta, with all the angles of the Meta. Designed for riding that involves pedaling, and climbing and descending, only where the descending is of the alpine variety.

Personally I'm expecting a lot of people to make this mistake, I blame the marketing dept (not Commencals, they are actually marketing the 666 for it's correct job), but most other manu's marketing dept seem to grade their bikes by the amount of travel. If the bike has over 5 inches they market it as a lightweight DHer, look at all the ads  for the Whyte 46!

To my mind the 666 is the perfect bike for the rider who seriously wants to ride everything from long enduros to playing on the DH runs, and wants one bike to do it all. Those who have want to do the same sort of stuff but are willing to invest in two bikes would typically own a Meta 4 or 5 and a Mini DH.

Least that's how I see it.

Oh ya, and having ridden the 666, the angles are perfect for it's intended use. After all, it was designed with direct input and to the exacting requirements of the Commencal Megavalanche riders, the same guys who have pretty much ruled these types of events for a few years now, personally I'd trust them to get it right over a "first rides" review of mag tester.

[doakys-meta]

Cheers Steve ... send me a 666 over for test ride and I'll give my opinion 
What you say sounds spot on .. I thought myself they had reviewed it as bit of a DH rig.

[mc]

Somebody actually read a MBR review? 

[doakys-meta]

Need to fill the time in Tesco's whilst the wife does the shopping 

[Vic-Tim.com]

Hmmm I'll have to read that one in Morrisons ( does anyone buy MBR these days? ).

I agree with Steve they have definitely missed the point with that first ride. The 666 bridges the gap somewhat between the super duper popular 5.5's and the Supremes. With a lot of riders mixing it up a lot with XC enduros and Downhill epics. this is a bike which will do it all.

I've got a big review planned...but my frame is still in transit from the big C :-(

Tim S

[mc]

does anyone buy MBR these days?

The term 'All the gear, and no idea' springs to mind.
I would of thought they would of liked a 6" travel trail bike, given that's what they reckoned was the minimum needed for trail centres last year...

I've got a big review planned...but my frame is still in transit from the big C :-(

Join the club!
By the looks of things, I'm going to have a frame to sit and admire, while I wait for the forks 

[ac505]

out of curiosity, what forks are you going for? I'm guessing Fox 36, Marz 55 and Lyrik's will be the most popular. I'm about to buy a Meta 666 frame and build it up into a do it all bike, hence suggestions on forks would be appreciated.
I'm currently riding a yeti ASX which has been great but I need to change to more trail orientated riding after a rescent nasty accident on the DH course, so need something a little lighter...

[Vic-Tim.com]

out of curiosity, what forks are you going for?

I'm starting out with a set of Manitou Stance 160mm which I have sitting around. But the plan is to hit it up with some Marzocchi 55's or failing that some Lyriks.

Tim S

[suspectmonkey]

Maybe Specialized were unhappy that the Meta got rated so highly against their Stumpie and threatened to pull their very sizeable advertising in MBR unless Commencal got knocked down a few pegs... seems to be the way these things work now 

[doakys-meta]

There is also a full page Commencal Meta advert.