New Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR 2022 first ride review – Strolling through the forest with a plougher

With the new 2022 Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR, the Spaniards are presenting the updated version of their popular trail ripper. Alongside the distinctive Mondraker silhouette, the latest descendant of the Foxy dynasty features a new colour scheme, bling components and Mondraker’s proprietary MIND telemetry system. We’ve already tested the bike for you and can tell you what it’s capable of!

With many modern bikes, the frame silhouette alone gives away the brand that stands behind it. The Foxy Carbon RR is no exception and distinctly recognizable as a Mondraker, thus fitting perfectly into the product portfolio of the Spanish brand. The new Foxy celebrates 12 years in Mondraker’s portfolio and still covers the same range of application of its predecessor, thus bridging the gap between the new Raze trail bike and Super Foxy enduro rig, which offer 150/130 mm and 170/160 mm travel, respectively. The new Foxy Carbon RR, on the other hand, combines 160/150 mm travel (f/r) and relies on Mondraker’s proprietary Twin-Link-based ZERO-Suspension system and Forward Geometry, which pairs a long top tube and short stem. Moreover, the bike rolls exclusively on 29” wheels and retails between € 3,599 (Foxy) and € 8,999 (Foxy Carbon XR).

The Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR 2022 in detail

Particularly striking is the frame silhouette with its straight lines and top tube merging seamlessly into the seatstays. The entire frame, including the swingarm and rocker link, is made of carbon and boasts a super-tidy look, not least because of the neat cable routing. All cables are routed internally and disappear into frame through the special Acros headset only to reappear at the transition to the swingarm, allowing Mondraker to dispose of cable ports on the main frame.

A small fender neatly integrated between the seat tube and seat stays shields the shock from dirt and muck while a chainstay protector stretches far over the front, effectively preventing chainslap and paint chips. A small TPU plate protects the downtube and bottom bracket area from impacts. For the shock linkage, Mondraker employ huge sealed Enduro MAX bearings, which are designed to ensure smooth suspension performance and a long service life.

The bottle cage mount on the downtube is compatible with a FIDLOCK bottle cage system, which relies on a strong magnet buckle to lock in place the water bottle. The FIDLOCK base plate is countersunk into the frame, leaving just the two magnetic holders exposed. However, the Foxy comes standard with an adapter plate that can be used with all conventional bottle cages. On the downtube, a tool mount allows you to attach any conventional tool strap for a spare inner tube and a CO2 cartridge.

The spec variants of the Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR 2022

The Mondraker Foxy comes in five different spec variants called Foxy, Foxy R, Foxy Carbon R, Foxy Carbon RR and Foxy Carbon XR. While the two entry level models rely on an alloy frame, all others come with a full carbon frame. Prices range between €3,599 and €8,999. All carbon versions feature Mondraker’s proprietary and fully-networked MIND telemetry system – but more on this later. Alloy aficionados should take a closer look at the Foxy R, which shares many components with its high-end carbon counterparts, including the bling Öhlins suspension. It also rolls on a robust DT Swiss E1900 Spline 29″ wheelset and, unfortunately, flimsy and puncture-prone MAXXIS tires with EXO and EXO+ casings.

The spec of our Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR 2022 test bike

Our test bike comes equipped with a top-tier Öhlins suspension consisting of a RXF36 M.2 fork and TTX air shock. The fork relies on a TTX18 Twin Tube damper with external 16-click low and 4-position high-speed compression adjustments and 18-click rebound control. Unlike most forks currently on the market, the Öhlins RXF36 M.2 fork employs not two but three air chambers: a conventional positive and negative chamber and a third ramp-up chamber, which can be pressurised to control the progression of the fork and has the same function as conventional volume spacers. The Öhlins TTX air shock features both low and high-speed control and rebound damping as well as a climb switch.

Braking is taken care of by SRAM G2 RS four piston stoppers with a 200 mm rotor at the front and smaller 180 mm disc at the rear. SRAM’s RS models feature tool free reach adjustment and SRAM’s proprietary SwingLink lever, which was designed to minimize deadband and thus improve braking performance. However, together with the small rear rotor, the brakes lack bite and braking power and we therefore recommend upgrading to a more powerful set of brakes or at least a bigger disc at the rear. For the drivetrain, the Spaniards rely on a 12-speed SRAM drivetrain consisting of a GX rear derailleur, shifter and matching cassette and cheaper NX chain, which forgoes the complex nickel and chrome finish of its higher-end GX counterpart. A small chain guide prevents the chain from falling off.

