PROVEN, The MSC Bikes F5 Downhill Bike

I loved this bike…there ya go. I had a killer time shredding it and
every weekend when it was time to go to SolVista, I was actually
excited to drive 2 hours to go ride. A lot of that had to do with this
MSC F5. With all the ups, you may have a down or two, so dig in and
learn about my experience with this MSC F5, which came all the way from
Spain via Boise, Idaho.

POV video of suspension and
16 photo, full review feature below. Also included captions from each
image at the bottom this page if you’re just into reading.

Huge thanks www.mscbikesua.com for the frame & www.bikesolvista.com for the build kit

Suspension POV Video with 3 angles of
the frame suspension and one of the fork (note at 2:00 and 2:07 I’m
almost dragging my bars through the turn : )

Captions from photo feature if you're into reading:

1. Remember this? Well this MSC F5 got
more than its fair share of attention the last couple of months on the
trails at the SolVista Bike Park. Dive in deeper to see the details and
conclusions about this World Cup-level downhill frame that comes from
Spain.

2. I wasn’t kidding…this MSC F5 got some
attention. This image was taken after one of the most fun days I’ve
ever had downhilling. All the elements came together and the MSC
performed like a champ in the wet, lap-heavy session that day. I was so
amped, I was pretty sure I could have beaten Mickael Pascal on any
track anywhere in the world that afternoon. FYI, Pascal races on this
bike and carried the fastest speed at Mont Sainte Anne during
qualifiers…61.5kph!

3. The last day of riding. The only
difference between this build and the one you saw in the previous
photos are the tires. The original build had Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5-inch
3C and High Roller 2.5-inch 3C tires and this has Intense DH FRO
2.5-inch 4 ply (yes, 4 ply) tires front and rear. You’ll learn more
about that later, but the build kit was provided the SolVista Bike Park
crew and the spec sheet will be broken down throughout the feature.

4. The MSC F5 came with a Fox Racing DHX
5.0 rear shock (9.5×3.0 eye-to-eye and stroke) which is pretty standard
for a bike getting 8.5 inches of rear travel. I don’t recall bottoming
the bike. Watching the suspension POV video, I know I did (or came
close enough), so the ‘multi-progressive curve’ that the links create
must do its thing.

5. Based on the chart MSC provided, I had
a 450lb spring on there to start (which I actually thought would be on
the light side). It was way too stiff and I ended up running a 400lb
spring (which they recommend for a rider weighing 160lbs). Considering
my handle is ‘Gordo’ you can gather I’m heavier than that. Once the
spring was dialed, I ran the shock with compression wide open most of
the time and 3 clicks of rebound. The bike stuck to the ground like
glue once suspension settings were sorted. All of 2008 I rode
non-single pivot bikes, so it was a nice surprise to get on this and
have a snappy, lively feel on the trail.

6. The suspension links and bolts use 3
different allen wrench sizes, so swapping springs and removing the
shock was easy, but tedious as I had to grab a different wrench for
every bolt. Just a minor thing, but something to be noted. Another
thing to note are the small, but spiffy little finishes on the frame,
like the anodized red bearing caps and covers. Those little things
stick out and show attention to detail on MSC’s part.

7. Drivetrain was handled by SRAM/Truvativ
using an e.thirteen LG-1. Everything worked as it should. No hassles,
no problems. The nuts on the upper guide were crammed against the pivot
bearing cap, but this didn’t matter as the cap and guide moved in
concert with each other. If you wanted to get anal, you could find
smaller nuts or do a little customizing to the guide. The finish on the
Holzfellers isn’t the most durable (as everyone knows), but look at the
conditions they were ridden in, LOL. Not a complaint about any of the
drivetrain. Set it and forget it. I bought my own set of Easton Flatboy
pedals for the review. Big platform, no frills, no surprises, just
solid.

8. 83mm bottom bracket and one stiff bike.
The bike weighed 42lbs with the Intense 4 ply tires. Not the lightest
complete bike weight, but consider the tires I had, without any real
weight-saving components and the bike is respectable in the weight
department. The rear end was a real surprise. I did not notice one bit
of flex or wiggle the entire time I had the bike. I checked pivot
bolts, but nothing came loose and the more I rode, the more confident I
became in what the bike could do. It would plow through rocks, but also
felt quite snappy in the tight berms of Silky Johnson at SolVista.

9. The minute I built the bike, I put the
head angle in the slackest position and left it there…65-degrees. There
are 66 and 67 degree options as well with the swap or twist of the
sleeve. I’d never ridden a frame with adjustable head angle and
wondered if there would be play or loosening. I never experienced that
with the F5. The iPhone angle finder app actually said the head angle
was 64.5-degrees on my set up. The MSC F5 uses a ’semi-integrated’
headset design. I’d never heard of this, but quickly learned about it
as I was building the bike up. I had looked at the headset sleeves and
just thought, ‘they look bigger than 1 1/8-inch so they must be
1.5-inch.’ Bad assumption on my part which caused me to wait 2 days for
a the FSA version of this headset to arrive. It worked flawless, once
installed, however, so a little homework on my part would have saved me
some time in building.

