Great review. Glad the creaks were resolved. The score card comparison is well done too. I would like to see more riding on the new gen Altitude. If you played around with the Ride4, I think it may be a better pedaling bike w/o making the geo much steeper. I have an Instinct, and i am still messing around w it some after 6 months of owning it. I guess they don't let you keep the bikes for as long as you would like at times? Great riding, as usual.
hey Nick, great vid. The meta sx is my dream bike. I am very much a jumper and when you said "there are other bkes that do tricks and freeride better" which bikes are you referring to? The santa cruz and rocky mountain are way our of my price range. How could you make this bike better for freeride whilst still maintaining all the awesome good things that you mention in the vid :) eg. How good it is for climbing, steep, gnar, junk.
@@AJ_Brimson I think it’s a great balance as is. Some full 27.5 bikes and the really short backend of the Evil Insurgent lend themselves to jumps and tricks but sacrifice on the climbing steeps and gnar. I would maybe run a 180 fork if I was spending more time in the bike park.
Trying to decide between the regular V5 and SX - tough choice! Any tips on what makes one better than the other? Assuming the V5 issues are sorted now, of course!
It really depends on what you want out of the bike. If you want the most capable and are trying to push it down the steepest terrain the SX is the way to go. If you want more of a trail bike that can be pushed then the regular meta is a great option. For where I live I would go SX.
Hi Nic, thanks for a great detailed review as always on your channel. Really appreciate your efforts. I currently have a carbon Transition spire size large for my 5'10.5 height, more torso length than leg height. I'm looking at either the Transition patrol, the Meta Sx you reviewed or the Marin Alpine trail. I really want a versatile platform for steeps, jumps, tech and above all confidence and fun riding for big smiles. Could you offer any input regarding these bikes please. Also at my height should I stick with a large frame size or drop down to a medium to feel more manageable? Obviously this is very difficult question and very rider personal preference etc. Keep up the amazing content and stay safe.
Thanks for the encouragement! I haven't ridden the new Alpine Trail but it looks like a killer package and good deal. As far as the Patrol vs Meta SX I did prefer the Commencal based mostly on the suspension, but also the high front end. The BB on the Patrol is a bit low. As far as sizing, you could definitely size down and maybe get a bit more maneuverability, but I think any of these bikes will feel significantly more maneuverable than the Spire simply because of the mixed wheels and higher stack.
@@NICADV Thank you for your reply as I really appreciate. Could I ask one more question regarding the Commencal suspension being high pivot linkage driven? vs the FSR/Horst link? Correct me if I'm wrong there. Would one suspension type be more predictable/versatile over various lip take offs. I guess personal preference comes into play again, but I'm just looking for the better bike for jumping and overall control in various conditions. Many thanks again.
@@robnichols-j1h The Commencal is a dual link style suspension similar to DW and results in a more standard virtual pivot. Horst/FSR is also a type of virtual pivot so it really depends on the design. I find for jumps, consistent mid stroke support is one of the most important pieces. I find both the Transition and Commencal suspensions to have good mid stroke support and give a consistent platform to push against.
I am 5'11 and just bult an SX in large. This bike is much more manageable than my meta 29 in large, even though it's longer, the small rear wheel and high stack change everything. Don't size down.
@@LukaszKubica I emailed Commencal and they suggested a medium frame as my inside leg measurement is 31". The cut off they said would be 33". So difficult without actually trying the bike and obviously rider preference plays a massive role. I'm currently trying to work it out based on my current bike Large Transition Spire...First world problems lol. Also I do like the Transition Patrol very much and feel confident in the long term aftersales etc.
I think they are very comparable bikes. I would be happy to ride either. I chose the Nomad because of the support I have received with previous Santa Cruz bikes, the quality of the frames, and how well the pivots have held up over time. I also like the in frame storage and when I purchased the Nomad it was a pretty killer exclusive deal from Jenson USA. I am starting to like the slightly longer reach and higher head tube of the Commencal but over all I'm very happy with the Nomad and it's a bit lighter weight.
Just building an SX frame Large, and here are my thoughts: - It came with an Across headset. This headset DOES NOT HAVE REPLACEABLE BEARINGS! WTF. Don't know what complete bike come with, but if it is an Across headset capable of internal routing, then the bearings are are not officially replaceable, cause they are pressed into the cups (like you press them into frame), and of course there are no replacements to buy from Across (probably you could match something from another manufacturer). - Almost all internal routing is tube-in-tube which is awesome - Chainstay part of brake hose is not tube-in-tube and is extremely hard to route, I failed dong it with a dedicated routing tools, now just have external routing with cable ties.... - It requires at least 52mm chainline, had a 30T 104BCD ring which is 2mm offset and it did not fit, chainring will fit extremely tight for 52mm chainline. - Standard water bottle do not fit in an L frame, at least mine do not. Still haven't ridden it cause waiting for a chainring.
