2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon: What you need to know
Mondraker is known for producing high end mountain bikes and the 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon, is no different. This is an extremely focussed cross country race bike. It is super lightweight, thanks to carbon fibre and all sorts of exotic components. Mondraker say that it is made to create a superior and faster you.
The carbon frame of this mountain bike has been developed by specialists in Germany using technology used in Formula 1 and DTM (German touring car) racing. The Mondraker F-Podium Carbon is an evolution of their race winning cross country bikes.
There are four different different versions of the 2020 Mondraker F Podium Carbon. In this post, I highlight the different models to help you decide which one to buy.
2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon Range
The F-Podium has been used by pros for cross country racing for a while now. Originally, the Podium was a hardtail, but Mondraker decided to throw some short travel prototypes in to competitions. This allowed them to tweak the suspension design and give it modern geometry to make it in to a very capable cross country race bike.
Key Features
- Stealth air carbon – This is a type of carbon construction that is used in the automotive and aerospace industries. This means that it is of high quality and adheres to high standards.
- XCO geo forward geometry – This is the latest in geometry design for cross country bikes. The idea is to give the rider more safety and confidence when riding steep terrain at high speed. It also gives a more reactive and responsive feeling when it comes to handling. This geometry makes riding uphill more precise, gives more stability on rough terrain and better grip. The geometry on the 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon range features a longer reach and a longer top tube. Along with the FG30mm stem, this brings a very balanced riding position. This is perfect for riding cross country.
- Zero suspension system – This doesn’t mean no suspension as it has 100mm of travel that has been refined to make pedalling for long distances much faster.
- Mono-block carbon upper linkage – The way the suspension works with a one-piece upper linkage for the shock, means that the the mounting is stiff. This allows it to work more efficiently.
- Oversized pivot thru axles and bearings – This reduces the lateral flex of the frame and suspension during hard pedalling.
- HHG internal cable routing – This is basically how the cables are fed though the frame, preventing damage and making everything nice and tidy. This is available on all four models.
2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon RR SL
The Carbon RR SL is the top of the range 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon. At £12,000 you really need to be serious about your cross country riding or racing. There is nothing cheap and nasty about this bike, it is the Formula 1 car of cross country mountain bikes.
Specification
| Frame: | F-Podium 29 Stealth Air Full Carbon 100mm |
| Fork: | Fox 32 Step Cast Float 29 Remote FIT4 Evol Factory Kashima Boost 100mm |
| Rear Shock: | Fox Float DPS 2Pos Remote Factory Kashima 185 x 47.5mm |
| Headset: | Onoff Saturn tapered ACB |
| Stem: | Onoff Helium +/-6° |
| Bars: | BikeAhead the Flatbar Carbon 8,5° 720mm |
| Front Brake: | Sram Level Ultimate 160mm |
| Rear Brake: | Sram Level Ultimate 160mm |
| Brake Lever: | Sram Level Ultimate |
| Rear Mech: | Sram XX1 Eagle AXS |
| Shifters: | Sram XX1 Eagle AXS right 12s |
| Speed: | 12 |
| Rims: | BikeAhead AC29 Biturbo RS |
| Front Hub: | BikeAhead Boost 15x110mm |
| Rear Hub: | BikeAhead Boost 12x148mm |
| Spokes: | BikeAhead |
| Front Tyre: | Maxxis Rekon Race Exo TR 29×2.25 |
| Rear Tyre: | Maxxis Rekon Race Exo TR 29×2.25 |
| Seat Post: | BikeAhead the Seatpost Carbon 31.6 400mm |
| Saddle: | Fizik Antares 00 carbon |
| Chainset: | Sram XX1 Carbon Eagle DUB Boost DM34t |
| Bottom Bracket: | Sram DUB BSA 73mm |
| Chain: | Sram XX1 Eagle Rainbow |
| Cassette: | Sram XG-1299 10-50t Rainbow 12s |
| Pedals: | Not Included |
| Weight: | 9.520 kg |
Features
The outstanding features for the Carbon RR SL starts with the weight. At just 9.52kg, this is a super light mountain bike. This is thanks to its high tech carbon frame, wheels, handlebars, saddle and other components. This will make it very easy to climb, especially as it uses the SRAM Eagle AXS drivetrain. This is 12 speed, but also changes gear via electronic wireless shifters. This technology is about as good as it gets for mountain bike drivetrains and offers smooth, fast and reliable gear shifting.
The wheels are pretty special too. You will notice that these BikeAhead AC29 Biturbo RS rims have five big spokes, at bike an old style BMX. As a pair they only weigh 1.2kg, they are worth about £1,000 on their own too! Their construction is super high tech, making them extremely tough. You can read all about them here.
