They used to be popular and everywhere.

They’re still recovering from going direct to consumer, they haven’t got that side dialled yet and people overlook them because Max Commencal dislikes carbon.

They still produce awesome bikes though…..unhinged bikes actually…..

I thought you were not going to tell anyone….

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Ready for the weekend

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Mar 27, 2018 at 12:13pm PDT

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Let's go enduro! Hope everyone has a good day and has their #hashtags packed 😉 #soenduro #nevergofullenduro #yellowisfast

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on Oct 28, 2017 at 1:54pm PDT

Good enduro bikes, very shite history on warranty though which was why I only went for one because it was V Cheap 🙂

I thought you were not going to tell anyone….

Can’t help it, I’m just too **** amused with the build…..it’s bonkers…. I’ve actually had to readjust my reaction times for it….it utterly shits all over my Reign – did some personal bests by quite a large margin on it on my second ride out.

Most importantly, it puts a giant grin on my face whenever I ride or look at it…..because it rides so well and because it’s just so **** mad. I have no idea what Max was smoking when he decided to bring this thing to market.

Nearly bought one myself a while back!

On the up I’d say. Reckon we will see a lot more about since the recent world cups. Their bikes have looked amongst the most composed on track when hitting serious chop, with good results to boot.

I can attest to that Chester, the high single pivot design is awesome, the 180mm Supreme SX is more stable than a lot of 200mm DH bikes I’ve ridden – it just stays composed in rock gardens like nothing else I have ridden. Complete lack of pedal feedback with the idley pulley as well, which as a flats rider allows you to ride a lot more pedal heavy and go light on the front through braking bumps to reduce arm fatigue when/if needed. The only way I can describe it, is that it floats across the terrain like I imagine a well setup WRC car or Baja truck does – I haven’t ridden a single crown bike that gives you that flat rear tyre sound that DH bikes give you and encourages such speed that you’re going light down sections of the track, floating or skimming the terrain with the rear noticably extending and trying to track the ground. The idler allows you to feel that through the pedals instead of the contact patch feedback being masked by kickback. I’ve ridden old school freeride bikes – but they were nowhere near as good as this whilst all the enduro bikes I’ve had – the rears seems to have felt like it was for a bit of impact cushoning – and didn’t actively seek out grip like this thing does.

The bike has gobs and gobs of contact patch feel, as such it’s one of those bikes that defies the typical marketing and expectations of what makes a good bike – it’s not carbon, the frame is heavy and it has 180mm of travel – but it’s the feeback that sets it apart – sonething that can’t be quantified by marketers. It’s  also much more accurate and stiffer than my Reign was – and yet it’s certainly not overly stiff.

Not been watching the DH World Cup then?

I was thinking the opposite to the OP bizarrely, I’ve seen loads out on the trails. Impressive given how awkward they are to demo. Obviously their last big spike was a good few years back, I think they’re recovering well, while brands they used to compete with, like Lapierre, seem to be struggling over here.

I’d love a Meta Power, huge gamble though!

Mine’s awesome

MAybe… but it ain’t pretty !

You’d think their reputation for bulletproof frames, and excellent warranty support would help sell more.

Kicks up merry hell about quality standards and warrantys – buys a Commencal instead 😂

Kicks up merry hell about quality standards and warrantys – buys a Commencal instead

As if Cotic have a great track record of building non cracking bikes.

Not met anyone who’s broken a V4.2, there’s a couple of cases of cracked links on the old V4, which were redesigned. Those cost 50 quid a set anyway. The SX is pretty much the same frame as a Supreme V4.2 – it’s way burlier than the aluminium Nomad V4, the swingarm is a single piece design without any stupid links causing stress risers on the seat stays, pivot bolts are all huge, welding looks to be of good quality, paint doesn’t flake off during the first ride – although the finish around the shock mount was a bit poor.

