The dropper post is a huge bonus, allowing steep climbs and tricky descents to flow together seamlessly, but ours didn’t cope well with mud. The 11-34t cassette demands more frequent front shifts than a 10-speed block though, and regularly shifting between the two widely-spaced chainrings really interrupts the rhythm of the ride. On the plus side, the Maxxis Minion DHR II rear tyre gathers enough grip to get you to the top and the 2×9 gearing gives a wide enough range for even the steepest climbs. Taller riders are likely to feel short-changed by the Meta’s cramped cockpit Taller riders are likely to feel short-changed by the meta’s cramped cockpit, which also hampers climbing performance: The limited reach mars the Meta’s climbing performance, and the fact that it’s hefty at 14.43kg (31.8lb) doesn’t help here either. The XL size is claimed to fit riders up to 6ft 11in / 21cm but I felt cramped on the Commencal despite being ‘just’ 6ft 3in / 190cm. The Meta may look decently long, but when you swing a leg over it, it feels instantly anything but, whether seated or standing, because of its short reach (the horizontal distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube). A cockpit that’ll leave you feeling caught short That QR rear hub and square-taper cranks are also old-school cost savers. Own-brand Ride Alpha finishing kit does the job nicely, but the SRAM X5/X7 2×9 gearing feels dated. Despite its reasonable price tag, the Commencal also boasts a dropper post – a 100mm drop KS eTen. It’s impossible to ignore the Marzocchi 350 R fork up front, which delivers plush bump-eating performance and a huge (for a hardtail) 160mm of travel. The QR back end may be dated but the stiff frame still feels snappy and responsive The qr back end may be dated but the stiff frame still feels snappy and responsive:
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