Last year, Mondraker unveiled the Dusty and, in a bold move, it was the brand’s first e-gravel bike – and only gravel bike, for that matter. Today, Mondraker has expanded its gravel offering with the new Arid, which focuses on compliance and efficiency while benefitting from five sizes and frame storage.
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Keen to state that it’s not just jumping on a skinny-tyred bandwagon, Mondraker now says that gravel is a very real part of its identity and that the Arid gravel bike was an organic move that just made sense. The brand mentions that it’s a mould-breaker as it ‘bridges the gap between differing ideologies’ through adaptability.
With a frame built from the brand’s Stealth Air Carbon, the Arid borrows from the Dusty but is shaped to provide a livelier ride. Present are minimal lines and thinner tubes to improve aesthetics and the ride.
A big focus on this new bike is the balance between stiffness and compliance. The head tube and bottom bracket areas get reinforced but, as we saw on the Dusty, the rear triangle is crafted for compliance and comfort. Mondraker says that its work in these areas results in a bike with greater pedalling efficiency and acceleration over hardpack but its seat stays boost average speed.
As for frame features, it gets all of the mod-cons, including internal cable routing with HHG cable guides and a UDH. It’s compatible with 1x drivetrains only to improve stiffness and ease maintenance. The frame and fork boast mounting points for up to six water bottles and can house 50mm tyres at both ends. There’s also a T47 bottom bracket.
It can accommodate Mondraker’s brand-new Carry-On system. It’s the brand’s own take on internal storage located on the downtube and it gets double-lapped zip bags to provide extra storage.
Coming in five sizes, there’s a new ML size said to reduce the jump between sizes, improving riding fit. To put the geometry into numbers, each size gets a 70-degree head angle, a 74-degree effective seat tube angle and 425mm chainstays. An ‘L’ frame benefits from a roomy 423mm reach.
The new Arid is available in five models, including a frame only with the pricier bikes running the latest SRAM Red AXS drivetrain with Zipp wheels. The lower end welcomes Shimano GRX shifting and Mavic hoops.
Prices start at £1,800 for the frame only and top out at £8,500.
