Jack reviews the Mondraker Foxy

Given its relatively small size, Spanish brand Mondraker has made quite the splash over the last decade thanks to its unique frame designs and the envelope-pushing Forward Geometry concept. Despite sponsoring high-profile athletes including Bec McConnell and Brook MacDonald however, Mondraker bikes have remained a fairly niche item in Australia. That’s beginning to change thanks to a change in distributorship, with Advance Traders now bringing Mondraker into the country alongside Norco, Merida and BMC. With a fresh batch of stock recently arriving on our shores, we decided it was time to get our hands on one of the stalwarts from the mountain bike range, the Mondraker Foxy, to see what a bit of Spanish flair could bring to our Aussie trails.

Watch our Mondraker Foxy video review here:

Of course a bike is far more than its looks, but the Mondraker Foxy immediately captivates with its edgy and unique profile.

An overview of the Mondraker Foxy

Built around 29in wheels, the Mondraker Foxy features a 160mm travel fork and 150mm of rear travel. It slots into the ‘Enduro/AM’ category on the Mondraker website, putting it in direct competition with bikes like the Specialized Stumpjumper EVO, Scott Genius and Trek Fuel EX.

Without necessarily fitting into a specific niche, these Goldilocks-style bikes are designed to offer maximum versatility for riding up, down and all over the mountain.

Those after a lightweight trail bike will probably want to look towards the Raze (150/130mm travel), and hardcore enduro racers will be better off checking out the Superfoxy (170/160mm travel). But if you’re after the one bike that can do it all, with the capability of entering the odd enduro race here and there, the Foxy might just be the ticket.

A sleek new frame

Updated for 2022 with a brand new frame, the Mondraker Foxy features a unique silhouette that is instantly recognisable alongside its contemporaries.

The sculpted head tube and razor-sharp top tube cut an aggressive stance, which is complemented by a small-diameter downtube that eschews the current trend for bulky in-frame storage. There is an accessory mount underneath the top tube though, and the downtube will take a FidLock bottle and base plate, or a standard bottle cage if you prefer.

Mondraker has updated the latest Foxy with internal routing through the upper headset, which results in shorter control lines at the cockpit to reduce flapping and vibration. There’s also a new geometry flip chip integrated into the lower linkage.

Other visually-appealing details include the tucked rear brake mount, blind seatstay pivots, and the parallel path shared between the seat tube and swingarm uprights. It all adds up to a well-proportioned, extremely good-looking bicycle.

Zero suspension design

As with all Mondraker full suspension frames, the Foxy is designed around the Zero suspension platform.

The one-piece swingarm is connected to the mainframe via two links, with the floating shock sandwiched in between. Since the shock pierces straight through the seat tube, a small bolt-on mudguard protects it from debris and mud spray from the rear tyre.

Mondraker makes some bold claims about its suspension design, including ‘zero power loss’, ‘zero pedal kickback’ and ‘zero brake jack’. Too good to be true? Unfortunately the brand publishes zero information about its kinematic values, so it’s only through riding that you’ll be able to judge those claims. More on that in a bit.

Mondraker Foxy price & specs

There are five models in the Mondraker Foxy lineup for 2023. Two of those feature alloy frames, and the other three utilise full carbon frames.

Prices start at $6,499 AUD for the base level Mondraker Foxy, and go up to $14,999 AUD for the Mondraker Foxy Carbon XR.

The model we’ve been testing is the Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR, which is the mid-spec carbon model. It’s actually a 2022 model, though aside from its SRAM G2 brakes and DT Swiss wheels, it is otherwise identical to the 2023 version, which features SRAM Code R brakes and e*13 LG1 Plus Enduro wheels.

