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Well new bike day was over a week ago now, but I've been too busy riding my new bike to post on here.
It's a 2024 Mondraker Raze R Carbon. Picked it up a week last Saturday and been out on it pretty much everyday since.
I was looking for a shorter travel trail bike to replace the Ibis Ripmo AF that I'd had since 2020 as since I bought the ebike that was being used for more challenging stuff and I told myself that what I needed was something with a bit less travel and heft. In reality what I really wanted was something new to get me riding a proper bike instead of the ebike.
Early on I was looking at the YT Izzo as they were on sale, but they just didn't do it for me. The carbon Raze was the bike I really wanted as the ebike is a Mondraker Level and I found that I really like the forward geometry but I wasn't sure if I really wanted to spend that much. A desperate phone call to Freeborn to see if they could do anything more on the price (which already had £2k off) and a deal was struck and bike ordered.
I'm really pleased with it. Very impressed by how well it pedals, there are a couple of climbs near me which are a good test as they are reasonably technical and I made it up them with no problems (even with my ebike fitness levels). It also feels surprisingly good on the descents, but I'm reserving judgement on that until I've taken it down a few of the steeper ones.
Oh and headset cable routing might be the work of the devil when I have to change the bearings but I do think it looks better, but that maybe because the cable routing on the ripmo was so annoyingly bad.
That was the main consideration, just a bonus that it rides nice too 🙂
very cool, was tempted for ages by one of tnose on sale
“I told myself that what I needed was something with a bit less travel and heft. In reality what I really wanted was something new to get me riding a proper bike instead of the ebike.”
They’re almost the same reason - I know I found it hard to get enthusiastic about riding a heavy squidgy bike when I had another heavy squidgy bike with a motor to speed up the dull bits.
Looks a great choice (and looks great)!
“Oh and headset cable routing might be the work of the devil when I have to change the bearings but I do think it looks better”
I look forward to an update after its first winter! 😉
You could hope that this is ready by the time it needs headset bearings
One of the guys I ride with works for Mondraker and has one of the yellow and grey Raze RR SLs and by golly it is a pretty bike!
Took it down one of the steeper rougher hills near me and the suspension actually feels better than the 180/170mm ebike (obviously need to put some effort into getting that set up better). The brakes seemed to struggle a bit though so I will probably try a 200mm disc on the front and see how that goes.