A quartet of tough and capable trail bikes – which one came out on top?

Kazimer’s Pick

It’s Commencal’s Meta TR that takes the top spot on my list. It has a great blend of quickness and stability, which means that climbing isn’t a chore, and it punches well above its weight (and amount of rear travel) on the descents. It’d be an ideal bike for the rider that’s a little more focused on the downhill portion of the equation, but still wants something that’s entertaining on all the parts of the ride that happen before gravity takes over.

The parts spec is excellent for the price, all the way down to the little details like the comfortable lock-on grips. Yes, I would have preferred 4-piston brakes over the 2-piston SRAM Level T’s, but at least there’s a 200mm rotor up front, and it’s not something that would need to be swapped out right away.

Mike Levy and I don’t agree on much, but in this case we both reached the same conclusion – if we had to choose a daily driver out of these four bikes, it’d be the Meta TR Ride.

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