Commencal vs Santa Cruz:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Commencal had more branded searches than Santa Cruz among downhill bike brands in New Zealand. Commencal had about 2,400 branded searches, while Santa Cruz had 1,050. Commencal made up 26.2% of all downhill bike brand searches we track, and Santa Cruz accounted for 11.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about downhill bike brands, Commencal and Santa Cruz each appeared in four of the five answers. Santa Cruz was mentioned before Commencal in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Commencal, about 2 searches for every 1 for Santa Cruz
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Santa Cruz, named ahead of Commencal in 4 of 5 answers
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Top downhill bike brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Commencal was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Santa Cruz was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Santa Cruz was listed before Commencal in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Specialized1st- Santa Cruz2nd
Trek3rd
Canyon4th- Commencal5th
Giant6th
KTM–
Cube–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Specialized5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Commencal4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Santa Cruz4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Canyon4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Trek4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Giant2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- KTM0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Cube0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about downhill bike brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which downhill bike brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best downhill bike brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best downhill bike brand in New Zealand for steep trails?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“downhill bike brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best downhill bike”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Commencal or Santa Cruz more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Commencal and Santa Cruz by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight downhill bike brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Commencal, Santa Cruz. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | KTM | Commencal | Santa Cruz | Canyon | Giant | Trek | Cube | Specialized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.1% | 25.8% | 11.7% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 5.2% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 29.8% | 23.2% | 10.5% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 5.7% | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 27.3% | 20.5% | 10% | 14% | 14% | 7.8% | 3.5% | 2.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 25.8% | 24% | 8.9% | 16% | 13% | 5.9% | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.3% | 21.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 2.9% | 4.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 25% | 24.1% | 11% | 13.3% | 13.3% | 7.3% | 2.7% | 3.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.2% | 25.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% | 14.3% | 7.9% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| May 2026 | 26% | 24.6% | 13.8% | 11% | 11% | 7.5% | 3.3% | 2.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 24% | 24.1% | 11.5% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 13.1% | 3.9% | 3.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.1% | 22.2% | 11.4% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 10.3% | 4.6% | 3% |
| Aug 2026 | 24% | 27.6% | 12.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 3% |
| Sep 2026 | 27% | 26.2% | 11.5% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 2.8% |
How has the Commencal and Santa Cruz comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Commencal was ahead of Santa Cruz in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Commencal’s share of searches among downhill bike brands in New Zealand moved from 25.8% to 26.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Santa Cruz’s share of searches among downhill bike brands in New Zealand moved from 11.7% to 11.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.1K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand downhill bike brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, KTM overtook Commencal to become the leader among downhill bike brands in New Zealand, with 27% of the searches.
In September 2026, Commencal lost share of searches among downhill bike brands in New Zealand, from 27.6% to 26.2%.
In September 2026, Santa Cruz lost share of searches among downhill bike brands in New Zealand, from 12.5% to 11.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Commencal’s and Santa Cruz’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Commencal
1 branded search term
- commencal
Santa Cruz
2 branded search terms
- santa cruz bikes
- santa cruz mountain bike
Other head-to-heads among downhill bike brands
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