The Fox 32 Step Cast Float 29 fork is the lightest fork Fox make for cross country use. The shape of the lower leg design isn’t just for its aesthetics. It uses a narrow stance in order to save even more weight. The rear shock is a high performing Fox Float DPS Float, used on World Cup cross country bikes. It is lightweight, with a Dual Piston Base Valve with dedicated compression and rebound pistons. This gives it a firm lockout without compromising bump compliance, ride control, or efficiency.
Verdict
If you are committing to spend this much money on a bike, you really need to know what you are doing. As I said, this is the Formula 1 car of cross country mountain bikes. Therefore, you need to ride it to its limits, but you will probably reach yours first.
2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon RR
The 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon RR is a snip at £7,899. It is a considerable saving over the RR SL, but again, this bike is for serious cross country mountain bikers.
Specification
| Frame: | F-Podium 29 Stealth Air Full Carbon 100 mm |
| Fork: | Fox 32 Step Cast Float 29 Remote FIT4 Evol Factory Kashima Boost 100mm |
| Rear Shock: | Fox Float DPS 2Pos Remote Factory Kashima 185 x 47.5 mm |
| Headset: | Onoff Saturn tapered ACB |
| Stem: | Mondraker XC -5degree |
| Bars: | Onoff Helium Carbon 0.2 760mm |
| Front Brake: | Shimano XTR M9100 160mm |
| Rear Brake: | Shimano XTR M9100 160mm |
| Brake Lever: | Shimano XTR M9100 |
| Rear Mech: | Shimano XTR RD-M9100 SGS 12s |
| Shifters: | Shimano XTR SL-9100 12s |
| Speed: | 12 |
| Rims: | DT Swiss XRC1200 Spline One 25mm |
| Front Hub: | DT Boost 15x110mm |
| Rear Hub: | DT Boost 12X148mm Microspline freehub |
| Spokes: | DT Competition Straight pull |
| Front Tyre: | Maxxis Rekon Race Exo TR 29×2.25 |
| Rear Tyre: | Maxxis Rekon Race Exo TR 29×2.25 |
| Seat Post: | Onoff Helium Carbon 0-R 31.6x400mm |
| Saddle: | Fizik Antares R5 Kium |
| Chainset: | Rotor Inpower DM34t with power meter |
| Bottom Bracket: | Rotor BSA 30mm |
| Chain: | Shimano XTR CN-M9100 12s |
| Cassette: | Shimano XTR CS-M9100 10-51T 12s |
| Pedals: | Not Included |
| Weight: | 10.210kg |
Features
The 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon RR has a few different components than the super luxury and exotic RR SL. The main difference in components is that rather than SRAM brakes drivetrain etc, the R uses Shimano components. But this is not a bad thing. The Shimano XTR M9100 drivetrain is designed for cross country, enduro and marathon racing. It offers fast and smooth gear shifting for those moments you need to adjust to changes in the terrain.
The wheels are high end cross country items from DT Swiss. They are designed to be used for intense and aggressive cross country racing, which mirrors the purpose of this bike.
The suspension is the same high quality Fox items found on the RR SL.
Verdict
The 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon RR is a slightly more affordable version than the RR SL. But, be under no illusion, this is still a very high end cross country mountain bike. This bike will be at home in any high level cross country mountain bike race.
2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon R
The 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon R goes back to SRAM components rather than Shimano. This bike will be more popular with cross country riders and racers, thanks to its more favourable price point.
Specification
| Frame: | F-Podium 29 Stealth Air Full Carbon 100mm |
| Fork: | Fox 32 Step Cast Float 29 Remote FIT4 Evol Factory Kashima Boost 100mm |
| Rear Shock: | Fox Float DPS 2Pos Remote Factory Kashima 185 x 47.5mm |
| Headset: | Onoff Saturn tapered ACB |
| Stem: | Mondraker XC -5° |
| Bars: | Onoff Helium Carbon 0.2 760mm |
| Front Brake: | Sram Level TLM 160 mm |
| Rear Brake: | Sram Level TLM 160 mm |
| Brake Lever: | Sram Level TLM |
| Rear Mech: | SRAM X01 Eagle X-Horizon Type3 1x12s |
| Shifters: | SRAM GX Trigger right 12s |
| Speed: | 12 |
| Rims: | DT Swiss XR1501 Spline One 25 mm |
| Front Hub: | DT Boost 15×110 mm |
| Rear Hub: | DT Boost 12X148 mm XD freehub |
| Spokes: | DT Competition Straight pull |
| Front Tyre: | Maxxis Rekon Race Exo TR 29×2.25 |
| Rear Tyre: | Maxxis Rekon Race Exo TR 29×2.25 |
| Seat Post: | Onoff Helium Carbon 0-R 31.6x400mm |
| Saddle: | Fizik Antares R7 |
| Chainset: | Sram X1 Carbon Eagle 12s 34t |
| Bottom Bracket: | Sram DUB BSA |
| Chain: | Sram GX Eagle 12s |
| Cassette: | Sram Eagle XG1275 10-50t 12s |
| Pedals: | Not Included |
| Weight: | 10.590 kg |
Features
This bike has the SRAM Eagle drivetrain, which is getting quite popular on both enduro and cross country bikes. This is because it is 12 speed and has a huge 50t gear to help you get up the steepest of hills. This bike is slightly heavier than the top of the range RR SL, but it isn’t exactly a chubster at just 10.59kg.
