Znarf profile

I experimented with GX Eagle at some point, but ultimately didn't need a 500% range, as either I could as well push the bike once I needed a 30x50t  on very, very steep climbs or I could reach crazy speeds with a 34 or 36x10t - and I would only reach these on the road realistically, as I just don't launch these gigantic Grand Canyon gaps. Or if I do, there's usually enough "gravity" or slope involved. 

But I had to pedal around a gigantic, clanky cassette with a very long cage derailleur and LOADS of chain length. 

I went back to my 10-42t 260g XX1 11spd cassette and a 28t on my LT 29er with 11spd Shimano RD. That works for me even on very steep uphills (Alps) and 28x10t x29" 2.5 tires is plenty of top-speed for me.

I´d love a 10 or even 9spd version, if durability was noticeably better. But I´d guess there'd be a point where gearing differences become coarse. Manageable but coarse...

I don't know if links are permitted on numb.com? But have a look at:

https://ritzelrechner.de

I find the drag and drop and customizable interface really helpful for figuring out gearing and comparing different drivetrains and wheel sizes etc.

I’d be interested if the seat angle is great even for really long-legged people? 76 sounds steep BUT:

My RAAW Madonna sports a 78.2deg effective and 74 actual seat angle. And I feel it is perfect. No need to ride your enduro rig with less sag to not make it slump on steeper climbs, no back pain. And with a 210mm dropper it is fantastic up and down. With less drop the saddle doesn’t move enough, with that steep an angle. (no theories here, I actually tried and tested these combinations a lot over the last couple of years)

I also have a 29er Orbea Rallon which sits around 76degrees, varying with bb settings.

At almost 37“ inseam, 76 is tolerable, but the 78 is really a lot better on a slack bike with lots of rear travel - for climbing and pedaling from and to the trails. Also dropper posts last longer for me on bikes with steep actual ST angles.

Could you maybe measure the actual seat tube angle? 

The new Enduro looks great - but this detail could make or break the bike for tall/long-legged folk.

I’ve been riding a Raaw Madonna since March this year. I bought it as a backup for my carbon Orbea Rallon 29 and intended to primarily ride the Orbea and the Raaw for winter rides or when something on the Rallon is broken only.

Since I took delivery of the Madonna I didn’t touch the Orbea once. Even though the Rallon is a great bike, too.

The Madonna felt absolutely spot on for me from the first minute. I have had a lot of nice bikes (instead of owning decent cars) over the years, but very few felt as great from the get go to me. 

If you ride a lot, the Madonna is a fantastic bike. It’s incredibly solid, the performance of the rear suspension is absolutely superb! I love the geometry and especially the longer chainstays and absolutely find it strikes a great balance of confidence and flickability. It climbs great, the seat angle is perfect for long legs, even better than the Rallon‘s.

I believe that the bearings and frame parts will last for a couple of seasons, for real! Most bikes I get around a full season max before the bearings are not rough, but stuck! Also, another unexpected side effect of the alloy frame: it stopped my whimsy fussing about getting the frame dinged/scratched/clamped/crushed in transport (train, ferry, roof rack, shuttling, lift) etc. Carbon frames are strong while riding, but I worried (and actually destroyed one) about them all the time...

And yes, it is not cheap, but when handling the frame in person, it’s incredibly well built and in my opinion worth the price. 

If there is a chance for a test ride, do it!

I am not sponsored or affiliated with RAAW in any way. I just own one and paid full retail for it.

It would be a gross generalization (and a wrong one imho) that "Europeans accept e-bikes". Most of my serious (bio-biking) buddies don't accept e-bikes. They feel that e-biking is a totally different sport and not the right one for most of them. (on trails for recreation).

There are however TONS of people who never actually rode their bikes and now ride e-bikes a lot. But most of them will not ride trails, only bikepaths or bike lanes. They often lack skill and our endurance to ride the heavy bikes safely on trails. 

And then there is the group of e-mountainbikers on trails, which consists mostly of fit-ish younger guys too lazy to ride proper bikes. Some of them don't know trail etiquette, because they just ordered their e-bike online after watching rad youtube-vids with loads of skidding and sick e-bike jumps. 

And then there are 0.01% former real bikers, who can't ride because of some health issues or really old age. And if they can ride again on an e-bike, I am all for it. Truth to be told, these cases are pretty rare.

If it was up to me, I´d ban e-bikes on trails, but introduce a special permit for people with a certificate of disability. 

