ABOUT THE NEW MONDRAKER SUMMUM
The fully redesigned Mondraker Summum was developed with the Mondraker Factory Racing team to offer the best performance for downhill racing. Mondraker focused on elements like predictability and adjustability to help their athletes to challenge for the top step of the podium.
FRAME DESIGN | Mondraker redesigned the new MX-wheel-only Summum to produce a durable yet lightweight 6061 Stealth Alloy Evo frame. This frame uses a mixture of forged, machined, and hydroformed alloy pieces to optimize the handling characteristics and minimize the weight. The bottom bracket and mainframe suspension pivots are produced in one piece to ensure alignment and produce a stiff and light structure.
The frame pivot bearings are the MAX. capacity dual-row from Enduro, with a consistent size across the pivots for easier maintenance. The hardware is given extra sealing to keep these bearings protected against the elements, prolonging their life.
The Hidden Housing Guide internal cable routing helps to keep the bike free from rattles. As does the new rubber frame protection, fitted to the chainstay, seatstay and downtube to reduce noise.
The rear axle uses the SuperBoost standard to build a stiff and strong wheel, with a 83mm threaded bottom bracket and ISCG 05 mounts in place. The rear end uses the UDH standard, allowing for the new SRAM XX DH Transmission drivetrain to be fitted.
ZERO SUSPENSION | Mondraker continues to use its dual-link Zero Suspension system to provide the 200mm of rear wheel travel on their Summum. The latest model has DH-optimized kinematics, redesigned to suit their World Cup downhill race team. However, Mondraker says that the same predictability and capability delivered by the new kinematics will suit any rider profile.
The leverage ratio offers around 30% progression over the 200mm travel, with a reduced rate of change towards the end of the travel to ensure all travel is accessible and to best pair with a shock with Hydraulic Bottom Out.
The pedaling support is plentiful thanks to Anti Squat which hovers around 100% at sag. However, this pedaling support drops as the bike goes further into its travel, helping to reduce the chain effects deeper in the stroke. The Anti Rise that defines its braking character is fairly consistent throughout the travel, sitting just below 100% beyond sag to balance bump-eating and geometry preservation.
ADJUSTABILITY | Mondraker built a lot of adjustability into the new Summum, to allow riders and racers alike to tune the handling to their preferences. As a result, the geometry can be tweaked in three ways, resulting in 27 possible configurations. Headset reach adjustment cups let the rider tweak the reach 5mm in each direction. Replaceable dropouts let the chainstay grow or shrink 5mm from the nominal 455mm length. Last but not least, a lower shock mount flip chip tweaks the BB height up or down by 5mm and head tube angle by 0.35° each way from 62.5°.
GEOMETRY | Way back in 2013, Mondraker bikes pioneered geometry elements that were well ahead of the curve, with longer reach lengths and shorter stem lengths than bike brands used until quite a few years later. Mondraker continues to call their geometry “Forward Geometry”, however the figures used are no longer outside of what is typical. That said, geometry developed to reach a happy place thanks to the work of brands like Mondraker.
In the three-size range, reach numbers go from 450mm to 510mm in 30mm steps. The Stack height of 642.6mm, nominal head tube angle of 62.5°, 350mm bb height (5mm drop), and 455mm chainstay remain consistent.
BUILD OPTIONS
Mondraker is offering two standard build options for the Summum, the Summum RR Team Edition as tested here for $9,499, or the cheaper Summum R at $6,499. Riders looking to build their dream machine from the ground up, or use their existing components, will excited to see the frameset option at $3,699.
The Summum RR tested features a SRAM-heavy build, with the latest and greatest MY27 Boxxer and Vivid Coil in Ultimate guise; updated Maven Ultimate brakes, and XX DH Transmission AXS 7-speed drivetrain.
The DT Swiss EX 1700 Classic wheelset is hard to fault, and wrapping them is the trustworthy Maxxis Assegai and DHR 2 DH tire combo. Mondraker’s in-house components brand, OnOff, makes up the cockpit components to round out the build.
THE DIRT
My testing was performed over three intense days around Queenstown, New Zealand, during which I worked with the SRAM mechanics and engineers to optimize the setup and get the Summum running as good as possible.
THE SETUP AND OPTIMIZATION PROCESS
Over the three days of testing, we switched riding locations and rode different trails to get a wide spread of riding scenarios and decipher exactly how the Mondraker Summum – and SRAM components that were fitted to it – were performing. As such, I took the opportunity to play with the setup of the bike, to either complement the trail or my mental state.
Day 1 saw a setup that got progressively firmer and more aggressive to support the hard charging and crazy g-forces at Coronet Peak. I got to a setup where I had incredible support that let me push myself as hard as I ever have, remaining balanced, predictable, and still delivering sufficient compliance and cushion to keep me on track. However, Coronet Peak is absent from significant chatter, and it was rich in traction, so there was still a lot to learn about the bike and components.
Day 2 on the Skyline-accessed Ben Lomond Trails began with tired hands and a significant switch of terrain. With considerably more low to mid-speed impacts and less traction on tap, my firm “full gas” setup from the day before didn’t offer the levels of comfort and traction that I desired, or perhaps needed. So then, compression damping began to drop, and I began to approach a setup that let me focus on my lines and keep my hands a little happier.
