The 2022 Mondraker Raze Carbon RR is an all-new model in the Spanish bike brand’s portfolio and is touted as an all-round weapon featuring digital integration thanks to the MIND system. The Raze promises to climb efficiently while being capable enough to handle everything from your home trails to party laps in the bike park. Can the Spanish brand deliver?
There’s always been a gap in Mondraker’s portfolio between the F-Podium (120 mm/115 mm) and the Foxy (160 mm/150 mm), which the new 2022 Raze Carbon is here to close. Though it looks very similar to its big brother, the Foxy, the Raze offers a few differences. For the time being, it will be available exclusively with a slender, full-carbon frame offering 130 mm travel at the rear. The proprietary Zero Suspension design is based on a Twin-link system. The bike rolls exclusively on 29″ wheels and all models come fitted with Mondraker’s in-house telemetric data acquisition system, MIND. Of course, the Raze Carbon RR wouldn’t be complete without the features Mondraker are known for, such as their so-called Forward Geometry with a long top tube and short headset. The fast-looking bike can be yours for € 7,399. To find out whether the bike with its strikingly slim design is capable of more than just looking fast, we put it to the test.
The 2022 Mondraker Raze Carbon RR in detail
The most striking feature of the Mondraker is the slender top tube, which runs perfectly parallel to the seat stay of the rear triangle. The frame is made entirely of carbon, including the top rocker link. Thanks to the cables being routed through the headset, the front part of the frame doesn’t need any cable ports. The internally routed cables remain quiet and only exit the rear end where they’re needed. There’s a mudguard integrated into the seat stay to protect the shock from being bombarded with dirt from the rear tire. The rear linkage relies on sealed Enduro-MAX bearings, promising to offer a long-lasting and smooth performance.
The bottle cage mount on the down tube is designed to work perfectly with the FIDLOCK system: the FIDLOCK baseplate is countersunk into the frame so that the two magnetic holders are all that’s left to protrude. Thanks to an included adapter, it can still accommodate a regular bottle cage. You’ll also find a tool mount on the bottom of the top tube, which you can use to carry a spare tube and CO2 cartridge. The seat and chainstay protector keeps the bike nice and quiet, though it’s somewhat skinny and doesn’t extend far enough towards the chainring. Mondraker make up for this shortcoming with a bit of slapper tape. However, the down tube protector extends all the way down to the bottom bracket, offering adequate protection where it’s needed.
The builds of the 2022 Mondraker Raze Carbon
The 2022 Mondraker Raze Carbon is available in three builds: Raze Carbon R, RR & RR SL, which range from € 5,999 to € 9,999. All of them rely on FOX suspension and MAXXIS tires. Speaking of the tires, we recommend upgrading these since both the 2.4″ MAXXIS Minion DHF up front and the 2.3″ Aggressor at the rear feature the puncture-prone EXO casing and a hard rubber compound. Depending on your riding style, we’d advise using the more robust Doubledown or DH casing combined with the softer MaxxGripp compound for improved grip. The RR SL relies on SRAM’s wireless AXS drivetrain and dropper post. In fact, none of the models are entirely analogue as they all come fitted with the MIND telemetry system. Developed in-house by Mondraker, it’s intended to be used with the myMondraker app, helping you take the guesswork out of fine-tuning the suspension, among other things. But more on that later.
Our custom-built test bike – The new 2022 Mondraker Raze RR
The suspension, cockpit and drivetrain of our test bike corresponded to the stock build. However, the Mondraker Raze Carbon RR that we tested came without the MIND system. The FOX 36 fork with the GRIP 2 damper offers a wide range of adjustability. At the rear, you’ll find a FOX FLOAT DPS Factory shock, which, in addition to the open setting, also has two pedalling modes for long, steep climbs. The Mavic Crossmax wheelset was fitted with a MAXXIS Minion DHF tire up front and a MAXXIS Aggressor at the rear. The Doubledown casing of the rear tire isn’t standard, though it makes sense. At the back, the SRAM CODE R brake calliper is mounted inside the rear triangle, which you’ll commonly see on gravel bikes. As the name suggests, the CODE R doesn’t come with SRAM’s Swing Link and Reach Adjust technology. Without the Swing Link feature, dragging the brakes requires you to pull harder on the levers, which means you’ll likely suffer from arm-pump sooner. So, you’ll be happy to hear that the Mondraker Raze RR usually comes with the RS variant (Reach Adjust + Swing Link) as standard. Combined with the small 180 mm rotors, the brakes couldn’t do justice to the speed of this bike. The small rotors quickly cause the brakes to overheat and fade, leading to a wandering bite point.
