It’s fifteen years since Mondraker first launched their first Foxy trail bike, and it’s continuously developed since. For 2018, they’ve updated practically everything, with metric trunnion mounted shocks making everything more compact, cable routing made easier by internally molded shapes, boost wheel spacing and two different carbon layups.
As the orginator of forward geometry, Mondraker bikes are always long. In this case the lens seems to be making the frame look even longer.
The carbon frame options Mondraker are producing are dubbed the Stealth and Stealth Air. The Steal Air frames are lighter and more expensive. The quote below is from the press release, but it sounds like they’re subjecting the frames to a vacuum chamber between layers of carbon, to suck even the smallest air bubbles out, allowing them to reduce weight while maintaining strength.
Hannah managed to get a few sneaky shots after spotting one of the new Foxys in the wold at Innsbruck last week. Here you can see the carbon bonded trunnion.Compared to last year’s model, the seat mast appears shorter thanks to the new suspension linkage, and the strut between it and the top tube is gone.It’s 1x specific, and you can just see a custom fitted mudguard on the swing arm – it is removable if you prefer or only ride it in dry weather.Everything on the swingarm and linkages has been beefed up, with some 15mm thru axles and larger, higher specced bearings to prolong life.Like most of Mondraker’s range, the new Foxy includes forward geometry, pushing the head tube further out and bringing the bars back with a very short stem. They’ve experimented with stems that raise stack height to effectively give a 0mm stem before, but Foxys will be shipping with 35mm stems.Swoopy carbon is what enables that very flat top tube.All Foxy models come with Shimano brakes, with XTR at the top end of the range, down though XT in the middle, to MT500 on the entry level model.The trunnion uses bearings rather than bushings to minimise friction, meaning the suspension starts moving with much less resistance. As a result, it should feel a lot more supple, increasing traction and small bump compliance.That linkage is a mixture of aluminium and carbon fibre bonded together – this allows them to engineer the right amount of flex into it.Some of you will be very glad to hear that BB shell is threaded rather then press fit.
Here’s what Mondraker have to say about their carbon manufacturing process: “The Stealth manufacturing method is the result of carrying out research on each of the critical processes that make it up, with the objective of improving its features as much as possible. From the selection and preparation of the different types of carbon fiber, preservation and impregnation with epoxy, to their detailed layout and manual application in their specific location, everything follows a strict process set out in the fiber plan written by the engineers. The use of solid internal molds, both in expanded high density polystyrene and in biodegradable silicon, allows for the optimal compression of fibers with the assurance of a clean extraction after the heat treatment.
“What stands out above all is our Vacuum Compression Process method, through which the frame is subjected to a process of fiber compression through a vacuum at high pressure. All frames and parts are put through this process after each layer of material is applied. This way, we can remove any potential air bubbles among layers and let us achieve a greater expansion of the epoxy adhesive between the weaves of the fibers. With this we can guarantee the reliability of the structure, achieving figures for strength and rigidity that are greater than those for fibers only applied manually.”
Here’s another view of that bonded linkage, from their press kit.
You probably keep hearing about trunnion shocks at the moment – it’s become a bit of a buzzword. What it actually means is that a vertically mounted shock plus linkage can be packed into a smaller space, allowing designers to keep the top tube low even on smaller frames.
The new suspension design has also increased frame travel by 10mm, to 150mm. Also visible again here is the little bespoke mudguard that keeps your shock tidy in all weather.There’s a lot of adjustability in the new Foxy, including headset adjustments that allow you to add or knock off a degree on the head angle.Only the top end Foxy Carbon RR SL comes with the adjustable headset geometry kit as standard, but it’ll be available as an option for the other models.As well as the headset allowing head angle changes, these chips at the ends of the stays let you alter the wheelbase +/- 10mm.The new Foxy frameset is designed for 1x drivetrains only.Like many bike launches, this one is a feast of three letter acronyms. HHG stands for Hidden Housing Guide, which should take some of the pain out of internal cable routing.The downtube and chainstays have an assortment of molded carbon fibre and rubber protectors to keep rock damage away.Combined with the longer top tube granted by Mondraker’s forward geometry design, a 35mm stem keeps everything within reach.All Foxy models have a fork offset of 44mmMondraker Foxy Carbon R; weight 13.6Kg, RRP £3,799Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR, weight 13.1Kg, RRP £4,499Mondraker Foxy Carbon RR SL, weight 12.1Kg, RRP £7,699Mondraker Foxy Carbon XR, weight 13.6Kg, RRP £5,399. This burlier specced model is also the only one to come with a 160mm fork instead of a 150mm, and a coil shock.The four models are available variously with Rockshox or Fox suspension.All drivetrains sold with full bikes will be SRAM, but brakes are Shimano.
Foxy Carbon RR SL Frame kit (including adjustable head angle kit) will be £2,999.
Here are the geometry charts, note the second one is specifically for the XR model:
This geometry is specifically for the Foxy Carbon XR, which runs on 160mm forks.
David started mountain biking in the 90’s, by which he means “Ineptly jumping a Saracen Kili Racer off anything available in a nearby industrial estate”. After growing up and living in some extremely flat places, David moved to Yorkshire specifically for the mountain biking. This felt like a horrible mistake at first, because the hills are so steep, but you get used to them pretty quickly.
Previously, David trifled with road and BMX, but mountain bikes always won. He’s most at peace battering down a rough trail, quietly fixing everything that does to a bike, or trying to figure out if that one click of compression damping has made things marginally better or worse. The inept jumping continues to this day.
520mm reach on a XL! I need to try that, my Xl spitfire has 480mm reach and it doesn’t feel small even with me being 6’6.