Mondraker Dune
Wheel Size: 29’’ front / 27.5’’ rear
Travel: 165 mm rear / 170 mm front (Dune RR / R), 180 mm front (Dune XR)
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes Offered: S, M, L, XL
- Headtube Angle: 64° (Dune RR / R), 63.6° (Dune XR)
- Reach: 485 mm (Size Large, Dune RR / R) / 480 mm (Size Large, Dune XR)
- Chainstay Length: 445 mm
Frame Material: Carbon fiber
Prices:
- Dune XR Frameset w/ Ohlins TTX22m.2 shock: $6,799 USD
- Complete bikes: $7,999 to $11,999
Intro
We are seeing a lot of activity in the eMTB space, and Mondraker has joined the party with their new Dune. Riders might recall the Dune as Mondraker’s longstanding Enduro bike, first released back in 2009, but given Mondraker’s limited US availability until just earlier this year, they have been a rare sight on the trails around here.
For 2024, the Dune’s Enduro focus continues, but now with the addition of a motor — the Bosch Performance Line SX. With claimed weights under 44 lbs / 20 kg, the 165 mm travel Dune is big on travel and low on weight. Let’s dig into the new Dune to see what Mondraker has cooked up.
The Frame
Mondraker’s bikes have a distinct design language, with their unmistakable void just behind the head tube as well as their Zero suspension system. Mondraker has updated the dual-link Zero layout across a number of their recently updated bikes, claiming that the updated design brings a lower center of gravity and allows for a stiffer and lighter rear triangle.
The Dune is available with mixed wheels and in carbon fiber only — specifically Mondraker’s Stealth Air Carbon, their most advanced (and expensive) carbon fiber layup. The upper link that drives the shock is also a single carbon fiber unit. All that carbon fiber means that the bare frame without shock, motor or battery weighs just 2.65 kg, or about 5.8 lbs.
Unfortunately, it appears that Mondraker has opted to stick with headset cable routing on the new Dune, which means some extra fettling when it comes to brake swaps, headset servicing, and the like.
Other frame details included molded rubber frame protection on the rear triangle, a motor bash guard, an integrated mudguard to protect the shock from wheel spray, ample space for a water bottle, and a magnetic Fidlock accessory mount under the top tube.
Drive System
Mondraker has designed the Dune around Bosch’s Performance Line SX motor. As the lightweight motor in Bosch’s range, the Performance Line SX delivers a maximum 55 Nm of torque and 600W of peak power. That peak power rating is particularly impressive and matches many full power motors, including Bosch’s Performance Line CX. Bosch’s System Controller is integrated into the top tube, and the Mini Remote and Kiox 500 display are fitted to the handlebar.
The Dune’s battery is a 400Wh Bosch CompactTube 400 battery and is noted as being internal and removable, though the ease of removal will have to be verified once we get a chance to ride the Dune for ourselves. The Dune is also compatible with Bosch’s PowerMore 250 extender, which bolts onto the water bottle bosses and adds 250Wh of range along with a 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs weight penalty.
Fit & Geometry
Mondraker is offering the Dune in four sizes, from Small to XL. An early innovator around long reaches and short stems with their Forward Geometry concept, Mondraker’s latest geometry figures seem a lot less radical by modern standards. For the Dune RR and R models with a 170 mm fork, the headtube angle sits at 64° across sizes, with the Large getting a fairly typical 485 mm reach. The Dune XR gets a longer 180 mm travel fork, which slackens the headtube angle to 63.6° and shortens the reach slightly to 480 mm.
The effective seat angle is a fairly steep 77.5° on the Dune RR / R and 77.1° on the Dune XR. The actual seat angle, however, is 73.6° which means that the seat angle may feel slacker than the published effective seat angle for folks running a higher-than-average seat position on a given size. Mondraker’s geometry chart unfortunately doesn’t include the reference seat height for that effective seat angle figure.