Overall, considering how overbuilt it is – I don’t think I’ll break it. Both the Nomad and the SX are a lot quicker to boot. What’s more, unlike the Cotics – both the Nomad and the SX have survived their first few days of ownership.,,,, make of that what you will.

Also see Lapierre, and many others that were flavour of the month

Great bikes, will always be haunted by the name commonfail 😀

Sweep stake on how long till the next warranty problem thread?😁

Commencal bikes sell good in Europe – or?

Still a fairly small player in the business but the bikes are tuned to have fun. DNA from downhill racing?

Aluminium: think that’s great. Having fun without creating huge amounts of “carbon production” waste in Asia…-these places which make carbon parts for the bike industry are hell.

My guess: the mountain bike market niche Commencal is in might grow.

Bang for the buck: fantastic I think.

Location of their engineering office: best test tracks and mountains, lots of good bikers which give design inputs.

Race results: good! But sounds like Commencal had a phase in their company history where the pissed of customers with warranty issues. But that’s couple years ago?

Market situation so: guess a bit difficult. Too many players right now in the mountain bike market? Fast growing segment e-bikes? Appears like the big companies put a lot of effort into designing e-mountain bikes right now. Is this the niche to earn the big bucks right now?

No idea.

Such ugly graphics. Almost as bad a logo as Canyon!

But sounds like Commencal had a phase in their company history where the pissed of customers with warranty issues. But that’s couple years ago?

It shows how memory works with these things. The Commencals that failed were around 10 years back. Their new generations of shapes/frames don’t seem to suffer these issues at all.

I had an AM2 29er that was built to last the end of the world !

Andrea, I really think they are onto something with the high single pivots, giving a lot of rearward travel and the idler pulling removing pedal kickback. It’s really helped with my duff right ankle and the chassis is incredibly composed through multiple large square edged hits.

Dez, the only big logo on the SX is under the downtube – otherwise it looks like it’s been stealthed.

, the swingarm is a single piece design without any stupid links causing stress risers on the seat stays, pivot bolts are all huge, welding looks to be of good quality, paint doesn’t flake off during the first ride – although the finish around the shock mount was a bit poor.

For clarity, that was a comparison to the Cotic not the Nomad.

It shows how memory works with these things. The Commencals that failed were around 10 years back.

https://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=189380 2016

As discussed at length on other threads ever company has some failures it’s how you deal with them that is important. Direct sales means it’s Max you need to be dealing with (or Clara who keeps sending me emails)

I think when I got the V4.2 people pointed out issues with the cable route eating earlier frames

My old 09 Meta UK LTD Ed still going strong…. that was classed as a “crackencal” what with all the frame breakages at that time of production…

@raybanwomble:

yes. Good point. Like the rear suspension set up of your bike.

But sounds like Commencal had a phase in their company history where the pissed of customers with warranty issues. But that’s couple years ago?

It shows how memory works with these things. The Commencals that failed were around 10 years back. Their new generations of shapes/frames don’t seem to suffer these issues at all.

I had an AM2 29er that was built to last the end of the world !

Failures and suspect customer service doesn’t prevent people buying Evil frames…

Commencal did seem to fade away through – they were hugely popular for a while, had a few failures and people moved onto the next big thing. Some of the new bikes look ace though.

Mike how do you go about contacting Max or Clara, the shop guys (greg etc) are a bit swamped so I always have to ring them.

The only thing I would be wary of is that the **** at parcel force opened up my frame box by cutting all of  heavy duty staples to look for a non existent air shock I think and then didn’t bither to seal it uo again, I want to make sure Max knows this.

To be honest, the male Commencal EWS riders really aren’t performing on the bike, so there is no way I can take their offering as seriously as the IBIS team, whom are clearly on the best option.

However if I was looking for the best DH bike, the Commencal would surely be there, as it’s won the most races this season.

/sarcasm.

Mike how do you go about contacting Max or Clara, the shop guys (greg etc) are a bit swamped so I always have to ring them.

