Staff Bike Test: Andi’s Commencal Meta AM 29 SRAM Edition

This article was first published in Issue 129 of Singletrack Magazine.

The Commencal Meta has been around for quite a while now, but every so often the bike receives an update to keep it in line with what the rest of the industry has on sale.

The first time I rode a Meta AM it had 27.5in wheels and non-Boost hub spacing, but over the years the frame has evolved to fit new standards, bigger wheels and split to cover both trail and all-mountain styles of riding, not to mention a couple of e-bikes too.

Although the current Commencal Meta frame looks like the original I rode all those years ago on a dusty Spanish mountain, this Meta and the current 2020 range are very different. They all feature an updated frame construction including a single piece top tube. The updated bike has a new suspension linkage, and the rear triangle has been beefed up to aid stiffness, but not by too much.

As much as I loved the original bike, I had been put off picking up a more modern version of the Meta AM as I had heard comments that the longer travel, more gravity focused update had lost some of its agility, spark and climbing ability, but I finally figured I should jump on board and see if the Meta magic was still there or if the bike I had fallen in love with all those years ago had ceased to exist.

The Bike

Commencal has tinkered with carbon in the past, but seems to have well and truly settled on alloy for its entire range of bikes for 2020. Even its steel hardtail looks to have disappeared from the menu.

Focusing solely on alloy does mean Commencal doesn’t have to fork out huge amounts of money on frame moulds, which allows pricing to be competitive. 

The fact that Commencal doesn’t need to rely on expensive moulds also helps the design team make quick updates and changes to the suspension kinematics and frame geometry. With that said, the geo on the Meta 29 isn’t as radical as other brands, and in fact, the numbers attached to this bike aren’t anywhere near as long, slack or steep as other bikes I have at hand. Still, this is the bike I tend to reach for most, and the one I feel most fearless on overall.

At 178cm (5ft 10in) I tend to ride large bikes, and that’s what I chose for the Meta 29, giving me a reach of 468mm, seat tube length of 465mm a seat angle of 76.5° and a head angle measurement of 65.6°. Nothing out of the ordinary there and with no flip chip to think about the numbers are exactly what they say on the tin.

This version of the Commencal Meta AM 29 is the Special Edition SRAM bike, it’s not a model that is still available today, but the 29er frame remains unchanged for 2020 and Commencal has builds to suit both your component preference and budget, all using the same alloy chassis regardless of price. To get a similar bike from the 2020 range you would be looking at the Commencal Meta AM 29 Team – it’s pretty much the same build and almost the same colour scheme for €3,899, or around £3,350.

The 12-speed Eagle GX drivetrain isn’t the most flashy of transmissions, but it is affordable, offers a great range for winching up climbs, and even after riding a couple of Shimano 12-speed systems I still really like the SRAM lever throw.

Also included in the build are a set of SRAM Code four piston brakes running on 203mm rotors front and rear. This set-up has proven to offer ample braking performance over the past year.

Where we deviate from the big S is in some of the finishing kit. The cockpit, including handlebar, stem and grips are all Commencal’s own Alpha-branded kit. It’s not the best looking, but it works and is comfortable, though I did swap to red Fabric grips for colour coordination and to match the stock Fabric saddle.

The complete SRAM package continues with a Reverb dropper, a truly excellent RockShox Lyrik RCT3 fork, and equally terrific Super Deluxe DebonAir rear shock. 

This combo racks up 170mm of front travel and 160 at the rear – combine those numbers with the 29in Spank/Formula wheels and the Meta AM starts to look more like a mini DH bike than an all-mountain machine, but discounting the Meta as such would be a huge mistake.

The Ride

Since I first threw a leg over the original Meta 4.0 back at a dusty bike park in Spain, I have often played with the idea of owning one, but ever since the move to the 4.2 frameset and beyond, testers have often commented on how the new bigger and burlier bike had become sluggish on the climbs and less nimble on the trail which put me off. However, this is not my experience at all.

Climbing is not something I tend to enjoy. I mean I enjoy getting to the top of a trail so I can get down the other side, but the act of climbing is just a means to an end. Not so on the Commencal.

