Posted by Paul Hoyle on 6th Nov 2021
Mondraker Raze RR Ride Review
The Raze is a brand-new addition to the Mondraker line-up and fills the void between the down country F-Podium and the enduro Foxy. The philosophy of Raze is fun. An enduro attitude with XC efficiency culminates in a bike that outperforms the trail category at either end of the spectrum, redefining any preconceptions of what “trail” is.
The Weight
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We couldn’t mention XC efficiency and bypass the weight
figures of the Raze. The Raze frame is built on Mondraker’s new generation of
Stealth Air Carbon and borrows technology from both the XC and Enduro
department to design a truly reliable carbon frame that weighs close to 2kg.
Available in 3 models, the lightest build is the Carbon RR SL which tips the scales at a mere 12.2kg with the Carbon RR coming in at 12.5kg and the Carbon R being a still noteworthy 13.2kg! The Raze is the bike that can keep up on XC rides while having the capability to leave everybody eating your dust on the descents. |
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On the Trails
We are incredibly grateful for the chance and leapt at the opportunity to be one of the first UK dealers to test ride the Raze. For a true sense of occasion, Mondraker invited us out to their local trails around Alicante to see exactly what the Raze is capable of.
The model on test was the Carbon RR and simply unhooking the bike from the stand is when the weight first took me by surprise, yes, the Raze is super lightweight! With such good first impression, a mandatory lap of the car park came next with a convenient kicker off to the side. The first jump revealed again just how light the bike was, but also how quick the bike is to accelerate and manoeuvre.
We left the car park up a steady 10% gradient with rocky outcrops and loose gravel which really displayed the climbing ability of the Raze. The purpose optimised Zero Suspension linkage irradicated any pedal bob while allowing the rear to move smoothly in it’s travel to provide mind blowing levels of traction even in the loosest sections of the climb.
After ticking the climbing box, the real fun began. Next came two descent trails with very opposing characteristics. The first trail was incredibly flowy but littered with braking bumps but the Raze took this in its stride, the rear end moving seamlessly in its travel to prevent skidding from bump to bump. The second trail was an all-out rocky assault to really test the enduro characteristics of the bike. Even through the chunkiest of rock gardens, the Raze inspired so much confidence it was hard to believe this was only a first ride and not a bike that I’d already spend time with.
To conclude, the Raze did not disappoint and really is the best of XC and Enduro in the same bike. We rode the Raze over two days and covered nearly 30miles of both natural and built trails, covering everything from steep technical and mellow flow lines to really get to know the new bike. The Raze ticks so many boxes; fast, agile, lightweight but the main take away is just how fun the Raze is, so much so I’ve ordered one for myself!
Click here to view the full range of Mondraker Raze Bikes. At MTB Monster we offer 0% finance up to 48 months with Free UK Delivery. If you have any question about the range please contact us here.
