Mondraker, a ten year old bicycle company based in Spain, has announced the upcoming release of what they are claiming will be a new mountain bike standard. The 2012 Podium has features that we have seen before – a carbon fiber frame, internal cable routing and a BB30 bottom bracket; but the feature that they are touting as the new standard is an integrated stem.
The new Podium is a front suspension, hard tail design specifically designed for cross country racing and riding. By integrating the stem as a virtual extension of the top tube, the rider’s weight and center of gravity is lowered on the bike. This increases stability and provides for better pedaling efficiency.
We decided to copy and why not copying one of the greatest of all times Mr. Mies van der Rohe (“less is more”). We took off the stem and made it part of the frame. This allows us to shorten the steering tube and strengthen all the front area of the bicycle for a better force transmission from your upper body to the trail.
With a new proprietary fabrication process we reached an improved stiffness than our predecessor podium carbon with a lighter frame weight (L size under 1000g fully painted)
For us Yanks, 1000 grams is less than two small Specialized full water bottles or around 2.2 pounds – very light, especially for a ‘large’ frame.
Since the stem is integrated you might think that stem adjustments may not be possible, but Mondraker thought of that issue. Fine +/- 5mm adjustments can be made with the stem in X and Y axis, with an eccentric aluminum insert for the most precise adjustments. The new integrated stem design has limits sets in the steering to make sure that the handlebars do not spin around and smack the frame, keeping it shiny just like the first day it rolled out of the shop.
The bad news is that the Mondraker is currently only available in Europe and Asia. This does not mean you cannot get your hands on one, but you may have to take a trip across ‘the pond’ or contact Mondraker directly to enquire about getting one shipped to the States.