2022 Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR

• Frame | Stealth Air Carbon, Zero Suspension Design, 150mm Travel
• Fork | Öhlins RXF 36 M.2, TTX118 Twin Tube Damper, 44mm Offset, 160mm Travel
• Shock | Öhlins TTX Air, 205×65mm
• Wheels | DT Swiss EX 1700, Alloy Rims, 30mm Inner Width
• Tyres | Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in Front & DHR II 2.4in Rear, EXO+ Casing, 3C MaxxTerra Compound
• Drivetrain | SRAM GX Eagle 1×12 w/32T Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM G2 4-Piston w/200mm Front & 180mm Rear Rotors
• Bar | Onoff Sulphur 1.0 Alloy, 20mm Rise, 800mm Width
• Stem | Onoff Sulphur, 30mm Length
• Grips | Onoff Desert Lock-On
• Seatpost | Onoff Pija, 31.6mm Diameter, Travel: 95-125mm (S), 120-150mm (M), 140-170mm (L-XL)
• Saddle | SDG Bel-Air 3.0
• Confirmed Weight | 14.22kg
• RRP | $10,499 AUD

We also found that the lively character of the Foxy means it’s not really a bike for trail cruising. It much prefers riding at higher speeds, and preferably down steeper gradients.

Mondraker Foxy sizing & geometry

The Mondraker Foxy is a proud proponent of the Forward Geometry concept, which sees a huge front centre length paired to a short-as-possible 30mm stem.

At 175cm tall our tester Jack has been riding a Medium frame. This bike features a healthy 465mm reach and a tall 627mm stack height. The high front end provides plenty of confidence when you’re riding down steep chutes, but it also requires plenty of conscious weighting on flat turns in order to keep the front tyre biting. Lowering the stem by a couple of spacers helps to calm things down a touch.

Out of the box the Foxy features a fairly slack 64.5° head angle, a middling 75.5° seat angle, and a 445mm rear centre. Flip the geometry chip however, and you’ll shorten the rear centre length to a very compact 435mm. That’s a significant change, and a potentially useful tool for fine-tuning the handling and weight distribution for different sized riders.

As well as altering the chainstay length, the flip chip lifts the BB by 5mm and steepens the angles by 0.5°. It’s worth noting that you will need to remove the crankset to access the flip chip, making it a more time-consuming adjustment compared to most rivals.

While Jack has found the Foxy to offer a comfortable riding position, the 150mm dropper post is on the short side these days. If this were our bike we’d be upgrading to a 170-180mm dropper. Unfortunately the shock tunnel does impinge on the available insertion depth, which will limit your options for fitting a longer post.

Suspension setup

We were really impressed to see that each model in the Mondraker Foxy line comes with a comprehensive suspension guide, which features weight-derived recommendations for both the fork and shock. This was particularly helpful with our Foxy Carbon RR test bike, as we’ve not had a whole lot of prior experience with Öhlins suspension.

No doubt about it though, both the Öhlins fork and shock certainly add to the Foxy’s exotic allure. The machined and anodised adjusters look trick, and there are some unique features when it comes to setup and adjustments.

For a start, the RXF 36 M.2 fork features a triple air spring design. The main chamber, which you inflate at the top of the fork, features a positive and negative spring that self-equalise (much like a Fox or RockShox fork). Then there’s the ramp chamber, which you can adjust via an air valve at the bottom of the fork. Changing the pressure here allows you to tweak the fork’s progressiveness. It’s a bit like adding or removing volume spacers, albeit with a much finer and near-infinite range.

Jack started out with the suggested pressure settings based on his 75kg riding weight, though ended up favouring a slightly higher pressure in the main chamber, and a little less pressure in the ramp chamber. Otherwise he set the rebound and low-speed compression adjusters as recommended. He mostly ran the 4-position, high-speed compression lever in the fully open position, adding a click or two for flowier and jumpier trails, or locking it out on the road.

Dialling in the Öhlins TTX Air shock

Rear shock setup proved to be a little more involved.

Mondraker recommends 30-35% sag for the Foxy, though Jack found he was regularly bottoming out the Öhlins TTX Air shock unless sag was reduced to an overly-firm 22%. This seemed odd, considering that Jack is on the lighter side of the rider spectrum.

In search of greater bottom-out support, we’d need to decrease the air spring volume. Unlike the RXF 36 fork with its ramp chamber however, the TTX Air relies on simple plastic volume spacers. Well, it actually utilises two different types of volume spacers; a larger puck that sits in the lower eyelet housing, as well as band-style spacers that sit in the outer air can. Mondraker already specs the TTX Air with the largest spacer in the eyelet and two band spacers in the outer can, which is close to the limit. As such, we’d only be able to add two more band spacers.