For commuting and general recreation riding (not on trails) an e-bike is LOADS more efficient than your average Best-Ager Mercedes Cabriolet - so I am all for it.

@Dolomite - e-lobbying across the big pond, eh?

I live in Southern Germany (and manage and build a legal trail system here) and I travel a lot with my mountain bike, all over Europe and have spent quite a bit of time in BC and North America as well, biking. 

Just for the record, I disagree with several of your "conclusions" and "facts".

1. the Dolomites, parts of Austria and South Tyrol DONT have THE best trails in the world.  There are great trails in these regions, but that is true for a lot of regions. I don´t know if you´ve ridden all regions world wide a lot, but if you don´t, you just can´t speak of "world´s best".

2. E-Bikes and trail access are absolutely not without trouble (in Europe) and I for example have certainly NOT understood the potential of E-Bikes the way you have. I however understand that there´s a boat load of POSSIBLE trouble.  

3. As with guns, not E-bikes kill trails, but some people riding them ;-) I´ve experienced douchebag non-e-bike behaviour on trails over the last twenty years. And I´ve experienced douchebag e-bike behaviour on trails. If you have physical ability as a selecting factor (only dedicated people get to 6000ft mountain tops self propelled) there´s a humbling element. Lazy people just don´t go there a lot. And if you´ve climbed LOADS you just don´t argue. You sit there and nibble your energy bar and some water, content with little stuff.

Add a motor though and things get ugly. I KNOW - riding an e-bike can be very exhausting. And absolutely not everyone who rides one is lazy or a douchebag. In fact, there´s no reason that regular mtbers are douchebags, too. And in lift or shuttle assisted riding areas the douchebag factor is higher as well. But suddenly every "regular" tough climb is not as strenuous as before. You´ll have e-bikers speeding climbing trails. And some who don´t. But what´s the point of lugging 5kgs of motor and battery and NOT speed? You could just ride a regular bike...

Yeah - you can rack five times as much elevation a year with your e-bike. But know what? I could multiply that with my car. And could even do it in the rain, without getting wet. In fact - I could do it with a bike on my roof rack. =)

To be fair, as long as you ride your e-bike responsibly, I couldn´t care less if you ride e or non-e. Have fun and enjoy yourself. But just to give the Canadians here a second, non-e opinion I thought I´d contrast your pro-e-bike european opinion with a european non-e-opinion...

Also try Syntace bars. They come in 12deg also, loads of different rises, widths and materials. Not cheap, but probably the highest quality bars and stems you can buy. Don't know if they're available in Canada though?

Procore actually DOES help against burping and rolling, contrary to what the Cushcore chart says. It's also lighter AND it does protect against pinch flats. 

But Cushcore doesn't look bad, too. Especially for park bikes it might be a low maintenance option. 

Their website however states, that it should be swapped for a new foam ring every two tires. It has a "service life" as most other performance products, or so the website says. 

If you ride a lot, that's not a lot of product life for a 149$. 

Not destroying your rims constantly saves a lot of $ though. So maybe it's not that expensive.

I really like this uncle Dave thing. The guy can write and seems like a cool uncle.

Could we have links to those anti 27.5 articles? I'd like to read them 🙂

I am 6ft with long legs and long arms and the large as well fits me perfect with a 70mm stem. And now I start to feel like a parrot 🙂

Great write up btw@boomforreal

I have this exact bike's 26 inch sister. And let me tell you, it is a stellar bike. I even like the elixir trail brakes.

The clamp on the command post ir can be reversed btw. If you want less setback!

I haven’t ridden a G1, but I bet it is a great bike!

I love my Madonna V1 (which is obvious at that point). I can only add that I disassembled my frame yesterday, checked all the bearings and cleaned it thoroughly.

Even after a full season in dusty and then wet and nasty conditions they were all fine AND the grease around and on (and inside probably) the bearings also was still virgin fresh. (there are sealed caps around the sealed bearings). Best thing was, the total disassembly and the assembly were a breeze. No pressure or convincing was necessary to reassemble pivots and frame parts - fool proof and no corners cut during construction. (which can’t be said about my last couple of boutique frames I disassembled, with the exception if Santa Cruz).

But I guess Nicolai should be absolutely comparable!

Regarding geometry - then pros far outweigh the cons if you don’t buy an XL at your height. You’ll manage tighter corners after a couple of weeks and maybe you’ll wonder how you could ride too small bikes for so long :)

I ride a Madonna V1 in large. I have ridden my buddies XL often as well. At 6“ both work and I can happily ride the XL with a bit shorter stem (mine has a 40mm his a 30mm). A Large should be a great fit for you.

