COMMENCAL has continually been a whole familiarised towards “All Mountain” riding, and once we select a ride, we tend to get on our bikes with the only real aim: have some fun on the downhills. Commencal have 2 bikes in their metallic element All Mountain HT vary. They share a frame, however the dearer AL1 includes a 150mm (5.9in) travel fork.
Ride and Handling Commencal :
First impressions of the Ramones area unit smart. It feels directly handy and poised, particularly once standing, though we’d have expected slightly wider bars to complete the slack head angle/short stem setup. It’s not as laidback as its longer-travel brother, however it’s still slack by 120mm (4.7in) travel hardtail standards.
The layout of the bike causes you to wish to pop the front off just about everything and additionally makes it simple to try to to therefore. sadly, riding like that exposes the weakness of the fork, that exhibits a top-out clunk anytime the front wheel leaves the bottom. It’s not the stiffest issue out there either. On a lesser frame it might be less noticeable, however the Commencal’s chassis is sufficiently stiff to throw somewhat of fork twang into sharp relief.
Fundamentally, the Ramones offers nice handling. There’s luggage of grip, the pure mathematics works rather well and after you weight the front in corners the fork feels okay.
It gets bouncy at speed although, lacking any noticeable rebound damping. because it stands, the Commencal extremely likes slow, steep, nadgery stuff, however a fork upgrade would be the primary issue on our list – even associate degree entry level aftermarket model would build a large distinction.
If you’re massively into rising you most likely won’t be shopping for a motorbike like this anyway, however with a good low, a stiff frame and grippy tyres it’ll winch up most things if you’ve got the legs for it. it’s an important bike, however not objectionably therefore given its supposed use and value.
Frame and Equipment Commencal :
While it doesn’t have any result on performance in any respect, the primary issue you’re seemingly to note regarding the Ramones is its bright inexperienced paintjob. It’s a color theme that’s seemingly to divide opinions, though for what it’s value we have a tendency to quite am passionate about it. we have a tendency to like what’s beneath it too – a low-slung, compact frame that’s been designed for a few abuse.
The head tube may be a standard straight pipe instead of tapered, however that’s not in any respect shocking at the value. each the most tubes area unit formed. A flat-bottomed down tube uses most the on the market dimension of the lowest bracket shell for stiffness.
The top tube may be a significantly radical form – initially look it’s a planate parallelogram, however the undersurface is really planoconcave, with the cables and rear brake hose tucked into the ensuing hollow.
A sinuate strut helps to support the seat tube, with the highest tube meeting the triangle-section seatstays that run all the way down to dropouts that look chunky however area unit hollow out at the rear to save lots of somewhat of weight. The countersunk holes on the rear brake mount area unit a neat bit. The chainstays area unit slightly triangular too, broader at the lowest than on high. There aren’t any bridges on the seat or chainstays, departure lots of mud space.
Given the intent of the Ramones, we have a tendency to were unsuccessful that there aren’t any ISCG tabs on the lowest bracket shell – this can be pretty much the type of motorbike that you’re seemingly to require some variety of chainguide on at some purpose.
For this budget value, it’s no surprise to visualize a comparatively lowly level of componentry. Up front may be a 120mm (4.7in) travel coil-sprung RST Omega fork. It’s got a preload investigator and a opposition lever, however that’s as way as changes go.
The wheels area unit Commencal-branded things that established strong enough, shod with can’t-go-wrong a pair of.35in Kenda Nevegal tyres. additionally bearing Commencal stigmatization area unit the bar, imposingly chunky stem and lock-on grips – a pleasant bit on a comparatively cheap bike.
As with several alternative bikes at this type of value, the Ramones comes with Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. They’re dead acceptable stoppers, with a 180mm front rotor serving to things on. The transmission feels a trifle low-rent, particularly the unbranded square-taper chainset.
You do get a helpful 22/32/bashring combination although, that delivers a right wide, if somewhat gappy, gear vary once combined with the 8-speed 11-32T container at the rear. Shifters and mechs area unit all from SRAM’s budget X4 vary, that won’t excite however gets the task done.
Specs Commencal Ramones AL2 Mtb Bike :
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Image Credit © Velosi.ru
