Commencal Meta V5
Wheel Size: 29’’
Travel: 150 mm rear / 160 mm front
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes offered: Small, Medium, Large, XL
- Headtube angle: 64.5°
- Seat tube angle: 78.2°
- Reach: 480 mm (Size Large)
- Chainstay length: 440 mm (Size Large)
Frame material: Aluminum
Price:
- Frame only: $2,200
- Complete bikes: $4,000 to $5,800
Intro
Commencal’s longstanding Meta line just got a big update in the form of the new Meta V5, which gets a new suspension layout, some notable geometry changes, and a bunch more.
Commencal is calling the new Meta an Enduro bike, but its travel numbers (and to some extent its geometry) split the difference between the outgoing Meta AM and the prior-generation Meta TR, the latter of which remains in their lineup for the time being. So what does the new Meta V5 really appear to be on paper, and where does it slot into the current mountain bike market, especially as dedicated Enduro bikes are getting longer, slacker, and growing in suspension travel? Let’s have a look.
The Frame
As per usual for Commencal, the Meta V5 is offered in aluminum, only, but unlike the Meta iterations that we’ve seen to date, it’s not a linkage-driven single-pivot, instead running an especially clean-looking mini-link suspension layout with a one-piece swingarm and short co-rotating links largely hidden by the other frame components.
While the dual mini-link suspension layout is new to the Meta line, Commencal debuted the design on the short-travel T.E.M.P.O. late last year, so it’s not a huge surprise to see it making its way to more models. The layout, which Commencal calls “Virtual Contact System,” or “VCS,” is essentially a co-rotating mini-link design with a small shock yoke which, in the case of the Meta V5, gets 150 mm of rear-wheel travel from a 210 x 55 mm shock, paired with a 160mm-travel fork.
All of the pivot axles use expanding collets to help keep things snug, and Commencal says they’ve added additional dust shields to the hardware to help protect the bearings from the elements. The Meta V5 gets beefed-up rubber guards on the seatstay and chainstay, as well as underneath the downtube, and uses a UDH for compatibility with SRAM’s T-Type groupsets. The bottom bracket shell is a BB92 press-fit design with the lower two tabs from an ISCG-05 mount in place should you want to run an integrated bash guard; a built-in upper chainguide means there’s no need for the upper mounting hole.
The cable routing on the Meta V5 is fully internal, but Commencal has backed off from the mandatory headset routing that they offer on the T.E.M.P.O., with the Meta V5 featuring ports on the downtube for folks who’d rather save themselves the hassle. The headtube is a ZS56 unit top and bottom, which, in addition to leaving room for headset cable routing for those who are insistent on giving that a go, also means that it’s easier to experiment with angle or reach adjusting headsets.
All four sizes get room for a water bottle inside the front triangle, and Commencal has recessed the mounting tabs slightly into the downtube to make a Fidlock magnetic bottle mount bolt up especially cleanly; it should still work with side-loading cages too, though clearance for larger bottles might be a tad limited, and / or you may need to shim the cage up slightly for clearance. We’ll try out some options and report back when we can. There’s also a second accessory mount underneath the top tube, in front of the forward shock mount.
Fit & Geometry
Commencal is offering the Meta V5 in four sizes, Small, Medium, Large, and XL, all of which get a 64.5° headtube angle and 78.2° effective seat tube angle, with reach numbers ranging from 440 to 500 mm in neat 20 mm increments. Those numbers are all stated in the high flip-chip setting; the low setting slackens the angles by 0.4°, shortens the reach by about 4.5 mm, and lowers the bottom bracket by about 6 mm, from 20 mm of drop in the high setting.
Comparing those numbers to the prior-generation Meta TR and Meta AM is interesting. The 64.5° headtube angle (in the high geometry position) matches that of the 140mm-travel Meta TR, and is about a degree steeper than the Meta AM, with the low setting on the Meta V5 splitting the difference between the older TR and AM. Reach has actually gotten shorter on the new bike in most of the sizes, by as much as 20 mm (with the larger sizes seeing bigger reductions in length). But the chainstays have gotten longer on the V5 bike, with the Small and Medium frames coming in at 435 mm and the Large and XL bumping up to 440 mm; the Meta TR and Meta AM V4 clocked in at 435 and 433 mm, respectively, across the full size range.
