Commencal has given us a sneak peak at its 2017 range and there are a few stand out items that caught the eye. Primarily the Meta range is expanding and the downright gorgeous V3 models are being given a bit of a spruce up.

Commencal Meta SX v3 2017

The Meta SX V3 is back! When it was first released in 2012, enduro was an infant sport and nobody really knew what the best bike for it was (arguably we still don’t). We thought it had an amazing rear end though and it was one of the breed of 160mm bruisers that set out the blueprint for modern enduro machines.

So why is it back when Commencal introduced the Meta V4 in 2015? Tin foil hats can be put away, it’s not as if Commencal is abandoning its more modern design, they just still really loved this older frame and wanted to offer riders a different option. On top of this, they have paid off all the machining costs so can start churning out the frames much cheaper now.

So while you are effectively looking at a bike that’s a few years old, you get a Monarch Plus shock, a Lyrik fork, SRAM’s NX 1×11 groupset and Level brakes for €2,199 (≈£1,800) which strikes us as actually really good value – especially when you’d pay around £1,000 – £1,500 for a second hand one with older components.

It’s also cheaper than the Capra AL and all but one of the Canyon Strive builds so if you’re a gravity rider who’s looking to try some of this enduro lark then this 170/160mm sled could be a new way to dip your toes in – although factor in the cost of a dropper, you’ll need one.