We obtained a great take a look at Commencal’s subsequent gen alloy downhill bike as a prototype final summer season in Leogang, however now it’s lastly right here because the newly launched Supreme DH V5. Well, it’s virtually right here. Commencal has teased much more particulars on the new gravity race bike… But except you might be on one in all their sponsored groups, you continue to aren’t going to be racing one this yr.
Commencal new Supreme DH V5 alloy downhill mountain bike
I spied the P019 within the Leogang pits in 2021
Nine months in the past Commencal was calling it P019, describing it as an excessive circumstances take a look at sled with a “brand new kinematic with a Virtual High Pivot”. Beyond a new pivot location & loafer pulley, it had some wild new linkage ideas happening too. So, after all we already suspected that this prototype could be their subsequent Supreme DH bike. You don’t mount a quantity “2” onto simply any take a look at bike.
Tech particulars
all others c. Commencal, photographs by Nicolas Brizin
Now, it’s official. Sort of. The new Supreme DH V5 formally enters the fray in 2022. And we’ve tons of photographs to dig by way of. But solely tiny bits of true confirmed element.
It continues to be a mullet and aluminum, and prone to keep that means, now with a extra refined mixture of formed tubes and machined particulars. Amaury Pierron raced on a 205mm journey bike final season, in order that’s fairly prone to keep, as properly.
Two separate hyperlinks actuate the shock, in a sophisticated format that we’d like to have an animation of to actually comprehend. It is a 6-bar suspension format with loads of cast hyperlinks inside that provides the bike the ‘virtual’ pivot level.
It is a excessive pivot, and can get an loafer pulley to isolate suspension motion from the chain. This clearly pre-production bike will get an enormous 3D-printed shroud over the pulley, though an identical plastic/composite guard will in all probability make it to manufacturing.
The seatstay bridge that was beforehand hidden, now reveals that it’s semi-removable and consists of rear brake routing. We’re nonetheless not completely positive what to make of that. Hopefully it can have one thing to do with an built-in fender to guard all of this linkages & pivots from each little bit of mud thrown off the rear tire!
The new bike will function an adjustable insert beneath a extra typical Chris King headset, probably giving the group body head angle and even Reach adjustment.
There can be a 2-position flip-chip on the decrease shock mount (down from 6-position on the P019 prototype) and one other 3-position flip-chip on the rear axle for loads of geometry tweaking nonetheless.
Notice something distinctive about that unlabeled rear derailleur? It appears like a good more-refined prototype of the next-generation TRP TR12/TR7 rear derailleur we’ve been recognizing each occasionally.
On prime of all that, there can be built-in downtube, chainstay & seatstay protectors, which ought to hold the alloy bike working as quietly as doable.
What does Commencal must say in regards to the new bike’s improvement now…
“The terms were simple… To make a bike with no compromises, which works very well whatever the type of track and which gives the rider confidence. Alongside the evolution of the discipline itself, we could see that the time when you could make a strategic choice on the settings of the bike at the start of the season is over.”
“For example, making it very efficient, or very comfortable. Race tracks are complete and varied, and it takes versatility. Additionally, the level is so high that riders have to spend a lot of time working on their lines on track and they have less time to think about bike settings.”
“In the technical sense, we chose to work on the ‘virtual high pivot point’ kinematics. Using a 6 bar system allows us to create an ideally controlled virtual pivot point trajectory and suspension leverage ratio evolution, regardless of the range of travel used. The result is a significant improvement in the balance, shock absorption and overall liveliness of the bike. That was the goal and that’s what we’ve got!” -Arthur Quet
Commencal Supreme DH V5 – Availability
Here’s the rub… The new downhill bike isn’t precisely as ‘coming soon’ as all of us may hope.
Commencal says frames and their À La Carte on-line customizer builds must be accessible on the finish of 2022. Complete bikes will take even longer, estimated supply within the “beginning of 2023”.
So I assume you will have one other season to dial in your traces and attempt to earn your means into the larger DH races.
Not glad with nonetheless having to attend… why don’t you buckle up for greater than an hour following Amaury Pierron, Myriam Nicole, Thibaut Daprela, Thomas Estaque & Hugo Frixtalon as they race the total 2021 DH season – with loads of time on the new bike.
