For a long time now Mondraker’s Foxy has been a serious consideration for anyone looking for a fast and capable trail bike. The handling traits associated with Mondraker’s forward geometry concept, which calls for short stem lengths and longer front centres, has made this the bike of choice for plenty of riders that live for the descents.
In previous years, we’ve been very fond of the Foxy — back in 2014 it was crowned What Mountain Bike Magazine’s Trail Bike of the Year, and the 2015 Foxy XR narrowly missed a full five stars in our testing.
This is the 2017 Mondraker Foxy R, and at £3,499 (international pricing TBC) it sits in the middle of three alloy frame Foxy models, placing it a full £800 below the cheapest carbon Foxy. It’s worth noting that this spec, like the entry-level £2,599 build, features 140mm of suspension at either end. That’s in contrast to the more expensive Foxy XR, which uses a 160mm fork up front.
The frame, although aesthetically similar to previous versions, is entirely new for 2017. The signature hump behind the frame’s head tube has been softened, a move that’s brought the alloy Foxy visually closer to its carbon sibling. Sizing is almost identical to that of last year’s bikes, but geometry has been tweaked slightly with a 67-degree head angle — that’s half a degree slacker than the previous bike.
The rear end is now even more substantially braced than the revised part that Mondraker used in its 2015 frames, and uses Boost 148mm spacing. The proven ZERO suspension design remains unchanged though. At the heart of it is a Float Performance 3-Lever rear shock. Mondraker still includes a nifty little bolt-on mudguard to protect the shaft from rock strikes or excess mud too.
Propping the front is Fox’s latest 34 Float in Performance flavour, meaning it uses the brand’s moto-inspired, 3-position GRIP damper. The Foxy’s double drivetrain uses a combination of Shimano SLX and XT components alongside a Raceface Aeffect SL chainset. It’s not the most fashionable set up but the parts are well proven and there’s enough range for full-on alpine epics.
Mondraker has chosen to spec its own-brand 650b alloy wheelset. It’s tubeless ready and the same can be said for the 2.4in Maxxis Ardents that are fitted. As in previous years, the Mondraker’s cockpit features a 30mm stem from Mondraker’s sub brand OnOff, along with a 760mm riser bar from the firm.
Stopping comes down to SRAM’s OE Level T brakes and180mm rotors. Most riders will also be glad to see a Reverb Stealth is included out of the box. Our size Large test bike came in at 14.31kg/31.6lbs.
The Foxy will now make its way over to our testing crew who will put the bike through its paces along with plenty of similar priced competition. Stay tuned for the full review.
