The Spanish brand Mondraker has updated its 2023 catalog with the Dusty range, made up of three electric gravels both cut for road and trails. Its particularity: a very contained weight.
Seriously positioned in the eMTB niche, the Iberian manufacturer Mondraker seeks to cover other non-urban practices, such as gravel. As a reminder, this type of bike is halfway between a mountain bike (it has the tires) and a road bike (it has the geometry and the frame), to feel as comfortable on roads as bitumen.
The new Dusty 2023 range answers exactly this problem. In total, three models make up the offer: Dusty R, Dusty RR and Dusty XR. This trio shares a common feature: their frame is made of carbon fiber, a material particularly known for its strength and lightness.
Less than 14 kg, in any case
Therefore, one of its great strengths lies in its very contained weight: 12.8, 13.1 and 13.8 kg, respectively. Other identical components have been installed in these three models, such as the Mahle X20 motor (55 Nm of torque) or the 350 Wh battery, whose autonomy is not specified in its technical sheet.
Source: Mondraker
Source: Mondraker
Source: Mondraker
Equipped with a SRAM-supplied groupset, the Dusty R and RR will differ mainly in the choice of drivetrain: the latter is equipped with a slightly sleeker 12-speed version, versus the former’s 11-speed. The bikes also have the same 28-inch Maxxis Rambler tires.
Sleeker, the Dusty XR ups its game on several points: the presence of a suspension fork in particular, a RockShox Rudy Ultimate with 40mm of travel. This has the merit of enhancing comfort, thanks to a fork capable of absorbing a minimum of frontal impacts.
salty prices
To compensate for the incorporation of this element and therefore a slight increase in weight, the Dusty XR opts for carbon fiber rims… but also for wider tires to provide better ground grip. The SRAM transmission is also more accomplished, with 12 speeds in total.
According Hybrids and Electrics, the respective prices of the Dusty R, the Dusty RR and the Dusty XR are 5,000 euros, 6,300 euros and then 10,000 euros for the most expensive. The gap between the mid-range and high-end model is simply gigantic, for improvements that don’t seem all that huge.
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