HISTORY

by Max COMMENCAL

2000 The Commencal Story isn’t so easy to tell… But I’ll give it a try! To be able to talk about the history of COMMENCAL, you have to look back to the past… You have to look at an era when mountain-biking did not yet exist, you have to think of a Dream Team that brought home no less than 70 World Championship titles, you have to think about all the pioneering thinkers that created history and legends. I single-handedly created the SUNN brand, building it up over 16 years, living an intense experience, and I have only but the greatest of memories of that time. That is all in the past now, and those adventures are really a long way away! In the end the Story is only interesting if it allows you to build the future, especially in our world, which constantly looks forward and tirelessly at rendering obsolete what has just been created! COMMENCAL’s history starts in 2000. A new century, new aspirations, and renewed technology… Straight away, it seems that a mystical force wants to boost the Brand. The first bike will bear the unforgettable name of "Supernormal". And the story of this bike is a legend in itself! How do you, in the shortest space of time possible, think up a bike that needs little investment (we’re not rich)? How do you get it out on the market (we have little time)? How do you make sure that the rider has everything that they need, everything that is useful, or necessary? Put simply, by returning to the roots of riding, not thinking about flashy sophistication, but keeping only what is essential. This particular way of thinking is in the bike, and its simplicity makes it unusually modern. From its launch, the bike seems so "normal" and so "super" that it conquers the hearts of its riders, specialist bike shops and the press. It is even voted Mountain Bike of the Year by Velo Vert Magazine. And to top it all off, it wins its first race (the Roc d’Azur, with 10 000 participants) at the hands of Christophe Dupouy in the Elite Class! History is definitely in the making…

2001 In 2001, it’s the arrival of the DOCTOR, a light dual-suspension bike, modern, comfortable, easy, where everything falls to hand. Sure, by today’s’ standards it looks fragile and obsolete, but back then it was pure pleasure… From our office, we can see the ski slopes and the mountains so well, it seems obvious that we cannot be a brand like any other. The spirit is present, the motivation is unyielding, and the surrounding playground a godsend.

2002 In 2002, the PASTA shows up. Strange name for a bike… But a new way to ride is appearing. No longer is a MTB made just to advance, to wander, to stay fit… we ride to have fun, to slide, to jump! Pure performance takes a back seat! We’re looking for a bike that has an upright position and an adjustable travel fork to better adapt to the terrain we’re riding on the day. VTT magazine even says "why didn’t we think of this before”?! 2002 is also the year that Andorra and the Pal Arinsal (now known as VALLNORD) ski station decides to work with us to organize the MAXI AVALANCHE. With Georges EDWARDS, the legendary organizer of the MEGAVALANCHE series held at the Alpes d’Huez and the island of La Reunion, Andorra makes its name as THE riding area of the Pyrenees.

2003 In 2003, it’s the turn of the PASTA POWER to make an appearance. Double suspension, loads of travel (at the time), the art of "savoir faire" and an indisputable character! We don’t quite know how to ride Freeride, but we know that the PASTA POWER will be the ideal tool to learn on, to forgive the unavoidable errors of a beginner and to dream of out on the mountain slopes! There is irresistibility about it… and it is an immediate success! Anne-Caroline CHAUSSON joins the team, and she offers the Brand and the PASTA POWER its first 4X World Championship title. The future SUPREME DH is being developed both with Olivier BOSSARD (BOS Engineering) and an Anne-Caroline who is flying through the world downhill scene.

2004 2004 is the start of the internationalization of the Brand. It is also the OXBOW year. This famous surf wear brand decides to give believe in us and support us with a big budget that allows us to create a team of first rate ambassadors. Miguel MARTINEZ, Franck PAROLIN, Bernat GUARDIA, Romain SALADINI, Titou PICARD join Anne Caroline CHAUSSON to scour the trails and sweep up the titles! And off we go for two years of the Continental Circus… Alongside all the marketing, it is a year of investment in order to present an entirely revamped range the following year. The team riders are an integral part of the development process. Romain SALADINI ends up being Junior World Downhill Champion on the SUPREME DH.