Since we didn’t have any Öhlins-specific volume spacers in the workshop, we sourced two of the band spacers from NSDynamics (thanks Aaron!). After removing the shock from its tight-fitting pocket, you’ll then need an open-ended Shimano Hollowtech II tool to crack open the air can, before adding or subtracting spacers.

Thankfully fitting the extra two volume spacers did the trick, allowing Jack to run 30% sag while enjoying notably improved mid-stroke and bottom-out support. He otherwise ran the recommended low-speed compression and rebound settings, and like the fork, left the high-speed lever in the fully open position unless riding a jump trail or on the road.

The lesson in all this Öhlins chat? Given the lack of support, Mondraker really needs to include volume spacers with the bike, since they’re far less common than those used by Fox and RockShox. Even still, since we ended up running the maximum amount of spacers on our test bike, we’re a little concerned that heavier riders will struggle to get sufficient bottom-out resistance on the Foxy.

Mondraker Foxy weight

Confirmed weight for our Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR test bike is 14.22kg. That’s pretty impressive for a bike with this much travel and such aggressive geometry.

The slim frame has a lot to do with it, being one of the lightest in its class. According to Mondraker, a carbon Foxy frame with shock weighs just 2.67kg. Of course the alloy version is heavier, coming in at 3.98kg including the shock.

It’s also worth noting that Mondraker specs Maxxis EXO+ casings on the Foxy. This keeps rotational weight in check for the Minion DHF (1,069g) and the Minion DHR II (1,109g), but it does mean that riders who are charging hard and fast on rocky terrain will need to exercise caution. Alternatively, upgrading to a DoubleDown tyre on the rear would be a good idea.

In our case, we fitted a CushCore Pro insert into the rear wheel, and set tyre pressures at 23psi on the front and 27psi on the rear.

What does the Mondraker Foxy do well?

Of course a bike is far more than its looks, but the Mondraker Foxy immediately captivates with its edgy and unique profile. Thanks to its long and slack front end, and the pleasingly continuous line from head tube to dropout, the Foxy affords a great stance on the trail.

The sharp aesthetic is backed up by sharp pedalling performance, with the Foxy exhibiting very little bob from the back end. Energy input is promptly translated to the rear wheel whether you’re cruising or stomping, establishing the Foxy as one of the best pedalling bikes in its category.

What’s particularly impressive about its efficiency is that there is minimal feedback through the pedals across chunky terrain. There’s plenty of traction available, and combined with the upright riding position, the Foxy is quite comfortable for riding up and over rock-laden trails. Perhaps Mondraker’s claims for its Zero suspension platform aren’t so outlandish after all?

It’s certainly no cushy lounge chair though. Indeed this is a very involving bike to ride.

The lightweight carbon frame and efficient suspension gives the Foxy a whippy and agile character. Thanks to the itty-bitty stem, steering is light and responsive, encouraging you to to slam the front wheel from side to side to initiate a quick and forceful change of direction.

Despite leaving the flip chip in the long & slack position, the back end feels shorter and snappier than we expected given the 445mm number on paper. And providing you’re riding with purpose, the Foxy clips tight corners energetically. The rear suspension is supportive, helping to hold the bike up so you can maintain an aggressive forward-biased riding position through the turns.

Supple & tuneable suspension

Though it took us some time to tune the shock, we’ve been impressed by how effective and well-damped the rear suspension is. The back end tracks well through sketchy rock gardens and across loose dusty corners, offering great traction when you need it most. It plays well with the Foxy’s long wheelbase and slack front end, keeping you thoroughly grounded at speed.

We also dig the usability of the black high-speed compression (HSC) lever on the Öhlins fork and shock. The suspension is nice and soft in the open position, though switching to a firmer HSC setting makes a noticeable difference to the overall support.

Though it’s not a full lockout, the firmest position is still very useful for commuting to and from the trailhead on the road. That’s especially the case when you compare the fork with an equivalent RockShox Lyrik or Fox 36, which lack any such pedalling aid.

