Mondraker F-Podium RR review

Mondraker has merged its pure-bred XC F-Podium and the downcountry ‘DC’ version into a do-it-all 110mm package in the latest iteration of its XC racer, the Mondraker F-Podium RR.

The frame sees an updated version of Mondraker's Zero Suspension System, with the shock now mounting to the rear triangle rather than the lower mini-link. It draws upon the brand's Forward Geometry philosophy for its shape.

As with most new cross-country bikes, there’s 120mm travel at the front, via a Fox 34 Step-Cast fork, matched by a Fox Float shock at the rear, both of which are controlled by a three-position on-bar lockout.

Mondraker’s geometry always impresses and the F-Podium is a flat-out machine that works best on steep tracks and flowy trails.

However, the suspension’s damping and progressive nature mean care needs to be taken during setup to get the best out of it.

Mondraker F-Podium RR frame and suspension

Unlike most new XC race bikes, Mondraker’s Zero Suspension System is a twin-link design, rather than a flex-pivot system.

Here, the unified front and rear triangles are joined by a pair of short links, giving Mondraker ample opportunity to control the rear wheel’s path and the suspension’s characteristics.

The design places the shock low and central in the frame, optimising weight distribution.

A pair of rubberised fenders, one on the front triangle and one on the rear, work together to offer impressive protection for the shock from mud and water.

However, the frame’s architecture makes measuring sag difficult because a pair of struts are located on either side of the shock’s stanchion, meaning access to the sag-indicating O-ring tricky.

Updated on this latest-generation bike, the shock’s lower mounting point is on the rear triangle, rather than the lower link. This, says Mondraker, makes the bike even more reactive to pedal inputs.

The top tube looks thin in profile, but from the top the broad tubes hint at a stiff chassis. At the rear, a brace on the non-driveside boosts stiffness, too.

The frame is constructed from carbon, including the main upper link, with the tubes hosting the cables, which enter via the headset.

The low-slung frame and the position of the shock limit the F-Podium to a single bottle cage, but there’s a tool mount under the top tube.

These are joined by low-profile chain-slap protection.

Mondraker F-Podium RR geometry

Mondraker offers the F-Podium RR in four sizes, from Small to XL, with reach of 430mm to 505mm.

The longer reaches are a key part of Mondraker’s Forward Geometry concept, which sees longer front ends paired with short stems, blending high-speed stability with agility.

It’s worth noting that most of the industry has caught up with Mondraker when it comes to tube lengths and angles, so they’re no longer the most progressive out there.

However, the brand was early on the long, low and slack trend and its bikes still have punchy geometry.

The F-Podium RR, in a size-Large, has a moderately slack 66.5-degree head angle and a fairly steep claimed 76.2-degree seat angle, although on my Large test bike at my 750mm saddle height, I measured it at a steep 77.5 degrees. Reach is 480mm and the chainstays are a moderately short 435mm.

Mondraker F-Podium RR specifications

Fox supplies Factory-level suspension at both ends – a Float shock and 120mm 34 Step-Cast fork.

Both have three low-speed damping positions controlled by an on-bar lever that toggles towards more damping in single clicks and releases all the way to fully open each time.

In addition, the FIT4 damper in the fork has Open Mode adjustment to fine-tune feel.

The lockout lever limits the dropper to an over-bar lever, which takes getting used to if you jump between bikes frequently, although muscle memory should kick in if you ride only this bike.

Two-piston SRAM Level brakes paired with 180mm/160mm rotors and a SRAM GX/X1/X01 mixed mechanical groupset provide the stop-and-go capabilities.

My test bike came with a pair of dual-compound 120 TPI Maxxis Rekon Race tyres – 29x2.35in on the front and 29x2.4in WT at the back – slightly different from the listed 29x2.4in size on the Mondraker site. These tyres adorn carbon Mavic Crossmax XL R wheels.

Finishing kit is supplied by Mondraker’s in-house OnOff brand, including the 760mm bar and 60mm stem (size Large). Skinny in-house grips complete the package.

Mondraker F-Podium RR ride impressions

I rode the Mondraker F-Podium RR on a broad range of XC-focused trails in the South West of England, as well as at BikePark Wales.

My testing included fast laps around trail centres to learn about the bike’s pedal reactions, woody trails to ascertain any handling quirks and blasts through Black-rated bike park trails to see whether the bike could handle the rigours of the latest super-tech XC courses.

Setting up the F-Podium took a little more time than usual.

The struts either side of the shock and Fox’s lack of sag markings make measuring rear sag a fiddly process.

The fork is, obviously, easier. I ended up with the Open Mode adjustment fully open to make the damping as light as possible.

The 120 TPI tyres are super-supple, but from experience, I know their thin sidewalls can be puncture-prone. I inflated them to 25psi over rocky trails, and 22psi (front) and 23psi (rear) in the woods – a few psi higher than the tyre pressures I would typically run.

The only other complication was getting the angle of the dropper lever right. I liked it rotated forward, but found it could clip the release button of the lockout lever – the lockout’s release requires only a light touch, so there was a balance to be found between the positioning of each control.

Mondraker is one of few brands now to use a suspension platform different from the flex-stay single pivot that’s dominant. Its Zero Suspension System, which is fairly progressive in its nature, works very well.

There’s often a balance to strike between pedal efficiency and bump absorption. The F-Podium seems to work best at the softer end of the scale, especially on technical tracks, with around 28 per cent sag balancing control on climbs and descents.