Not sure about the headset part. Chris King has long designed their headsets in a similar way and make some of the best stuff out there. I've done a ton of internal cable routing and totally agree. Not many alloy bike over in tube routing so I'm happy to see it at least most the way. That's a bummer about the crankset, and I hope they go back to threaded BSA on the update. Same with the bottle, I asked them about it and their solution was Fidlock. Which makes be cringe, $10-$20 for a bottle cage or $50 for a new system. 🤦🏻♂️ Hopefully you can ride soon.
@@NICADV Ok, have some updates. Fidloc fits but the base have to be mounted upside down, which requires turning the mount on the bottle 180deg too, hard to even google that it's possible :) 32t with o-chain and 7100 cranks have 0.5mm room and rubs during the ride (frame flexes). But it rides great, much better than my meta 29, it is longer yet feels more nimble at lower speeds and stable at high speeds.
@@LukaszKubica Agreed I really like the new suspension compared to the old. I'm glad you're able to get it out for a ride, hopefully you can get the crankset figured out soon.
@@NICADV I have bought an original SLX chainring and there is 0.1mm more space than with o-chain :) Have no idea how this works on production bikes with Shimano drivetrain. I suppose that the right thing to do here is just to mount a (7/8)120 crank giving 55mm chainline and then use 2mm spacers to bring it back to effectively have 53mm chainline, so there is not chance to rub and the chain angle is not too crazy.
@@LukaszKubica That sounds confusing and may be worth reaching out to Commencal to see what version of the slx crank they are specing on the production bike.
Great review. Glad the creaks were resolved. The score card comparison is well done too. I would like to see more riding on the new gen Altitude. If you played around with the Ride4, I think it may be a better pedaling bike w/o making the geo much steeper. I have an Instinct, and i am still messing around w it some after 6 months of owning it. I guess they don't let you keep the bikes for as long as you would like at times? Great riding, as usual.
Hello Nic I like video!
@@DandyHippo thanks!
hey Nick, great vid. The meta sx is my dream bike. I am very much a jumper and when you said "there are other bkes that do tricks and freeride better" which bikes are you referring to? The santa cruz and rocky mountain are way our of my price range. How could you make this bike better for freeride whilst still maintaining all the awesome good things that you mention in the vid :) eg. How good it is for climbing, steep, gnar, junk.
@@AJ_Brimson I think it’s a great balance as is. Some full 27.5 bikes and the really short backend of the Evil Insurgent lend themselves to jumps and tricks but sacrifice on the climbing steeps and gnar. I would maybe run a 180 fork if I was spending more time in the bike park.
@@NICADV awesome, thx very much!
Trying to decide between the regular V5 and SX - tough choice! Any tips on what makes one better than the other? Assuming the V5 issues are sorted now, of course!
It really depends on what you want out of the bike. If you want the most capable and are trying to push it down the steepest terrain the SX is the way to go. If you want more of a trail bike that can be pushed then the regular meta is a great option. For where I live I would go SX.
Hi Nic, thanks for a great detailed review as always on your channel. Really appreciate your efforts.
I currently have a carbon Transition spire size large for my 5'10.5 height, more torso length than leg height.
I'm looking at either the Transition patrol, the Meta Sx you reviewed or the Marin Alpine trail.
I really want a versatile platform for steeps, jumps, tech and above all confidence and fun riding for big smiles. Could you offer any input regarding these bikes please.
Also at my height should I stick with a large frame size or drop down to a medium to feel more manageable? Obviously this is very difficult question and very rider personal preference etc.
Keep up the amazing content and stay safe.
Thanks for the encouragement!
I haven't ridden the new Alpine Trail but it looks like a killer package and good deal. As far as the Patrol vs Meta SX I did prefer the Commencal based mostly on the suspension, but also the high front end. The BB on the Patrol is a bit low.
As far as sizing, you could definitely size down and maybe get a bit more maneuverability, but I think any of these bikes will feel significantly more maneuverable than the Spire simply because of the mixed wheels and higher stack.
@@NICADV Thank you for your reply as I really appreciate.
Could I ask one more question regarding the Commencal suspension being high pivot linkage driven? vs the FSR/Horst link? Correct me if I'm wrong there.