The HSC settings in between proved to be beneficial when riding on smoother and flowier singletrack. And during Jack’s frequent visits to the local dirt jumps, the added support allowed for maximum response when pushing the bike into rollers and takeoffs. The long wheelbase and highly-damped suspension means it’s not an inherently playful bike, but the Foxy is still great in the air, offering plenty of enthusiasm thanks to its low overall weight.

What didn’t we like?

While the Mondraker Foxy is efficient and lightweight, it can be difficult to tame when the climbs get particularly steep. The high front end and short stem contribute to front wheel wander, so you need to get your chest low and over the bars to keep it in check on sharp switchbacks.

No doubt a steeper seat tube angle would help here, and potentially longer chainstays to help balance out the raked-out front centre.

We also found that the lively character of the Foxy means it’s not really a bike for trail cruising. It much prefers riding at higher speeds, and preferably down steeper gradients.

The exuberant handling requires a skilled pilot to get the most out of it, with the Foxy demanding your attention to keep the front end actively weighted. This means it’s not the most forgiving bike if you’re feeling tired and fatigued, or if you’re riding on mellower terrain.

Frame niggles

On-trail character aside, we did encounter a couple of issues with our test bike.

From the first ride the headset exhibited some knocking. It’s a very disconcerting noise, which is apparent when loading and unloading the front end. We tried a different fork to no avail, which leads us to believe there’s an issue with the headset itself.

Speaking of, we’re not fans of the headset routing even if it does complement the Foxy’s clean lines and helps to reduce cable clatter. If we do end up sourcing a new headset to try and eliminate the current front-end knocking, there’s going to be some serious profanity in the workshop when disconnecting and reconnecting all of those control lines.

Thankfully the frame’s internal guide tubes will aid that process, and they’ve helped to keep things quiet on the trail. The well-placed rubber armour and small diameter carbon tubes have also contributed to minimising trail noise and damping vibrations.

While we’ve otherwise been impressed with the general frame finish, we did discover some tyre rub on the inside of the chainstays. This has likely been caused by a combination of both frame and wheel flex. While the rubbing is fairly light, it doesn’t bode well for much heavier riders. We’d also suggest not running any tyre bigger than the stock 2.4in Minion DHR II.

Component highs & lows

The overall spec of the Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR is not amazing for the money, especially for the 2023 model that’s gone up to $10,999 AUD.

As mentioned earlier, we’d like to see Mondraker spec’ing a longer-stroke dropper post. A higher quality remote lever wouldn’t go astray either.

Riders wanting to get the most out of the Foxy would do well to upgrade the tyres. We’d recommend fitting a stickier MaxxGrip tyre on the front, and a tougher casing for the rear to withstand the speeds this aggressive bike is capable of.

The SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain works fine, and the G2 brakes were actually pretty sharp thanks to an accurate factory bleed and the Power compound pads. We’re still glad to see the 2023 model upgrading to the more powerful Code brakes, but bigger riders frequenting big mountains will definitely want to upsize to a 200mm rotor on the rear.

Of course much of the money in this bike has gone towards the sleek carbon frame and Öhlins suspension, the latter of which offers great performance with some neat adjustability. We’re seeing a lot more Öhlins being spec’d on complete bikes for 2023, and it’s easy to appreciate why.

The RXF 36 M.2 fork is excellent, feeling as plush and controlled on the trail as an equivalent Lyrik or 36. It does offer greater scope for tuning the air spring to your liking though thanks to that nifty ramp chamber. Alongside the TTX Air shock with all of its trick adjusters, there’s plenty here to keep the suspension tweakers happy.

Mondraker Foxy vs Specialized Stumpjumper EVO vs Trek Fuel EX vs Scott Genius

Given its distinctive approach, how does Mondraker Foxy compare to some of its more popular rivals?

Specialized Stumpjumper EVO

The Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Expert matches up pretty closely to the Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR, though it comes in cheaper at $10,200 AUD. Its full carbon frame adds downtube storage into the mix along with 6-way adjustable geometry thanks to its modular headset and chainstay flip chip. Specialized even makes an aftermarket linkage to run it as a mullet.

