Supreme or not?

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May 23, 2012, 04:24:34 AM

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Total Voters: 287

[Norm.]

Hi everyone - I currently ride a meta 5.5 and have been lurking in the background on this forum for a while!
I'm just after an opinion on a possible addition to the "fleet" as the bank is giving me nothing for my cash and spending it on bikes would be far more fun..
How much more do you reckon I could get out of a Supreme1  that I can't do on the 5.5. with what I'd call my "intermediate skills" Obviously it won't tear up the hills quite the same but will it rip down them that much faster? The 5.5 flys down most of the stuff i ride and doesn't seem to struggle until its faced with a full dh track. (probably because I'm not riding it hard enough!)
I'd keep the meta for the regular xc rides..which mostly end up as - climb fireroad, drop back down track and repeat - but I'm thinking a supreme would put a bigger smile on my face for those uplift days with my mates and occasional mess about in the woods!
Am I wasting my money?....should I try some fox 36's on the meta??

[steveb]

As someone who has owned a Meta 5 and a Supreme (MDH, 6 etc.) since 2005 I think I'm qualified to answer this one.

I'm essentially a XC who can ride the DH tracks with plenty of enthusiasm but not as much skill, I'm no slouch on the downs, got a 3rd in my first race 07 season, but it's not my main gig.

Generally I'd use my Meta for 80% of my riding and the Supreme for the rest. At the beginning of last year I decided to change that, for 3 months I only rode the Supreme for everything. It was hard to start with but I soon got used to it. After the 3 months I kept on the Supreme, i rode it almost exclusively last year, out of choice, in the end I sold my Meta as it didn't get used.

What difference did it make to my riding? Well first off all I got loads fitter, I can now it faster uphill than a lot of guys my age (in my 40's) on their XC bikes, on the downs I've got so much faster, and more confident. I'm hitting stuff so much harder and faster than I ever did, even in my 20's. On the really rough stuff the Meta requires more skill to ride fast, the supreme just requires bigger balls, but as a default your skills improve, so you gain on both counts.

I've just built myself up a new 09 Meta, with 36's, DHX etc on it and I plan to ride that on the stuff I ride the Supreme on it weighs about 33lb so way lighter than the Supreme, so more all dayable, I think the year on the Supreme has raised my skills to enable me to get away with it too. I'm going to build the Supreme into beefier mode, so I can push things further on it.

Not sure if that helps, but that is my experience. The Supreme is perfectly capable as a heavy duty all dayer, you just need to get in the mindset and build your legs up. The rewards are huge.

[Norm.]

well you're right on with the hardtail advice but i think I've done my time - she's now just the "pub bike"!

I like the sound of the "bigger balls".... well I hope you are! - thanks for the advice Steve, you kind of summed up where I was at. So much so I've bought the frame that came up in the buy and sell cat.

[tintole]

Welcome to the club mate, I have a supreme and I love it, a bit too much my other half says!!

I came off a specialized bighit so it feels like an xc bike to pedal anyway and even quicker on the downs, have fun with it, such a sweet bike.

[jlr01]

well you're right on with the hardtail advice but i think I've done my time - she's now just the "pub bike"!

I like the sound of the "bigger balls".... well I hope you are! - thanks for the advice Steve, you kind of summed up where I was at. So much so I've bought the frame that came up in the buy and sell cat.

Is that the Atherton one with blue graphics? seriously nice frame that!

the beauty of the supreme is how different you can build them, either a heavy duty am bike like Steve's, or full on (allmost) DH machine like my current setup.

You won't regret it!

Where abouts i n the country are you?

[Filthy]

Yes was my old atherton one... enjoy it Norm.

[Norm.]

I like the sound of the "bigger balls".... well I hope you are! - thanks for the advice Steve, you kind of summed up where I was at. So much so I've bought the frame that came up in the buy and sell cat.


Oops sorry just read my own post and realised that could sound very wrong!!
Should have been - I like the sound of the "bigger balls".... well I hope you are right!!

[Norm.]

Is that the Atherton one with blue graphics? seriously nice frame that!

the beauty of the supreme is how different you can build them, either a heavy duty am bike like Steve's, or full on (allmost) DH machine like my current setup.

You won't regret it!

Where abouts i n the country are you?

Yep she looks great..can't wait to see it
Now wondering how to build it up. I think i'll go down the "full on" route and keep the meta for the pedally stuff - what's your setup?
I'm based down South Herefordshire - ride every weds night (usually 6-10 or more of us) around monmouth/wye valley and the odd weekend outing either local woods or forest of dean

[Filthy]

Here's a pic of the bike as I bought it off Gee, rode it like this a couple of times and it felt planted downhill, didn't handle the ups quite as well though.

Sunline bar and stem
XTR cranks 165mm
E13 SRS
Dura ace mech and road casette
etc

clicky pic for bigger

[jlr01]

Yep she looks great..can't wait to see it
Now wondering how to build it up. I think i'll go down the "full on" route and keep the meta for the pedally stuff - what's your setup?
I'm based down South Herefordshire - ride every weds night (usually 6-10 or more of us) around monmouth/wye valley and the odd weekend outing either local woods or forest of dean

At present, marz 66 forks, dh wheels and tyres, single ring setup, short stem and wide bars.

It's about perfect for the FOD downhill area if you go there a fair bit.

Jonathan

[Mr.SandmaN]

I like the sound of the "bigger balls".... well I hope you are! - thanks for the advice Steve, you kind of summed up where I was at. So much so I've bought the frame that came up in the buy and sell cat.


Oops sorry just read my own post and realised that could sound very wrong!!
Should have been - I like the sound of the "bigger balls".... well I hope you are right!!

"i like the sound of bigger balls " don't sound to great either!

[steveb]

LOL.

Enjoy he Supreme.