After reshaping the mountain bike world in their image, Mondraker has stepped into the gravel arena with its new Arid Carbon. Using their 16 years of experience in carbon manufacturing, Mondraker set out to make a bike that was equal parts fast and comfortable. Spencer was lucky enough to get two rides in at the Southern Arizona release event last month, check out his first ride review below…

Mondraker Arid Quick Hits

• Stealth Air Carbon frame
• Stealth Air Carbon fork (420 A-C)
• Carry-On frame storage
• UDH derailleur hanger
• T47 bottom bracket
• Up to 50 mm tire clearance
• 5 different sizes (S, M, ML, L, XL)
• 1250 grams frame weight (size M)
• 4 build levels ARID CARBON, ARID CARBON R, ARID CARBON RR, ARID CARBON RR SL (reviewed)

Anooooother gravel bike? Yup, another gravel bike; they just keep coming. I was dubious when I got invited to the release of Mondraker’s first foray into the world of drop bars, the Arid Carbon. What would it offer? Would it be a wildly progressive bike in the spirit of Mondraker’s pack-leading long, low, and slack mountain bike geometry? Would it be hella aero? For that last question, no; thankfully, aero was not high on their list when designing this bike. Let’s break down the other questions though.

Mondraker set out to design a comfortable bike that did not compromise its efficiency nor speed. Not being terribly speedy nor efficient myself, I doubt I can make a claim worth noting on that subject – but comfort is my wheelhouse, having spent a great deal of time on both the Specialized Diverge STR and Pivot Vault bikes, which use advanced proprietary systems to solve the bumpiness issue that plagues gravel. The Arid does not use any proprietary “system”, rather relying on its frame design and handlebars to provide flex, which nonetheless creates a pleasant riding experience.

When I arrived at the press camp, I found a spread of Mondraker-branded clothes and goodies – not unusual for such an event. I was tickled to find a pair of Handup denim jorts in the mix; if you’ve followed along for a bit, you’ll know I love my jorts. Jorts have been my preferred riding garment for almost any ride under 30 miles. Once I heard the claims about the intended comfort and compliance of the Arid, I knew I had to ride the bike in the provided jorts. Raw doggin’ the grav grav, in the youth parlance (holy shit, I sound as old as I am).

I’m happy to note that both day rides (25-30 miles of chunky southern AZ gravel) left my sit bones without a saddle sore or much discomfort. I even opted to ride the provided stock spec saddle instead of my own. This conjecture is about as unscientific as it gets as this is purely my personal experience, do with it what you will. Both of the rides were close to my home, so I can say that I would typically wear a pair of bibs to do either on my personal gravel bike (Specialized Sequoia). If you are thinking I have some iron taint like Lael, I definitely do not, and got my undercarriage wrecked a few days later when I attended Bike Kill in Brooklyn.

Sit bone comfort is only half of the equation for riding gravel though. How did my hands feel? I’m so glad you asked, because the ONOFF S9 handlebars were really the standout component of the bike for me. When I spent my last winter riding the Pivot Vault, the ISOFLEX system was brilliant at quieting off-road chatter in the rear of the bike, but that left the handlebars feeling comparatively stiff. While riding the Arid, the compliance of the handlebars and frame felt in-tune and balanced, creating a consistent and comfortable experience across contact points.

Frame Details

The Arid Carbon is made using Mondraker’s Stealth Air carbon manufacturing process, with each frame passing ISO testing +20% to make sure the construction is bombproof. Sporting six separate places for mounting bottles or other accessories between the frame and fork, the bike is clearly designed to be flexible in its use. The down tube uses Mondraker’s Carry-On storage compartment, which pivots on a hinge instead of being fully removable so that the bottle cage rotates out of the way for storage access. Mondraker provided prototype cases for a tube, tire pump/CO2 inflator, and a multitool that all fit in the Carry-On storage.