The combination of balanced geometry, stable suspension and fast-rolling tyres makes the Meta 29 a joy to climb on. It’s shocking how well this bike climbs; it scrambles up loose trails with much more agility than a 170mm travel bike should have by rights. The Commencal team has created a suspension platform that is supple and responsive to all bump and impacts, but never power-sapping or bobby. The Super Deluxe rear shock does come fitted with a climbing switch, but I leave the Meta AM 29’s suspension switch wide open at all times (well, I did use it on one ride after Christmas, but this is because I came back heavier than ever. Once the sag had been set up for my post-Christmas frame, the Meta is back to performing how I had left it).

The efficient suspension platform not only ensures fast climbing and constant traction but excellent acceleration. Stamp on the pedals and there’s very little squat before the Meta fires you forward. This was one of the characteristics I loved on the older bike and I’m excited that this bigger wheeled, longer-travel bike retains that ‘squeeze and shoot’, off the line speed.

An eagerness to move doesn’t hurt the Commencal’s playfulness on the trail either. It’s possibly one of the easiest bikes to bunny hop or jump and feels much more like a playful short travel bike than a big travel enduro racer. The generous, but not too long, sizing makes the Meta roomy and easy to throw about on natural or manicured terrain, on flow lines or boulder fields.

Take a trail at speed and you won’t help yourself but be impressed how the Meta’s chassis insulates you from the worst of it, but keeps you connected enough to actually ride the bike not be taken for one.

Its ability to generate speed, through efficient pedal strokes or pumping the trail and a nice heads-up riding position means setting up for steep drops, berms or corners is more fluid and natural than similar bikes I’ve tested.

Overall

The Commencal Meta 29 may have been perfectly designed for the steep-sided mountains of Andorra, but this attractive bike, along with its long-travel chassis, proves that you don’t need to be a featherweight to remain agile, active and fun. Boasting more than enough suspension travel front and rear to shrug off the worst the UK can dish out, the Meta AM 29 impresses with its turn of speed, confident handling and despite what others have said, fiery climbing ability.

It’s fast, agile, fun, flowy and easy to climb. But is it perfect? Well, almost. The only issue I encountered with the Meta was heel rub due to an inboard rear brake caliper and wide chainstays. But that’s hardly a deal-breaker in my opinion.

Walking into this review I hoped the rumours that the Meta had become sluggish were inaccurate, and I hoped to come away feeling as exhilarated as I did when I rode the original those years ago.

Unbelievably I’ve come away from this 12-month Meta affair even more attached to the big Commencal, a bike that retains the fun of the original, remains spritely and sure-footed, but has adapted to longer-travel and larger wheels better than some other bikes could only dream of.

Consider the Commencal Meta AM 29 if you love riding bikes, discount it if you don’t.

Commencal Meta AM 29 SRAM Edition Specification

• Frame  2019 META AM 29 160mm travel
• Fork  RockShox Lyrik RC2, 170mm
• Shock  RockShox Super Deluxe RCT, 230 x 60mm
• Hubs  Formula, high engagement, 32 holes, sealed
• Rims  Spank Oozy 350, 32 holes, 30mm inner width
• Tyres  Schwalbe Magic Mary, 29 x 2.35, Schwalbe New Hans Dampf, 29 x 2.35
• Chainset  SRAM Descendant Eagle 32T, 170mm 
• Rear Mech  SRAM GX Eagle, 1 x 12 speed
• Shifters  SRAM GX Eagle, 1 x 12 speed
• Cassette  SRAM XG Eagle 1275, 10–50T, 12sp
• Brakes  SRAM Code R, 200 mm rotors front and rear
• Stem  Ride Alpha, 40mm, 31.8mm, 0°
• Bars  Ride Alpha, Alloy, 20mm rise, 780mm, 31.8mm
• Grips  Fabric Funguy
• Seatpost  RockShox Reverb Stealth, 31.6mm, 150mm
• Saddle  Fabric Scoop Flat Elite
• Size Tested  L
• Sizes Available  M, L, XL
• Weight  15.53kg / 34.22lbs

Review Info