I interview the designer behind Commencal’s most iconic bikes!

In this episode of Behind the Bars, I’m in Andorra at the Commencal Village to sit down with Nico Ménard — the designer behind many of Commencal’s most iconic bikes.

We talk about Nico’s role in shaping Commencal’s past, present, and future designs, and dive into some bold ideas about where cycling is heading — from the possibility of 32-inch wheels to suspension on gravel bikes.

Finally, we get an exclusive deep dive into the unreleased Commencal Meta SX DJI-powered EMTB, one of the most anticipated bikes in the industry.

If you’re into MTB design, innovation, or just love geeking out on bikes, you won’t want to miss this one.

🚲 Subscribe for more interviews with the people shaping mountain biking: https://www.youtube.com/@Notanothermtbchannel

#MTB #BehindTheBars #Commencal #MetaSX #EMTB #DJI #avinox

I wanted to do a bit of an introduction with you. So, this is Nico Manard. Hello. And uh you’re an engineer at Com, right? Yeah. Can you give us a bit of an introduction to uh who you are, what you do here, how long you’ve been here, and maybe we can look at some of the bikes that you’ve helped develop. Okay. So, I’m Nico. I’ve been uh well, I’ve been stud I studied mechanical engineering a long time ago. Not that long ago. Yeah, a little bit. And so basically I’m working for com for 20 years now. I’ve been working for commercial for 20 years now. Yeah. So that’s a long time I would say. It’s a good good career length. Yeah. Yeah. And well not all the obviously there were uh some bikes uh designed before I arrived and good ones and I step up and let’s say I started a like people who know super mini DHV2 DHV2 and then the big step where I really could make things was the Meta V3 the V3 and then so on all the bikes. So like the mini DH is the first one that springs to my mind. That’s kind of similar if I remember correctly to the first Supreme that you have in there. Yeah, I I did the version two of this one, but yeah, the first the first one was the on the V1. So the the bike you saw with anar won the world champs and there was already one then we did the I did the second version already slacker angle and like more like mini DH actually. So, it was my favorite bike for a long time. Even here, you know, some guys that have been here for a long time, they still ride it. No, but they No, because obviously we we get to ride the new bikes, but they keep like a really uh good memory. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I remember when I was living in China, I wanted to buy the Mini DH and the only place I could find it was Chain Reaction and the shipping was like crazy and I was like, “Oh man, I really want that bike.” It looks so cool. It was cool, honestly. But now nowadays I would say between the suspension, the frames, the wheel sizes and and everything I think you can get even better riding and you can better you know. So in the end okay that was the you know sometimes you keep I mean yeah it’s still the one of the bike I keep in my Well it’s one of the first ones you designed I guess. So it’s always going to have that. So what’s interesting what you mentioned then was like so the Mini Supreme was one of the to be fair like I’ve I’ve loved Common Cal for a long time but that was the first one I wanted to buy but I think for a lot of people watching this probably it’s the V3 matters that really like cemented Comal in a lot of people’s minds maybe I don’t know it’s hard for me it’s hard to to say you know because I’m inside but for sure this is where myself I put a lot of effort to try to to make a big step like new things new new standards also So to bring a bike that was more modern and like riding style also was different. So So yeah, for for me that was the mini HV2 and then the V3s are where we really step up our games and then every time we try to bring more things, more ideas like the VHV4 with the the high pivot. It was not something we didn’t invent anything. Before then it was the SX. Yeah. Yeah. The SX with the high. Was that before the Supreme? Yeah, that was the like say it was just um we made we build a concept a concept. It was more like an enduro bike. Yeah. And then I really wanted to try that. Yeah. Unfortunately, we I think we have it somewhere but like disassembled. Yeah, if anyone who doesn’t remember that, like now like it’s quite common to see a a high pivot idler enduro bike, but the Meta SX from like it was Supreme SX Supreme, but before that we really did a a prototype that was a proof of of concept. Yeah. Oh, and so that’s I basically it was supposed to be like what was the meta before, but we’re like hold on maybe first we should introduce it to to like the downhill bike and uh and maybe trickle down the technology. Yeah. Yeah. So, I