Bike Check: Yoann Barelli's Commencal Meta 29

Jun 13, 2018 at 8:24
by Simon Nieborak  

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BIKE CHECK
Yoann Barelli's
Commencal Meta 29
Photographys: by Simon Nieborak


Yoann Barelli in his own words is "a professional mountain biker, clown, nature lover, brand ambassador, dad, photographer and most of all positive life embracer".

When you meet him in person it all checks out - Yoann is one amazing character, not to mention a very fast and a very stylish rider. The latest addition to the Commencal stable definitely helps him to be as great rider as he is. Let's have a look at his bike.

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Commencal Meta 29, size large.

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RockShox Super Deluxe Coil with a 425 lb Super Alloy Racing spring, Fabric cage-less bottle holder and bottle.

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SRAM Eagle X01 12-speed drivetrain.
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SRAM X01 cranks, 34-tooth chainring, and an e*thirteen chainguide / bashguard

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Crankbrothers Mallet E pedals.

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Fabric Scoop Pro Team saddle, RockShox Reverb 150mm seatpost.

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SRAM Code RSC brakes with 200mm rotors front and rear.

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RockShox's new Twistloc remote allows Yoann to firm up the rear shock on the fly.

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Renthal Apex 40mm stem.
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Renthal Traction lock-on grips.

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RockShox Lyrik RC2 Debonair, 1 token and 92 psi.


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Spank's Oozy 350 29 rims are usually mounted up with Hutchinson Toro tires, but, according to Yoann, "My Hutchinson tires got stuck in custom on their way from France to Canada before I left for the Trans Madeira, so I had no choice but to buy tires... I love my Hutchinson Toro and it was a bummer to go race with something else."

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Renthal handlebars, 780mm with 30mm rise.

MENTIONS: @COMMENCALbicycles, @yoannbarelli, @SramMedia, @crankbrothers


Author Info:
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Member since May 4, 2008
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87 Comments
  • 108 2
 These new Commencal bikes are some of the best looking bikes out there.
  • 7 1
 the proportions are just.....hnnnngggg
  • 10 11
 But for that red fork...
  • 3 4
 The red fork looks kinda odd
  • 1 0
 @Ramon1901: començal looking line this season has been concieved to match with this red, and they did.
  • 94 5
 What a bummer to have to run minions
  • 6 1
 Such a bummer.
  • 62 2
 If I was him, I’d lose my tires more often
  • 32 1
 Don't forget about being unable to buy Hutchinson Toros when shopping for bicycle tires. That's another bummer.
  • 8 1
 I mean sure he had to replace his sealant with a kilo of Bolivian nose powder but I think riding minions was probably worth it...
  • 4 3
 Had to buy tires, chose Minions over the Hutchinsons he supposedly loves so much.
  • 2 4
 Are those Minions mounted backwards?
  • 2 3
 @rockhound187: looks like the center knobs form an arrow/triangle pointing forward so no, they look good.
  • 4 3
 @rockhound187: yup
  • 1 0
 Maybe Hutchinson has a distribution problem...
  • 1 0
 @rockhound187: Your brain broke.
  • 1 1
 @flash5000: Your brain broke.
  • 19 1
 I wonder how much heartburn brands like Commencal, YT, Canyon, are causing the old shop brands? Surely they are losing market share? In the past 2 years I’ve seen lots of these out on the trail and recently went to a direct bike.
  • 7 2
 Probably not as much as you think. I meet plenty of guys on the shuttle up who won’t buy a bike without being able to test ride it, which writes off the DTC brands.
  • 9 0
 @samjobson:

Over here these companies, at least YT and Canyon, are attending demo events like Outerbike.
  • 3 0
 @samjobson: Demo'd Devinci Bikes. I will say it shifted my decision making because I then knew for sure what i was getting and that i would like it.
  • 4 2
 @samjobson: I demoed my Commencal at their headquarters for free.
  • 6 1
 @samjobson: I demo bikes just reading geo tables and linkage analysis hahahahaha. Seriously though, never test rode my last two bikes, and they f*ckin rock ! Of course canfield and banshee know their stuff !
  • 1 1
 @WasatchEnduro: I guess that’s where we luck out down here! Can’t remember ever seeing a booth for a direct sales brand at any of the shows and races I’ve been to.
In saying that, my next bike will possibly be direct sales; it’s a toss up between a Meta AM and a Process 153/165 at the moment!
  • 1 0
 @samjobson: Commencal does demos frequently where I live.
  • 6 0
 It’s getting there, I’ve been a kona guy for yonks but made the change to a meta v4 in 2015 and never looked back. I think the direct sales scene makes a huge amount of sense to the fairly seasoned rider who knows what they like and can eyeball geo, read reviews and make a relatively informed choice about their online purchase.

