From its naming the new Meta AM v4.2 may sound like just the next minor firmware update to some piece of electronics, but the new bike takes Commencal’s long-standing all-mountain platform and extends it into a more capable enduro ride. At first, the bike looks similar to the current fourth generation of the bike, but by stretching the rear end out to 160mm of travel with a revised shock and suspension movement, the 650b/27.5″ trail bike gets more capable for hitting the rough stuff while retaining the versatility to pedal to the top of the mountain. Get a good look at the bike hitting the trails, plus all the new details and updated tech…
Commencal thinks that an enduro bike is just a DH bike that knows how to climb, so that is kind of where the Meta seems to be headed. In its latest update Commencal has revised the movement of the new metric shock to give it both more travel and a more directly progressive suspension curve.
While the previous v4 bike came with a long and detailed chart highlighting which shocks could and couldn’t be used in the frame, the revised 2-piece toptube design builds in clearance and compatibility for all shocks on the market. Now with a 230x60mm metric damper for the new 160mm of rear wheel travel, Commencal can offer a lot more shock options to tune the bike to the way you ride. Overall the move to a longer shock, mounted a bit higher up in the frame, is also said to add a bit more space inside the main triangle around a water bottle.
With longer travel out back, the Meta AM v4.2 sticks to pairing with 170mm forks, but slackens the head angle by 0.5° (and slightly grows the wheelbase as a result) to better suit the more aggressive riding to come. Otherwise geometry is said to stay the same (seat angle, toptube length, BB height, chainstay length), although the XL bike does stretch out a tiny bit and frame stack increases about 5mm across the range to get the bars up a bit to match the longer travel.
The updated frame builds in a new integrated downtube protector at the bottom bracket. It also gets a revised cable guide there to transition the internally routed rear derailleur and brake lines into the chainstays, as well as to get the stealth dropper cable out, around the main pivot and back into the seat tube.
With the move to Boost 148 spacing out back, the updated Meta gets a new forged non-driveside dropout that also opens up more space around the chainstay-mounted brake for less interference with larger caliper designs. With wider Boosted Formula hubs, Commencal has also spec’d wider rims too, with 25-30mm internal on each of the bikes for a wider tire contact patch.
The new Meta AM v4.2 will come in three paint colors, depending on each of the six spec levels on offer. Plus, the top two bike builds will also have the option to go with a lighter brushed alloy finish with just a clear coat over the pared back graphics.
The most affordable bike in the lineup is the yellow-only $2200/2200€ Origin spec with a SRAM NX1 11 speed group, Level brakes, WTB STP i25 rims, RockShox Deluxe RT shock, and a Yari RC fork. Step up to the orange-only Ride for $2500€ and you get a Lyrik RC fork upgrade and Guide R brakes, plus a GX1 shifter.
The next two bikes come only in matte black with the more subtle graphics look. The $3000€ Essential gets the same Deluxe RT, Lyrik RC & Guide R brakes, but goes up to a full GX1 drivetrain and 27mm internal Mavic 427 rims. It also is the first to add a dropper post with the Reverb Stealth, which carries through on all of the more pricey models. With its race-ready designation, the $3500€ Race gets more tunable suspension by way of the top-of-the-line Deluxe RC3 & Lyrik RCT3, that also carry through as the prices go up. The Race also goes to Guide RS brakes, a Cane Creek 40 headset, stickier 3C Maxxis rubber, and adds in an X01 derailleur.
The Race Eagle is the first in the line to offer a choice of color, available in the matte black or gloss yellow for $4000€, or brushed aluminum for $100€ more. As the name suggests, it goes to 12 speed with a new X01 Eagle setup with the 10-50 cassette and an X1 crankset.
The top Meta AM v4.2 World Cup gets a full X01 Eagle 12 speed drivetrain, and throws in a set of Spank Oozy Trail 345 tubeless wheels with 30.5mm inner width rims. The World Cup will come in either $4500€ matte black or $4600€ brushed alloy versions.
All of the new Meta AM v4.2 bikes share the same hydroformed aluminum frame and come in 4 sizes: S-XL. They will be available from November 2016, and can be pre-ordered now.
