Commençal Meta HT AM

This is my bike: a Commencal Meta AM Hardtail. I've got to give a huge shoutout to Commencal for making this bike. I can honestly say it's the best bike I've ever owned.

After I finished racing xc in high school, I wanted a bike that handled better that an xc bike. I found that trail bikes handled great, but as a coach on an xc team, I needed something that was more efficient on climbs. As I began my search to move back to a hardtail, I realized I didn't want to sacrifice geometry for efficiency.

That's where I was found the solution to my dilemma; I didn't have to settle for a poor handling hardtail.

Commencal offered a a bike with the efficiency and simplicity of a hardtail, combined with the progressive geometry of a modern enduro bike, and 27.5 wheels to top it off. For $1700 out the door I was able to snag a rig spec'd with high end components such as a Rockshox Pike and a dropper post.

I was able to pick up the bike locally at the Commencal USA/Canada HQ in Carlsbad, and cut out the shipping cost. I built the bike up that night, and set off on her maiden voyage the next morning.

The slack geometry and stout fork stood out immediately, but I quickly settled in and felt right at home on the bike.
On flowy single track, you don't even realize you're on a hardtail, the geometry lends to a true enduro feel. Climbs are a breeze with the 42t step-up cog and zero hesitation from the rigid rear end. The 150mm Pike up front takes care of the big hits. The dropper post becomes a luxury you soon appreciate as you can move freely around the bike on steep descents and tight corners. The 27.5 wheels are maneuverable, and maintain speed well over rough terrain.

Hardtails really do help you build skills. They offer less forgiveness than full suspension bikes when you make mistakes, forcing you to choose your lines carefully, and ride with finesse rather than brute force. Because of the rigid rear end, the head angle steepens whenever your forks compress. You learn to shift your weight further back on steep descents and tight corners. Luckily, the KS dropper post gives you room to get behind the bike with ease.

In conclusion, the Commencal Meta Hardtail is a great bike for someone looking to fine tune their skills, or for someone like me, who wants the efficiency of a hardtail, without the traditional aggressive geometry. With such affordable prices and high end components there's no reason to overlook this bike.

Shoutout to Spank and Vital MTB for the bars, stem, and grips that I won from the Shut-Up and Whip photo comp.