My first bike with a low bottom bracket was a Santa Cruz Heckler (2003 model) - the bb height resulted in a couple of nasty crashes where I accidentally placed the pedal somewhere at speed where I shouldn’t have.

I then adjusted to it and while I was a bit scared for a while, the riding and cornering characteristics of the low bb where something I didn’t want to miss.

With the yet lower bb of new school enduro bikes, where bb height hovers right at the „very dangerously low“ point, I find dynamic ride height is critical.

On my 2018 Orbea Rallon 29“ BB drop is 28mm in the higher and 35mm in the lower setting (same 35mm like on my RAAW).

I crash and find pedal clearance not sufficient on the Orbea with the lower setting, but on the Madonna I can absolutely get away with that. Static sag is comparable. At the same sag the Madonna is more sensitive yet doesn’t mush in the mid stroke as much.

I do notice when my shock is quite a bit underinflated and too soft, edgy roll-ins into rock rollers then give crunchy noises.

I absolutely have to admit that slim pedals and 170mm cranks help. I really couldn’t imagine the bb getting any lower on this kind of bike. And I also hope I don’t accidentally land a big jump or drop with one pedal in the 6 o’clock position :D

Posted by: tungsten

Posted by: Znarf

Posted by: tungsten

too steep

too low

nice though

What is too steep? =)

The seat tube angle is a revelation for long legged and or tall people.

I´ve spent the year on a V1 Madonna and have now sold off all my other bikes with different geometry. In comparison they are unridable.

Seriously - as good as the Madonna looks on paper - ride one and you will buy one if it generally is your type of bike and you have rowdy trails (and you've got LOADS of them in BC) ;-)

And then, a full riding season later you'll love it more, because the bearings are still clean and running smoothly and even if you HAD to change them, it is dead simple. On my boutique carbon bikes a bearing swap always felt like a cardiac medical transplant to me ;-)

I totally LOVE this bike!

Oh I'm just a little concerned about the rush to extremes. If seat tube was a degree slacker (I 172)* and bb 340 w/170 the want would be bad. Real bad.

The welding is beautiful.

Glad u lovin' yours.

CM better hurry up w/some deets before I buy a RipAF.........

*Know how road frame st angles get slacker the bigger the frame? Wish mtn bike makers would do similar but in reverse. WEithin reason...

Ok, I hear you :)

RAAW actually has exactly what you demand. Bigger frame sizes have steeper STAs and smaller a slacker one, also shorter and longer chainstays. Maybe not slack enough for what you want though? I find that ideal STA and shoe size influence each other actually, additional to size, leg length, proportions etc.

Posted by: tungsten

too steep

too low

nice though

What is too steep? =)

The seat tube angle is a revelation for long legged and or tall people. 

I´ve spent the year on a V1 Madonna and have now sold off all my other bikes with different geometry. In comparison they are unridable. 

Seriously - as good as the Madonna looks on paper - ride one and you will buy one if it generally is your type of bike and you have rowdy trails (and you've got LOADS of them in BC) ;-)

And then, a full riding season later you'll love it more, because the bearings are still clean and running smoothly and even if you HAD to change them, it is dead simple. On my boutique carbon bikes a bearing swap always felt like a cardiac medical transplant to me ;-)

I totally LOVE this bike!

I feel the Maxxis WT tires on 30mm rims in EXO or EXO+ (I don’t notice a big difference between these two) and a good insert work pretty flawless for my kind of riding on a 160mm 29er at 77kg rider weight.

No punctures and the casing lasts as long as the thread. Which isn’t the case on 2.3 Exo Maxxis tires for me. I can run them with an insert on 30mm rims and the same trails. But I will punch little holes in them and at some point the casing/tire will start to wobble and bleed sealant through the sidewalls and make the tire more or less unridable before the thread is worn out.

A proper balance between casing thickness and insert firmness combines advantages for me. Rim stiffness is very relevant for snakebite protection! On very stiff rims I flat my front wheel tire. On my vertically compliant Notubes Flow MK3 front rim I don’t flat.

I’d totally try a Exo/cushcore combination if I was in your shoes...

I actually didn’t have trouble installing the ARD and tire on DT EX511 rims, Bontrager Line COMP and Notubes FLOW MK3 rims with 2.4 WT Maxxis tires. All are roughly 30mm iw

It even worked relatively straight forward with a 2.3 DHR2.