My local shop knows me well are super chill and I still pick up all my tyres and other wear parts through them so the relationship between rider and shop doesn’t necessarily need to suffer.
  • 2 1
 @WasatchEnduro: I’ve demoed both yt and Commencal. Not sure what yer goin on about
  • 7 0
 I just buy whatever and adjust my expectations accordingly... Can't lose.
  • 2 0
 @samjobson: I demo'd 3 DTC bikes at the Sea Otter but would still buy a YT again, untested.
  • 2 0
 Not sure, but I can tell you that YT, Commencal, and Canyon are selling more bikes than they have in stock. Tried to get a Capra but it sold out, tried to get a Tues but it sold out, finally got a meta am 4.2 world cup and it turned out to be the last medium in the states! Business is good.
  • 2 0
 Errr...have you seen the video of Aaron Gwin's new house on RedBullTV?!
  • 2 0
 If bike shops hadn't turned into e-moped shops maybe people would support them. The Trek, Specialized shops are pushing nothing but battery powered, plus tired, garbage when you walk by and it makes cyclists sick. The ebike thing was the nail in the coffin for bike shops. Gives me no hesitation to order online.
  • 1 0
 @Altron5000: You got the opposote point out of this somehow.
  • 1 0
 @Altron5000: Gwin’s house has nothing to do with whether YT is taking market share or not??
Gwin was always going to be paid enough to afford that house regardless of which team he ended up on.
  • 19 0
 Holy horizontal brake levers, Batman!
  • 2 0
 Just like a moto. Brap brappp
  • 2 0
 Came here to post exactly this!
  • 1 0
 Makes my wrists ache just looking at it.
  • 12 0
 WTF is a Spank Oozy 350 rim ?? this a new version ? I have the 345 and the 395,s for my 29er. Nice looking bike , I love the fact some companies are still producing Aluminum frames.
  • 4 0
 New low profile rim, check it out: spank-ind.com/products/oozy-350-rim
  • 4 0
 One of the best rims on the market
  • 1 0
 @CousinGunner: cool thanks for the heads up , I have been a Spank Oozy rider for 4 seasons. Great rims
  • 1 0
 @CousinGunner: Might cop when they are available. Thx
  • 1 0
 @clownpnd: I have been running oozy's for years. The amount of abuse I've put through those rims is insane.
Have them on my DH bike and my Trail Bike. Ive run flats for a half a race run and still running the same rims.

Awesome!
  • 1 0
 @kierz: yep, spank produce best performance / weight / price components, I do not like only stems...

