The direct-to-consumer company Commencal is not only giving larger manufacturers a run for their money on race day, but is building strong, attractive bikes for and around pro riders for thousands less than their competitors. The Commencal SUPREME DH V4 Race is no exception: built to win races in any terrain, for a not-absurd chunk of change. This, bike, however, is wholly unique from the previous Supreme DH, with a new take on the high pivot design (where the pivot is mounted high above the bottom bracket).
Without question, it is the suspension that will garner the most interest from other riders when you’re out shredding. It looks like nothing else on the mountain, and it is obvious that engineers and riders at Commencal went to extraordinary lengths to perfect the high pivot, and make it clean. There are other high pivot designs out there, mostly on custom or fringe bikes, and they look Frankenstein-ish. Not the Commencal. The chain is cleanly routed through an integrated (hidden) pulley in the seatstay, with sealed cartridge bearings. Unlike more conventional designs, the purpose of this pivot/pulley is to retard chain growth–and resultant chainslap–from the even larger wheel path created by the 220mm of travel in the rear-end.
Bottom line: gobs of travel, and a very quiet bike.
In addition to the suspension linkage/high pivot, Commencal also designed the bike around the 27.5in wheel platform, which provides a great blend of maneuverability and roll-ability on the DH course. Bigger wheels mean that it can soak up some of the chunkier terrain better but maintain cornering prowess. The center of gravity is kept low because the lower linkage is tucked just above the press fit BB107 bottom bracket, held together by a variety of proprietary hardware.
Engineers went the extra mile to make this bike as versatile as possible, designing the frame so that riders can swap dropouts to add or subtract length, swap different headset cups to change the reach length (with the reach already being increased over previous models), rubber bits to protect the chain in the pivot pulley, integrating a rear fender and downtube protector, placing thick rubber bump stops on the top tube, and providing clean internal cable routing. It is a very interesting bike to look at once you stop and take the time to inspect all that went into it.
Specs
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Testing
This bike was tested in Colorado at three bike parks over the course of the summer: Trestle (Winter Park), Evolution (Crested Butte), and Sol Vista (Granby), which was a great mix of gnar, speed, bumps, jumps, rollers, berms, sand, wooden features, and tight, rocky forest sections. Conditions were loose with a mix of dirt and kitty-litter; I did not test this bike in the mud or in wet conditions. I rode it on smooth flow trails like Rainmaker, and more sinister runs like Psycho Rocks.
Handling and Component Check
As I stated above, one of the first things that you’ll notice about the DH V4 is how quiet it is compared to other bikes. On fast and smooth downhill runs, all you can hear is the wind and the drowning doppler effect of the rear hubs, and on nasty rocky and rooty sections there is no chain slap. None. Nada.
Very, very impressive.
The suspension was well balanced. The Boxxer was setup perfectly, and the bike had a good amount of squish which ramped up quickly with a firm end stroke. The fork seemed a little stiffer than I had hoped deep into its travel, something consistent with more modern DH setups, and after using 100% of the travel on some bigger jumps (and screw ups), I realized that the fork was setup just right. The fact that it gets stiffer allows you to control and steer the bike better in chunkier terrain, especially after the suspension gracefully soaks up the chunder down under in the first half of its travel. The more I rode it, the more I got used to it… and appreciated that it fixed my ugly.
One of the most amazing aspects of the Supreme is how low this bike gets as you push the travel to its limits. The 63-degree head angle and scissor-like suspension push the center of gravity down and get you low, low, low in corners and on landings. The traction is amazing, and that long wheel path provides a lot of confidence when the suspension is working itself hard.
The overall geometry of this bike favors a committed rider and a forward stance. The few times I got too far back on this bike, either from a roller or a steep drop, the Supreme let me know it. After five days of riding a few steeper runs, I not only rubbed a three-inch hole in the seat of my pants, but had to raise the seatpost up an inch because the tire was wearing away the rear portion of the saddle. Once I started leaning forward more on this bike, especially in berms and off drops with buttery transitions, it rewarded me, and ultimately made me a more committed rider. Thanks, Supreme!
The Ride Alpha cockpit (bars, stem, seatpost, saddle) is set for an average rider, and other than saddle height adjustment, I made no adjustments to the stock setup, even with a 50mm stem. Wide bars, short-ish stem, longer reach, and an average stack make this bike feel comfy to the bell curve of DH riders like me, but with room on both sides to make adjustments to accommodate any rider on the “medium” frame… especially with the frame adjustments that you can make. As a bonus, the overall look of the Alpha cockpit was clean–a very nice-looking setup–one you’re proud to have on the bike without spending a fortune or swapping out parts once you buy it.
The 200mm fork took a little getting used to, but I did not have to touch it once it was broken in a little. It was quiet and handled both small and large bumps with ease. The 220mm rear shock, too, was flawless, and adjusting sag was a snap (there are helpful tutorials on how to do this on the Commencal website if you are not familiar with how to adjust sag on a coilover shock). There was very little pedal kickback thanks to the suspension design, and the 200mm/220mm combo felt like they were made for each other.
The Avid Code R 4-piston brakes were clearly designed for a bike like this. For heavier riders like me, on a bike that weighs 40lbs and uses its mass to charge hard at insane speeds, I appreciated the stopping power of the Codes time and time again. After darn-near abusive braking while coming in hot on some corners, they never let me down. Even after weeks of riding, they felt every bit as solid as the first ride–even with worn pads.