For the spec of the Foxy Carbon RR, Mondraker rely on several components of their in-house brand ONOFF, including the 170 mm Tija Pija dropper post. While this can be inserted all the way into the frame, it’s still too short for a modern enduro bike in size L with such a massive reach. ONOFF also supply the alloy cockpit consisting of 780 mm Sulfur 1.0 handlebars with 20 raise and the 30 mm Sulfur FG stem. For the wheels, the Spaniards rely on a robust 30 mm DT Swiss EX1700 Spline alloy wheelset and MAXXIS tires, combining a 2,5” Minion DHF at the front and 2,4” Minion DHR II at the rear, both tires in the harder MaxxTerra rubber compound and puncture-prone EXO+ casing. We recommend upgrading the rear tire to a more robust model with tougher casing, like MAXXIS’s Doubledown, which offers better puncture protection and allows you to run lower air pressures for more grip and better damping qualities. While you’re at it, you should replace the front tire with a version with the softer MaxxGrip rubber compound.

The MIND-System of the Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR

In a nutshell, Mondraker’s proprietary MIND telemetry system collects data from your suspension, measuring the movement of the fork and shock by way of a magnetic field while at the same time offering some useful features in conjunction with the myMondraker app. For example, it allows you to tune your suspension more accurately by taking into account the amount of travel you use and how often you bottom out or to track and record your route, travel time and speed via a GPS antenna and share your data on Strava and other platforms. The MIND system is a standard feature on all Foxy Carbon, Crafty Carbon and Raze Carbon models. You can read everything about the Mondraker MIND System and myMondraker app in this article.

The geometry of the new Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR 2022

The Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR is available in four sizes, S to XL, offering a suitable option for all riders between 160 and 200 cm tall. Our size L test bike combines 485 mm reach, a rather tall front with 641 mm stack height and a short 445 mm seat tube, which ensures plenty of freedom of movement on steep terrain. A flip chip in the shock mount allows you to slacken the head and seat tube angle by 0,5°, lower the bottom bracket height by 5 mm, increase chainstay length by 10 mm and shorten the reach by 5 mm. The latter measures 445 mm across all sizes and doesn’t grow with the frame size.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Top tube	600 mm	620 mm	650 mm	670 mm
Seat tube	375 mm	415 mm	445 mm	500 mm
Head tube	90 mm	100 mm	115 mm	130 mm
Head angle	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°
Seat angle	70°	70°	70°	70°
Chainstay	445 mm	445 mm	445 mm	445 mm
BB Drop	345 mm	345 mm	345 mm	345 mm
Wheelbase	1,210 mm	1,233 mm	1,260 mm	1,286 mm
Reach	445 mm	465 mm	485 mm	505 mm
Stack	617 mm	627 mm	641 mm	656 mm

The Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR 2022 on the trail

On the way to the trailhead, the Foxy puts you into a comfortable and upright pedalling position. The rear suspension works sensitively and swallows up the imperfections of the trail, always generating good traction. That being said, the Foxy isn’t your weapon of choice for second-shaving KOM hunts and really benefits from the climb switch on long monotonous climbs. On steeper uphill sections, the front wheel always remains planted on the ground and doesn’t have to be actively loaded.

As soon as you turn its nose into the valley, the Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR slaps a massive grin on your face, striking an excellent balance between composure and agility. However, the Foxy really comes to life at high speeds, allowing you to bomb down fast trail sections with extreme confidence, as long as your fingers are strong enough to cope with the underpowered brakes. Downhill, you’re nice integrated with the bike and the high front inspires huge amounts of confidence. That being said, you have to actively weight the front wheel to keep it tracking through corners. Alternatively, you can remove a few spacers from under the stem to lower the cockpit and thus improve traction. The rear suspension provides sufficient support, allowing active riders to pump through rollers and generate speed in the process. Less active riders, however, will get at the bottom of the valley just as smoothly, albeit a smidge slower. On rough terrain, the suspension offers plenty of reserves, encouraging you to bomb straight through nasty rock garden instead of riding around them. On steep trail sections, the short seat tube ensures plenty of freedom of movement together with the dropper post that can be inserted all the way into the frame.

Our conclusions about the new Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR 2022

With its unique silhouette, the Foxy Carbon RR is distinctly recognizable as a Mondraker. While the spec is mostly well thought-out and very consistent, the brakes and tires don’t do justice to the bike’s character and intended use. On the trail, the Mondraker impresses with its responsive rear suspension and an outstanding mix of composure and agility. Whether it’s high-five laden bike park sessions, chilled post-work ride with your mates or blood-curdling trail rowdiness, the Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR is an excellent riding companion.

For more information, visit the Mondraker website.

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Words & Photos: Mike Hunger