BIKER'S EDGE

The Mondraker Crafty RR is a big-power eMTB built for riders who want serious range, serious traction, and a versatile bike that fits in almost anywhere. Out of the box, the bike does feel a bit tall, no question. But — and this is an important but — with a few smart setup tweaks, the Crafty sharpens up in a big way. We’ll chat about that later. So stick around to see if the Crafty RR is the right bike for you.

Here’s What you Need to know about the Mondraker Crafty

Mondraker didn’t hold back on the Crafty RR build we tested. You get a top-shelf Bosch Performance Line CX motor paired with a large 800Wh battery. That’s plenty of range and power for the big rides. Keep in mind this is one of the few new eMTBs we’ve seen released with an easy-to-swap battery for even bigger rides. That’s a huge selling point for a lot of folks, but of course, it comes with tradeoffs. A big opening in your downtube is never ideal from a handling standpoint. That said, a ride cut short by running out of battery isn’t awesome, either. 

Suspension is covered by Fox Factory hardware with a 160mm Fox 38 and 150mm of rear wheel travel controlled by a Fox Float X. The full 29” wheel setup keeps things smooth and predictable over rough terrain.

Mondraker Crafty : Ride Review

Bosch-powered eMTB

It seems like we’ve only talked about the Bosch Performance Line CX motor lately. And that makes sense; it’s a pretty common drive unit to see on an eMTB these days — and for good reason. It ticks all of the boxes. I’m happy to see it on the Crafty. I don’t want to spend a ton of time here because it feels like I’m beating a dead horse. If you want more details about this motor, check out some of our more recent reviews, like the Orbea Wild, Santa Cruz Vala, and Transition Regulator — which all feature the Bosch motor. Just know it offers a lot of power, good efficiency, reliability, and clean integration.

Battery Business

I do want to talk about the battery options here for a minute. Originally, I really struggled with the Crafty. The bike felt pretty tall and top-heavy. That made the handling feel a bit vague and floppy. There are a few factors and a few things I corrected to get the handling how I wanted it. We’ll talk about a few of them later, but for now, let’s chat about the battery size, and this is the one I think makes the biggest difference. The 800 Wh battery is large and heavy. That weight, especially up high near your head tube, can make your bike’s handling a little rough. It makes it hard to lean it over or change lines, and it also contributes to that floppy feeling. Now I know the only stock option on the Crafty RR is the 800Wh battery. But other builds feature the 600Wh battery. If you can snag one of those, or even just buy a spare 600Wh battery, I think you’ll be better off for it. 

When this new crop of 2025 eMTBs came out, they all featured 600Wh batteries. At first, a lot of folks, including myself, had issues with this. Obviously, your range is limited with a 600Wh battery on a full-power eMTB — you’re looking at around 3200-3500′ on a single charge. After riding an 800Wh battery, though, I think the manufacturers are right. The handling improvements with the 600Wh battery are pretty stark. Now I prefer to run a smaller battery on my daily rides and a range extender for my longer ones. I think that’s the sweet spot right now for batteries.

Alright, enough whining about batteries. Let’s go climb.

Uphill

best climbing eMTB

This is where the Mondraker Crafty RR really stands out above the competition. The Crafty is arguably the best climbing eMTB I’ve ever ridden. And remember, that’s outside of the drive unit assessment — we’re talking about the bike itself here. I’ve got a couple of reasons to back up that claim. Let’s get into them.

Long Chainstays

First and foremost, the long chainstays take the lion’s share of the climbing credit. At 465mm (on L and XL frames), they are certainly on the very long side. On the climbs, that’s a pretty good thing – especially on an eMTB. Ebikes have a lot of torque anyway, and you also end up climbing steeper trails than you’d likely climb on a pedal bike. Those long chainstays keep your weight further forward relative to your axles. That keeps the front end from lifting and wandering. In fact, I even tried taking my hands off the bars on a steep climb, and the wheel stayed down and going straight for the most part. Now, those long chainstays aren’t all sunshine and roses. 

For a bike with a 64° HTA and a 500mm reach, the Crafty’s wheelbase is long. For reference, the Transition Regulator has a 10mm longer reach, and the same HTA, but its wheelbase is 10mm shorter than the Crafty. A long wheelbase is great for stability, but it can also affect maneuverability. The Crafty is a bit more cumbersome in tight terrain than other comparable eMTBs. 

Zero Suspension

Lastly, let’s discuss the suspension performance while climbing. I have ridden a handful of Mondraker bikes with the Zero suspension system, and for the most part, I’m a fan. It offers a good bit of traction and off-the-top sensitivity. The Crafty’s rear wheel is as glued to the ground as it gets on the climbs. I have absolutely zero complaints. It also smooths out the trail nicely, so you can motor up anything in your way.

