When you’re constantly fighting for grip, the larger contact patch of the plus tires helps a ton, and in these conditions could even save energy over a lighter standard tire. ![]() We were definitely able to clean more technical climbs with less effort on the Meta HT than on other hardtails in the test. And since hardtails can use all the traction advantages they can get, especially on the loose, chucky trails we were testing on, we all agreed that a little plus in our lives isn’t such a bad thing. We noticed exactly what you’d think we’d notice about the big meats-they’re a bit slower to accelerate, but offer a ton more traction than standard tires. The plus-size tires dominated much of the discussions around this bike’s riding characteristics, and climbing was no exception. The Rekon rolls really efficiently though, which helps a ton with such a beefy tire. ![]() They’re probably the same tires we’d choose, too, though it’d be a good idea to put something with bigger lugs on the back if you ride in wet conditions often. The Maxxis Rekon and High Roller tires on the other hand are top notch. However, Commencal does spec the bike with a 200mm rotor up front, and we didn’t experience any lack of power in Tucson. The RockShox 35 fork can get a bit overwhelmed at speed, the SRAM Level brakes aren’t crazy strong, and the SRAM SX drivetrain isn’t the most responsive, but it all works just fine. Which isn’t too bad for a $1,700 bike (this time we do need the caveat). With that public service announcement out of the way, we can carry on with the rest of the Meta HT’ AM Origin’s spec. Trust us, it’s one of the most important inventions to mountain biking, period. Don’t listen to your Primal Wear-jersey-riding uncle when he tells you dropper posts are for people who don’t know how to ride. Get that one, or BYOD (bring your own dropper), because dropper posts are absolutely required. But Commencal does offer this exact build with the addition of a dropper post for 200 bucks more. Speaking of dropper posts, this bike doesn’t come with one. Bottle mounts protrude inside the tube and limit dropper insertion, which would be a bad thing. The reason for this is to maximize dropper seatpost insertion. There’s one on the downtube, but most hardtails have a second one on the seat tube. There’s just one thing missing: a second bottle mount. It’s nice to see Commencal recognize that and make a bike that simply rides well rather than following trends that might compromise the bike’s intent just to make it look interesting on paper.įeaturewise, the Meta HT AM frame has a nice, low-slung standover, internal cable routing with the ability to run the rear brake on either side of the headtube, tons of tire clearance, a nice integrated chainstay protector, and all the rest of the things you’d look for in a modern frame, like tapered ZS44/ZS56 headset fitment, Boost axle spacing, and of course a no-nonsense threaded bottom bracket shell. Hardtails don’t require the same reach or seat tube angle numbers as full-suspension bikes do. Testers reported that the bike fit comfortably despite seeing numbers we’re not used to. The 445mm reach number on the size large seems short, but with the slack 74-degree seat angle, the toptube is actually longer than the Stumpjumper. ![]() It sports a 65-degree head angle, runs a 160mm fork, has short 432mm chainstays, and a roomy-enough cockpit. Most importantly, the geometry is appropriate for what the bike is trying to be, which of course is in the name: All-Mountain. It’s actually really nice, and we don’t even have to add the caveat, “for a 1,700 dollar bike.” The Meta HT frame will compete with any trail hardtail regardless of price. The frame is a real standout when compared to some of the hardtails in the mix. But big tires can’t make a bad bike good, and luckily the Meta HT has solid bones. We still all agreed that 2.8” tires don’t need to be on full-suspension bikes, but trail hardtails are the perfect application for plus, where the extra meat improves climbing traction, descending stability, and technical prowess. ![]() The Commencal had us rethinking the death of plus-size. The Commencal Meta HT and Diamondback Sync’r both sport 27.5x2.8-inch tires, but there’s only one that testers would want to bring home with them. Of the nine bikes we tested for the value bike Field Test, two had something we’d basically forgotten about: plus-size tires.
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