First Look: Mondraker Launches New Alloy Raze & Downcountry Hardtail

Nov 8, 2022
by Seb Stott  
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Mondraker have announced their 2023 range. With 68 models, it's their most extensive yet. The biggest news is the addition of an aluminum version of one of their most popular bikes, the Raze, and a downcountry hardtail with a 120 mm fork.

Raze Alloy

The Raze is Mondraker's trail bike, sitting just below the Foxy (which is now an enduro bike) on the XC to DH spectrum. It has 130 mm of rear suspension with a 150 mm fork. Mondraker are adding two aluminum models - the Raze R and the Raze - to the three existing carbon models. The alloy frame shares the same geometry and Zero suspension kinematics as the carbon bike, but with custom rubber frame protection and clearance for up to 2.5" tires.

The well-named Raze R model (above) features a Fox 36 Rhythm fork, Float DPS Performance shock, Mavic Crossmax XL wheels, and SRAM GX shifting. It costs € 5,199, which is €2,100 less than the cheapest carbon model.

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The base model is just called the "Raze" and is fitted with a RockShox Gold RL 35 fork, Fox Float DPS Performance shock, MDK-EP1 wheels, and SRAM SX shifting. It goes for € 3,999.


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Chrono DC

There's also the new Chrono DC - which Mondraker describe as a sort of hardtail downcountry bike. It's based on the Chrono XC bike, but with an alloy frame, a 120 mm fork and a "slack" 68.5-degree head angle. It has two bottle cage mounts and space for 2.4" tires.

There are two spec levels. The Chrono DC R (above) features a Fox 32 Rhythm fork, MDK XP1 wheels, SRAM LEVEL brakes SRAM GX drivetrain. It's priced at € 2,399.


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The entry-level Chrono gets a RockShox Judy Silver TK fork, MDK XP1 wheels, SRAM LEVEL brakes SRAM SX drivetrain, and costs € 1,999.

There's no word yet on exactly when the new bikes will be available and the prices are subject to change.

For more information, check out mondraker.com.


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Reviews and Tech First Looks Downcountry Bikes Mondraker


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109 Comments
  • 118 5
 68.5-degree head angle is not slack enough for a "downcountry", especially on a hardtail.
  • 134 1
 PB's definition of downcountry has evolved to "a short travel bike that makes it into an article".
  • 16 1
 The BMC Twostroke with a 100mm fork has a 67-degree HA, and that’s still squarely an XC bike.

For that matter, my Procaliber with a 120mm fork is slacker than a purpose built DC bike…
  • 15 0
 Forgot 1999 euro for sx shifting
  • 8 0
 That's practically unrideable.
  • 2 0
 @SoddenDeath: I can't upvote more
  • 6 0
 We've spent the last years slackening off bikes so that we can begin marketing 20 year old tech as 'different'
  • 95 0
 3999€ for a bike with rs 35, no f***ing way, pretty or not!
  • 80 2
 Mondraker is trying to take the title of "absolute worst value" away from Rocky Mountain.
  • 16 0
 Seems like the equivelant Trek is 1k less and comes with NX instead of SX :?
  • 5 0
 or 1999 for a bike with a Judy, for that matter.
  • 6 0
 and an SX drivetrain yoikes
  • 11 0
 Mondraker's prices are a joke. Who buys this?
  • 2 0
 agreed, looks like mondraker made it to my "will never buy" list
  • 15 5
 @MTBrent: Santa Cruz still winning the “worst deal for your dollar” competition.
  • 3 0
 @yoimaninja: sx crankset aka 'butter cranks'
  • 64 2
 "a 120 mm fork and a slacker 68.5-degree head angle"

