Commencal T.E.M.P.O. Power
Wheel Size: 29’’
Suspension Travel:
- Frame travel: 135 mm
- Fork travel: 150 mm
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes offered: S, M, L, XL
- Headtube angle: 64.6°
- Reach (size L): 466 mm
- Chainstay length: 445 mm
Drive System Highlights:
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line SX
- Torque: 55 Nm
- Power: 600 W
- Battery: 400 Wh with optional 250 Wh range extender
- Display: Bosch System Controller
- Remote: Bosch Mini Remote
Frame Material: Aluminum
Price: Complete bikes starting at $5,200 USD (build details below)
Intro
We spent a lot of time with Commencal’s T.E.M.P.O. Trail bike last year and came away impressed with how well Commencal had balanced climbing and descending prowess within a short 125 mm rear travel platform. Given Commencal’s penchant for building burly aluminum bikes, the T.E.M.P.O. was a compelling entry into shorter travel, efficiency-minded Trail bikes.
While it shares the same suspension design, the new T.E.M.P.O. Power eMTB is an interesting adaptation of the T.E.M.P.O. platform to the burgeoning lightweight eMTB segment. Like its recently released bigger sibling, the Meta Power SX 400, the T.E.M.P.O. Power gets a Bosch Performance Line SX motor and smaller 400 Wh battery to help to keep the weight down, with the goal of creating a more dynamic ride on flatter trails.
Efficiency and playfulness are both terms used by Commencal to describe the T.E.M.P.O. Power but are also not necessarily terms that often come to mind when discussing the eMTB segment as a whole. So how did Commencal go about building those traits into an all-aluminum Lightweight eMTB? Let’s dig in.
The Frame
The new T.E.M.P.O. Power looks an awful lot like a regular T.E.M.P.O. that got carried away with holiday feasting — it shares the same Virtual Contact System suspension design, but with a chubby downtube to fit the internal 400 Wh battery. That said, it’s still fairly slender and sleek in design, particularly for an all-aluminum eMTB frame.
While the regular T.E.M.P.O. gets 125 mm of rear travel matched to a 140 mm fork, this electrified version bumps things up a bit to 135 mm out back and 150 mm up front. A lot of eMTBs deliberately reduce anti-squat to increase bump compliance given a generally lower emphasis on pedaling efficiency, but Commencal claims to have increased anti-squat on the T.E.M.P.O. Power over its non-electric sibling, again emphasizing the goal of an efficient ride.
The aluminum frame is Category 5 certified by EFBE — the top-step of EFBE’s independent testing standard. At a claimed weight of 43.9 lbs / 19.9 kg (presumably for the higher-end build), the T.E.M.P.O. Power doesn’t quite match the lower weights of some other Lightweight eMTBs, but still significantly undercuts most full-power bikes.
As a final (and, in my opinion, joyful) note, the T.E.M.P.O. Power eschews the headset-routed cables of the regular T.E.M.P.O. for more traditional internal routing through ports in the downtube.
Drive System
Commencal has chosen a Bosch drive unit for the T.E.M.P.O. Power, stepping down to the 55 Nm Performance Line SX also found on the Meta Power SX 400. While it’s about 800 grams lighter than the full-power Performance Line CX motor, it still reaches the same 600 W peak power number, considerably higher than most other lightweight motors.
Perhaps the biggest factor in eMTB weight is the battery, and the T.E.M.P.O. Power is equipped with a relatively small 400 Wh unit. That’s not out of the ordinary for Lightweight eMTBs, and a touch bigger than the 360 Wh unit found on the Canyon Spectral:ONfly or Trek Fuel EXe. As we mentioned in our review of the Fuel EXe, we’d strongly consider opting for a range extender, which in the case of of the T.E.M.P.O. Power offers an additional 250 Wh of juice.
Fit & Geometry
The regular T.E.M.P.O.’s geometry was solidly within the realm of normal for the short-travel Trail category, and while the T.E.M.P.O. Power gets a little more aggressive in some respects, it’s again in-line with comparably positioned Lightweight eMTBs. The head angle is almost a full degree slacker than the regular T.E.M.P.O. at 64.6°, and the 76.3° seat tube angle is well-chosen for the undulating terrain and general Trail use that the T.E.M.P.O. Power seems optimized for.
Commencal generally chooses shorter-than-average reach measurements at a given nominal size, and that’s again the case with the T.E.M.P.O. Power. In the case of the Large, a 466 mm reach is matched to a 632 mm stack. With most other Large frames averaging around 480 mm in the reach department, the T.E.M.P.O. Power seems to run a good bit smaller than some other comparable bikes. Tall folks may find the sizing particularly challenging, with the XL maxing out at a 486 mm reach measurement.
445 mm chainstays are used across all frame sizes, which aren’t necessarily super long by eMTB standards, but are somewhat lengthy in relation to the T.E.M.P.O. Power’s reach — especially on the Small and Medium sizes. I would expect that riders on those smaller sizes mind experience a more “locked in” feel when cornering and changing direction due to the proportionally lengthy back end, whereas the Large and XL might be a bit more balanced.
Commencal’s geometry chart for the T.E.M.P.O. Power is below:
The Builds
Commencal offers a wide range of builds on some models, but the T.E.M.P.O. Power gets just two. They’re well-chosen builds in my view, and in typical Commencal fashion, are very good value.
The lower spec model is the T.E.M.P.O. Power Essential, which comes with a Fox 36 Performance E-Bike fork and Float Performance rear shock. Shifting is provided by a full Shimano Deore drivetrain, and 4-piston Deore brakes handle stopping duties. DT Swiss H1900 Spline LS rims laced to DT Swiss 370 hubs roll on Magic Mary front and Tacky Chan rear tires from Schwalbe, both in the Super Trail casing with Ultra Soft compound up front and longer wearing Soft out back.
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore
- Brakes: Shimano Deore 4-piston (203 mm rotors)
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance Grip E-Bike (150 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float Performance
- Wheels: DT Swiss H1900 Spline LS rims, DT Swiss 370 hubs
- Dropper Post: KS Rage-I (S: 125 mm, M: 170 mm, L/XL: 190 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM XO Transmission
- Brakes: Shimano XT 4-piston (203 mm rotors)
- Fork: Fox 36 Factory GripX2 E-bike (150 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float Factory
- Wheels: DT Swiss HX1700 Spline LS rims, DT Swiss 350 hubs
- Dropper Post: Fox Transfer Factory (S: 150 mm, M: 180 mm, L/XL: 210 mm)
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) Commencal talks up the T.E.M.P.O. Power’s efficiency and playful feel — how does it compare to others in the Lightweight eMTB category?
(2) How much does the T.E.M.P.O. Power share with its non-electric sibling, the T.E.M.P.O., in terms of ride characteristics ? Does it still punch above its weight on the descents?
Bottom Line (For Now)
Commencal has been expanding its Lightweight eMTB category, and the T.E.M.P.O. Power aims to please folks who would prefer a more lively ride over the Enduro-focused Meta Power SX 400. Our time with the unassisted version of the T.E.M.P.O. left us rather impressed with its capabilities as a shorter travel Trail bike, and we’ll have to wait and see if the T.E.M.P.O. Power can offer a similar performance within the Lightweight eMTB segment.