All sizes get the same 445 mm chainstays, which could feel a bit ungainly on the Small where they exceed the 440 mm reach figure, but should afford a nice balance on the larger sizes. Stack figures are quite high across the board, with the Large sitting at 648 mm on the Dune RR / R, and 652 mm on the Dune XR, which should make for a confident, tall front end on steeper terrain.
The Builds
The Dune comes in three trim levels, from the base model R to the top step Dune XR.
Positioned as a “Super Enduro” bike by Mondraker, all three models get 38 mm stanchion forks, with the base Dune R model getting a Fox 38 Performance while the two higher spec builds get the Ohlins RXF 38 M.2 — a fork that we are big fans of here at Blister. The Dune XR gets bumped to 180 mm of fork travel where the Dune RR and R get 170 mm, and the XR gets a coil-sprung Ohlins TTX22M.2 shock while the Dune RR and R are fitted with air shocks (the Ohlins TTX Air and Fox Float X Performance, respectively).
The Dune XR and RR both get electronic shifting via SRAM’s Transmission (XO on the XR, GX on the RR), while the Dune R sticks with a mechanical SRAM drivetrain with a combination of GX and NX parts. All three build specs get the same Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip front tire in an EXO+ casing, with Minion DHR II MaxxTerra DoubleDown rear tires. While we would prefer to see DoubleDown casings on both ends, Mondraker has done better than most with casing and compound selection here.
All the builds see a fairly hefty dose of Mondraker’s in-house Onoff components and come with a stubby 30 mm stem. Dropper post lengths are a bit shorter than we’d like to see, especially given that the seat tube lengths could likely accommodate longer drop — the size Large, for example, gets a 140–170 mm adjustable dropper when it could likely push to 170–200 mm with the 450 mm seat tube measurement. For the asking price, it would have been nice to see fewer house-brand parts and longer droppers.
Full build specifications are below. In addition to the complete builds, Mondraker also offers the top-step Dune XR as a frameset for $6,799 USD.
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX / NX Eagle
- Brakes: SRAM DB8 (200 mm rotors)
- Fork: Fox 38 Performance Grip (170 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float X Performance
- Wheels: e*thireen Grappler Core
- Dropper Post: Onoff Pija (S: 95–125 mm; M: 120–150 mm, L: 140–170 mm, XL: 170–200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Code Bronze Stealth (200 mm rotors)
- Fork: Ohlins RXF 28 M.2 (170 mm)
- Shock: Ohlins TTX Air
- Wheels: e*thirteen Grappler Race
- Dropper Post: Onoff Pija (S: 95–125 mm; M: 120–150 mm, L: 140–170 mm, XL: 170–200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM XO Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth (200 mm rotors)
- Fork: Ohlins RXF 38 M.2 (180 mm)
- Shock: Ohlins TTX22M.2 (S: 343 lbs spring, M: 411 lbs spring, L: 457 lbs spring, XL: 502 lbs spring)
- Wheels: e*thirteen Grappler Race Carbon
- Dropper Post: RockShox Reverb Stealth AXS (S: 125 mm; M: 150 mm, L–XL: 175 mm)
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) The Dune is positioned as a “Super Enduro” bike by Mondraker, but does it feel particularly burly on the trail or does it trend toward being a more versatile option?
(2) How much range does the powerful Bosch Performance Line SX motor offer with the 400Wh battery?
(3) As a relatively new entrant to the US market, how does Mondraker’s updated suspension platform and geometry stack up alongside more familiar brands here in North America?
Bottom Line (For Now)
Mondraker’s recent entry into the US means that they are still a rare sight here in North America. While the new Dune is rather pricey, the striking aesthetic, sensible geometry, and burly intentions could make it an intriguing option for descending-focused eMTB enthusiasts. As the lightweight eMTB market continues to heat up, the Dune looks like it could be a solid contender on paper, but we’ll have to see for ourselves — and fortunately, that should be happening fairly soon.
Yea please answer the seatpost insertion question for us. Could be a deal breaker. Also very curious what the Frameset option. Does it come with a fork?