I don’t I don’t want to ask how many bikes you’ve you’ve developed cuz I imagine it’s a lot. What’s actually interesting here, we’ve got this wall of frames and we’ve got like uh So, I’ll I’ll point to them and you tell me if you’ve had any work in developing it. So, this is a Is it Furious or FRS? It’s It was Furious, but we got some issues with the name, I think. So, it’s FRS. So, we have the Furious FS. The FRS here, which is like a a dual crown clash really, isn’t it? Like a pipe kind of kind of. Did you have any? Yeah, sure. Okay. So, this is Nikico’s. Uh, we’ve got the Meta SX V5. Yeah. As well. Like, uh, let’s say this one I did it 100%. This one it was made under my supervision. Let’s say like I I did all the kinematic job. I’ve been behind the guy designing. At the beginning, I was alone and now we have a team. So, Oh, yeah. I saw some of that. Yeah. So, so in the end it’s more like making a team job. Anyway, I always consider whatever the bike if I made it alone. There’s always been a team job between the product, one person, the everybody at commercial or even some I mean the riders of course. So I don’t consider like just me, you know, like it’s just a team a team effort I would say. Cool. And then we’ve got the the new Meta HT. Yeah, same like it’s been under my supervision like all behind that. That is like a soft tail. Not really. I mean cannot consider as a soft tail but the idea was really to get a good level of compiance compliance in the back always like on the on the on the met HT for a long time we try not to have too many like bridges you know in the back just to let the back end work as much as possible because it’s a hardail so you don’t want it to be too hard on on your butt and then we’ve got the absolute which is a third I did 100% this one as well yeah and then we have the BMX which is an interesting project for you guys it was like really um let’s say the the brief was made by the resting department back in the days and I I did like let’s say I don’t know it’s hard to say like 50% I started making it and then we when we had to tweak it I was busy so another guy uh finished the job let’s say that few I mean anyway there’s not just two guys there was a lot really like the same a big group big effort as a team so if if so chances are if someone’s riding a commentile like a modern commental you’ve had some sort of of course yeah always like I would say the the only one where I really didn’t do anything was a DHV5. Yeah. Cuz uh well at the at the time I just got my daughter. Yeah. And so like the the racing team plus some engineers here just took over and did a did a job. I just gave some little let’s say advises and stuff like that. But I cannot consider always like a a collaboration. But in this one I cannot consider I did anything really. I’m sure it’s it’s a cool bike. I mean it’s really cool bike. I mean, obviously I’m really proud of it as well, even if I didn’t really do anything. So, the the other bike that we wanted to talk about today, and we’ll move over there in a second to do it, is the new uh actually before we get on to that, I want to ask you a question. Uh what is your opinion on 32-in wheels? Uh let’s say I know it’s it’s funny because of course, uh I have I’m not having a really big opinion about it because you think as well. I think, yeah, maybe I’m wrong, but also I think it’s more like a niche and it’s like for really tall riders. So, it has perfectly uh makes it perfectly makes sense like in the US with really tall people, but for people like us, I don’t really think it makes I’m really tall. No, you’re heavy. It’s different. No, no, joking. Uh but um I think like for uh let’s say cross country race where you depends on the it’s always depends on what you’re riding. If you’re riding like um like without any uh when you don’t leave you don’t have you’re not losing momentum you know you’re always like going then it could make sense. But if you ride tight trails technical your your speed is just like going up. Are you thinking 32 32 or like I cuz sorry I’m thinking mullet like a 32 mullet probably 32 probably it makes sense you know like because in the end like in the steep I don’t know how how it could be honestly I don’t want to I I don’t want to be like too much like ah this is like this and because I haven’t tried and you never know where things are going but I think it’s more like a niche to address to some people are really tall like I don’t see polyer preo riding a 32 in I don’t know how she could no she could just move the bike around and it depends a lot also on on the circuit on what what type of riding you’re doing. If it’s really fast straight away where you keep your momentum and that’s it could make sense like fast corners nothing too crazy then yeah maybe maybe