yeah that's called cross country, not down country... nice try tho
  • 40 0
 As this point they're just using the term to piss us off.
  • 6 0
 It’s going to have a 90 degree hta if it bottoms out :/
  • 5 0
 My XC race orbea Alma with 100mm has 68 degree, thanks marketing
  • 5 4
 @ct0413: it’s a term that PB made up, it can be whatever the hell they want.
They’re all just made up names for super niché products within an already niché recreational pastime.
Don’t sweat it boss
  • 3 1
 @onawalk: yeah... my comment literally comes from Levy talking about continuing to use the phrase because its funny that people get so pissed off about it. I think it's funny that it works on people like alienator064.
  • 6 0
 There shouldn't even be a down country categories its either xc or trail pick one.
  • 1 1
 @ct0413: who says I'm pissed off? down country is a fine term for short (XC) travel bikes with actual slack geo. weird comment dude
  • 2 1
 @alienator064: Well them jokingly over-using the phrase bothered you enough to comment your disagreement. "pissed off" is just figure of speech in this scenario. Unless of course my weird comment has now genuinely pissed you off.
  • 3 1
 @ct0413: hmm I'm confused now. It's Mondraker using the phrase, not pinkbike in this scenario, right? Is Mondraker in on it? It seems like Mondraker actually thinks this falls under the downcountry category, which is laughable, hence my comment.
  • 2 0
 @alienator064: oh idk. The product page on Mondraker's site doesn't mention downcountry at all. It is listed under their cross country bikes and is just described as a fun hardtail. I mean yeah if Mondraker are the ones calling it that that seems a little silly for sure. I was under the impression PB was interjecting the phrase throughout the article for humor's sake.
  • 2 1
 @ct0413: you're right - Mondraker calls it the "Chrono DC" but declines to clarify what DC stands for... only on pinkbike is down country spelled out. Suspicious.
  • 4 0
 @alienator064: one thing we know for certain is that it doesn't stand for Dual Crown... or does it...
  • 1 0
 @ct0413: You are definitely right, still that model looks kind of dated. My 2005 "fun hardtail" Chameleon had a 67° HTA.

Also the STA looks rather slack (I actually dig that), however according to specs it's 74.5 effective, which isn't radical but pretty much standard I guess.
  • 1 0
 @kranked350z: what's a trail bike?
  • 1 0
 @Tambo: pretty much its a all mountain bike well actually i guess all mountain bikes are enduro bikes anyways


