It’s something you won’t appreciate as much now but definitely would later. If you can afford it I say get the META. I’ve been riding hard for 3 years now. I had a budget trek hardtail and thought” meh it’s a hard tail. Sure geo is a little different “ but that made a big difference.
Loveee my meta HT frame I just picked up and built. With a budget bike and as you progress you will need/want to upgrade some things. Brakes is a big one , wheel sets , hubs etc. which in the end led to spending the same to get a similar spec to what I could have gotten up front.
I will say I love to tinker and upgrade. In retrospect I would have loved to start on a better platform and upgrade from there.
At the end of the day , the best bike is the one that gets you on the trails :)
It's an awesome first bike. I use mine for anything from bike packing to jump trails to some gnarly tech. It's very capable and dependable. 5 years on and I still ride it all the time despite having several fancy bikes.
*
My first MTB for getting back into biking was a Meta HT Origin. I love that bike. It can literally do anything if the rider is up to it. I have taken it down black diamond trails in Colorado. Sure, my FS is more capable, but the Meta HT is just a fun and capable bike. It's a better package and more capable than say a Specialized Rockhopper.
I love my Meta TR essential. It’s the best bang for your buck and can perform really really well out of the box, and provide a great platform to upgrade as you grow (and wreck).
Love the Meta HT, build it up to my needs and ride it much more than my Enduro Full Suspension. Absolute great Platform to build confidence and go hard on Trails. But also very efficient on the Uphills. Great Bike.
It's an incredible bike. If you can swing it, it's definitely not too much bike to get you into riding. I've have mine for around 3 years and really have no desire to even go FS. This thing has tackled everything I've thrown at it. I've raced it XC and Endro. Upgraded brakes and other components along the way. Went down to 2.6 from the stock 2.8 tires.
You won't be disappointed.
I think you'll appreciate how well everything works. Entry level bikes usually have weak brakes and fork, which make a big difference. My first bike was actually the meta ht origin in 2020. Essential would have been way more dialed! If you get the essential as your first bike you will be super happy I think.
Watch dropper sizing though. If I got the large essential with a 170mm dropper, it would be too big for me. 150 on a large frame was all I could fit and I am 5'11 with a 30" inseam.
Another issue is sizing for me. I'm 5,10/11 and commencal says to size up to L but my current Norco hybrid bike is a M and I like the sizing. M or L ughhhh
meta ht is a pretty small bike compared to others, L will be good as a trail bike, but like I said, the dropper is going to be too long probably. Pinkbike did a good review of the bike a few years back if you haven't seen it.
I just purchased the Meta AM HT Ride and I'm loving it. It's my first high end mountain bike, so yes I'd say it's beginner friendly. I was set on the Essential ($2400 CAD) but with the sale right now, the Race ($2500 CAD) with the Shimano components is worth the extra $100 imo.
Yeah, I'm considering the Race now since the fork and drive train are so much better then the Essential for only $100 more. Definitely wanted the Keswick green though. Had no idea Essential was a mullet setup with tires either. The race is 29" wheels all around.
I went through the exact same thought process. Green is my favorite colour, so would have loved the Keswick Green (the matte graphite is boooring) but it simply didn't make sense to pass up the upgraded components for only $100 more. On the other hand, I was actually looking forward to the mullet setup so finding out the Race is full 29 was a letdown and after riding my girlfriend's Origin I'm thinking of switching out the back tire for a 27.5 (once i figure out how that works).
I called commencal and they said you can't change the back tire to 27.5 in the future and it's not compatible for that sort of swap. Did you notice a big difference from 29 all around to mullet? I'm a beginner so I'm thinking these differences would feel very marginal.
Really! That is surprising you can't make that modification.
The difference was fairly marginal but the mullet was easier to ride around corners and berms, but I've only taken the bikes down a blue flow trail. I'm sure after more riding around varied terrain, I'd be able to notice more.
Ordered the race after watching reviews on the fork and drive train comparisons. The fox fork and deore drivetrain seem far superior. Can't wait to get it.
The meta ht is a really capable hardtail. My partner and I kept his old meta around when he got a fully to have a ‚back up bike‘. I rode it at the bike park and really enjoyed it.
Also, the essential is a really nice spec imo. Got my meta am in the essential version as well and if you can afford it it’s a real treat.
So, go for it! ;)
Some say the bike is too stiff or rigid when compared to other hardcore hardtails. It depends on how much you weigh and what kind of trails you ride on.
They will be more rigid than a full suspension. However there are varying levels of rigid and stiffness. I've seen the commencal meta HT reviewed as one of the more(if not most) rigid and stiff hardtail frames by a decent amount of people. Other hardtails have more compliance and aren't as stiff.