but honestly so what we’re learning from Nico is like we talked about the pedals before you you like to reserve judgment you don’t want to say something is bad without trying it but I’ve got one thing I want to ask you suspension on a gravel bike I haven’t tried and I haven’t Yeah but I’ve got the messages Yeah. No, I would say it’s uh this point is where we discussed a lot about that. I think for me for me that’s my opinion. Doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make sense for some people. I’m like if you ride gravel over a mountain bike because you do a big mix of road gravel roads and you don’t do extremely not extreme but like I would say if you really need suspension to my from my point of view you need to you should go to a cross country bike and because I think also why people what what makes the success of gravel bikes also lots of people were doing cross country with bike that were like too much bike for them you know and so they were losing I think the the thing of the bike was too capable and so the the simplicity as well the trails the trails were like getting too easy and the simplicity like you don’t need to just to get maintenance on your fork you know and makes a lighter package. So that’s true for gravel I would say of course they you will always find people that uh I know one guy in Switzerland who write crazy stuff with the gravel so it totally makes sense. Yeah, but from the for let’s say for most of the people maybe it’s not necessary or again maybe I see a new design and it’s like super light simple and makes a lot of sense and I’m like oh come on they did they found the nice things so there’s never so there’s still chance I can change his mind. Yeah, it could if something happened and like somebody proved me wrong. I’m totally open about it, you know, like it just like depends on on what things are going on. But I would say at the moment, I would say for me, yeah, if I if the trail is that hard, then I need a mountain bike. Even like a cross country. But that’s my point of view. Okay, fair enough. Right. What we’re going to do now, we’re going to move over to the Meta Power. Hang on. The Commen Metap Power SXD DJI. I think I’ve got that the wrong way around. It’s the Commensal Meta SX power DJI. I can get it right now because I can read it off the top tube. So, this is the first DJI equipped Commenile. Yeah. Yeah. And well, tell me a little bit about it like what is difference between this for example and the the Bosch one. Okay. Uh well, first like you said, it’s a prototype. So, Oh, yeah. Some things are going to change on the model and uh but so yeah, this is this is like I said in the ride yesterday, we’re not reviewing it because this is very much prototype. It hasn’t been finished. Sense of the bike will remain the same. Yeah. The geometry, the kinematics, everything is going to stay the same. Yeah. So, compared to the So, let’s say we have the Meta Power uh SX 400. Yep. The SX800 and then the DJI. Yeah. Uh and they’re all in different categories. Exactly. So, the SX 400 is like with the SX motor, 400 W hour battery. Um, the idea here was to make a bike that was as close as possible in terms of riding as a normal bike. And I think from our point of view, we kind of did it. And the SX800 for example, so much more capacity. Obviously, the double 800 W hour, the CX motor and a bike where we really purize the comfort. Yeah. And a bike that brings you a lot of confidence like to get long rides and you go in the mountain or whatever and mountain like super tech trail and steep or whatever or like really rocky. Yeah. And you’re not scared because the bikes brings you by the trails we rode yesterday. Exactly. You saw like unfortunately I haven’t been riding a lot lately. Yeah. But it didn’t stop you downhill. Oh, it’s cool. So when we say when we say comfort, it’s not comfort as in it’s a it’s a bike that you would use for like chilling. It’s for it’s confidence. It’s the Well, it’s both. I would say it’s both, you know. There’s confidence and also quite comfortable as well. You know, like in the back is really supple, soft. It’s really really nice. get a nice mix between a bike that is really comfortable also for a big bike because it has 180 mm travel still really have a really good amount of support and still accelerate. So it’s interesting. So here goes the DJI. Y it’s easy. It sits a bit in the middle between the 400 and the 800. Okay. Not only because of the of the battery capacity but how we we imagine the bike and the kinematic. Yeah. And it has does this have less travel than the Bosch 800 too? Yeah, a little bit less. Yeah. The the B is having lots of travel actually is having 180. This one is having around 160. Is that front and rear? Yeah. Yeah. But we could like we it could