LOL Clara just seems like the Autoemail name 🙂 as for Max I think my mates got him ont he phone when they got the commencal in a shopping trolly pic at the mega – he wouldn’t warranty that one, I last saw him in the Cairns after party setting up a supreme….

Are they not direct sales in the UK? If so the contact us on the website works, if they are held in the UK first then it’s the UK side you need to speak to.

both the Nomad and the SX have survived their first few days of ownership.

Just wait until you get them on those tricky reds though. 🙂

Yeah, and that terrible 50to1 line – with those awful, not very smooth, sketch rocky landings that totally put more force into a frame than say… jumping into a rock garden on a red route.

#stillbitter

Not a fan of campy (semi integrated) style headsets on long travel bikes (it’s a personal thing, I understand its not an issue for lots of folk) plus press in BB.

These 2 things, would stop me buying one.

I really wanted to like Commie, I still do because I think they make smashing looking bikes and OH loves his ’09-ish Meta 4X but-

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/commencal-customer-service-roflcopter/

I just can’t do it however much I fancy a go on a Meta TR 🙁

Not a fan of campy (semi integrated) style headsets on long travel bikes (it’s a personal thing, I understand its not an issue for lots of folk) plus press in BB.

The SX just seems to be a ZS56 upper and lower, they just supply a slightly odd upper cup. I suspect – as does works components – that the “IS41” that Commencal lists on their website is a typo.

As if Cotic have a great track record of building non cracking bikes.

I think it was nearly unanimous the do make cracking bikes, they also have cracking customer service 😉

Commencal also have a track record of making bikes that fail and rubbish customer service so just be wary what your shouting about….

Rayban, oh that’s OK.  It’s when you get a semi integrated top and the lower is integrated. (popular as it gives a clean look at the fork crown / headtube) Ive had bad experiences of the forks working loose with 150mm forks almost constantly. I couldn’t tell you the mechanics of it, but it just seems to have bad juju

I think it was nearly unanimous the do make cracking bikes, they also have cracking customer service 😉
Commencal also have a track record of making bikes that fail and rubbish customer service so just be wary what your shouting about….

My experience so far, is that the shop guys are overworked and that they are using crap ordering software – eg not getting tracking info until the parcel has left France.

Still, at least they know from the outset to threadlock pivot bolts and the shipping box was better packaged – despite Parcel Force opening it. So they seem pretty professional in that regard.

The frame was also 400 quid cheaper…I could replace the swingarm out of my own pocket and break even with the Cotic.

My old Supreme Mini DH was an awesome machine. It was my first dabble into full sussers when i’d just got into mtb so i couldn’t compare it to anything else, but i loved it. It was also in my pre-mincer phase and I had no issues with cracking/breaking bits on big drops and even biggerer jumps.

I got the shock Pushed and it made a massive difference to how well the rear gripped.

Still, at least they know from the outset to threadlock pivot bolts and the shipping box was better packaged – despite Parcel Force opening it. So they seem pretty professional in that regard.

Ah they have got better since mine then

I can’t fault Commencal, just for balance here, I ordered a meta in the sale and they called to say they have none left and would I take this years model instead?

They did cock up a clothes order though I ordered some socks  and they sent a wrong size hoody, but did refund it, fitted my son rather well.

Downsides? the paint chips really easy, but it is hands down the best fun bike I have ridden.

It is hammered and nothing has gone wrong or cracked or dropped off YMMV.

Haters are gonna hate.

Round here, I’d say they were only getting stronger.  When I bought my V3 I only ever really saw others when I was at bigger events.  Now I see quite a few with V4 and 4.2s, and TRs seem to be becoming popular too.  Mine has a few issues such as the internal routing putting cables too close to the steerer (what I guess Mike was referring to) and the linkage bolts definitely didn’t have any threadlock from the factory, but those are easily sorted for what was a very cheap frame that has lasted well for me.  Never had to contact customer service with them though.

I remember the bolts on mine actually fell apart, that was good