SKIN er sykkelen for deg som vil nyte alle de beste egenskapene karbon kan tilby; Lav vekt, økt stivhet og gode vibrasjonsdempende egenskaper. Rundt dette er sykkelen bygget med de beste komponenter for å sørge for at karbonrammens gode egenskaper blir utnyttet til det fulle!
Vekt: 9,73kg
Dette sier Commencal selv om den nye SKIN:
A. THE Skin
1. A few words
The Skin marks the entry of COMMENCAL into the carbon era as well as its return to the cross-country segment.
We wanted an ultimate cross-country performer, but without sacrificing that COMMENCAL feeling that makes you want to just get out and ride! There has been no compromise for this little jewel of technology with killer looks! We have used the best fibres, racked up hundreds of hours of tests on numerous prototypes, all so that we could bring our unique geometry into a package with a never before obtained combination of weight, output efficiency and comfort!
2. All the secrets of the Skin
So that this bike could be as perfect as possible, it was entirely designed in-house by our R&D team.
There was a very clear design brief:
- Create a high-performance cross-country frame.
- Make sure that there is enough comfort so that it is possible to ride for hours and hours without tiring out the rider.
- Have good handling on downhill trail sections.
- Be super reliable.
- Make sure that there is a good dose of COMMENCAL in it!
The Skin makes use of “tube-to-tube” technology, which offers the same performance characteristics as a monocoque construction. The advantage of this technology, however, is that it is less expensive to use when it comes to tooling, and means that we can be more reactive if we decide to change things.
To make the Skin, we chose to use the best carbon fibre on the market: High Module 12K (Toray T600 for those in the know). This high-end fibre allows us to make use of less layers then would normally be used with cheaper fibres, resulting in a lighter construction for equivalent rigidity and reliability.
We designed the shape of the Skin to take into account specific characteristics of carbon fibre. The more carbon is used on pure, uncomplicated shapes, the better it performs! It is only under these conditions that it offers all its performance advantages, and that the number of layers used can be reduced so save weight.
From the head tube to the rear triangle, there are no unnecessary design elements; everything is there for a purpose. The design remains fluid throughout, thus combining performance with timeless lines. We have kept our good ol’ wishbone design, because even with carbon, we can’t imagine the Skin without it!
The main part of the Skin is the rear triangle, and this needed the most amount of work to get the right combination of dynamism, rigidity and comfort. We didn’t oversize the junction between the chainstays and the bottom bracket, as we wanted to retain a bit of vertical flexibility. In the same way, the stays were reduced in height but increased in width. This shape allows for slight vertical flex, and combined with the chainstays, distils just what is needed so that you can ride for hours, even on rough terrain. The increase in the width of the stays is there to increase the rigidity of the rear triangle for a dynamic and efficient output.
We then worked on the rigidity of the frame. Numerous tests were carried out, ending up with 3 prototypes, each with a different level of rigidity. These frames were then passed on to a number of riders so that the definitive version could be selected out on the trails.
Geometry-wise, we started off with that of our proven Flame, hailed for its performance pedigree, but with a bit of the COMMENCAL fun factor thrown in. The Skin has been designed for use with a 100mm fork, and has a head angle that is at least 1° slacker then its competitors. This means that the bike is much more stable during downhill trail sections, meaning you ride down faster, with confidence. If it wasn’t enough having to wait for your riding buddies at the top of the climb, now you’ll have to wait for them at the bottom of the descent as well!
The dropouts are forged, machined and glued into the carbon tubes. The bottom bracket and head tube inserts are machined, then glued into the frame, then covered with carbon fibre.
Worthy of note is the appearance of a new disc mount, installed on the inside of the frame so as to free up space between the last cassette cog and the frame. This design is stronger and provides more surface area for the hub to press against.
A few final words: The Skin is a high-end cross-country bike, combining light weight, output efficiency and comfort, with looks and handling à la COMMENCAL.