Now, onto the descents.

Downhill

Setup Is King

Point the Mondraker Crafty downhill, and you’ll notice it rides bigger and deeper than its travel numbers suggest. The suspension has a calm, controlled feel at the top of the stroke and catches big hits with ease. It’s got that reassuring soft catch that makes you wonder if it’s packing more travel than the spec sheet says. 

That said, the bike carries its weight a little high. It’s not the most naturally playful descender — you have to work to lean it over or get it off the ground. It also has a bit of a vague, wandery feeling to it. I struggled to get the bike where I wanted it to go for the first few rides. A few setup changes helped me get along with the bike quite well. Let’s chat about them.

The first setup change I made was dropping the handlebar height to the bottom of the spacer stack. Being built like a baby giraffe, I’m a big fan of a tall front end. The Crafty’s front end, though, sits too high for me, which is rare. It doesn’t help that the stock bars have 35mm of rise. After dropping the front end, I noticed the vague handling feeling diminish a bit, but it was still there. The next thing I did was swap the 2.6” tires for something more appropriate. Spanish bike manufacturers seem to have a soft spot for 2.6” tires, which is the incorrect tire size if you ask me. I landed on Schwalbe Radial casings in 2.5” width. Between the tires and the bar height, I was about halfway to happy. I then swapped for a 600Wh battery and changed the flip chip to the low setting. The bike behaved significantly better. In fact, after the setup changes, I had very few complaints.

Suspension Performance

The Crafty’s suspension does a great job of smoothing out small trail chatter as well as providing a nice, gentle catch on those bigger hits. This is one of the real highlights. The suspension feels impressively deep, calm off the top, and very plush. On bigger hits, the bike feels like it’s punching above its travel category without feeling like it’s stuck in the mud.  It’s rare that a bike has such an ideal feeling platform at both ends of the stroke.  

Handling and Corners

When it comes to handling, the Crafty isn’t going to win any awards for being snappy or precise. Even after the setup changes, it still takes a bit of effort to get the bike to lean over into a corner or to come off the ground. Although once you get it leaned over, there’s a ton of traction on offer to help you stick to the ground through a corner.

Mondraker Crafty: Comparisons

The Crafty sits right in the mix with bikes like the Transition Regulator and the Santa Cruz Vala.

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What Would I Change About the Crafty?

There’s really one major theme here: setup makes all the difference with this bike.

• Use the low geometry setting to bring the BB down and improve handling balance.
• Run the smaller battery to bring the center of mass lower.
• Slam the bars to further improve front-end weight distribution.
• Get rid of those awful 2.6″ tires.

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Mondraker Crafty scores

Regulator CX

drivesystem: +2

Still the gold standard. Quiet, powerful, efficient — the Bosch Performance Line CX keeps its crown. The ability to run multiple battery sizes adds even more points.

Climbing Performance: +2

Long chainstays help keep the front end glued down, even on steep, awkward climbs. Great traction overall. The bike does feel a bit tall, but it never feels out of control.

Descending Capability: 0

The Crafty rides bigger and deeper than the numbers suggest, but it doesn’t feel especially locked-in when pointed straight down. Stable enough, just not standout.

Suspension Performance: +1

Soft off the top and impressively composed on big hits. It’s plush, supportive, and feels like it’s packing more travel than the spec sheet shows.

Handling: -1

Takes some effort to lean and lift. The tall stance and high-mounted battery weight make it feel vague at times. That said, setup makes a big difference — run it low, use the smaller battery, slam the bars.

Versatility: 0

Adjustable geo and battery options give you some room to customize, but nothing wild beyond that.

Intangibles: +1

Nice details like the charging port door and easy battery swaps. Curious if the battery door contributes to the vague handling.

Who is the Mondraker Crafty for?

There is currently a lot of competition in the 150mm Bosch-powered eMTB market. And to be fair, I think you could go with any of them nd be pretty happy. At the end of the day, they’re all very similar with subtle nuances that separate them. Like the Vala and Regulator, the Craty is a versatile option that would suit most riding styles. It finds that sweet spot between all-out downhill capability and a zippy, fun ride characteristic. 

If you’re a rider who ends up doing a lot of long rides, think 4000+ vert, the Crafty might be your best pick out of the three. First of all, it’s the only one that will work with the larger Bosch battery. Second, it’s the only one that has an easy-swap battery, so you can refuel mid-ride. 

To wrap this section up, I think if you’re looking for a versatile eMTB that’s not only a self-shuttle DH rig, and you do long rides, the Crafty is the right eMTB for you.

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Mondraker Crafty faq

Learn more about the Crafty