COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM in Review

At € 5,799, the COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM is by far the most affordable bike on test. What compromises does the low price tag bring with it on the trail, or is it possible to be frugal and cool?

Click here for an overview of the best eMTB 2020 group test.

With a performance-oriented eMTB for under € 6000, the manufacturer has to make compromises in the spec, right? Wrong! The COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM is perfectly specced for aggressive trail riding. The RockShox suspension consisting of a Lyrik Ultimate fork and Super Deluxe Ultimate shock delivers 170 mm travel up front and 160 mm at the rear.

Components, weight and technical details of the COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM

No compromises have been made with the brakes and tires either, and the bike comes equipped with a set of SRAM CODE RSC brakes and Schwalbe Magic Mary 29” tire with the robust Super Gravity casing. For the drivetrain, Commencal went for a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, which is a bit heavier but provides the same shifting performance as the more expensive options from SRAM. Likewise, COMMENCAL dispense with bling-bling cockpit components and rely instead on sturdy aluminium parts from their in-house brand Alpha. In contrast to the spec, the finishing quality on the aluminium frame of the 23.77 kg META POWER 29 TEAM shows evidence of the budgetary constraints. Although the frame is as robust as you'd expect, the finish of the welds and the paint quality can't compete with the significantly more expensive bikes in the field. The Shimano Steps E8000 motor and internal 504 Wh battery have been nicely integrated into the bike, except for the weird placement of the power switch on the left side of the down tube.

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Geometry and size of the COMMENCAL

The best word to describe the geometry of the META POWER 29 is balanced. The Andoran brand combine the generous reach of 475 mm with a tall stack height of 640 mm and balance it out with relatively long 453 mm chainstays. Speed junkies and beginners should be equally happy here.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	415 mm	440 mm	465 mm	495 mm
Top Tube	573 mm	595 mm	622 mm	648 mm
Head tube	120 mm	125 mm	130 mm	135 mm
Head angle	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°
Seat angle	77.0°	77.0°	77.0°	77.0°
Chainstays	453 mm	453 mm	453 mm	453 mm
BB Drop	20 mm	20 mm	20 mm	20 mm
Wheelbase	1,224 mm	1,246 mm	1,273 mm	1,300 mm
Reach	430 mm	450 mm	475 mm	500 mm
Stack	610 mm	615 mm	619 mm	624 mm

The COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM on the trail

Descending is in the genes of every COMMENCAL and it’s the same for the META POWER 29 TEAM. Nevertheless, it’s also capable of mastering even the most technical climbs with ease and composure. Like a monster truck, you head straight for obstacles and simply roll over them. Thanks to its ample ground clearance, the cranks hardly ever hit anything, no matter how rocky the terrain. The grippy rear tire and suspension also generate plenty of traction to transfer the power of the motor to the ground.

With tears of joy in your eyes after a descent on the META POWER 29 TEAM, you’ll no longer see the poor quality finish of the frame.

On the descents, the Commencal Meta Power 29 is just as much of a monster truck. There is no drop too high, no jump too big and no roots too gnarly. The faster you go, the better the suspension is at ironing out any irregularities. Together with the grippy tires and the powerful brakes, you feel confident and indestructible aboard the Meta despite its rather conservative geometry. Even when cornering or on flat terrain, it remains superbly balanced and provides all the grip you’ll ever need on both wheels. The tires stick to the ground and the Meta Power 29 team needs a lot of encouragement to get airborne if there’s no lip at hand. The suspension and somewhat heavy front end require a lot of power if you want to play around or pump the bike. But the standout feature of the COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM is that it’s always composed and predictable, whether you’re blasting down the hill or slowly rolling over obstacles. If 500 Wh is enough battery capacity or if you’re happy to carry a spare and if you can do some basic bike assembly yourself – Commencal is a direct to consumer brand – and your budget is limited to € 6,000, you’ll be very well-advised to consider the COMMENCAL!

Tuning tip: tidy up the cockpit to reduce the noise of the cables

Conclusion

While the COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM might keep a close eye on the purse strings there is nothing stingy about its performance. The Andorran direct to consumer brand has created a very capable eMTB without frills that can take on any terrain out of the box. Beginners riding in less extreme terrain will benefit as much from its composure as those with a need for speed. With its coherent overall package, outstanding performance and huge versatility, the META POWER 29 TEAM secures our coveted Best Value Tip.

You can find out more about the COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM at commencal-store.de.

The test field

You can find everything you need to know about our test for the best eMTB of 2020 right here!

All bikes in test: BULLS SONIC EVO AM 6 | Cannondale Moterra 1 | Canyon Spectral:ON 9.0 | COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM 2020| CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon | CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC | FANTIC XF1 180 Race | FOCUS JAM² 9.9 DRIFTER | Giant Reign E+ 0 Pro | Haibike XDURO Nduro 10.0 | Liteville 301 CE MK1 | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K | Moustache Samedi 27 Trail | Norco Range VLT C1 | NOX Hybrid Enduro 7.1 | Orbea WILD FS M-LTD | Pivot Shuttle 29 | Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 90 Rally Edition | ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA | SIMPLON Rapcon Pmax | Specialized Turbo Kenevo Expert | Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo | Trek Rail 9.9 | Whyte E-180 RS V1 | YT DECOY CF Pro Race

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Words: Felix Stix, Robin Schmitt, Jonas Müssig Photos: Finlay Anderson, Robin Schmitt, Felix Stix, Markus Frühmann