Rims and bars are definitely awesome
  • 8 0
 such a nice bike! i would like to see it with a black lyrik fork
  • 18 0
 Yep, the red forks are ruining a bunch of this year's nice looking bikes.
  • 4 0
 I'm riding the 2017 27.5 XL version of this bike Im 220Lbs . Its a good bike but has some issues, the biggest is the massive amounts of flex in the chain and seat stays all the way through to the base of the shock. The second is the pivot hardware with no seals and the rocker link warranty issue. The third is with where the cables rub on the sharp edge where they exit the down tube. Any to nit pic all the mud and water that enters the frame can get into the headset because of the open head-tube and down-tube. That being said its still a way better ride than my 2016 Enduro 29, 2017 Stumpjumper or 2016 Spartan, mostly because the rear shock on the Meta has weathered a full year of beast-mode.
  • 2 0
 I can confirm these issues. I also needed to warranty my rocker link and yoke link because the excessive flex caused metal on metal grinding and wore away too much material. I also had a pretty good gauge starting to form on my downtube where the pivots exited, but I put a layer of velcro tape there before it got too bad.
  • 6 1
 I wish we could get geo specs on pro bikes. Or is he just running out of the box geo?
  • 3 0
 I believe on his old Meta AM 27.5 they cut the seat tube for him. I assume they did the same with the 29er.
I used to own Meta AM V4.2 (27.5) and I do not any longer, because of the stupid long seat tube. Apart from that 'detail' it's an awesome boike!
  • 3 0
 @JankoGerlach: I found the Meta reach to be crazy short. At 177cm (5'9") I felt much more comfortable on the Large size, but would have needed to cut the seat tube down an inch to get the seatpost to my correct height with a 160mm Revive.
  • 3 0
 Coil shock while Amaury Pierron won the last two World Cup races with a Super Deluxe. I know enduro stages are longer, blah blah, but still Amaury Pierron bear Aaron Gwin with a Super Deluxe!
  • 1 0
 Isn't Pierron's bike aluminium as well?
  • 1 0
 Gwin was injured, but sure, Amaury's been on a tear. But is it all the shock/components?
  • 3 0
 Coil shocks suit "enduro" riding much better than air shocks do. You don't need that much progression, because there are not as many big hits. Especially if you have to race blind, grip is all that matters.
  • 2 0
 gwin won the last 3 overalls on air. jus sayin. I think the difference is the amount of rear wheel travel. dh bikes are obviously more supple off the top and minus the yt are designed a bit more linearly. witth the shorter travel enduro bikes (30 to 50 mm less) riders are liking the coil as it adds more off the top small bump sensitivity vs air. Also coil shocks heat up less (well cool more efficiently) than air which is a concern on a 12 plus minute long stage for these guys vs a 2.5 to 4 minute dh run.
  • 1 0
 He's a Bear?
  • 4 0
 Why do they run spacers instead of higher rise bars? Commencal; release this and I will buy one!
  • 5 0
 Allows him to set the bar for different heights depending on the terrain he is riding on and whether he is pedalling up and down or running a shuttle weekend without having to switch bars.
  • 5 1
 Those blue pedals have spoiled my afternoon ;P Crank Bros all out of red ones?
  • 2 0
 I love the look of those blue pedals. But on the other hand, for this particular bike, with those red accents, the red would match better... but obviously it's not always about matching... Wink
  • 4 1
 " My [shit] tires got 'stuck in customs', so I had to use the Minions that I use when nobody is watching, errrr, uhhh, I mean I had to buy others"
  • 2 5
 The Toro's are a much better all round front tyre than Minions. Bit on the heavy side but that won't matter to these guys.
  • 1 1
 @jbeanbuyer: lol.. Better all around front tire than a DHF? To each their own
  • 2 0
 @Willandrews672 no dude, not above the piggy back. above the SPRING. that says "R racing"
  • 1 1
 Oh i see. Wasn't familiar with what the coil shock looks like stock.
  • 1 0
 Probably the coolest alloy long-travel 29er rig I've seen in a while. The red accents make the fork look better on that bike.
  • 2 0
 Would like to know the shock length
  • 1 0
 These most likely around 230x60mm. I'm actually running the same size in my Remedy 8 frame.
  • 2 0
 But have you seen the integrated 'banana mount' ??? Good job Commencal!
  • 1 0
 170 front with a 160 rear travel wow what a huge 29er i wonder if the new TR 29er is gonna be 150 front 140 rear?
  • 1 0
 Commencal please release these already!!! I love you, but my bank account hates you!!!
  • 1 0
 What's the point of not releasing a bike that your riders are riding full painted versions of?
  • 1 0
 A Flipping Awesome bike ... and those "bought tyres" are also flipping awesome.
  • 1 0
 Did they raid the Santa Cruz paint shop! That Taupe colour
  • 1 0
 Odd that Santa Cruz went from iconic bold colors to ones your grandfather would approve of. Brought the attention away from that brand altogether.
  • 1 0
 Also, same with Commencal. Used to be neon yellow, now they're whatever this shit is.
  • 1 0
 what is that above his shock spring?
  • 2 0
 The cable? its a lockout activated from the bars if thats what you're asking.
  • 4 0
 @Willandrews672: I really like the idea of that new Twistloc
  • 5 0
 @seanrallison, it's just a spacer. Super Alloy Racing use it to allow their springs to fit a wider range of shocks.
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: cheers!
  • 1 0
 Are those red Code calipers custom painted?
  • 1 0
 No. Special edition just like the red fork. Dunno if you can buy it though.
  • 1 0
 I wonder what the fork offset is. Haha this could be my next bike
  • 1 0
 Nice looking set up tup







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