Ride Furious with Commencal's new DH bike

Ride Furious with Commencal's new DH bike

Alloy frame, 650b wheels, size specific suspension kinematics and more

Courtesy

Published: March 21, 2017 at 8:00 pm

Commencal’s latest gravity offering the Furious DH, has been designed around simplicity and affordability.

The all new Furious combines a simplified single pivot rear suspension design, aluminium frame, 200mm of rear travel and long stable geometry in a bike designed to be just as comfortable on a DH course as it is in the freeride park.

Furious DH highlights

  • Triple butted 6066 aluminium frame
  • 200mm rear travel, single pivot design
  • Progressive Contact System
  • Internal cable routing with upgraded seals
  • 27.5in wheels
  • Four sizes

Using the high pivot design for the rear suspension, the Furious can utilise chain tension to balance pedal feedback and assume exciting ride characteristics, allowing for speed to build in compressions and out of corners, but still offering some support off jumps.

The brand says it doesn't believe there is a better system to provide a bike that’s predictable, handles well, offers a well-balanced ride, and the least amount of maintenance.

The Furious has been designed to be just as capable on a DH course as it is in the park Courtesy

Also new to the Furious is what Commencal calls its ‘Progressive Contact System.’ The thinking behind this system is that a rider on an XL frame is more than likely going to be heavier than a rider on a small frame. So to compensate for this, suspension kinematics for the Furious are size specific, which results in more progressive travel for the bigger frames to minimise bottoming out, while the smaller frames are tuned to offer more linear travel to help smaller riders utilise the bike's full travel.

The frame itself is made from 6066 aluminium, which should not only offer plenty of durability but also allow Commencal to control the flex characteristics of the frame. The pivot bearings are oversized to maximise longevity and the rocker is integrated into the seatstays and forms a single piece in order to minimise stress on the shock for better suspension performance.

To keep the cables out of harm's way they're hidden inside the frame and routed as close to the main pivot as possible to minimise movement and extend life. The seals around the cables have also been upgraded to keep the elements out.

There is also a double density injection polypropylene chainstay protector, which Commencal says dampens the chain for a quieter ride and a built-in downtube protector to prevent damage from flying debris.

The geometry should provide for quite a stable ride Courtesy

Putting a premium on stability the Furious has a long front end, but relatively short 440m chainstays so as to not sacrifice a maneuverable ride and flickability.

The new Furious comes in two spec options: the Origin and Race, which are claimed to weigh 17.76kg and 16.78kg respectively.

The Origin is slightly cheaper and comes in three colours Courtesy

The Origin comes with a RockShox Boxxer RC 650b and RockShox Kage R damper, with a 300lb spring on the Small and Medium sizes, and 350lb on the Large and XL.

SRAM Guide brakes combined with 200mm rotors front and rear take care of the stopping, while a mixed SRAM X5 and X7 9-speed drivetrain, e*Thirteen crank, and Alex Rims FR 32 rims spinning around Formula DH hubs take care of the going.

Priced at €2,499 / $2,499 / CA$3,399 the Furious Origin hits quite a price point. UK and Australian pricing are to be confirmed

Slightly more expensive at €3,999 / $3,999 / CA$5,399 the Furious Race only comes in red and for the extra coin you get a Fox Factory Float X2 rear shock, Fox Factory 40 Float fork, full SRAM GX DH 7-speed and Spank Spike Race 33 rims spinning on Formula DH hubs.

The Furious Race is the platform's flagship model Courtesy