10. Fox 40 RC2, Sun-Ringle A.D.D. Lite
wheelset. The wheels were great. I’m not a mega-smasher, but I’m not
the smoothest clown on the hill. I’d heard plenty of ‘pings’ during
runs, but was surprised to find only a couple small dings in the rims.
As with any pre-built wheel, the spokes were tensioned after a couple
rides and remained tight through my last run on the set. The Fox 40 RC2
was pretty sick. I’d never ridden one for a long period of time and I
grew to love it. Based on starting point input from the SolVista pros
team and Luby at Dirt Labs, I used the stock spring, kept the
compression wide open most of the time and used 3 clicks of pre-load
and 3 clicks of rebound. It was probably a smidge undersprung for me,
but for the trails and riding I did most often, I loved it and it
worked great.

11. Thomson stem (how can you go wrong?)
and gaper amount of spacers. It wasn’t my fork, so I couldn’t cut the
steer tube way down and hated having 4 spacers up high. Fashion over
function I guess. If I kept this bike (which I wanted to do) I would
have dropped the bars to the crown. I used Sunline V1 bars at full
width (29.3-inches). They worked great and since riding this bike, I’m
on a bike with 28-inch bars and it feels so sketchy, LOL. The 29-inch
width seemed a good match for my shoulder-width and I’ll probably put
the Sunlines back on the bike I’m riding now.

12. The rear end is a 12×150 rear end…the
DH standard. The Hayes Stroker Ace brakes were predictable and had a
good feel to them. Since riding them, I’m on a different brand/model of
brakes and I miss the Strokers. Not too touchy and never had to
bleed/adjust after install and setup. The thru-axle design on the F5
was easy to use and never came loose or caused problems.

13. The Sunline grips weren’t my favorite
as they seemed a little fat, but they were part of the deal and after a
while I didn’t notice the chubbiness. Hayes Stroker Ace brakes had nice
levers and adjustments. On the shifter side, it took a little
adjustment to find a good spot for the lever and shifter. Finding the
balance of being able to reach the shifter, having the lever where I
wanted it and not having alter the placement of my right hand was
sorted after a run or two.

14. The tires…I just like the Intense
Tires in DH tread pattern. Most importantly for me, they’re predictable
and they grip well. I started with Maxxis Minion DHF/High Roller combo
which was great, but just doesn’t suit my style. I don’t like the big
float zone between center knobs and side knobs. When I leaned
aggressively, there was no issue, but during ‘less-aggressive’ turns
they felt skatey to me. Their 2.5-inch width felt like 2.3 which didn’t
sit well with me. I went 4-ply because I hate changing flats…I freaking
hate it! I’m not racing and I’m not concerned about acceleration, so
it’s a ‘real world’ set up that is maintenance-free and fun. Keep ‘em
around 20 or 22psi and have fun plowing, turning and ripping…just don’t
tell the internet weight dorks.

15. So far pretty positive, right? Well
let’s look at the top tube. I’m not a huge fan of the ‘fin’, strictly
because of the way it looks. This feature was the first thing commented
on by anyone who saw the bike. ‘Dude, don’t land on that or you’ll cut
yourself in half,’ they’d say. I agree that it looks pretty severe, but
I never fell on it and can’t actually remember the last time I rode the
downtube. For me it was just cosmetic and not enough of a problem to
warrant not shredding the bike because it worked so well. In fact,
after a while, I’d get offended when people pointed out the fin, LOL
(as if the bike was mine to keep). The bike was better than any
cosmetic hang up of mine. My other concern was that replacement parts
might be a little harder to come by than a ‘big-brand’ bike. MSC Bikes
USA is in Boise, Idaho, however, so it’s not like you’ll be having to
deal with Spain for a derailleur hanger.

16. I had a kick ass time on this bike and
would strongly recommend the frame or any parts for those interested.
Predictable handling characteristics coupled with proven parts spec
make this a surprise-free and hassle-free downhill bike. With some
bikes you hear people say, ‘it’s so great once you get used to it.’ The
MSC F5 won’t have that bit dialogue surrounding it. The only things
you’ll need to get used to are a sore face from all the smiling you’ll
do while riding it and a dusty tool box from the lack of work needed to
keep things running. It’s a high-performance bike that will do well in
real-world situations and real-World Cup situations. Once you’re on the
trail, you’ll want to stay there. Thumbs up to the MSC F5. -
www.mscbikesusa.com or www.mscbikes.com