[The chainstay length also grows by a few millimeters in the low geometry setting; we’re pretty sure that the low setting length for the Large and XL frames in the stated chart is a typo, and would expect it to be more like 442 mm. We’ve reached out to Commencal for clarification and will update when we hear back.]
Those look like great numbers for a bike that’s meant to blur the line between more aggressive Trail bikes and true Enduro ones, which is at least sort of how Commencal describes the Meta V5. It’s listed under “Enduro” bikes on their website and they say that its goal is “to be the best in Enduro,” but they also talk a lot about it being well suited to a wide range of trails — not just super steep, gnarly ones — so it’ll be interesting to see how that all shakes out in the real world.
The Builds
Commencal is currently offering four stock builds on the Meta V5, and as per usual for them, the chosen specs are notably good values for the money, and generally prioritize higher-end suspension and brakes over things like blingy drivetrains and wheels. Overall, the stock builds look nicely thought out, though it’s interesting that all feature mid-size suspension packages (e.g., Fox 36 forks and Float X shocks over 38s and Float X2s) on what is nominally an Enduro bike. That said, the choices do make sense for a 150mm-travel aggressive Trail bike, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a burlier, longer-travel version of the Meta V5 (perhaps a new Meta SX) show up sooner rather than later.
Commencal is currently taking pre-orders for the Meta V5, with deliveries slated to start in the fall.
Below are the highlights of each build (click each to expand):
- Drivetrain: Shimano SLX
- Brakes: Shimano SLX 4-piston (203 mm rotors)
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance
- Shock: Fox Float X Performance
- Wheels: DT Swiss E532 rims w/ Formula hubs
- Dropper Post: KS Rage-i (S: 125 mm; M & L: 170 mm; XL: 190 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
- Brakes: TRP DH-R Evo (203 mm rotors)
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Ultimate
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Coil
- Wheels: Crank Brothers Synthesis Enduro
- Dropper Post: KS Lev Integra (S: 125 mm; M & L: 175 mm; XL: 200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
- Brakes: TRP DH-R Evo (203 mm rotors)
- Fork: Öhlins RXF36 Air
- Shock: Öhlins TTX22 Coil
- Wheels: Crank Brothers Synthesis Enduro
- Dropper Post: KS Lev Integra (S: 125 mm; M & L: 175 mm; XL: 200 mm)
- Drivetrain: Shimano XT
- Brakes: Shimano XT 4-piston (203 mm rotors)
- Fork: Fox 36 Factory
- Shock: Fox Float X Factory
- Wheels: DT Swiss EX1700
- Dropper Post: Fox Transfer Factory (S: 125 mm; M & L: 175 mm; XL: 200 mm)
If none of the stock builds catch your fancy, Commencal also offers an a-la-carte builder option where you can spec out the full or partial build of your choosing. The a-la-carte options are, probably unsurprisingly, not as good a value as the notably-excellent stock builds, but the option’s there if you want it. Pricing starts at $2,200 for a bare frame (without shock) and you can add parts as desired from a wide list of options.
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) Commencal calls the Meta V5 an Enduro bike, but it’s got a little less suspension travel and slightly more compact geometry than many modern Enduro race bikes, so where does it fall on the spectrum from true all-rounder Trail bikes to big Enduro ones?
(2) And where does Commencal take the Meta line from here? The Meta V5 has seemingly replaced the Meta AM (with the Meta TR and Meta SX sticking around for the time being) but splits the difference between the Meta AM and TR in terms of travel, and drops the differentiator from the name. Will we see more versions to come?
Bottom Line (For Now)
The new Commencal Meta V5 looks like a very compelling option in the aggressive Trail / Enduro bike segment of the market, with the high bang-for-buck build specs that we’ve come to expect from Commencal, plus refined geometry and the new VCS suspension platform that we’ve been very impressed with on the new T.E.M.P.O. (full review coming soon). We’re hoping to get on a Meta V5 when they become available later this year, so stay tuned for more to come.
Should say 160 front / 150 rear. Specs, geometry, looks, and price are all excellent, would be an easy buy if I was looking for a new bike. Well done Commencal!
2200 for an alloy frame without a shock is pretty insane.
If I’m looking for a not-quite-enduro, long travel trail bike for services other than “winch and plummet” it certainly isn’t going to have a 78 degree STA.
The rest of it looks spot-on for a working class mtb. Stout al frame, decent components, and good pricing (except for the frameset option, as noted above).