a trail bike is what is in between a xc and enduro bike, xc bike are great at uphill not so much downhill, enduro is great at dh and so so on uphill, so id say trails bike are just a goood do everything bike, you can climb, ride flat, do downhill.
  • 1 0
 @kranked350z: so why aren't we allowed a DC category? After all, it's better uphill than a trail bike and less capable down hill...but is also significantly different from an xc race bike. Key word there is 'significantly'.
  • 1 0
 @onawalk: Well, at least little bit of consistency would be appreciated.
  • 1 0
 @drib: why?
I’m not sure why any of us care.
One mans SuperEnduro rug is another mans DH sled, one mans Down ountrybime is another XC bike, or marathon, or trail, or…..
They’re just bikes for grown ass adults to ride around in the woods hooting and hollering, why do we feel the need to put them in little boxes?
  • 3 0
 @onawalk: I for one would like to keep them in little boxes to keep shipping cost down.
  • 1 0
 @ct0413: doesn’t that increase shipping costs?
Lillte boxes inside big boxes I guess
  • 1 0
 @onawalk: i couldn't agree more.. it is just a means of getting us to buy even more bikes.... so annoying.....
  • 1 0
 @ct0413: As long as they are made of ticky tacky and delivered all around the hillside.
  • 1 0
 @saladdodger: how would a different category name push you into buying another bike? You don't have to have the full set...
  • 2 0
 @Tambo: Fully agree. It's up to us to decide if the difference and (perceived) improvement is worth the price tag.
  • 61 0
 5200 bucks and fox rythm? You won't sell many of those, the bike boom is over
  • 30 4
 I'm not defending the pricing but the Rhythm 36 is an overlooked gem. Super supple, simple and adjustable.
  • 4 1
 @seb-stott: The stanchions are also much thicker and the lower legs and crown are super beefy. The bushings seem to be lower friction too. Drop in a Grip2 and a Z1 coil kit and you have a pretty rad fork that's got a chassis getting closer to the stiffness of a 38.
  • 7 1
 @bicyclelifestyle: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can fit a grip/grip2 into a rhythm due to said beefiness.
  • 4 0
 @drbino: they are sold with a grip and can accept a grip 2. Great forks.
  • 2 0
 @seb-stott: Really? I had very negative experiences on two different ones. Rebound was too slow when you start your ride, then halfway down its a pogo, and I could never get the rebound to feel good. Also no support from compression and I had to run too many tokens in the air.
  • 1 0
 @drbino: The top cap threads are identical so you can drop one in, the gating factor would be the size of the base stud hole in the bottom of the fork. Some grip1 forks use a smaller diameter base stud with the 10mm fixing nut and the Grip2 has a larger base stud with the 15mm nut.
  • 1 0
 @seb-stott: Right. But then again, so is the Yari. And it's only about half the price. That's what they should have chosen if they wanted great budget performance. They chose Fox probably just for the badge.
  • 5 0
 @Muscovir: out of the box the Rythm is way better than the Yari. If you upgrade it with a Charger damper things improve significantly, but the Motion Control damper is pretty spikey at best.
  • 1 0
 Imagine you insured your top of the line Canyon a couple of years ago and it gets nicked, and your company send you one of these as a part replacement
  • 39 0
 Almost 4,000 Euros for an alu frame and RS 35 fork?
Do f*ck off Mondraker.
  • 29 0
 68.5 degree head tube angle, and 4000$ for a alu frame with a rockshox 35 fork!?! Great job mondraker what else now? Headset cables? Hidden shock? What a joke
  • 9 0
 Forgot the Sx shifting too
  • 2 0
 The $4000 bike doesn't have a 68.5º HA - it has 65.5º
  • 20 0
 I thought Mondraker was supposed to be progressive? That hardtail isn’t even trying - modern commuters and gravel bikes have longer, slacker and more stable geometry than this
  • 6 0
 Cesar Rojo is long gone, they haven't changed a thing since those days
  • 1 0
 @JohSch: for real, they havent even steepen any seat tubes for i dont know how long
  • 13 0
 Geo on that hard tail is about 15 years out of date.
  • 8 0
 Lol @ 68.5 HT. What year is it?
  • 7 0
 At least they kept the cables out of the headset.
  • 10 0
 Best not look at their other models
  • 1 0
 Only on that model
  • 2 0
 @JohSch: No. All their Alu models have external routing.
  • 6 0
 I got excited about the hardtail and then clicked the link to find a rockhopper copy. Bummer
  • 6 0
 Wow these are the coolest bikes I've seen all morning
  • 5 0
 "Mondraker in 2022, or: How long can a brand survive whilst living off of past glory?"
  • 4 0
 My friend got a giant for $2200 or so this may with a similar build kit to that raze.... And I thought they were overpaying then...
  • 5 0
 This will go down as one of the worst deals in the history of pandemic-era bike swindling.
  • 4 0
 Actually the base carbon Raze takes that title, they tried to sell them for $7750 MSRP. Look up the specs for a laugh.
  • 5 0
 Mondrakers are really cool, good looking bikes that are all overpriced
  • 1 0
 Fckn overpriced. I was looking for a 2023 Raze R, but I think it's gonna be 2022 base model for me. 5999€ is list price minus discounts, it will be easily below 5200€. For carbon frame and almost same parts like on AL Raze R 2023 is not so Bad. Not to mention that mind telemetry comes stock on 2022 model. Although it can be without it.
  • 2 0
 *looks at Trek STP400 in the corner (an XC race bike from 2001 with literally the same HTA)

