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COMMENCAL Meta AM test, the race-ready Enduro MTB

Can you compete in enduro with a 2600 euro vehicle? After testing this Commencal the answer is 80%, maybe 20%.


Warm winter for the 365 tests, it's time to present a test that surprised me positively, namely that of the new Commençal Meta AM in basic version. A bike that at the time of writing is being offered to 2600 €, a price for which other brands don't even sell you the bare frame.

The bike

The heart of every MTB is the frame, the real element that can make the difference between one brand and another. The geometric dimensions and the functioning of the wagon are elements that can give a specific imprint to the model. Commençal, by choice, continues to believe in the virtues of aluminium; here we find a triple butted 6066 alloy with reinforced bearings to withstand the stresses of modern enduro.

The choice regarding the shock absorbing group is all in the house rock shox, with the Yarirc and the mono Deluxe Select mounted with two tokens.

Brakes trp slate ev with four pistons and a general set-up that pays much attention to substance. From Shimano the transmission with the reliable and economical Deore.  Hubs Formula and you search E13 with 30mm channel. Handlebar and stem Ride Alpha and Fizik alpaca saddle x5. The only drawback, the absence of the telescopic, a fundamental element for this type of bike.

The test

Considering the basic set-up, I expected a vehicle which, especially as regards the hydraulics, could get into trouble by learning the gas. On the other hand, the surprise was high in ascertaining that the fork and shock did their job very well, making this bike a ready-to-race bike, which is no small feat given the base figure.

Downhill

The fork hydraulics support the rider quite well, allowing for a well-controlled ride, without the front end closing too much in the hardest braking sections or very steep sections.

This allows you to maintain a well-advanced ride, which is very useful when cornering and controlling the bike in more complex situations. The merit must be distributed equally between the work of the fork and the rigidity of the headset; which, combined with the very open steering angle (63,6°), mean that this Meta AM has considerable stability at the front.

The rear also behaves very well, the rigidity of the frame is high and you can feel it all during a more driven ride. The feeling is that the work of the linkage is precise, the bike looks like a blade that cuts the trail. The adjustments make the difference, so, above all by acting on the brake in understanding the front, you can have a softer or very reactive bike.

The somewhat long position in the saddle means that some descents are necessary to find the right feeling in the narrowest and slowest sections, while this AM gives its best in the fast broken-down sections, where it manages to absorb everything, giving a safety of awesome guide. Here the credit must be equally divided between the work of the fork and the excellent functioning of the rear, which also forgives some mistakes.

In leaning corners, the position in the saddle and the work of the rear triangle allow you to enter with great speed and to push very well on the pedals to pump it out, making this movement natural, which is also helped by a very sloping design of the frame.

In fact, aesthetically this bike has a line that is more reminiscent of a dirt bike, with lots of light that allows the biker to move easily inside it, guaranteeing a very active ride in all conditions.

As mentioned, I encountered some difficulties in the slow strait; where the geometric dimensions of this Meta make it more difficult to be able to launch it and find the right speed; In fact, he often tends to try to open up the curves a little; sensation that has not changed even by acting on the sag going to stiffen the response.

It must be said that the hunting grounds for this vehicle are competitions, where the trend is for increasingly battered PS and where an open geometry like this gives the possibility to drive with greater safety, giving great stability to the whole. For the easier riders there are bikes with smaller geometries and excursions that will certainly make many bikers happy.

Uphill

The work of the linkages makes pedaling stable. The Delux does not have a lockout, but you don't miss this device, the support is so high in all situations, including flat stretches with high pedaling frequency (100 rpm). If you want even more support, just close the rebound and the bike becomes a nice little stiffer. The very forward position of the seat post means that there is a great development of strength in thrust, with an important work of the buttocks. The bike was designed for transfer climbs and to be effective in relaunch, situations where a more upright position on the pedals is certainly more effective.

Ready for the races?

This is the most important question I asked myself during the test. Can a bike that is currently on sale for 2600 euros be ready for competition?

The answer is 80% yes, 20% maybe.

The topic is well explained. The frame is the same as the most prestigious models, so from a purely geometric point of view this bike is ready for competitions; but what has leaned me towards an affirmative answer is above all his general demeanor.

As already written above, the fork and mono behave very well, giving the right confidence which is an essential requirement for pushing in the PS. The rest of the bike behaves very well too, with only the brakes showing their limit a bit, but it is enough to replace the pads for safer behaviour.

All very nice, but for completeness of reasoning it is necessary to make some distinctions. In fact, if for the beginners and students categories and for most of the juniors this Commençal AM could be the perfect bike in terms of value for money, when we start talking about young people chasing the podium or riders from the higher categories then the reasoning must be more articulated.

In fact, the Yari proved to be a good fork, but for more extreme use or for heavier riders, while riding against the clock it could show a less rigid structure than a fork with 38 stems. Furthermore, the mono works well, but the lack of an external tank reduces the efficiency of operation during long descents faced at full speed and with aggressive driving.

So good for young and light riders, good even for those who face the races as pure fun, a little on the edge for mature, athletic riders looking for results.

Conclusions

This Commençal Meta AM has proven to be an excellent MTB designed to go fast and to better face modern enduro tracks. A medium-long, very stable at high speed with a rear that guarantees the right support uphill, which knows how to absorb bumps well and which has a very important feature in its ability to push out of corners.

Everything nice? Almost. Our role is also to verify the vehicles in every detail and the absence of the telescopic handle is an element on which Commençal should reflect a little.



Written by

[email protected] Mountain bike travel editor and expert. Chiropractor and personal trainer, for years following some of the strongest national interpreters of enduro mtb.

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