Submitted by
rickylawrence
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa Date Reviewed: June 20, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Brechfa, Wales
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Action Cycles
Strengths:
Excellent Spec for the money (R16500, South African). Confidence boosting ride. The Graphics are a breath of fresh air. Solid build quality.
Weaknesses:
Paintjob unfortunately chips easily.
Similar Products Used:
Scott Genius
Bike Setup:
Standard
Bottom Line:
Downhill is as plush as anything and single track is superfun. Its takes good legs to really gun it though. There are lighter, stiffer bikes out there. But if theres a little downhill in the trail you should beat the pack with ease. Its a serious confidence boosting machine.
Its not my idea of a xc racerig. Its still suited to the dedicated but just to those riding for pleasure, who like the technical stuff and the adrenal tap open.
Light enough for hours in the saddle but is not going to please the rider who racks up miles of jeep track as fast as possible. As others have mentioned, it really climbs well which is a hidden perk.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: January 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
CyB
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2450.00
Purchased At:
merlincycles.com
Strengths:
Handling, build quality and climbing. This bike eats up the singletrack at the Welsh trail centres. £850 ($1670) discount as it was an 07 clearout model.
Weaknesses:
Freewheel gave in after a month, Merlin swapped it for an XT item with no problems. Low BB does mean your pedal strokes hit rocks if your not paying attention.
Similar Products Used:
97 Klein Mantra Comp
Bike Setup:
Standard 07 Meta 4.1 with the additon of a DT Swiss EX1750 wheelset.
Bottom Line:
The bikes ability far surpasses my own, but I consider that a good thing. I am finding that the faster & more aggressively I ride the better it performs, grip is phenominal, the suspension system is phenominal and the build quality is also... phenominal.
I bought the bike predominantly for XC duties, although since owning it I have realised that it is an out and out trail bike and as such my riding has altered. I'm finding all sorts of excuses to get away from the Midlands to Wales, the Peaks or Moors for some proper trail-tastic riding. But, with that said it does do XC very well, the Pro-Pedal works well under drive and everything locks out well when needed.
Summary: I've never had a bike that I have wanted to ride so much as this one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Drof
a Cross Country Rider
from Aberdeen, Scotland Date Reviewed: December 20, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1600.00
Strengths:
Climbing, frame and build quality. No pedal bob.
Weaknesses:
Clearance can be a small issues at times (but can be on most full sus's). Slightly slacker head angle would be nice for decending. Avid Juciy 3's aren't the best and the stock Kenda tires were sh*t
Similar Products Used:
Various hardtails
Bike Setup:
2007 Meta 4.3. Stock except handbuilt Mavic XC717/Deore XT wheels and Oro K18 brakes
Bottom Line:
I recently moved to the UK, and needed a bike I could ride to work and also bash around the local trails a few times a week. Coming from a hardtail background, I thought seriously about another hardtail, but then found the Commencal's. They pedal and climb extremely well and are well finished. The Meta 5 is probably a better bike if you're only riding off road, but I needed a bike to ride to work everyday too. I bought the Meta 4.3 on end of year sale which saved me £500! The money saved went to upgrading wheels/tires and brakes (£300). The rear shock is a basic model, but the suspension design is so good that you don't need pro-pedal, however, compression adjustment would be nice. Likewise, the Recon's work well once setup, but compression adjustments would be nice. All in all, a good all round bike for XC/trail work. If you do more 'all mountain' riding, the Meta 5 is probably better, and would probably resolve the clearance/head angle issues.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jean-Phillippe
a Cross Country Rider
from Chico, CA, USA Date Reviewed: November 28, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Bidwell Bump
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Lightweight, responsive, well-balanced, nice components yadayada... and it's pretty.
Weaknesses:
makes XC riding too easy.
