We tested the $4,000 Team build, which is a budget-minded SRAMophile’s dream. He doesn't have a classic 9 to 5 routine – sometimes he's in the office, sometimes he'll take his laptop to sit in the garden and sometimes you'll even find him working remotely from his van parked at one the best riding spots in the world. I am not the Stig. The go-everywhere, do-everything Meta in a neat Testers also agreed that the simple linkage-driven, single-pivot suspension enhanced the robust feel of the chassis.The Meta’s weight also wasn’t a limiting factor on climbs. With this in mind and feedback from our EWS riders, we decided to make a bike that will be ready for anything. The Meta AM 29’s 160 millimeters of rear travel isn’t quite the tippy-top of the enduro-29er spectrum, but that shock allows it to approach the small-bump compliance you’d find on a DH bike while maintaining just enough of the supportiveness you’d find on a trail bike. Or maybe it My jealousy extends beyond just the novelty of pretending to be rich for 60 minutes a week. But of course, this is a long-travel 29er and this is 2019. Seeing how courses are changing (globally faster) we might make some geometry changes in the future.First off we would recommend adding one volume spacer in the shock, then slightly reducing the sag. More than any of the long-travel 29ers I’ve ridden since the category came into its own, the Meta AM 29 puts speed and fun in a synergistic balance. And they’re mounted to E13’s TRs wheelset, whose alloy construction, low profile and 28 spokes made this already-supple bike even more supple.But maybe the craftiest call on Commencal’s part is the four-piston Shimano XT front brake and two-piston rear.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a big bike, but not to the extent that it forces you to re-learn how to ride it. As standard, however, the bike is specced with the latest Schwalbe Hans Dampf with the Super-Gravity casing. If I’m able to put up good numbers on a trail today, that’s no guarantee I can put them up tomorrow.
Despite lacking in rear travel, this ethos shone through when we tested the British Edition Meta 29 last year.
Not great for technical singletrack, but maybe just what the doctor ordered for buff climbing trails or access roads.
Thankfully, there’s plenty of space for additional volume reducers.The two heavier testers had no qualms with the rear suspension’s performance, and all three agreed that the Meta’s more-conservative geometry makes it a more versatile bike than they’d expected, and a true weapon on steep, tricky descents where maneuverability is more advantageous than outright stability. This consumer-direct brand backs up the capable geometry with an unbelievable build kit at an eye-popping $1,599 price tag.
Your information has been successfully processed!Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest from The Commencal META AM 29 Origin runs a RockShox Deluxe Select shock and YARI RC fork, and is powered by an entry-level Shimano Deore 11-speed drivetrain, combined with the cheap but effective Shimano MT501 brakes with 203 mm rotors. The test track is never obstructed by fallen trees one day or shifting rock gardens another day. That’s just not the same as climbing behind the wheel of an Audi R8 and going zero to 60 in less than 3 seconds. More speed, more style, even more time in the saddle. Trail Bike of the Year in association with AlpinestarsCommençal puts a lot of effort into the look and style of its bikes and the Commencal Meta TR 29 has a great presence on the trail. The COMMENCAL META AM 29 on the trail The META 29 is a bike that likes to play hard. The new Meta AM 29 will, therefore, delight riders eager for performance and those who like to give it all regardless of the difficulty of the trail before them!
On my very favorite trail for testing bikes in the enduro category, I had worked my way up to a distant second on Strava’s leaderboard. The alpine trails around his hometown serve as the perfect testing grounds. The Meta TR 29, the new 130mm travel beautiful brushed alloy trail rig from Commencal just passed through the office recently. The Commencal Meta AM HT Essential is a playful and capable hardtail that is comfortable on steep, technical, singletrack and the local jump line. This bike reminded our testers that a little extra weight isn’t such a bad thing on rowdy descents. The META AM 29 (with its 29-inch wheels obviously) makes the best of both worlds possible; performance and fun! This means you only get the two-piston SRAM Level T Still, the SRAM shifting is precise and it’s also quiet compared to the Shimano drivetrain on the Commençal puts a lot of effort into the look and style of its bikes and the Commencal Meta TR 29 has a great presence on the trail. Hovering around 14 minutes, I was a nearly 2 minutes ahead of a tight cluster around third place, but more than a full minute behind first place.
It’s built with a triple-butted 6061 alloy frame, 650b wheels, 2.8″ tyres and a RockShox Yari to absorb the bumps.