** then looks at Mondrakers 2023 DC HT geo chart....

22 years apart..... "Nihil sub sole novum.."
  • 1 0
 I WAS looking at buying a 2023 Raze RR Until they upped the 2022 rrp from the £6800 to £8000 for 2023 AND now the Mind Kit does not come with the 2023 bike but is optional so thats another £400/£500 ontop just to have the same spec that the 2022 was... There 2023 Raze RR SL has gone from £9200 to £10000 BUT now the bike comes with a fox factory dropper, not the AXS dropper that came on the 22 RR SL. The 2022 Superfoxy Carbon RR was £8000 but for 2023 its jumped up to £9500.
  • 2 0
 I TOO WAS looking to get a 2022 Raze R, but the $7750 price tag for a Rythm/SX/NX/GX everything aluminum but the frame is f***ing highway robbery! A full kashima Pivot T429 is nearly the same price, with waaayy better everything. The classifieds are full of unsold Raze's, and the used ones have depreciated faster than a meteorite. I'm just going to hold off until mid next year to hopefully find a reasonable deal.
  • 8 4
 Alloy Mondrakers will surely raze some eyebrows.
  • 2 0
 been waiting for this day for a while... now i just need money lol
  • 1 0
 you tried, man!
  • 5 1
 "Down Country"
hahah okay guy
  • 5 3
 Does anyone really say "downcountry" in a sentence without trying to be sarcastic? Because if they do, this sport is ruined. Same for "send it" or"stoked". Just stop.
  • 10 0
 I am stoked to be sending it on my downcountry bike in my $500 rain jacket and afterwords I'll put on my ENVE poncho with my POC overalls, bro.
  • 1 0
 @93EXCivic: You forgot to take your bike with headset routing into some poor shop to get the cables swapped and the bearings serviced!!!
  • 1 0
 @93EXCivic: hahaha
  • 2 0
 And your name says it all. Best car ever, best year. An antithesis to the craziness going on with people driving $80k 4wd mall crawlers, lugging bikes they can't ride to their full potential (5in of travel because the trail is "rooty") and trying to speak like California surfers - in Cary NC.
  • 1 0
 I don’t know how they expect to sell bikes with those components. For that price gx should be a minimum. There are full carbon bikes with better components for the same price.
  • 2 0
 $2600 puts you on a Polygon Siskiu T8 with a full SLX drivetrain, and have money left over to buy the Xtrada hardtail with a 67* head angle and Deore 12 speed.
  • 3 2
 has anyone used any modern mavic wheels? i had some crossmax sx and deemax wheelsets back in the day but curious how the new stuff rides
  • 2 0
 The only thing that killed my Deemax Elite wheels was a freak stick that kicked up, went through my rear wheel at speed, and sheared three of the spokes. Otherwise, the ID360 hubs have been bulletproof and the rims are still true albeit with a few dents. That's after three seasons on three bikes varying from singlespeed to park to racing enduro. I'm planning to buy a set of the Mavic Crossmax XLs this winter with no worries. Also, Michelins on Mavics are the perfect combo.
  • 3 0
 Where's the 31" front wheel that we all know is coming?...
  • 3 0
 Pass on em!!!!
  • 2 0
 I don't get why they use 5 mm hex for suspension bolts
  • 1 0
 The ideal opportunity to bring back the Vantage.....And they launch yet another sit up and beg hardtail....
  • 1 2
 Downcountry is a state of mind, it's where all the 90s early 2000 riders that were XC and loving it, migrated when the bike industry finally made a bike that fit our aging mental state to be a kid again.
  • 1 0
 30+ lbs? the idea of downcountry to me is light yet capable, not just a short travel trail bike.
  • 2 0
 I swear downcountry is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of.
  • 1 0
 Where's the news about the rest of the Mondraker 2023 lineup?! And How about US costs and specs?

Thanks
  • 2 0
 those bike kinda suck
  • 2 0
 Wtf is down country
  • 1 0
 This is a CuntDowney bike
  • 1 0
 65HTA or lower is my new mantra. Spesh on a hardtail.
  • 1 0
 Santa Cruz Chameleon.- Nuff said.
  • 1 0
 The newest genre:

"sort of hardtail downcountry bike"
  • 3 2
 perty
  • 2 1
 29” no interest
  • 1 1
 Mmmm spindly.
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