Is it better to have a good hardtail than a bad full-suspension bike? Almost certainly. Here’s a cool vid from Commençal that shows why.

>>> Hardtail of the Year 2016: £500-£1,000 (VIDEO)

Now then, here at mbr we like mountain bikes of all kinds. Full suspension, hardtail, plus, aluminium, carbon, cheap, expensive… whatever. Good bikes is good bikes.

The key to any mountain bike being ‘good’ is geometry. The hardtail featured in this promo vid is a Commençal META HT AM and it’s something of a unique proposition. 160mm forks and 65.5° head angles are not often found on hardtails.

This bike joins rarified company alongside similar hardcore hardtails from Orange and Ragley. Truly there has never been a better time to get a good-handling aggro hardtail.

Video description

Commençal: “We’ve been known to say that it’s better to have a good hard tail than a bad full-suspension bike.

“Amaury Pierron and Thomas Estaque wanted to prove us right with the META HT AM but we didn’t quite anticipate the level of enthusiasm the two mates would have for this simple and effective bike!

“Now that they are more accustomed to DH World Cups than long enduro rides, the highly rated META HT AM took the boys back in time to those first missions in the woods with friends.

“There were crazy scenarios, crashes, laughs and 2 days of unforgettable shooting!”