Share

Downhill Bikes

Mondraker Summum Carbon Pro Team

If there was one bike that simply had to be in the 100 it was the Mondraker Summum. Three World Cup wins under Danny Hart, a 1-2-3 at the World Championships and a new mountain bike speed record make it the most successful bike of the past year without question.

We copped a lot of shit for not naming it as one of our best downhill bikes of 2016 but, truth be told, a size large we were sent in 2015 didn’t really deliver when we took it to Pila. We found it a bit cramped and couldn’t fix that while still retaining the Forward Geometry. With a week of bodging we finally got it to a place that suited us, but at this point its competition had left it far behind. Enter the size XL and everything has changed.

When first released this truly was a radical beast, coming in lighter yet longer than almost all its competition. It also turned heads with a space-age aesthetic. While other brands have caught up win terms of numbers, the looks still remain and this bike has statuesque form.

It’s still in the ballpark geometry wise too, although not as radical as it once was. A reach of 468mm makes it shorter only than the Sender, Tues and Nicolai – it’s still 40mm shorter than the Dune though. A head angle that can go as low as 61° really does stand alone though. The closest match is the G19 at 61.5 but when most sit at 63, you really can feel the difference on this bike.

“As close as you can get to riding Danny Hart’s bike without Rob Warner commentating every time you break the beams.”

The spec is truly top notch. Hart’s switch to Fox dampers is probably one of the main reasons for his success this year and they come fitted stock here. You may get sick of us saying this, but the 40s really do rule the roost when it comes to double crown forks.

Also shared with the MS team from last year are the DT Swiss wheels, SRAM groupset (although the team has switched to Shimano this year), Renthal bars and SDG saddle. Basically this is as close as you can get to riding Danny Hart’s bike without Rob Warner commentating every time you break the beams.

You don’t need to ride like Danny Hart to feel fast on this bike either. There’s a confidence-inspiring, bottomless feel to the chassis that encourages you to push and push. In the steeps it feels composed and the slackness seems to be no burden on flatter, bike parky terrain (let’s not forget Danny’s first win was on the wide open turns of Lenzerheide).

Mondraker Summum Carbon Pro Team

There’s just one thing we’re yet to figure out. When we visited the MS Mondraker pits at the World Champs, we were told Danny’s secret was “under the paint”. What could they have meant by that?

Share

Share

Selected for Dirt 100 2017

View the full 100
Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production