2005 In 2005 we see the arrival of the new META frame, the jewel of the range for a while to come. Years later the UK press will even class it as one of the past decade’s 10 best bikes, all categories combined. It is the ultimate accolade! Also arriving on the scene are the two SUPREME frames. Downhill and freeride are no longer the reserve of the Team riders. The magazine tests are very flattering, and the Brand clearly shouts out its mountain heritage, alongside its will to promote user-friendliness and the pure pleasure of riding. Once again, success is immediate! Two new riders join the Brand: Roger RINDERKNECHT comes to work on the new Absolut frames, Remy ABSALON comes to perfect the image of the METAs and Julien CAMELLINI joins the downhillers. Remy wins the mythical MEGA at the island of La Reunion, and will be crowned European marathon Downhill Champion. Anne Caroline will once again pick up a Downhill World Champion title!

2006 2006: The Brand becomes more and more international, to the point that the French market, although constantly progressing is overtaken by foreign sales. No less than 30 countries import our bikes, directly from Taiwan where they are assembled. This year also sees the arrival of one of the most media-friendly, most loved, most famous mountain-bike riders, Mr Cedric GRACIA. Having started with me 20 years ago as a little kid, he comes to us after many years in the US. He is one of the only riders to excel at downhill, 4X and freeride. His "aura" and notoriety are such that the Brand immediately benefits from recognition and respect around the world. We’re starting to play with the big-hitters… The team is now centred on CG. Alongside him are Romain SALADINI, Remy ABSALON and Anne Caroline CHAUSSON. Our image is clear, strong, and serene…

2007 The 2007 catalogue is probably one of the most beautiful in the history of mountain biking. Photos, ambiance, bikes, everything is magnificent. Cedric GRACIA just makes you want to get out and ride, and our UK distributor happens to go out and recruit three of the hottest riders of the moment! Imagine two brothers and a sister who just happen to be three of the best downhillers in the world. Their own story is fairytale stuff, and the worlds press revel in narrating their adventures. Team ANIMAL/COMMENCAL is created… another bit of high-quality visibility for the Brand. The bike range evolves, is refined, and getting prettier. Mountain biking has definitely changed. We know what we want! Ski resorts professionalize their infrastructures, and the "amateur" aspect seen in the beginning is now a thing of the past. A new page is being written. Business-wise, the ABSOLUT range beats sales records, and the "Maxmax" concept only goes and pushes the boundaries of convention! COMMENCAL has found a way to be present at entry-level, while still keeping its magic, its exclusivity, and its quality… By taking a high-quality frame, and building it up with the basic necessities, we are left only with the essential. What about the rest? Well, that will be up to each rider’s desires and abilities! Sound familiar? Now there’s an idea that is not so far away from what enabled COMMENCAL to return to the front of the scene in 2000!

2008 We’re starting to see some impressive numbers, with more then 20 000 bikes produced. One of the important things for a brand is its identity, what makes it stand out, and once again, the 2008 catalogue is fantastic! Competition remains a major part of our communication and development, but other aspirations are starting to take shape… Absolute performance and reaching a podium is no longer the dominating motivation for riders, many just want to have fun on quality bikes. Our mountains push us to privilege the joys of riding, and to support the "free" spirit of the downhiller. Cedric GRACIA, ever more popular, travels around the world, proving that mountain biking really is done on the whole planet! "The future is having fun, to ride everywhere, to travel" he says, "There is so much fun to be had on these trips!" Remy ABSALON takes his META 6 to the Nepalese mountains; Cedric takes his FURIOUS from Brazil to the far-flung reaches of the Israeli desert… The photography is stunning, and we all want to ride, thanks to these two. At the same time, our English friends, "our" Atherton family, continue to hang out on the podiums. We love how friendly they are, their "Britishness", their sense of humour, their ideas on bikes and life in general. It is great just to watch them ride, and to have them among us! The completely revamped Supreme and Supreme DH ascend the World Cup podiums, repeatedly. Rachel and Gee ATHERTON are crowned World DH Champions in Val Di Sole, Italy. Rachel is crowned World DH Cup Champion. How much better can things get? The year also marks the arrival amongst our ranks of a trio of "special" Canadian riders. These three adolescent freeriding downhillers (Micayla Gatto, Alex Pro and Brendan Howie) are a tiny bit crazy, but then that helps when you are regularly called for duty by the world’s best MTB cinematographers. Enthusiastic, easy-going, good-humoured, they are pretty easy to like! Our bikes literally fly when they grab the bars for a ride! The carbon age has arrived, with the introduction of the Skin, a new XC hardtail that marks a fresh new era for the brand. The Super 4, our new marathon XC bike, rounds up the XC range, and the celebrated Meta 55 also benefits with the full carbon treatment.