In size L, the bike comes equipped with a 175 mm FOX Transfer dropper post, offering sufficient freedom of movement for most riders via an easy to use remote. On our test bike, the SRAM X01 derailleur is combined with a GX shifter and cassette, trying to trick you into thinking it’s a premium build. The X01 derailleur is just slightly lighter than a GX model. Thanks to the I-SPEC standard, you’ll only need two clamps for the levers on the 800 mm wide Krypton handlebar. Krypton also supply the 30 mm stem and, in conjunction with the long top tube, forms an essential part of Mondraker’s Forward Geometry. For the RR model of the Mondraker, on which our test bike is based, you’ll have to fork out € 7,399.
Mondraker Raze Carbon RR – Smart trail bike 4.0?
The integrated MIND telemetry system is a standard feature on all Mondraker Raze models, which collects data from your suspension while riding and offers some useful features in conjunction with the myMondraker app. For example, it allows you to tune your suspension more precisely by measuring the amount of travel you use and how often you bottom out. Sensors collect this data on the fork and rear end, which take measurements by way of a magnetic field. In addition, the system is equipped with a GPS antenna which it uses to record your route, travel time and speed, all without having to carry your smartphone. You can then share this data via Strava and other platforms. To find out more about MIND and the myMondraker app, click here: MIND.
The geometry of the 2022 Mondraker Raze Carbon
Mondraker offer the Raze in four sizes from S to XL, catering to all riders measuring approximately 160–200 cm tall. Mondraker have chosen to stick to a fixed chainstay length of 425 mm for every frame size, paired with a massive 495 mm reach on the L frame. On the other hand, the seat tube is very short at 445 mm (size L), which gives you plenty of freedom to move around in steep terrain. However, this freedom of movement can only be enjoyed up to frame size L, followed by a disproportionately large increase to a whopping 500 mm in size XL. Mondraker have opted against the use of a flip chip to adjust the geometry of the Raze.
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 375 mm | 415 mm | 445 mm | 500 mm |
| Top tube | 595 mm | 620 mm | 645 mm | 670 mm |
| Head Tube | 90 mm | 100 mm | 115 mm | 130 mm |
| Head angle | 65,5° | 65,5° | 65,5° | 65,5° |
| Seat angle | 71° | 71° | 71° | 71° |
| Chainstay | 435 mm | 435 mm | 435 mm | 435 mm |
| BB height | 343 mm | 343 mm | 343 mm | 343 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1.193 mm | 1.217 mm | 1.243 mm | 1.269 mm |
| Reach | 455 mm | 475 mm | 495 mm | 515 mm |
| Stack | 608 mm | 617 mm | 631 mm | 645 mm |
First ride review of the 2022 Mondraker Raze Carbon RR
Unless you’re in a bike park or doing shuttle runs, the descents must be earned by pedalling to the top. Here, the Mondraker Raze Carbon RR performs excellently thanks to its low weight and efficient rear end, bobbing minimally as you pedal.
On the descents, the bike offers plenty of traction thanks to the well-tuned rear suspension. The long reach keeps things stable and composed. Nevertheless, the bike remains agile in the corners and, thanks to the short stem and balanced riding position, allows you to carry a lot of speed through them. The bike remains agile even at high speeds, provided you have an active riding style. Additionally, the suspension always offers enough support to get the bike airborne. The only drawback is that the bike keeps urging you to go faster until it reaches the limits of its rear travel, so bottoming out is inevitable.
Conclusion on the 2022 Mondraker Raze Carbon RR
The 2022 Mondraker Raze RR delivers on its promise and turns out to be a very capable bike that climbs well thanks to its low weight and steep seat tube. On the descents, the bike transforms into a high-speed cornering machine with 150 mm travel up front and 130 mm at the rear. It’s easy to get airborne, chuck around and make quick line changes, making it a hoot to ride! Unfortunately, the components leave room for improvement, like the puncture-prone tires.
Tops
- pedalling efficiency
- agile yet composed
Flops
- rear suspension lacks reserves
- small brake rotors
- puncture-prone tires (especially when combined with carbon rims)
For more information about the Mondraker Raze visit: mondraker.com
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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Peter Walker