Would one suspension type be more predictable/versatile over various lip take offs. I guess personal preference comes into play again, but I'm just looking for the better bike for jumping and overall control in various conditions. Many thanks again.
@@robnichols-j1h The Commencal is a dual link style suspension similar to DW and results in a more standard virtual pivot. Horst/FSR is also a type of virtual pivot so it really depends on the design. I find for jumps, consistent mid stroke support is one of the most important pieces. I find both the Transition and Commencal suspensions to have good mid stroke support and give a consistent platform to push against.
I am 5'11 and just bult an SX in large. This bike is much more manageable than my meta 29 in large, even though it's longer, the small rear wheel and high stack change everything. Don't size down.
@@LukaszKubica I emailed Commencal and they suggested a medium frame as my inside leg measurement is 31". The cut off they said would be 33". So difficult without actually trying the bike and obviously rider preference plays a massive role. I'm currently trying to work it out based on my current bike Large Transition Spire...First world problems lol.
Also I do like the Transition Patrol very much and feel confident in the long term aftersales etc.
I’m on the fence with the pressed BB, very nice bike though
Yeah, I've had fine luck with these BBs but definitely reduced longevity.
How does it compare to the Santa Cruz Nomad?
I think they are very comparable bikes. I would be happy to ride either. I chose the Nomad because of the support I have received with previous Santa Cruz bikes, the quality of the frames, and how well the pivots have held up over time. I also like the in frame storage and when I purchased the Nomad it was a pretty killer exclusive deal from Jenson USA. I am starting to like the slightly longer reach and higher head tube of the Commencal but over all I'm very happy with the Nomad and it's a bit lighter weight.
How tall are you?
5’11” or 180cm
Just building an SX frame Large, and here are my thoughts:
- It came with an Across headset. This headset DOES NOT HAVE REPLACEABLE BEARINGS! WTF. Don't know what complete bike come with, but if it is an Across headset capable of internal routing, then the bearings are are not officially replaceable, cause they are pressed into the cups (like you press them into frame), and of course there are no replacements to buy from Across (probably you could match something from another manufacturer).
- Almost all internal routing is tube-in-tube which is awesome
- Chainstay part of brake hose is not tube-in-tube and is extremely hard to route, I failed dong it with a dedicated routing tools, now just have external routing with cable ties....
- It requires at least 52mm chainline, had a 30T 104BCD ring which is 2mm offset and it did not fit, chainring will fit extremely tight for 52mm chainline.
- Standard water bottle do not fit in an L frame, at least mine do not.
Still haven't ridden it cause waiting for a chainring.
Not sure about the headset part. Chris King has long designed their headsets in a similar way and make some of the best stuff out there.
I've done a ton of internal cable routing and totally agree. Not many alloy bike over in tube routing so I'm happy to see it at least most the way.
That's a bummer about the crankset, and I hope they go back to threaded BSA on the update. Same with the bottle, I asked them about it and their solution was Fidlock. Which makes be cringe, $10-$20 for a bottle cage or $50 for a new system. 🤦🏻♂️
Hopefully you can ride soon.
@@NICADV Ok, have some updates. Fidloc fits but the base have to be mounted upside down, which requires turning the mount on the bottle 180deg too, hard to even google that it's possible :) 32t with o-chain and 7100 cranks have 0.5mm room and rubs during the ride (frame flexes).
But it rides great, much better than my meta 29, it is longer yet feels more nimble at lower speeds and stable at high speeds.
@@LukaszKubica Agreed I really like the new suspension compared to the old. I'm glad you're able to get it out for a ride, hopefully you can get the crankset figured out soon.
@@NICADV I have bought an original SLX chainring and there is 0.1mm more space than with o-chain :) Have no idea how this works on production bikes with Shimano drivetrain. I suppose that the right thing to do here is just to mount a (7/8)120 crank giving 55mm chainline and then use 2mm spacers to bring it back to effectively have 53mm chainline, so there is not chance to rub and the chain angle is not too crazy.
@@LukaszKubica That sounds confusing and may be worth reaching out to Commencal to see what version of the slx crank they are specing on the production bike.
Still looks good but as a dad mechanic not sure I like the brand that much 😂
Agreed, some of the pivot are pretty had to access.
This one doesn't creak.... yaayy
@@pedromiguel1389 😅small victories
The only two full sus bikes I had unsolvable creaks were a Lapierre ten yrs ago and my son's meta recently 😅
@@LawrenceMacMacster This gen or the last? I'm glad this was in better shape than the last bike of theirs I tried.