2027 Commençal

META V5 ESSENTIAL

Mention the name Meta to any veteran mountain biker and it will evoke fond memories. Personally speaking, I had a Commencal Meta SX back in around 2007, and a Meta longtermer in 2010, and I loved both of them. So pulling the latest Meta V5 Race out of the box sparked a nostalgic trip down memory lane before I’d even swung a leg over the radically sloping top tube. So what’s changed in the last 15 years in the pursuit of the ultimate enduro bike performance? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Commencal Meta V5 Race Need to know 150mm travel enduro bike with 160mm fork Alloy 6066 frame runs 29in wheels front and rear – SX model gets 27.5in rear wheel VCS twin-link suspension design drives RockShox Super Deluxe Coil shock Four frame sizes In the UK, choose from two models with all fees and shipping included. The Meta V5 Ohlins at £5,700 and the Meta V5 Ride for £3,600 Frame and geometry From humble beginnings as a trail bike, Commencal is now pitching the Meta against the best enduro bikes on the market, despite being shy of travel compared to the likes of the Nukeproof Giga, Pivot Firebird, Trek Slash, Santa Cruz Nomad and many other popular rivals. However, if you crave more travel, Commencal offers the SX version, which adds 10mm of travel front and rear, along with a 27.5in rear wheel. It achieves that extra travel with a longer stroke shock. The new Meta V5 also bucks the trend by sticking solely to aluminium as a frame material – there is no carbon option. In that sense it aligns completely with the other models in the Commencal line-up. Gone is the old single-pivot swingarm with linkage-driven shock of my old bikes, replaced by the latest multi-link Virtual Contact System design. Both the short links rotate (mostly) in the same direction, similar to Giant’s Maestro design or DW-Link, and are secured to the frame with stout bearings and locking collet axles. With the twin links mostly hidden from view by the swingarm uprights, and an especially willowy front triangle, the Meta V5 ploughs a very different furrow to most of its competitors, where swollen and bloated down tubes dominate the aesthetic. The only areas where the Meta V5 has bulked-up is at the head tube and the seat mast, although given the anorexic frame, it was a surprise to occasionally brush my heels and ankles against the seatstays when pedalling. Commencal has added a flip-chip at the shock link, where rotating the offset hardware gives 0.4º of head angle and seat angle adjustment, while changing the (surprisingly press-fit) bottom bracket height by 6mm. Even in the relaxed setting, the Meta is not particularly slack though. At 64º, it’s on the conservative side compared to the likes of the Canyon Torque and Nukeproof Giga. The same can be said of the sizing, which tops out at 500mm on the XL, with my size large test bike measuring …Continue reading »

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