accept perfectly a 170 in the front and depends on the shock stroke. We could we still have some margin to play around. So this is one of the thing we still need to tweak but honestly I think we are pretty spot on with like 160 160 yesterday felt amazing. I was not like oh wow I wish I had more. Like I say, it’s not a review, but it rides so well. Yeah. And you know, so between all of them, it sits in the middle. And really like the in terms of riding, the way it rides, it’s in the middle as well. Like it’s not like the big uh ebike a big lot of travel and super comfort and but not and the other one like the 400 that is more like easy to move around, but uh obviously not as big. This one sits in the middle just with a motor that you could you can tell, you know, like Yeah, I think of power. I think I think that’s a good point because I think some people might be confused like how how would I choose between the Bosch and the DJI because but like you say, this is the Bosch is the big the big it’s like a monster truck almost. Big travel, big power, big battery. If you don’t need that and you don’t want something that is but you still want the range because of a large battery, this is the one that maybe will suit you. So, and the chassis between the three of them, they’re very similar, but they have their own own, let’s say, characteristic like in terms of riding style. So, we didn’t want us to make every time the same bike, you know, it doesn’t really make sense. So, all of them, they have their own taste. Okay. Cuz that’s I think that might be another thing that where people will think when they look at the bike online, they might think, “Oh, it’s it’s the same frame just with a different drive system or motor.” No, it’s always there is differences. I’d say this one is closer from the S6400 in terms of chassis than the SX800, but still has its own uh characteristic I would say. And what about what can you tell us about the suspension kinematic on this? Um well, it’s let’s say we with the meta whatever it is the Oh, that’s a good question. Is this is this based on the meta V5 or SX’s kinematic? Yeah, it’s always like there’s a base and then you you modify according to what you really want, what you need. In this bike, for example, we have quite we have a higher chain effect. Yeah. Because we really want the bike uh when you pedal to to stay to to stand to stay up in the travel, not like sitting too much because if you go to steep things then it’s going to be too pull you back. Exactly. So this is one of the the main thing and after we always play around with the leverage ratio also the instant centers but the essence let’s say is always the same. Yeah. Even with the DH bike you know like we they share the same philosophy just adapted to to the riding of where you’re going to ride what’s the type of bike but the is very similar. We spend a lot of time on the meta and also on the Supreme to really get where we want it. But it’s been really interesting and we learned a lot. But and I think we like that’s the cool thing that we’re always trying new things and so so obviously I hope it will keep on better and better always we always had some more guests for our video but but honestly yeah so just to say like the what we call the VCS virtual contact system this they share more or less the same not the same the same philosophy just in different exactly when comment develops a bike what makes a This might be a difficult question to answer, but what makes a common stile a commensile compared to say like another brand’s bike? I think it’s a number of things of course, but I think what makes a common being a common is because we ride we ride here and we don’t just do by numbers like oh uh the standard should be to have this eden or this ch lens. Yeah. Uh we just go and we ride a lot of our bikes and I mean the trails are just here. Yeah. Just here and there. They’re everywhere basically. And so I would say that’s what makes the essence of a commercial like we just don’t do things because it’s trendy or because yeah people what maybe we need we do it because we believe we strongly believe that is what we should do and we test it and if we wrong we are wrong then we modify we are really like perfectionist like we want to get it right you know. So I would say that’s the main thing like it’s very general and looks like very obvious but uh I don’t know an American brand where the trail are really flowy not so steep and then they will they will do frames in a different way as we do and that’s also uh the nice thing about bikes that you have uh lot of diversity. Yeah. And on our in our case, we want bike that are fast riding downhill, inspire confidence and are fun to ride. Brings a lot of like where you feel. Yeah. You feel just you want to push, you