The wheels are slightly different to the DT Swiss XCR1200 Splines on the Carbon RR. This bike rolls on XR1501 Splines, which are aluminium and helping to bring the price down.
Verdict
The 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon R is for the enthusiastic cross country rider that likes to take on races from time to time. This is a high end bike to ride long distances off road.
2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon
The 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon is the “entry level” version of this bike. This will be the one you will see the most often on the trails. Although it is the cheapest, it is still an amazing distance crushing machine.
Specification
| Frame: | F-Podium 29 Stealth Air Full Carbon 100 mm |
| Fork: | Fox 32 Step Cast Float 29 Remote Grip Performance Boost 100 mm |
| Rear Shock: | Fox Float DPS 2Pos Remote Performance Elite 185×47.5 mm |
| Headset: | Onoff Saturn tapered ACB |
| Stem: | Mondraker XC -5° |
| Bars: | Onoff Sulfur 0.2 760 mm |
| Front Brake: | Shimano MT501 160 mm |
| Rear Brake: | Shimano MT501 160 mm |
| Brake Lever: | Shimano MT501 |
| Rear Mech: | Sram GX Eagle X-Horizon Type3 1x12s |
| Shifters: | Sram NX Eagle Trigger right 12s |
| Speed: | 12 |
| Rims: | Mavic Crossmax Tubeless Boost |
| Front Hub: | Mavic Boost 15×110 mm |
| Rear Hub: | Mavic Boost 12×148 mm |
| Spokes: | Mavic |
| Front Tyre: | Maxxis Rekon Race Exo TR 29 x 2.25 |
| Rear Tyre: | Maxxis Rekon Race Exo TR 29 x 2.25 |
| Seat Post: | Onoff Sulfur 0-R 31.6x400mm |
| Saddle: | Mondraker XC Series |
| Chainset: | Truvativ Stylo 7K Eagle DUB Boost DM34t |
| Bottom Bracket: | Sram DUB BSA 73mm |
| Chain: | Sram NX Eagle |
| Cassette: | Sram XG1275 10-50t Eagle 12s |
| Pedals: | Not Included |
| Weight: | 11.490kg |
Features
As you van see from the specs above, this bike has the SRAM Eagle drivetrain that I am such a big fan of. The brakes are the MT501 from Shimano. These are not quite as high end as the models on the other bikes, but they provide lots of stopping power. This is because they are four piston disc brakes. They were originally designed for e-bikes. This gives you an idea of how powerful they are, as they need to stop all that weight. But, on a featherweight such as the Mondraker F-Podium Carbon, you will have plenty of control on your descents.
Verdict
The 2020 Mondraker F-Podium Carbon is for those that want a high end cross country bike, but can’t justify spending hideous amounts of money. This is probably the most realistic bike on this list for most people. That is unless you are minted and/or very handy on a cross country mountain bike.
Which One Takes Your Fancy?
If you are looking to buy a high end 2020 cross country mountain bike, you cannot go wrong with any of these. You just need to be realistic in what you are planning on doing with it to decide which specification you go for.
Please leave your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.
Great article, beautifully written! The bike is beautiful, and from the specs, I bet its a dream to ride, but a high-end cross-country bike would not fit into my budget ride. Do you ever review not such high-end bikes? I am hoping so which is why I signed up for your newsletter. Oh, and the site looks great!
Hi John,
Thanks for your comment. Mondraker are very high end bikes. There are other bikes on the site that are not so expensive, such as the Nukeproof Mega. This is more of an enduro bike, but good for everything. Glad you are enjoying my site!
My Son is looking to upgrade his bike and is an amazing cross country rider and when I found this article I was rapt because Dan is going to love checking this out and knowing him, he loves the best of the best so I am picking he will buy your no1 best here so thank you and I will share this link with him now.
Safety is paramount and the specs are awesome
Hi Vicki,
Thanks for your comment and for sharing the post. I hope he enjoys it.