Commencal Whips Up New 29/27.5+ Meta HT AM Hardtail

Can’t decide if the full builds are VFM or not, they’re certainly cheap and look a lot of fun!

Am I being daft or is the geometry a secret?

SEAT TUBE LENGTH 400,0 440,0 490,0 520,0
2 – SEAT TUBE ANGLE 74,0 74,0 74,0 74,0
3 – HEAD TUBE ANGLE 65,0 65,0 65,0 65,0
4 – HEAD TUBE LENGTH 105,0 115,0 120,0 125,0
5 – WHEELBASE 1147,0 1171,0 1198,0 1225,0
6 – TOP TUBE LENGTH 579,0 602,0 628,0 655,0
7 – CHAIN STAY LENGTH 428,0 428,0 428,0 428,0
8 – BOTTOM BRACKET HEIGHT -45,0 -45,0 -45,0 -45,0
9 – FORK LENGTH 544,0 544,0 544,0 544,0
10 – STANDOVER HEIGHT 725,0 735,0 747,0 796,0
11 – REACH 400,0 420,0 445,0 470,0
12 – STACK 624,0 635,0 639,0 645,0

Why no full builds in 29? Seems weird not to have the option, I’d sooner not have a plus hardtail.

65° head angle
74° seat angle
428mm chainstay length

Like the look of these, should be able to take a long dropper
It ticks a lot of what I may be looking for in my next bike

I never understand why seat-tubes get longer at a greater rate than top tubes – can anyone explain that?

I’ll take a large top-tube with a small seat-tube please…

I never understand why seat-tubes get longer at a greater rate than top tubes – can anyone explain that?

It’s not really hard to understand; tall people have longer legs and hence need to have a higher saddle.

It’s not really hard to understand; tall people have longer legs and hence need to have a higher saddle.

Yes but the way most bikes grow with the sizes suggests that the taller you are, the longer your legs are proportionally.

And the longer your legs, the more you benefit from a longer dropper post – so seat tube lengths should allow taller riders to use longer droppers.

You don’t sit on a bike with your torso parallel to the floor

No but you have arms too – and they get longer with increasing height. And nowadays taller riders don’t just use longer stems to get their MTB to fit. You might notice that if you leave the tarmac! 😉

#sickburn

Come on DTF – I expected more from you…

Tall riders would then end up riding bikes with wheelbases that’re far too long.

Yes, for road mincing you can fit a longer stem for comfort. I guess you can too for MTBing, but then the trade off is it might not ride particularly well. Same goes for the wheelbase, especially on a hardtail.

Manufactures only make 400mm seatposts, so it’s a traditional thing really. Of course, someone could make 600mm seatposts that’re 40mm OD and then use short seat tubes, maybe that’s the next step?

Singletrack article has prices in euros, anyone seen U.K. prices?

They’re on the Commencal site, £977 for the Origin model

https://www.commencal-store.co.uk/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=22592102

and £1421 for the Essential model

https://www.commencal-store.co.uk/meta-ht-am-essential-650b-shiny-gun-metal-2018-c2x22592114

Presumably these will be for sale through CRC so 10% off with the british cycling discount?

Currency in the top left if it’s in Euros.

They’re beautiful looking, despite Commencal getting the metal wrong.

Frames are 350 for ally and a steel one is 549 in euros, so they will be the same in sterling!

If the government stop saying stupid things and the euro doesn’t have a run at the pound £310 and £328 for ally and £488 for steel.

Noticed they’ve redesigned the seat tube/top tube bracing to be more along the lines of the Nukeproof Scout – interesting, hopefully less snappy.

Are Crc going to stock any 2018 Commencal bikes?

Manufactures only make 400mm seatposts, so it’s a traditional thing really.

My 170mm Reverb is 480mm long. At full extension on my 17″ frame that’ll give enough saddle height for someone about 6’3″.

And current geometry is showing that long wheelbases are mostly a good thing, especially for taller riders.

My 2016 Meta HT was probably one of the worst bikes I’ve had, but I borrowed a mates Meta V4 the other week and it’s one of the best I’ve ridden.

I’m a bit torn 😐

I just wish they’d stop using the name meta, cant they think of any other words to use?

My 2016 Meta HT was probably one of the worst bikes I’ve had

In what way ?

I’m feeling the love for the red/burgundy one for sure… But only have 120mm forks to go in it, and arguably only need 120mm’s for the riding i do on the HT.

cant they think of any other words to use?

Mega?

Re: seatposts – I agree – chances of me getting a large frame I can run a 170mm dropper in are zero, despite it probably making moving around on the bike easier and having no impact on fit.

It’s a HT though isn’t it…. In my world, FS=Dropper, HT=Nah.

Although my dropper will fit the Parkwood and swap in seconds as it’s bluetooth not cable, i’ve never felt the need on a HT for a dropper… If it’s that gnarly i need a dropper, i’m riding the FS.

It’s a HT though isn’t it…. In my world, FS=Dropper, HT=Nah.

