Beautiful Bicycle: Mondraker Raze is Perfect Mashup of Enduro Brawn & XC Brains

Maybe you do this too, but over the years, one of the mental shortcuts I've adopted for quickly sizing up a mountain bike is to place it on an imaginary sliding scale, with a rigid or short-travel cross-country (XC) bike on one end, and a full-on downhill bike on the other.

In either direction, you pick your desired riding style and related build, and you live with the trade-offs. Light, snappy, and blazing fast going up? You're often in for a rougher ride going down. Plush, fun, and poised for big hits? Sure, but brace yourself for a more sluggish, inefficient climb.

And then comes a bike like this custom built Mondraker Raze Carbon R (150mm front, 130mm rear), refusing to compromise while throwing my mental model out the window.

With a tantalizing mashup of brawn and brains, enduro muscle and XC precision, our latest Beautiful Bicycle climbs like a featherweight and descends with brute force, made possible by a rider vision that's holistic, intelligent, and ready to rip.

Suspension: A Smart Powerhouse

The centerpiece of this build and the lynchpin to defying those classic mountain bike tradeoffs is the RockShox Flight Attendant system (which if you're like me, you tend to associate more with XC riding). Here, it's paired to a Lyrik Ultimate fork and Super Deluxe Ultimate Flight Attendant shock, delivering a bigger-hit, rowdier setup that reads the trail in real time, adjusts automatically, and brings heightened intelligence to enduro-worthy muscle. Brawn and brains, working together. Want to learn more about the Flight Attendant system? Head over to our Deep Dive or Ride Review.

Drivetrain: Race-Day DNA

Moving this bike forward, this customer chose to upgrade to SRAM XX Eagle Transmission delivers pure XC pedigree; the lightest, crispest, most precise groupset in the game. On the Raze R, it ensures split-second shifts no matter how rowdy the trail gets, lending race-day sharpness to a trail-ready chassis. To take it a step further, 5Dev titanium pulley wheels add durability and a touch of refinement.

Braking Like a Boss: With SRAM Maven Ultimate + OAK Components Lever Blades

After the turns have been earned, and perhaps knowing this bike will be blazing fast, the customer chose SRAM Maven Ultimate brakes for their best-in-class stopping power. They're the perfect counterpoint to the speed this bike invites, delivering confidence when it matters most. Complementing them are OAK Components SR lever blades, adding both refinement and a flash of silver to match the build's polished theme. Want to hear our thoughts on how the SRAM Mavens perform? Head to our Ride Review.

Crankset: Titanium Strength, Durability

Cane Creek's eeWings titanium cranks (which if you're curious, we also recently featured on this custom build) are the definition of boutique performance: as light as carbon, stiffer than alloy, and bombproof for the long haul. At 165mm, they're a subtle nod to pedal clearance and durability.

Wheels + Tires: Where Grip Meets Agility

ENVE M6 carbon wheels strike a balance between precision and resilience, perfectly suited for aggressive trail riding. Schwalbe Nobby Nic up front delivers cornering bite, while a Wicked Will rear keeps things fast-rolling and efficient.

Cockpit + Contact Points: Control, Comfort, Confidence

An Industry Nine A35 stem and OneUp bar put the rider in command, while a RockShox Reverb AXS dropper keeps things wireless and seamless. The Ergon SM Pro saddle rounds out the build, built for all-day comfort and control.

Finishing Touches: Silver Refinement

Chris King components throughout this build, including the headset, stem cap, seatpost collar, and bottom bracket, give the bike a spectacular finish. Reliable, beautiful, and unmistakably premium.

Learn More

This Mondraker Raze Carbon R is more than just a custom build. It's proof that enduro brawn and XC brains can coexist in one remarkable machine.

Ready to build your own masterpiece?

We'd love to help. Drop by the shop, give us a call at (801) 364-0344, or send us a message here.