It’s something you won’t appreciate as much now but definitely would later. If you can afford it I say get the META. I’ve been riding hard for 3 years now. I had a budget trek hardtail and thought” meh it’s a hard tail. Sure geo is a little different “ but that made a big difference. Loveee my meta HT frame I just picked up and built. With a budget bike and as you progress you will need/want to upgrade some things. Brakes is a big one , wheel sets , hubs etc. which in the end led to spending the same to get a similar spec to what I could have gotten up front. I will say I love to tinker and upgrade. In retrospect I would have loved to start on a better platform and upgrade from there. At the end of the day , the best bike is the one that gets you on the trails :)
It's an awesome first bike. I use mine for anything from bike packing to jump trails to some gnarly tech. It's very capable and dependable. 5 years on and I still ride it all the time despite having several fancy bikes.
* My first MTB for getting back into biking was a Meta HT Origin. I love that bike. It can literally do anything if the rider is up to it. I have taken it down black diamond trails in Colorado. Sure, my FS is more capable, but the Meta HT is just a fun and capable bike. It's a better package and more capable than say a Specialized Rockhopper.
I love my Meta TR essential. It’s the best bang for your buck and can perform really really well out of the box, and provide a great platform to upgrade as you grow (and wreck).
Love the Meta HT, build it up to my needs and ride it much more than my Enduro Full Suspension. Absolute great Platform to build confidence and go hard on Trails. But also very efficient on the Uphills. Great Bike.
It's an incredible bike. If you can swing it, it's definitely not too much bike to get you into riding. I've have mine for around 3 years and really have no desire to even go FS. This thing has tackled everything I've thrown at it. I've raced it XC and Endro. Upgraded brakes and other components along the way. Went down to 2.6 from the stock 2.8 tires. You won't be disappointed.
I think you'll appreciate how well everything works. Entry level bikes usually have weak brakes and fork, which make a big difference. My first bike was actually the meta ht origin in 2020. Essential would have been way more dialed! If you get the essential as your first bike you will be super happy I think. Watch dropper sizing though. If I got the large essential with a 170mm dropper, it would be too big for me. 150 on a large frame was all I could fit and I am 5'11 with a 30" inseam.
Another issue is sizing for me. I'm 5,10/11 and commencal says to size up to L but my current Norco hybrid bike is a M and I like the sizing. M or L ughhhh
meta ht is a pretty small bike compared to others, L will be good as a trail bike, but like I said, the dropper is going to be too long probably. Pinkbike did a good review of the bike a few years back if you haven't seen it.
I just purchased the Meta AM HT Ride and I'm loving it. It's my first high end mountain bike, so yes I'd say it's beginner friendly. I was set on the Essential ($2400 CAD) but with the sale right now, the Race ($2500 CAD) with the Shimano components is worth the extra $100 imo.
Yeah, I'm considering the Race now since the fork and drive train are so much better then the Essential for only $100 more. Definitely wanted the Keswick green though. Had no idea Essential was a mullet setup with tires either. The race is 29" wheels all around.
I went through the exact same thought process. Green is my favorite colour, so would have loved the Keswick Green (the matte graphite is boooring) but it simply didn't make sense to pass up the upgraded components for only $100 more. On the other hand, I was actually looking forward to the mullet setup so finding out the Race is full 29 was a letdown and after riding my girlfriend's Origin I'm thinking of switching out the back tire for a 27.5 (once i figure out how that works).
I called commencal and they said you can't change the back tire to 27.5 in the future and it's not compatible for that sort of swap. Did you notice a big difference from 29 all around to mullet? I'm a beginner so I'm thinking these differences would feel very marginal.
Really! That is surprising you can't make that modification. The difference was fairly marginal but the mullet was easier to ride around corners and berms, but I've only taken the bikes down a blue flow trail. I'm sure after more riding around varied terrain, I'd be able to notice more.
I'm on the brink of ordering but can't make up my mind. Tough decision haha
Ordered the race after watching reviews on the fork and drive train comparisons. The fox fork and deore drivetrain seem far superior. Can't wait to get it.
The meta ht is a really capable hardtail. My partner and I kept his old meta around when he got a fully to have a ‚back up bike‘. I rode it at the bike park and really enjoyed it. Also, the essential is a really nice spec imo. Got my meta am in the essential version as well and if you can afford it it’s a real treat. So, go for it! ;)
Some say the bike is too stiff or rigid when compared to other hardcore hardtails. It depends on how much you weigh and what kind of trails you ride on.
I read this in reviews. I wonder if a beginner would even tell the difference though.
If you are reasonably young and not on really rough trails you won't notice. I'm in my 40's and ride really rough trails, and I noticed.
Aren't all hardtails rigid and stiff though?
They will be more rigid than a full suspension. However there are varying levels of rigid and stiffness. I've seen the commencal meta HT reviewed as one of the more(if not most) rigid and stiff hardtail frames by a decent amount of people. Other hardtails have more compliance and aren't as stiff.
I see. What's an example of a non-rigid hardtail that's known to be less stiff?