The bike is a dedicated 29er, with no indication that it can be converted to a mullet configuration. Alex Rudeau is running those prototype “First Ride” Schwalbe Magic Mary tires we spotted in Fort William a couple weeks back. The frame is developed around a 29″ wheelset, made from a combination of 6061 T6 aluminum and 6066 T6 aluminum. It seems the suspension layout isn’t geared specifically toward an air or coil shock, however Alex Rudeau’s bike was fitted with a Fox X2 air shock while his team mates’ bikes wore DHX2 Coil shocks. The Commencal team mechanic told us they are still experimenting with the position of the shock mount tab on the top tube, allowing them to change the progression of the suspension platformĬommencal’s mechanics remained tight-lipped on most details about the new bike, withholding information on the kinematic, and even how many millimeters of rear wheel travel the new linkage supports. They say it has allowed their engineers to confirm new kinematics and geometry principles. The bike is a result of the Commencal Enduro Project, a 3 year development program inspire by their DH development model, that will look to help Commencal “improve, firstly in racing and then for everyone”. The upper rocker drives the top tube-mounted shock, while the lower link that attaches the rear triangle to the front triangle pivots in front of the seat tube, rather than behind it. We did pester the Commencal team mechanics for a video of the prototype META AM, so that we could show you guys exactly how the two links pivoting about the seat tube rotate as the bike is pushed through its rear wheel travel. Commencal Enduro Project META AM Prototype at EWS Tweed Valley We hypothesize that the two links co-rotate in a clockwise direction as the rear wheel is pushed through its travel. The team’s mechanics kindly allowed us into their tent to get some close up photographs of most, but not all, of the frame details. The bike is a grand departure from the link-driven single-pivot seen on the current META AM and META SX, now boasting a rather unique-looking interpretation of a four-bar linkage design they are calling the “Virtual Contact System”. Commencal Enduro Project athletes, Alex Rudeau, Guillaume Labeyrou, Louis Jeandel, will be racing EWS Tweed Valley this coming weekend aboard a prototype Commencal META AM with a new four-bar linkage suspension platform.
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