It’s absolutely helpful if you have a second pair of hands keeping the tire bead in the middle channel and it is an absolute must to start mounting the bead OPPOSITE to the valve.

But I can absolutely imagine how that asymmetric rim channel could make for a messy beer related rim job!

I am not the OP, but have been running the Nukeproof ARD for a full season on the rear wheel. They are pretty firm/hard, I wouldn’t expect a lot of extra damping, but they absolutely prevent pinch flats, are easy to mount and unlike Huck Norris or Marshguards FCK Flats they don't have a gazillion of little cuts, holes and punches once I have to swap my tire, because the thread is worn out.

I had a spoke coming loose with them on my rear wheel, which I didn’t have happen the last four seasons with Schwalbe ProCore neither with Marshguards FCK Flats. It were different wheels though and I’d tend to think it was a wheel issue mostly and less the firmer insert.

A couple of friends had to shorten (cut a piece out and reglue) their ARDs, because they grew in diameter and started to rattle pretty awful in the rim/tire. They all used Notubes sealant. I use e*thirteen tire plasma and mine didn’t grow. Coincidence maybe.

The provided tubeless valves didn’t work for most people I spoke to. They wouldn’t seal at the rim/valve hole properly. I use a ghetto valve (round cut out of an old tube) and that works without issue.

Generally I’d recommend them. Value is good.

Posted by: Timer

@Znarf: I know a few people who swear by Syntace bars, mostly because they can be had with a 12 degree backsweep. What sweep are you using?

That is right! Some people love the 12deg bars, but I much prefer the classic 8deg backsweep for technical riding. I like the 12deg for seated riding but don't get in a stable position standing up and descending etc. But they do offer most of their bars in 8 AND 12deg.

I don’t know how availability is in Canada, but the Syntace carbon bars are engineered to offer remarkable comfort and vibration reduction. They are 31,8mm, come in different bends and rises and they have high-end quality assurance standards. Their bars test to a really next level fatigue standard compared to other big players, verified in several nerdy bike mag tests. 

That said, I have wrist problems and a Syntace 20mm carbon riser at 760mm width lets me ride with a lot less pain compared to several alloy and carbon bars from different manufacturers. I haven’t tried the Oneup bar, but am curious!

35mm bats don’t work for me. Rode a Raceface Atlas for some weeks, but it was harsh for my wrists.

@TAZ123: A tad less lowspeed compression, maybe a tad less rebound. Tire pressure and suspension settings are a tricky problem however.

In my experience, lowish tire pressure feels great for certain types of bumps - it carpets small chatter and hits. The same pressure (with inserts and no snakebites therefore) ridden in rough, rocky conditions can induce severe armpump.

Like with suspension, if you are too far into the travel most of the time and just riding along (too much sag maybe wrong suspension curve) you’ll run into the ramp up too much of the time and therefore the energy will not be dissipated in an even manner, but feel spikey to your arms and body.

Too high a tire pressure will let you bounce and struggle and make you tired fast, too.

Key in reducing rider fatigue seems to be a fitting ratio between the suspension curve of the tire AND the suspension AND the riders strength and dexterity regarding muscles.

Inserts can help with that, because they keep the tire from blowing through their „travel“ (which amounts to a couple of centimeters on a 2.4 tire...). Similar to a short tavel bike which is ridden really hard - with proper suspension settings it won’t be plush, but rideable.

Rim/wheel compliance can have a severe effect under these circumstances, too.

I can reproduce a loud clanging, tire to rim „bang“ event on my front wheel with a stiff 28h Newmen rim on a trail I ride often, but don‘t get the same BANG on either a DT Swiss EX1501 front wheel nor on a Notubes Flow MK3. Same bike, same tire, same pressure, same settings. Just the front wheel is swapped. No inserts. Minion DHF 2.5 WT @21PSI.

I want to nerd out (like you can tell from this post) and verify and reevaluate my findings with a FCK-Flats tire insert in the front tire. What will feel better? Compliant rim without insert or stiff rim with insert?

My (weak-sauce) wrists like extra chunky ESi grips (to filter small stuff) with not too low a tire pressure, firmer but still plush fork and single ply tires with big volume best.

And regarding tubes - I find ride quality AND ease of maintenance AND reliability of a proper tubeless setup is NEXT level compared to tubes. There are certain steps to follow to avoid hassle, for sure. But riding a proper mountain bike with tubes is leaving a lot of performance untouched. If your body can take the punishment of 40PSI and you are happy with the performance - all good for you!