E13 Rims laced to Ride Alpha DH hubs using Nylock spokes made for a near-bombproof wheel. I had a few “umph” moments and a few manky landings, and these wheels did not disappoint. I am honestly surprised I didn’t blow up the rear a couple of times, but they are still true and quiet.
Commencal elected to spec the Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.40/60 TPI/3C Maxx Grip both front and rear, which were fast rolling with a ton of grip. Still, after only a few days at the parks, the center tread on the rear was starting to look haggard due to the tacky compound. They are an expensive tire, which is impressive as an OEM spec, but I would still replace the worn tires with the same DHR II just to have the traction these tires provided. I ran tubes for the entire testing period.
While the weight is on par with its competitors for an aluminum bike, this particular bike is overbuilt. That is a good thing, but it will never be a 32lb bike no matter now many parts you take off or change on it. Weight can be your ally, if you learn how to use it, but if you are looking for a feathery race bike, the DH V4 Race may not be for you. This bike was built to rally and survive your miscalculations in the most heinous of situations.
Continue reading on page 2 for possible downsides, more photos, and my final take.
Considerations
Judging the negatives on a downhill bike can be difficult if you don’t ride DH all the time. For most of us who even have the opportunity to ride a DH rig, we only get to four months out of the year if we’re lucky. In general, downhill bikes feel heavy, too squishy, and difficult to pedal compared to our everyday trail bike, which may be every bit as capable for the way most riders approach resort riding–unless you go big.
That being said, there were only a few things I would change about the DH V4 build.
The only “real” issue I experienced with the DH V4 was a broken derailleur cable after 9 days at the park. This is a common problem when riding downhill, however, the mechanic pointed out that the reason it broke was that a small foreign body had become lodged in the ferrule, putting strain on the d-cable. Weird, but I guess it could happen to anyone. He also pointed out what I had started to noticed, that the cable routing exiting the seatstay was pretty worn, and seemed to have a lot more resistance and scrapes/scuffs/wear on it than I would expect (I actually never wrecked this bike the entire time I was riding it–pretty amazing). This may be an easy fix with a longer or different cable, but not something I or my mechanic expected to see.
From a design standpoint, the only issue I have is with the rear tire rubbing the saddle when it is too low. Since the bike favors more aggressive, upright riding, there is definitely a sweet spot where you need to place the saddle, or you’ll get burnt. This isn’t necessarily a negative, but riders looking to purchase this bike should be aware of it.
I’d also like to mention that the linkage requires multiple, different sized bolts/bearings. Many of these are proprietary, and have specific torque settings. This means being very meticulous after rides with multiple tools to make sure everything is torqued to spec. If you inadvertently lose one of the proprietary bits, it may be a couple of weeks before you see a replacement. One Commencal DH V4 rider I met went out of his way several times to tell me to make sure the lower shock bolt is checked often and is tight–a problem he had that apparently caused frame damage. I would add that riders should inspect all bolts frequently given the abuse these bikes go through.
The component spec was spot-on, except for the grips. While these are obviously a personal item, the grips seem to be the only cheap thing on this bike. They were hard, had decent (but not great) traction, and seemed more blister-prone than other grips I’ve tested. The grips also stung a little on some harder hits, and it would be nice to have a slightly softer compound to take the edge off. However, they would probably survive more repeated falls.
Also, as I mentioned, I liked the cockpit, and would only recommend one change: the swap from a 31.8mm bar/stem to a 35mm setup. They are stronger, lighter, and more importantly: most manufacturers are moving toward this new standard, which gives you more options if you want to swap things out.
Overall Impressions
I am a trail and all mountain rider, but I absolutely love riding downhill for so many reasons. There is no better way to sharpen your trail skills, overcome fears, and get accustomed to speed more quickly than riding downhill–all of which translates exponentially to your local trails.
Riding DH on your everyday bike has some merits and helps you learn to use your bike better, but owning a DH bike, in most cases, is far better because it is made for the abuse, speed, hits, and can save your bacon when you screw up.
This bike is make for riders like me–not competing on the DH circuit, but a solid rider who needs a solid DH rig for dedicated park/resort riding. Sure, you can race on it, but it is also designed to stay in one piece after all of your mistakes. You will get better riding the DH V4, and it’s affordable enough to justify it as a second or third bike.
The DH V4 handles extremely well, is quiet and precise, while at the same time forgiving enough for people like me who freak out a little the first 2-3 days I start doing downhill every season. I rode this bike hard all summer, never had a major crash, but had some very close calls that I firmly believe were averted by the handling and suspension of this bike. In addition, it is an absolutely sweet-looking rig. Every day that I rode I had complements on this bike, lots of questions, and some great conversations with riders who already own this bike–all of them praised their DH V4 and were really happy to be riding it. 
Commencal currently has four different builds, all in 6066 aluminum: the Origin, Essential, Race, and World Cup, ranging from an MSRP of $3,699 to $6,299. In fact, at the time of this writing, all of them are on sale (the tested DH V4 Race is MSRP $4799–now on sale for $3999 at commencalusa.com). All are essentially race-ready, and all of them have a generous components package for the build kit you choose. My test bike, without pedals, was 39.4 pounds.
If you are looking for a great downhill bike that will handle any trail, any time, and last for years to come (at a great price), check out the DH V4 Race build.
Additional riding and component shots:
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