The most striking feature of the bike is the seat stay junction. The seat stays bifurcate before joining the seat tube, creating the signature “window” seen in many other Mondraker frames over the years. Luckily the team had a cut-away frame to allow us to peer behind the veil of the carbon layup to see that the lower leg of the split is solid, while the upper is hollow. These design decisions offered an explanation for the compliance and comfort I experienced while riding.

Build Spec

With builds ranging on the “low end” with Shimano GRX (Arid Carbon) up to the crème de la crème SRAM AXS XPLR (Arid Carbon RR SL,reviewed here), there are no bad options. For our press camp, we got to experience the highest-end builds. My personal sensibilities would lean toward the GRX build, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

This was my first time on the SRAM 13 speed XPLR group and, like all Transmission groupsets, it works damn well. My Zipp 303 XPLR wheels were another story. I was curious about the new 32mm internal diameter wheels touted for their aerodynamics and ability to run lower tire pressures. Josh deftly pointed out in his review that the extra-wide tire bed and barely-wider tire leaves the top edge of the wheel side wall exposed. On a particularly rough section of our second day’s ride, I hopped over a rock to avoid hitting it squarely, only to land and still hear a loud crunch, promptly followed by all the air leaving my tire. Right where Josh had jinxed the issue, the rim had cracked. Luckily I was able to install a tube with the tools in my Carry-On downtube storage and finish the ride.

I mentioned earlier that the drop bars were a standout in my experience. Mondraker’s in-house component brand (ONOFF) produced a new drop bar and seatpost in conjunction with the Arid. The drops feature a drop-off at the edge of the flat top as the bar curves toward the hoods. This creates a very comfy resting position for your wrist or even forearms. I am a wide bar kinda guy, but the S9 drops with their 16° of flare and a modest 46cm width (44cm on smaller sizes) provided a very enjoyable ride. The seatpost likewise had enough compliance to complement the frame and handlebars alike.

Geometry

While the Arid’s geometry is less progressive than I might have expected from a brand like Mondraker – maybe I envisioned another Evil Chamois Hagar, which I don’t think we actually need – it did have a long top tube, so expect to be running a shorter stem than you might normally. I rode an XL which came stock with a 90 mm stem, which I would have happily replaced with something in the 60-70 mm (available on the smaller size frames in the range) range. I straddled the size range between large and XL and opted for an XL to get the bars more level with the saddle. Shortening the stem would allow me to move the saddle back on the rails and hopefully get even more compliance out of the seatpost and frame.

A 70º head tube won’t turn any heads in this day and age and initially, I had thought that would make for a twitchier bike than I would have liked. Upon riding, I found the longer top tube and head tube angle created a very manageable handling characteristic. Combined with the low pressures in my tires with the Zipp wheels, the feeling was akin to a low trail bike. Going downhill, the bike was very stable at speed and I was happy with the lack of twitchy steering. In the end, like the comfort of the ride, the Arid felt balanced. It didn’t need geo chart sticker shock in order to produce a great ride that impressed me.

Who Is The Arid Carbon For?

With the whole range sporting the same high-performance Stealth Air carbon frame regardless of build spec, the Arid line inherently appeals to gravel riders who desire a higher-end experience. The Arid is a comfortable and compliant gravel bike for long rides and hard efforts for riders who want to prioritize comfort and a bombproof frame over saving a few grams.

The Arid could double as a capable light touring rig for the bikepacking curious. The frame and fork accommodate a range of mounting options for modern bike packing bags. With tire size (50 mm recommended with some space for tinkering) may be the main limit on the bikepacking capability of the Arid while still leaving a large swath of routes within its reach.

Mondraker has entered the gravel world in its own way. Mondraker had no interest in making a road bike and the Arid’s DNA comes from all they have learned about making mountain bikes. The Arid is a GRAVEL bike, not simply a road bike with larger tires. My concerns, preconceptions, and sit bones have been equally assuaged, and I must say I was impressed with my two days on the Arid.