Commencal Premier S Review

Commencal Premier S Review
The Premier S is Commencals budget full suspension machine and in the own words of Commencal a simple, fun and affordable bike. The Premier S comes with 120mm of travel up from and 100mm at the back which makes it on paper a good XC/All Mountain do everything type of bike.

With a RRP of £1199 (Edit* NOW ONLY £799 £749) the Commencal is competitively priced at the very bottom end of what you would expect to pay for a usable full suspension mountain bike. Rest assured - this is a proper and very usable mtb, no gimics here - the Commencal is ready to be riden hard.

Riding The Commencal.
The Commencal Premier S shares the same basic suspension ideas as the more expensive Commencal Meta series. The rear linkage ensures very good rear wheel traction and good active and responsive suspension. In the saddle the Commencal S feels a whole lot of fun, its not the lightest bike or the most nimble, but like the hardtail Premier HD it feels very chuck-able and you find your self wanting to attack trail sections and pop the bike over roots and rocks.

The Commencal is undoubtedly aimed at the XC and Beginner market and the bike handles cross country duties absolutely fine. It was a pleasure to spend most of the day in the saddle and at this pricve couldn't really fault the ride when it comes to long XC rides.
Although not its target specialty, with care the Commencal also handles some DH and dirt abuse mixed in with all that xc trail riding.
With the Premier S you wouldnt be afraid to drop in to some root sections or attack that rock garden. The frame feels stable at speed without being too long and cumbersome - meaning you can also handle those switchback corners no problem.

Components.
Budget bikes can sometimes be a bit let down by component choices but the Commencal is shipped with a very capable group and finishing kit. Shimano Deore and Alivio take care of the shifting duties while the Premier S comes with a Truvativ and Commencal own brand finishing kit. All good and competent stuff, no corners cut here!
The front Rock Shox Reba forks are responsive, adjustable and a great addition at this price. The rear X-Fusion air shock is pretty standard at this price point and offers uncomplicated damping.
The Kenda Tires are fast rolling with minimal tread - maybe something you would want to upgrade if you venture out into the wet muddy wild more often.
The Jalco and commencal wheel set is also competent and light enough to not need to upgrade anytime soon.
Brakes come in the form of Tektro Draco hydraulic disks - they are a real surprise! Great stopping power comparable with some big name manufactures. Fantastic kit!
All in all a very good component set for a sub £1200 full suspension bike!

Pros.
Solid, uncomplicated and competent components.
Great looking bike.
Rock Shox front forks with 120mm of travel.
Truvativ bits.
Commencal 'contact system' linkage suspension.
Prestige of Commencal brand name.
Brakes are a real surprise!

Cons.
Tires not suitable for proper off road duties.
Bars might be quite thin for some riders.
No shock pump included.
No pedals included.
Cheap headset will need replacing eventually.

Conclusion.
A great budget bike at a fantastic price. The Commencal looks double its worth in the flesh and will gain a lot of admiring glances (especially in black). The component list and frame offer great value and being a Commencal it should hold its resale value in the coming years.
The bike will handle some abuse and would be fine for agressive XC and trail duties as well as the occasional commute.
The Commencal Premier S is definitely worth considering and gains our recommendation!

Check out he best price for the Commencal here....

* The bike is currently with 40% off - now only £749 - Crazy bargain*


Dirt Mtb