Confident and expensive: All Mountain Mondraker Foxy Carbon
Mountain bikes are more than just a means of transport. They promise an attitude to life, adrenalin, lactate - and can be works of art. If you don't believe it, just take a look at the Mondraker Foxy Carbon. Great colour and design language, fine materials. It could also stand on a revolving pedestal in a New York gallery. However, looks are only one of the strengths of this Spanish stallion. The Foxy wants to be ridden hard. It is a bike for rough terrain and descents peppered with obstacles. This is where the Forward Geometry comes into play: an enormously long top tube and a slack steering angle ensure a record-breakingly long wheelbase and a very smooth ride. The head tube is balanced by a very short stem, which guarantees agility. We like the full carbon chassis, which stands out almost artistically from the usual fully layout. The Fox shock sits nested deep in the bike and is gripped by almost half a dozen pivot points and joints. It is probably the numerous central joints that give the frame only moderate stiffness (64 Nm/degree).
We can't judge whether the system is more maintenance-intensive, but we can judge its function:
The rear end responds finely and feels like more than the measured 140 millimetres. It doesn't move under chain tension. Hard pedalling propels the bike forwards immediately without bobbing. Uphill, the level control of the long 160 mm fork helps. Thanks to the 30 mm chainring and the high bottom bracket, the only limits uphill are your own fitness and tyre traction. You can scramble up steep rocky steps. The shorter 170 mm cranks barely touch the ground. Downhill is where the fun begins. The Foxy can handle high speeds, but is still manoeuvrable. The smooth ride is so encouraging that you wish you had a more powerful 36 mm fork.
Conclusion The Mondraker Foxy is light, well equipped and correspondingly expensive. It impresses in difficult terrain with its confident yet playful handling.
PLUS Lightweight chassis, lightweight wheels (tubeless)
MINUS Weight limit 115 kilos, warranty only against registration, pedal kickback (but no bobbing), heavy fork
