First Look: Mondraker FOXY Carbon

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Meet the all-new Mondraker Foxy Carbon. 3 years in development, it is Mondraker's most ambitious project to date.

Miguel Pina, CEO, gave us the factory tour and took us through some of Mondraker's rich history - from choosing a name based on a cartoon character (Mandrake) to pushing the envelop of frame geometry and design.

One of many early test mules from the development of Mondraker's suspension system and unique geometry, both of which would go on to become key ingredients of the the new bike.

We got to ride the aluminum predecessor to the Foxy Carbon, and although it features the exact same angles and pivot placements as the carbon version, the ride quality of the latter is miles above. The power of carbon...

After the factory visit, we were all shipped off to Isla Taberca, a minuscule island just off the coast of Alicante, giving the finest MTB journalists in the business an opportunity to show off their sea legs before discovering the new bike.

The Mondraker team was visibly excited to introduce us to their latest creation...

...and with good reason! The new Foxy Carbon is a less extreme visual experience than previous Mondrakers, yet manages to push the envelop with completely modern and aggressive styling.

One of Mondraker's two Enduro World Series riders, Jacobo Santana, took us for a spin around the trails of La Fenasosa Bike Park, and he definitely had a lot of fun discovering the new bike as we did.

The quiet streets of Isla Tabarca awoke to the smell of fresh coffee and fresh new bikes. Not a bad way to start the day...

Mondraker put a lot of work into the visual aspect of the Foxy Carbon, with the entire frame based on concepts inspired by contemporary automotive design trends among others.

Mondraker's Zero Suspension system offers good support for pedaling, a smooth ride though choppy terrain, and quite decent big-hit capability too - we were not able to make it feel out of its depth even on rougher trails.

The Forward Geometry concept is distinctive both in terms of look and feel. The fishermen of Isla Tabarca were however unmoved by the carbon technology wonders on display and relied on entirely old-school tech to catch our lunch. It was none the worse for it too...

Forward Geometry takes some getting used to. It places the rider naturally between the axles, and really encourages you to move your weight forward. If you don't, the front will feel a bit detached. Very capable through the rough, the bike also maintains a reasonably lively feel during slower maneuvers.

Jacobo Santana showing us the livelier side of the Foxy Carbon. It delivers a confident ride, once you trust the front and allow yourself to go with it.

The workmanship on the Foxy Carbon is of very high level. Beautifully finished, the bike delivers a quiet and solid ride - each climb a reminder that the bike only weighs 12 kgs, a weight that never translates to any flimsiness whatsover.

Internal cable routing keeps everything clean and quiet. Getting the spelling of the name on our test bike wrong kept everybody guessing.

FOX has developed a shock tune specifically for the Foxy Carbon, and they were on hand to describe what's new and exciting about their 2015 suspension program in general, and CTD in particular. Chris Trojer, FOX Europe in audio (not pictured).

The 2015 Fox 34 Float CTD. Our initial ride impressions were very favorable, we found the fork to offer a lot of support without harshness. Crucially, we also found ourselves not blowing through travel even at low air spring pressure, which is a marked improvement over the previous generations.

The new CTD lever controls both the shock and the fork, offering 3 settings - Climb, Trail, and Descend. We favored the last most often, especially since Mondraker's Zero Suspension system provides efficient pedalling without needing to rely on the shock's platform.

The chassis remains identical to the previous year's 34 CTD. Coupled with the latest generation Crankbrothers wheels specced on the 2 high-end models, it provided stiff and accurate steering at all times.

Mondraker calls it THE BIKE, and we agree that it will cater to a large number of riders looking to earn their turns and have as much fun in the process as possible. It is not cheap, but that seems to be the norm for carbon bikes these days.

Mondraker has delivered a very capable and confidence-inspiring bike in the new Foxy Carbon. Looking to the horizon from the picturesque Isla Tabarca, the future seems bright for the Spanish brand too!

During our visit to La Fenasosa Bike Park, we came across this line that Andreu Lacondeguy built himself recently.

Needless to say, it's a wild line and one that park management will soon attempt to tone down in order to "cater to 20% of our riders instead of just Andreu and 2 of his friends".

Serious uplift vehicles in service at La Fenasosa. The park takes no more than 50 riders per day, ensuring you stay with the same shuttle vehicle for the whole day and keeping your waiting time to a minimum.

La Fenasosa Bike Park is situated about 45 minutes from Alicante, and offers a multitude of trails in an incredible environment. Hosted by a lovely family, you can stay on the premises and shred a quality park by day, and a quality table by night. Worth checking out if you haven't already!

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Mondraker has spent the last three years working on the carbon version of their very successful Foxy, a 140mm trail bike. Based on 27.5" wheels, the Foxy Carbon inherits the innovative Mondraker forward geometry concept originally developed by Cesar Rojo and brought to the forefront of the racing scene by Fabien Barel. In addition, as a complex carbon project developed in-house it marks a whole new high-end chapter for the Spanish brand, and one that they are very excited about. At less than 12kgs for the top-of-the-line Foxy Carbon XR with 140/160mm travel and 27.5" wheels, there is a lot to BE excited about.

Mondraker invited a group of MTB journalists to the South East of Spain to spend a couple of days discovering and riding the new bike. The Foxy Carbon launches today, April 25, 2014 - check out our first look feature above, then dive into specs and geo info below.

The launch of the Foxy Carbon also coincided with the launch of the 2015 FOX suspension program. The bikes we rode were all kitted out with 2015 FOX CTD forks and shocks, and since FOX Europe were on hand we took the opportunity to learn more about what the latest updates are all about, and also how FOX's Upgrade and Tuning programs can help all CTD riders get more out of their equipment. In addition to the soundbites features in the slideshow above, check out the longer interview with Chris Trojer of FOX Europe if you are curious to learn more: