Price: €3.699.00 From: Commencal, commencal-store.com

Commencal’s Meta has been around for quite a while now, but every so often the bike receives an update to keep it in line with what the rest of the industry has on sale.

The first time I rode a Meta AM it had 27.5in wheels and non-Boost hub spacing, but over the years the frame has evolved to fit new standards, bigger wheels and split to cover both trail and all-mountain styles of riding, not to mention a couple of e-bikes too.

Although the current Commencal Meta frame looks like the original I rode all those years ago on a dusty Spanish mountain, this Meta and the current 2020 range are very different. They all feature an updated frame construction including a single piece top tube. The updated bike has a new suspension linkage, and the rear triangle has been beefed up to aid stiffness, but not by too much.

As much as I loved the original bike, I had been put off picking up a more modern version of the Meta AM as I had heard comments that the longer travel, more gravity focused update had lost some of its agility, spark and climbing ability, but I finally figured I should jump on board and see if the Meta magic was still there or if the bike I had fallen in love with all those years ago had ceased to exist.