dirt issue 66 – august 2007
Words by Ed Haythornthwaite
I’d better start by putting those of you that have spotted Cedric Gracia’s prototype DH bike out of your misery, I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait until 2009 for something that resembles it. Anyway, that’s not really so bad, after all the Supreme DH is still an awesome bike, and it makes a somewhat refreshing change to see a company not rushing to get a bike onto the shop floor before it’s been fully tested. The 150mm travel Mini DH has also stayed pretty much the same, although they’ve tailored the spec even more towards descending, you’ll now only find coil rear shocks and single rings. If you’re a kid who’s got parents with deep pockets, then the new 24” wheel version must be about the sweetest kids bike you can get.
The Mini DH now has some major competition though from one of its new stable mates, the Meta 666. As you might have guessed this is basically a Meta 5 on steroids, the travel is 160mm rather than 140, but the general idea remains the same, this is a bike to be ridden everywhere. We can’t wait to get our hands on one. The entire Meta range has benefited from a new single swingarm style rear end, it not only looks much neater, but it’s also lighter, stiffer, and stronger than the old design. An added bonus of this new design is that the old Meta 4 frame has now trickled down to the sub £1000 Combi S, trail bike bargain of the year?
There’s one other major new addition to the Commencal line-up, and that’s the Furious. Cedric Gracia asked for something to go crazy on, and this is what they came up with. It may look very different to the rest of their suspension range but in reality the 180mm of travel is provided in much the same way, a single pivot with a rocker system. The 1.5” headtube and compact geometry are designed to give you every chance of pulling off some Gracia style moves, I reckon this will be a seriously fun bike. With all this talk of full suspension it’s easy to forget that Commencal also make some sweet hardtails for ridiculously sensible money, in fact I can’t think of any type of rider who won’t find something to whet their appetite in the new Commencal range. Quite simply beautiful bikes.
Looking for more Commencal Bikes? Try these:
Commencal Meta AM 1 29 | Bike Test
