With only two equipment levels to chose from in the Meta Trail range we’ve picked the Origin model, the cheaper option selling at €2349 and is only a dropper seatpost away from being ready for the trails.

‘Clean lines, contemporary geometry and a good range of sizes sit well with an excellent spec for the price’

With a 140mm RockShox Yari RC fork up front and 130mm of travel at the rear, we’re bang in the middle of trail bike territory here. Useful numbers when matched to a slack 66.5 degree head angle, a longish wheelbase and 437mm chainstays. Good reach numbers (460mm for a L, 490mm for XL) are bang up to date too and work well with the 50mm stock stem – you could go to a 35/40mm length without a compromise to fit. A steep 74 degree seat angle helps with climbing too, getting you well placed over the cranks. This latest version of the Meta Trail really is a great fit.

With triple butted 6066 aluminium tubing, the Meta’s frame is well finished and bang up to date, with Boost spacing 148mm dropouts, additional under belly frame protection and inboard rear disc mounts.

The distinctive pierced seat tube designs of the earlier Meta frames were superseded in the V4 era and now this V4.2 series refined thing further. With a clean design and the metric rear shock sitting neatly under the low-slung top tube, access to the shock’s lockout switch is easy and there is ample space for a large water bottle.

It’s SRAM all round when it comes to going and stopping – the recently launched NX transmission is a sound and reliable choice with Level brakes matched to 180mm rotors for good control. Plump Maxxis rubber with tough sidewalls shows that Commencal have pitched this bike at the more aggressive side of trail riding, not just cruising the blue and red routes at trail centres.