Mondraker Crafty R+ review

Outstanding trail hovercraft at a keen price

Our rating

4.0

2799.00
Mondraker Crafty R+ packs the Spanish brand's envelope-pushing Forward Geometry into a fatter-treaded package

Tom Marvin

Published: April 15, 2016 at 7:00 am
Our review
Outstanding trail trauma ignorance for those who want to take a bazooka to a knife fight Buy if, You want a high-value plus-sized juggernaut that simply goes like the clappers when the going gets brutal

Pros:

Forward geometry is ideal for keeping plus bike handling lively and involving; plus-sized tyres can properly take the piss when it comes to inline traction and rough trail speed sustain; sorted suspension controls hits bigger than the tyres can absorb

Cons:

Vast mass kills acceleration and hyper-accurate tyre pressure is crucial; needs a grippier front tyre and dropper post to hit full potential

The Crafty is Mondraker’s plus-sized alternative option to the fantastic Foxy and its unique Forward Geometry handling lets you really push the high-volume, high-velocity advantages too.

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Faster in the rough

Plus tyres are a whole new story of pros and cons, but the bottom line is that they go faster the rougher it gets and our final blast down the rocky, rooty trails of Peille saw the Crafty vanish off into the distance leaving regular 29ers in its wake. That syncs with our latest head to head testing on other bikes/tyre formats, and our opinion is certainly getting more positive the more we ride plus.

The over-15kg weight is a definite acceleration- and altitude-gain issue. Traction is outstanding though, so you can winch up crazy steep and/or rough slopes if you’re patient.

The super short stem makes for sharper handling than on many plus machines: the super short stem makes for sharper handling than on many plus machines

The super short stem makes for sharper handling than on many plus machines

The combination of super-quick reactions from the barely-there stem and massive baseline stability from the extra long wheelbase means the steering is more involving and alive than the sludgy feel of most plus bikes we’ve ridden and braking traction is amazing if you do overstep the mark.

Smooth suspension pairing

Despite the thin walls necessary to keep weight bearable the Maxxis tyres survived a ton of rock abuse throughout testing. The super-smooth Yari and Monarch Plus shock combo gives excellent control of hits bigger than the tyres absorb too, though compensating for their untamed bounce in the rebound settings isn’t easy.

The rougher the downhills get, the more your companions are likely to be eating your dust: the rougher the downhills get, the more your companions are likely to be eating your dust

The rougher the downhills get, the more your companions are likely to be eating your dust

You’ll definitely need a knobblier front tyre for off-piste riding if you're reading this in the UK though, and that will dramatically reduce rolling speed. Literally a handful of psi can also make the difference between terrifying untamed bounce and hovercraft-smooth but totally numb trail-smothering.

A 157mm Boost back end restricts the current hub choice and you’re getting a 1x10 speed-crawler cog drivetrain not ‘proper’ 11-speed with no dropper post, but it’s keenly priced for a plus-bike.

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Tom Marvin

Senior technical editor

Tom Marvin is a technical editor at BikeRadar.com and MBUK magazine. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. Tom has written for BikeRadar, MBUK and Cycling Plus, and was previously technical editor of What Mountain Bike magazine. He is also a regular presenter on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel and the BikeRadar podcast. With more than twenty years of mountain biking experience, and nearly a decade of testing mountain and gravel bikes, Tom has ridden and tested thousands of bikes and products, from super-light XC race bikes through to the most powerful brakes on the market. Outside of testing bikes, Tom competes in a wide range of mountain bike races, from multi-day enduros through to 24-hour races in the depths of the Scottish winter – pushing bikes, components and his legs to their limits. He’s also worked out that shaving your legs saves 8 watts, while testing aerodynamics in a wind tunnel. When not riding he can be found at the climbing wall, in his garden or cooking up culinary delights.
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