Your world is weird. 😉 I’d give up all my suspension, not just the rear, before I relinquish my dropper post.

If you’re not going to ride it better with your saddle down then you don’t need a hardtail like this.

FS=Dropper, HT=Nah

You crazy! the harder the tail, the more you need your leg’s suspension, the more you need a dropped saddle.

Anyway – dropped saddle isn’t just about suspension/steepness. It’s about every single corner too.

They look dangerously like my 2011 Ramones which broke at the top tube/seat tube junction. That top tube buttress is just waiting to crack

In all fairness Commencal replaced it with a much beefier design.

Just saying like

Your world is weird. I’d give up all my suspension, not just the rear, before I relinquish my dropper post.

Nahhh, I’ve got a dropper on my rigid fatty!

OK, it’s only because I already had one that would fit, but it does help.

chances of me getting a large frame I can run a 170mm dropper in are zero, despite it probably making moving around on the bike easier and having no impact on fit.

How tall are you? I’m just shy of 6ft and I think (from measuring based on my 125mm post in a 20″ frame) I could get a 170mm reverb in a 19″ frame with the collar bottomed out.

Anyway – dropped saddle isn’t just about suspension/steepness. It’s about every single corner sitting there comfortably, chatting and eating a sandwich too.

Ftfy

It’s a HT though isn’t it…. In my world, FS=Dropper, HT=Nah.

Glad I’m not in your world. Had to ride my own hardtail with a fixed post for a while and it was annoying. Bikes like these are built to have fun on, a dropped post is definitely needed.

Bike looks good. Is 160mm too much for the front of a hardtail considering the angles when it’s squished?

Yeah seat tube on XL is too long, even though it looks really low on the pictures. My seat posts are always slammed down to the collar cos of my long arms short legs

@Weeksy

It was too tall and short, didn’t seem to handle that great. I also don’t think hardtails are really suited to big travel forks. I just didn’t get on with it at all.

Oh and it just felt really harsh on everything.

It’s a HT though isn’t it…. In my world, FS=Dropper, HT=Nah.

Although my dropper will fit the Parkwood and swap in seconds as it’s bluetooth not cable, i’ve never felt the need on a HT for a dropper… If it’s that gnarly i need a dropper, i’m riding the FS.

haha – I’m sure all BFe riders want to be running full length seatposts too! …. or not.

Those Meta HTs from a couple of years ago were really boxily built from what I recall – so can understand that they were harsh. These ones look a bit more subtle to me.

Some funny opinions on this thread – why would you run a dropper on a FS and not a HT FFS? When droppers first came out you would hear people ask about them “where do you use it?” The answer was almost always “everywhere that’s not uphill or blatting along on the flat”. Even on a fireroad descent I would drop the saddle a bit for comfort, and so you could ‘play around’ making the fire road less dull by doing a bit of weaving or trying (and failing) to manual for a bit.

There are a couple of things about those frames I don’t like. The flared seat tube doesn’t look as nice as a distinct brace to me and the slight curve at the bottom of the seattube looks a bit ‘token’ to me.

Other than that, they look great and the geo looks pretty spot on. If I was in the market for a new bike I would definitely be looking at these more closely.

For me, I’d want to know how stiff it is, whether it’ll crack like so many commencal hardtails before it especially with a big dropper in, and I’d be checking the numbers very carefully because of that long seattube/slightly short reach (hardtail reach increases when you sag it of course but still). But I likes it

weeksy – Member

It’s a HT though isn’t it…. In my world, FS=Dropper, HT=Nah.

It’s a 160mm bike with a 65 degree head angle, it’s for doing the same job that enduro full susses are for.

It’s a 160mm bike with a 65 degree head angle, it’s for doing the same job that enduro full susses are for.

I get that and maybe if i rode a slack LT HT i’d be able to grasp it… but at my level, HTs are for say Swinley, then FSs at BPW…. IF that makes sense.

I get that and maybe if i rode a slack LT HT i’d be able to grasp it… but at my level, HTs are for say Swinley, then FSs at BPW…. IF that makes sense.

Yea, but equally some people ride FS bikes for XC (with or without a dropper), and some people ride 160mm Hardtails with or without a dropper.

To be (un)fair, plenty of people ride long travel FS bikes round Swinley with droppers too………..

HTs are for say Swinley

I didn’t think you could ride Swinley unless you got permission from kennyboi anyway. And a french hardtail as well? I wouldn’t ask for directions…..

It’s not really directly related, but I’ve recently bought a Production Privee Shan with 160mm Pikes and a 65 degree head angle. I was worried that 160mm might be too long on a HT, but the Shan is just wonderful. It also climbed better than any shorter travel HT I’ve ever owned!

So I’d just like to add my personal comment that 160mm and slack HA on a HT is just a wonderful idea imo.

The only issue with the Shan is that it’s double the cost for the frame and more compared to the Commencal.

Must admit, i’m debating the Commencal but would then get messy as i’d ideally need new forks as i only have 120’s on the Parkwood.