Sweetening the deal is a wireless GX AXS drivetrain, a OneUp dropper post, and the sticky Butcher T9 tyre up front. And while the Fox Performance Elite suspension may be more mainstream, these are highly proven performers that offer terrific sensitivity, support and loads of adjustability.

On the trail the Stumpjumper EVO doesn’t offer the same agility and sharp pedalling manners of the Foxy. So although the two bikes are a similar weight, the Stumpjumper EVO feels heavier, and it’s not as willing to cut shapes in the air. It is an easier and more approachable bike to ride though, with better balance overall and more composure across rough terrain. See our Specialized Stumpjumper EVO review for the full story.

Trek Fuel EX

Compared to the Foxy, the latest Trek Fuel EX 9.8 XT comes in nearly two grand cheaper at $9,199 AUD. This is despite it coming with a more desirable Shimano XT groupset, carbon wheels and a one-piece carbon cockpit, making it a vastly better value proposition.

Like the Stumpjumper EVO, the Fuel EX offers downtube storage and an adjustable head angle. It’s lathered in frame armour, and a suspension flip chip adds coil shock compatibility to its lengthy feature list. It’ll handle a longer fork and you can run it as a mullet too.

The Fox Performance Series suspension is more basic compared to the high-end Öhlins setup on the Foxy Carbon RR, but it is easier to setup and still offers excellent sensitivity. As such, we’d argue it’s a better choice for newer riders and those less interested in tweaking.

The rear suspension tune on the Fuel EX is quite firm, and along with the steeper seat angle it’s more stable and comfortable on the climbs. The custom-valved shock is not as supple as the Foxy, and it’s worth acknowledging that there is 10mm less travel per end. The supportive suspension and stout carbon chassis gives it a more playful ride quality however, and it feels more robust overall, making it a better option for heavier riders. Check out our Trek Fuel EX review for the lowdown.

Scott Genius

The new Scott Genius splits into two versions for 2023; the regular Genius and the Genius ST. It’s the Genius ST 910 that sits closest to our Mondraker Foxy test bike, featuring the same amount of travel along with an Öhlins RXF 36 M.2 fork. The Genius ST 910 is the same price, but upgrades to a wireless GX AXS drivetrain, Shimano XT brakes, and a Syncros one-piece carbon cockpit.

The big story with the Genius ST is its futuristic carbon frame and internal suspension design. Made by Fox, the custom Float X Nude shock features a piggyback reservoir and a multi-air chamber design that is controlled via the TracLoc handlebar remote. This gives you three distinct suspension settings, with the ability to shorten the rear travel from 150mm to 100mm on-the-fly.

Along with a steeper seat angle, the remote-adjustable shock makes the Genius a better climber than the Foxy. The suspension is plush and active in the open mode, though it doesn’t quite hug the ground like the Foxy does. It’s a hugely versatile and competent trail bike, as long as you’re ok with the remote lever and the exorbitant levels of integration. See our Scott Genius review for more.

Flow’s Verdict

With its sleek carbon frame, Swedish suspension and Forward Geometry concept, the Mondraker Foxy offers a ride quality that’s as unique as it looks.

This is a bike that loves to ride hard and fast on steep terrain, where it rewards an assertive pilot with plenty of grip and control. Thanks to its impressively low weight and supportive suspension, it’s considerably more agile than a full-blown enduro race bike, making it deadly quick in the hands of a skilled rider. Indeed with a burlier set of rubber, the Foxy would make a terrific enduro race machine for a lighter rider.

It isn’t an overly forgiving bike though, with the long and slack front end requiring constant attention to maintain stability. For this reason, we wouldn’t recommend it for beginners or those who live amongst flatter landscapes.

It’s not particularly good value amongst the competition, and we were disappointed to encounter some niggling issues with our test bike. The fact that we had to run the maximum number of volume spacers in the rear shock also doesn’t bode well for heavier riders.

Once dialled in though, the highly adjustable Öhlins suspension is very impressive and will no doubt attract MTB magpies who love a little bling. Along with the sharp and unmistakable lines of its gorgeous carbon frame, the Mondraker Foxy presents an attractive left-of-centre option that will suit riders who are looking for something different from the mainstream.