Still though, I thought there might be more control to unlock, so my spring rates dropped 10psi in the fork and 25lbs in the rear shock. This immediately gave a “magic carpet” sensation, with less (but still far from no) damping, and a considerably more settled nature. And once again, I was happy with the performance of the bike. Albeit, not quite able to obtain the maximum speed possible out of the terrain.
Once my hands came back to life towards the end of day 2, my bravery and grip strength returned, and I took the opportunity to experiment with damper-led support instead of increasing the spring rate. By the end of the day, I’d gone up the low-speed compression damping range a fair amount and settled on two clicks above the middle of the range. Above this, I enjoyed the support in smoother terrain, but wished for slightly more cushion through the chunk.
Day 3 brought a better feeling body and increased confidence. With a setup that let me look far ahead on the trail and let the bike eat, I started getting back towards the level of riding aggression that had me wishing for a little more support out of the bike. This time, the high-speed compression received an extra click on both ends, and the difference was substantial. The ride height increased, and the support when pushing hard was notably improved. Thankfully, there was less of a drop in the terrain-ironing ability of the Summum. Aside from the perception of slightly faster rebound, which had me slowing the fork down one click, I found myself in what was essentially a Goldilocks setup, which had me feeling nigh on invincible as I enjoyed attacking the best trails the bike park had to offer.
HOW DID THE MONDRAKER SUMMUM PERFORM?
From the get-go, the intentions of the Mondraker Summum were very clear. It took all of two undulations in the trail to feel its eagerness to go fast, and from the first big hit, its capabilities and composure were confirmed. It was no surprise that this was a bike with a desire to go fast; simply looking at it and its geometry told you that. But much to my surprise, the Summum also possessed enough energy and agility to make mellower, flowier trails come alive, too.
When I heard I was going to be riding a downhill bike with a 460mm rear end (the mechanic had fitted the long dropouts following feedback from the race team), I had concerns over how much “fun” it would be outside of pushing my maximum speed. And while it was the race-focused approach that received the best response from the Summum, it was surprisingly well-rounded. It wouldn’t be my jib and side hit bike of choice, but it was a riot on faster flow trails and bigger jump lines. Gassing to flat was never a problem, whether deliberate or otherwise, with a hilarious level of capability on bigger hits.
With the long rear end placing rider weight bang in the middle of the bike, a flex balance that offered precision without becoming unsettled, and stellar support from the kinematic and new RockShox Boxxer and Vivid Coil, the Summum felt to have no top end to its speed. As such, I spent the majority of testing scared, with trail speeds higher than ever and corners approaching rapidly. That fear wasn’t due to a lack of trust in the bike – far from it – only the concern that at some point I’d do something that exceeded my ability to hold on. Thankfully, that geometry balance provided excellent cornering control, and I was hitting the perfect corners of Coronet Peak with more confidence and aggression than ever before.
On the anchors, I was impressed by the poise of the Mondraker Summum. It remained remarkably neutral on the brakes, striking a sweet spot between rear-end sensitivity and avoiding pitching forward under hard braking efforts. As a rider who spends a lot of time trying to slow down, this balanced braking character really helped to elevate the bike’s performance.
Pedaling from the chairlift to the trailhead, the Summum’s rear end remained fairly stable, giving less of the typical downhill bike sluggishness. In harder gears – those that you would be mashing when approaching the finish line of a downhill race – support felt reasonable for my flat pedal setup, so I’d expect a clipless rider (typically exhibiting a more circular, consistent power curve that demands less suspension support than those on flats) to be satisfied with the support when charging.
As for build quality, I came away impressed. Make no mistake, this bike was meticulously prepared by Mondraker Factory Racing mechanic, Jake Hood, and you could really tell! From extra protective tape fitted to cushion chain noise, to sharpie-marked pivots to keep an eye on hardware torque, it was no surprise that this Summum was dialled. But to further this, everything looked clean and polished, and felt good to work on. Aside from some dust-induced headset creaking, which was easily remedied, the bike stayed tight and barely made a noise throughout testing. A dialled bike is a happy bike, and it’s amazing what a happy bike can do to its rider!
The Wolf’s First Impression
At the SRAM Model Year 27 downhill camp where my testing time was spent on the Mondraker Summum, two other excellent bikes were being ridden: the Canyon Sender, and the Commencal Supreme DH. Though these other two bikes have undeniable race podiums and heritage, the Mondraker seemed to be the bike that caught everyone’s eyes and hearts. To me, that says a lot! I was extremely stoked to be on board the Mondraker Summum for this time, and it did not disappoint one bit. It’s simply excellent. 
Website: Mondraker.com
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ABOUT THE WOLF
Robert’s habitat is the Tweed Valley, Scotland, which is renowned for its root-littered enduro mountain bike trails. Robert has been developing his bike handling skills for the last 16 years. Since he was a pup, he’s been riding everything from BMX through to enduro and downhill bikes. Combining a playful style with occasional speed-focused aggression, he favors supportive bikes, and does his best to push them hard.
Rank: European Tech Editor
Size: 6’2” / 189cm | 220lbs / 100kg
Social: @robert_johnston
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