2009 The Brand has now existed for 10 years! Since the beginning, our identity is strong, and the direction we head in is always the same: a unique look and character. Its all about riding pleasure, performance and design! The Brand is present at the highest levels of competition: DH, 4X, and Marathon DH, Remy ABSALON and the ATHERTON family are there to remind us all what it is possible to do with a bike. Thanks to the ABSOLUT family, destined for the youth of the world and their urban riding antics (STREET-DIRT), the brand becomes a bit of an essential and reinforces its positioning in gravity-oriented riding. Brand new projects are imminent, and the first one to show itself is the Ramones. Take a pair of nice fat tires, reliable components, a great riding position and add an alternative look and name. What do you get? An accessible do-it-all long-travel hardtail bike, at home in town or in the mountains, on every trail and every terrain. For us, this is the essence of true mountain biking. A UK journalist once wrote “designed for hooligan trails” after having ridden one of our models. It is this leitmotiv that inspires the whole team so that they come up with bikes that are as playful as can be, while being as efficient as possible when the trail starts heading up. Just ask Remy ABSALON, winner (on his carbon Meta 55) of the legendary MEGAVALANCHE event at Alpes D’Huez, France, in 2009.

2010 Sport marketing is still at the centre of our communication strategy and the R&D bureau. Yannick GRANIERI, an up and coming star of the DIRT and SLOPESTYLE scene joins the Dream Team. With his new ABSOLUTS, he is already pushing the boundaries of what is normally possible on a bike. For the mountain, the SUPREME 8 is the latest addition to the family. Downhiller and freerider at the same time, this bike is built around the World DH Championship-winning frame. The result is the fastest Freeride bike on the planet, ideal for weekend dogfights among friends. In the summer of 2010, the mountains are asserting themselves more and more as the most beautiful playground around. We can’t wait!

2011 After 6 years of excellent & loyal services, it’s time to renew our range toppers! A new downhill bike, a new META… The third generation is naturally labelled with the V3 moniker. The SUPREME DH V3 is an immediate success, and considerably so as generous stock levels are not able to satisfy demand. The new frame, with its lowered centre of gravity, more compact design, and faster performance instantly wins over an ever-increasing customer base. Downhilling is showing itself as a real pastime, no longer extreme, but accessible to a larger audience! The new META is unveiled at the beginning of the summer. Less then 2 weeks after its presentation, Remy ABSALON uses it to win the most mythical of enduro races in the world, the Alpe d’Huez Megavalanche. The bike’s evolution is spectacular. Like its SUPREME big brother, the META makes use of the Contact System V3 in its layout. At ease on any terrain, it launches the concept that a real enduro bike is not a cross-country bike that can descend, but indeed a downhiller that can climb! The difference is huge! For the first time, we are clear in our minds that the priority is placed on play, on riding pleasure. We can confirm that to make a strong performer, we need to concentrate on a design that is aimed at fun and riding satisfaction! The more fun you have, the faster you go! 2011 is also the revelation of a great champion. Myriam NICOLE wins her first DH World Cup event!