Below this, I struggled to use all of the bike’s travel, and the rear wheel found it difficult to stay connected to the ground on rough terrain.

On smoother courses, running around 25 per cent gave the bike a reactive feel, at the expense of some smoothness.

Mondraker F-Podium RR climbing performance

At my ‘set and forget’ 28 per cent sag, the bike has an ‘open’ feeling in Open mode, with the wheel free to move up and down, helping it track the ground.

This feeling is present when under power, so on scrabbly traverses and rough climbs, where you want the tyre stuck to the floor, the F-Podium performs well.

There is some pedal bob, though. Stand up when in Open mode and the shock cycles through its mid-stroke, and unless you pedal smoothly when sat, you can get the shock moving a little.

That said, in a full-gas sprint, the bike stiffens again, giving it good throttle-open performance.

Given the levels of pedal bob, the shock’s Medium and Lock modes were used frequently – the light-feeling lever on the bar was in regular use.

In Medium mode, the shock is nicely damped, leaving enough squish to enable the tyres to grip, without wasting much energy when out of the saddle and pulling on the bar.

I used this mode extensively on climbs and even engaged it on flow tracks, to help even further when pumping the bike from roller to roller.

When really digging in, it’s good to feel both the chassis and the wheels offer decent levels of lateral stiffness, with neither flexing unduly. It helps contribute towards an urgent feeling when you want to accelerate.

This is accentuated by the Rekon Race tyres. These have low-profile tread blocks that offer up minimal resistance on smooth tracks.

Sure, they’re not mud pluggers, but even on more marginal surfaces where grip isn’t guaranteed, the supple 120 TPI sidewalls help the rubber conform to the ground’s fine details, boosting grip.

While the SRAM GX/X01 mechanical groupset isn’t as flashy as electronic gears on the bikes I tested alongside the F-Podium, with fresh cables the system works well.

The shifting is light, and unlike with SRAM’s latest Transmission, it's instant when you push the lever.

If I had one complaint about the kit when climbing, it would be that the OnOff dropper post is a little sluggish on its return.

Mondraker F-Podium RR descending performance

When it comes to the descents, Mondraker has an enviable reputation, born from its sorted geometry and dialled suspension.

The F-Podium lives up to expectations, although there are areas where things could be improved.

First up, though, the geometry is great.

The long front end gives the bike plenty of stability. Point the bike towards a spot in the distance and it holds its line with confidence.

On steep trails, the front wheel is nicely in front of you, so it was rare that I shied away from gnarlier sections of track.

The 435mm chainstays aren’t super-long. While longer stays would bolster stability further and contribute a more centred body-weight position, the shorter back end helps give the bike a quick-witted feeling as you thread it through tight gaps between trees. The reaction time to steering inputs is impressive.

The 77.5-degree seat angle also helps ensure you’re not sat too far over the back wheel on steep climbs.

The low-ish bottom bracket and confident tyres mean when the bike is leant over, it rips through corners at pace. It also shines brighter the steeper the terrain gets.

The Fox 34’s FIT4 damper is a little more damped in feeling than the RockShox SID found elsewhere, though. It has a composed feeling over repeated big hits and remains stable as you load it up through berms or drop into steep chutes.

However, it soaks up fast chatter less effectively than the SID.

This is reflected in the rear end, too, with its medium compression tuned shock.

The suspension linkage feels more progressive than most, so at higher pressures (and therefore lower sag numbers) the rear end skips over chatter a little more than some and is less comfortable whether stood or sat.

It gives a thrilling ride, but one that could be more refined.

On smooth tracks, this progressivity helps you drive the bike forward as you pump and pull, but it was via testing on more technical terrain that I settled on 28 per cent sag.

This helped balance the competing demands of pedal efficiency, and comfort and grip, while ensuring front and rear suspension dampers worked cohesively.

Send the bike off a big drop and the deft control of the back end is impressive, rarely raising an eyebrow on dodgy landings as the suspension ramps up.

However, on BikePark Wales’ rockiest tracks, the F-Podium couldn’t compete with the smoothness of the Specialized Epic 8 or Cannondale Scalpel I tested it alongside.

To compensate a little for the Fox suspension’s damping, I would have liked thicker, softer grips and a slightly more forgiving cockpit.

At the end of a long ride, the skinny grips and surprisingly stout bar left my hands feeling a little beaten-up.

I liked Mavic’s CrossMax wheels. They give the Maxxis tyres decent volume, thanks to their broad rims, and don’t feel uncomfortable nor flexy.

The freehub pick-up isn’t the fastest, but is comparable to those found on the bikes I tested alongside the F-Podium.

How does the Mondraker F-Podium RR compare to the Yeti ASR T3?

Both the Mondraker F-Podium RR and the Yeti ASR T3 have up-to-date geometry, although the Mondraker’s longer front end gives it the edge on paper.

The Yeti’s RockShox suspension is my preference. The fork feels freer to filter out high-frequency hits and the rear shock is matched nicely.

The Mondraker has a stiffer chassis that feels better when hauling through rock gardens and the progressive suspension gets less overwhelmed on the biggest hits.

It’s tit-for-tat in the finishing kit stakes, with carbon wheels and a mechanical groupset on the Mondraker, and alloy hoops and electronic gears on the Yeti – choose your poison.

Mondraker F-Podium RR bottom line

The Mondraker is a bike that loves steep terrain and super-fast flow, with its stable suspension giving confidence when you’re tipping it into a chute or rallying through fast flow.

Over high-speed chatter, though, it's a little less composed than the smoothest operators.