The Commencal Meta AM 4.2 is a 160mm travel enduro rig running a 170mm fork up front. It’s a bit longer and slacker than the previous version.

Need to know

• 160mm enduro bike
• 65.5° head angle
• Metric shock
• Revised top tube fits fatter shocks
• Available via direct sales

The key ingredient to this new Meta 4.2 is arguably the revised top tube. The front end of the shock is still nestled away up in a recess in the top tube but the attachment is different and the size of the recess is larger.

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The new Meta 4.2 can run metric rear shocks. And fatter bodied shocks. Essentially this means you can run ‘more shock’ in the same eye-to-eye length. Shocks with more volume, more oil for more consistency and less finnicky adjustment and setup.

The new Meta 4.2 runs a metric 230x60mm RockShox Super Deluxe. On higher end models this is paired with a 170mm travel RockShox Lyrik fork (the lower end models get 170mm Yari forks).

In some ways, it’s being able to run suspension units like these that enabled/instigated the rejigging of the Meta AM 4.2 into a more aggressive bike. It’s definitely stepped out of the trail bike sector and jumped with both feet into the enduro race category.

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Lyrik forks and Super Deluxe rear shocks work really well with bikes that have a decidedly progressive suspension rate and bias. Which, surprise surprise, is what the new Meta AM 4.2 has. Supple around the sag point, supportive in the midstroke and ramping up markedly in the last bit of travel.

Geometry-wise there’s no massive changes. The previous Meta AM 4 was one of the more progressively angled bikes. The head angle slackens half a degree to 65.5°, the seat angle has steepened to 74°, the BB height/drop remains the same at 341mm/-12mm respectively. The wheelbase has lengthened a tad due to longer fork and slacker head angle, but the reach appears unaltered.

The other significant spec listing is the wheels. Or rather, the rims. They’re much wider than previous Commencal offerings. We’re not talking wild widths here but 25-30mm internal widths are a very welcome sight on a hard-charging bike such as this.

It’s nice to see a bike company not hiding away from the fact that something that they don’t make (ie. rims) is an as important a feature as anything to do with the frame design.

What else is of note? It’s Boost axled. It’s aluminium only, they will be no carbon Meta AM. It has ISCG tabs. It’s 1x specific. The cable routing has been tweaked to reduce cable rub. Commencal’s own-brand ‘Ride Alpha’ provide a lot of the finishing kit.

The chainstay-mounted rear disc brake is still there as on previous Meta AM bikes. This feature actually caused the only real niggle we had with the previous Meta AM 4. Namely, constantly clipping the stays with our heels.

There’s a total of six different builds available but we reckon there’s three that folk will be most interested in. The cheapest, the most expensive and the most sensible.

Commencal Meta AM 4.2 Origin

• RockShox Yari RC fork
• RockShox Delux RT rear shock
• SRAM NX 1×11 drivetrain
• WTB STP rims with 25mm internal width
• Ride Alpha finishing kit
• €2,499

Commencal Meta AM 4.2 Essential

• RockShox Lyrik RC
• RockShox Deluxe RT
• SRAM GX 1×11 drivetrain
• Mavic 427 rims with 27mm internal width
• RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post
• €3,299

Commencal Meta AM 4.2 World Cup

• RockShox Lyrik RCT3
• RockShox Super Deluxe RC3
• SRAM XO1 Eagle 1×12 drivetrain
• Spank Oozy Trail 345 rims with 30.5mm internal width
• RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post
• €5,099