Mondraker Zendit - First Ride Review
When Mondraker invited us at MTB Monster out to test a new platform alongside their team, it was clear early on this wasn’t just a minor update. This sits right at the top of their eMTB range, positioned firmly in the Super Enduro category, with the kind of travel and intent that suggests it’s been built to handle aggressive terrain all day.
From the outset, Mondraker were clear on one point. This is a ground-up platform, designed around the Latest Avinox system rather than adapting an existing frame.
That’s something you can feel straight away on the track.
Platform Feel – Built as a System
One of the biggest takeaways from the first ride is how cohesive the bike feels.
It doesn’t ride like a frame with a motor added to it. The weight distribution feels centred, the chassis feels stable, and everything works together in a way that suggests the bike has been designed as a complete system from the start.
That integration of the Avinox platform comes through in how the bike delivers power. It feels controlled and consistent rather than aggressive or unpredictable, which makes a noticeable difference when traction is limited or the terrain becomes more technical.
Setup and Terrain
We were riding out near Mondraker’s HQ in Alicante, which provides a proper test environment for a bike in this category.
The climbs are long, loose, and often awkward. Not just fire road slogs, but technical, stepped sections where you’re constantly adjusting your line to keep momentum. The descents are equally varied, with everything from tight switchbacks cut into loose hillside to faster, rock-heavy chutes and slabby drops that demand commitment.
After getting the suspension dialled and pressures set, we headed straight out to see how it handled a full day of that terrain.
Climbing Performance
On paper, with 170mm travel up front and 165mm at the rear, you’d expect climbing to be a compromise.
In practice, it isn’t.
On the longer climbs, the bike settles into a rhythm quickly. Power transfer feels efficient without being overly firm, and it doesn’t feel like you’re dragging excess travel uphill.
Where it stands out more is on the technical sections.
On steep, loose switchbacks where you’re balancing traction and body position, it remains composed. The Avinox system delivers power in a measured, predictable way, so it doesn’t surge or break traction unexpectedly. Instead, it holds its line and lets you focus on picking your way through.
On short, stepped climbs and awkward rock features, where you’d normally expect to stall or lose momentum, it continues to drive forward in a controlled way. It’s not trying to overpower the terrain, it’s just finding grip and maintaining it.
Descending Performance
Point it downhill and the bike starts to show what it’s really built for.
Through tighter, more technical descents, especially where the track cuts across loose hillside with consecutive switchbacks, the bike remains controlled without feeling slow to react.
On slabby rock rolls and natural drops, it feels composed on approach and settled on landing. There’s no harshness or unpredictability, just a consistent response that builds confidence the more you ride it.
The suspension plays a big role here. It takes the edge off repeated impacts without feeling vague, allowing you to stay connected to what the bike is doing underneath you.
Handling and Agility
Despite the travel numbers, the bike doesn’t feel like a lot to manage.
The mullet setup gives it a useful balance. The front end stays planted when speeds increase or the terrain becomes rough, while the rear keeps things responsive when you need to adjust line mid-descent.
On tighter sections, where you’re linking corners or adjusting quickly between features, it doesn’t feel resistant or slow to move. It responds predictably to input, which is what you want in more technical terrain.
That combination of stability and agility is what makes it feel usable across a wide range of tracks, rather than being limited to just high-speed descending.
First Ride Verdict
From a first ride perspective, this feels like a well-resolved platform.
The key point isn’t just the travel or the spec, it’s how everything works together. The integration of the Avinox system, combined with the suspension platform and geometry, gives the bike a consistent, predictable feel across a wide range of terrain.
Whether it’s picking through a loose technical climb, holding speed through rough descents, or managing tighter, more awkward sections, the bike feels composed throughout.
On the descents in particular, it encourages you to ease off the brakes and let the bike soak up everything the track throws at it, without feeling unsettled or out of control.
For riders looking for a long-travel eMTB that can handle aggressive terrain without becoming difficult to manage across a full ride, this sits firmly in that category.
We’ll need more time on the bike to fully understand where it sits against the rest of the market, but early impressions suggest this is a platform that’s been thought through properly from the ground up.
Next Steps
There are multiple models in the range, all built on the same platform with different specifications and finishes.
We’ll be breaking those down separately, along with a more detailed comparison once we’ve had extended time on the bike.
Mondraker Zendit - Model Comparison Chart
Posted by Paul Hoyle on 26th Mar 2026
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