MONDRAKER RAZE CARBON R
£5,499 On-board telemetry sounds fancy, but is it useful?
Mondraker’s Forward Geometry may no longer seem as radical and innovative as it once did, but the Spanish brand hope their MIND telemetry technology, featured on the new Raze, could be the next step forward for mountain biking.
THE FRAME
Created using Mondraker’s ‘Stealth Air’ technology, the sleek full-carbon frame features their twin-link ‘Zero’ system, which delivers 130mm of travel. The shock ‘pierces’ the seat tube, which coincidentally makes measuring sag a pain. Mondraker were the first major brand to focus on progressive geometry, so the long 495mm reach on the large size, paired with a stubby 30mm stem, is no surprise.
THE KIT
Mondraker aren’t known for great value, and for over £5k, the Raze’s underpowered SRAM G2 brakes and puncture-prone EXO-casing tyres are disappointing. The fork and shock are from Fox’s more basic Performance range but perform well, while the midlevel SRAM NX/GX Eagle gears shift fine. DT wheels rarely draw criticism.
The MIND telemetry system surely adds to the cost. Its magnetic field sensors and Bluetooth transmitters communicate with Mondraker’s phone app to supply data on how you’ve used your suspension and whether your sag levels are appropriate, along with a host of other info, including elevation gain and airtime.
THE RIDE
Although not as out-there as it once was, the Raze’s geometry works well. On fast straights you can just hang on and let the rear shock and 150mmtravel fork deal with the bumps, while the confidence it engenders on steeper terrain is remarkable. Drop the front wheel into an awkward corner where a lesser bike might understeer wildly, and the Raze’s Dissector digs in and pulls you out of trouble. The Fox 36 fork’s spring keeps you propped up, too, while its chassis refuses to buckle.
Out back, the Zero system doesn’t give a completely isolating ride. Riders accustomed to minimal trail feedback may find the rear end skips about more than they’re used to, especially at speed, but the flipside is that pedalling performance is admiral, as is midstroke support. Fitted with fairly fastrolling rubber, the Raze climbs well, too.
While the MIND telemetry is unique, the app was unstable at times, and the data, while interesting, needs to be more detailed to be truly useful. For example, it suggested we should run less sag, but didn’t indicate how much less. Spending more on the bike’s components would benefit all riders, whereas the MIND system feels beneficial to only a tech-savvy minority. TOM MARVIN
Excellent trail manners, but niche tech means spec compromises