Similar Products Used:
Stumpjumper, Coiler, Blur, Rockhopper
Bike Setup:
Stock 4.3
Bottom Line:
For a bike I had never heard of until 4 months ago, I think Commencal is going to take America by the balls. The second you get on the bike you realize that everything is right about the Meta 4. The balance is perfect for intense XC riding. SUPER stiff. The suspension is set up for awesome climbing, and the faster you go downhill the better it handles. I don't own one yet, but after brutalizing my friend's Meta 4.3 on our toughest trails, I realize this is THE bike for XC riding on gnarly terrain (come to Chico for a definition of gnarly terrain!) I have also tested a Stumpy Pro and the Commencal outperforms it in every regard. I can't wait to get one and race it next season. French bikes rule.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Larson
a Cross Country Rider
from Chico, CA, USA Date Reviewed: November 21, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Guardians and Bloody Pin
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1599.00
Purchased At:
Greenfish Adventure Sports Online
Strengths:
Climbs like a hardtail bike and is fairly light for a full-suspension frame. This is the first dual suspension bike I have owned. This bike pedals nicer than any of the other 4 inch dualies I tested. I bought the Meta 4.30 and am riding it stock. I love the Formula Oro hydraulic disc brakes! The bike remains controlled and steers very nicely at speed. We have very techical, rugged terrain in Upper Bidwell Park and the bike handled the toughest descents well. It even felt balanced light and manueverable off of some small kickers along the trail. The suspension feels balanced, stiff and responsive in both the front and back. Props to Commencal for including an extra rear derailer hanger. A stick lodged in my derailer during the innaugural ride and cracked the hanger. It was easy to replace and the derailer was fine. SRAM components take a beating!
Weaknesses:
Having trouble getting the front wheel locked down. It seemed to come loose a couple of times and the front wheel got wobbly.
Similar Products Used:
Bianchi Lynx, Specialized Rockhopper. Tested Giant Trance, Kona King Kikapu, Specialized Stumpjumper
Bike Setup:
2006 Commencal Meta 4.30. Stock components, etc
Bottom Line:
This is the bike for the aggressive cross-country rider looking for an all around bike. I feel that this bike will be fast enough in the climb to handle some racing next season, and will be a great asset on courses with rugged descents. I got a great deal on this bike. Compared to other bikes I could have obtained for the same price, the Commencal is lighter and better equipped. This bike is so beautiful I can't stop staring at it!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nigel Tunnell-Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan Date Reviewed: September 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Kaba-san
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$3500.00
Purchased At:
takicycle
Strengths:
Gets lots of performance and efficiency from a high-forward single-pivot, lots of clever details on frame (lock-screws to prevent pivots loosening, stainless bearing inserts, convertible drop-outs), excellent climbing ability, good high-speed handling, good original component spec, beautiful finish that should silence any critic of Taiwan-made bikes (a guy in the Meta 5 reviews thought it was hand-made in France).
Weaknesses:
I'd prefer more "point-and shoot" handling in slower tighter corners (which require more set-up on this bike) but you can't have everything. No response to emails from Commencal.
Similar Products Used:
SC Blur, RM ETX-50, C'dale Rush.
Bike Setup:
4.2 spec with the following changes: Crossmax SLs, Hayes El Caminos, XT cranks, XO rear/X9 shifters, Maxxis Crossmarks.
Bottom Line:
I found a great dealer who set this bike up from the beginning with all the parts on it that I wanted by swapping the existing parts on the bike for new ones and only charging me cost-prices minus the value of the existing parts swapped. After that, it still needed a few parts changed to get it to work well (stem, tyres) and now it's great.
I've used it in several enduro races, as well as countless weekends of pushing it hard along fairly extreme Japanese XC trails (no flat sections, just up or down), as well as commuting and rides on road after work to keep fit. Nothing on the bike has ever let me down.
The bike pedals and absorbs bumps very well - all the scientific research done by BOS engineering seems to have been worthwhile; the frame remains largely unchanged for the following 06/07 models. Trails with speedy descents and climbs best showcase its talents, and I've outclimbed many people in races because the tyres just seem to stick during seated and unseated efforts. The bike needs a bit more concentration in tight winding singletrack, where the steering can feel a bit slow and washy on the limit.
Overall I'm happy with the bike and I'm looking forward to riding it for years to come - someting I have confidence in because the bike seems to be built to last.
Now that Commencal is selling more widely around the world, I hope they improve their ability to communicate with customers. Emails I have written to Santa Cruz and Intense were dealt with cheerfully and promptly, emails to Commencal were met with nothing. One chilli off for that.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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