🚵 Mondraker NEAT Review: Fast, Light, and Seriously Fun
If you've been craving the responsiveness of a traditional trail rig but with the added juice of an eMTB, the Mondraker NEAT might just be your new best riding buddy. This thing is Mondraker's first-ever light-assist eMTB, and it hits that sweet spot between agility and power, staying under 18kg while packing all the tech you'd expect from a premium enduro machine.
So what’s the deal with the NEAT? Let’s drop in.
🌟 What Makes the NEAT So... Neat?
Mondraker spent three years brewing this bike up, blending DNA from two of their heavy-hitters: the FOXY Carbon and the CRAFTY Carbon. The result? A new kind of ride that’s quick on the climbs, playful in the air, and stable in the sketch. It’s meant for riders who want that Goldilocks zone: not too heavy, not too weak—just right.
The NEAT is all about balance. It’s a 150mm rear / 160mm front enduro platform with Forward Geometry and zero fluff. The full carbon Stealth Air frame clocks in at just 2300g, which helps keep the complete bike under 18kg. That means you're getting a bike that climbs like a goat, pops like a trail bike, and still charges descents with big-bike confidence.
⚡ Motor + Battery: Light Power, Big Feel
Tucked neatly into the downtube is the TQ-HPR50 motor—a compact, whisper-quiet powerhouse that delivers 50Nm of torque and up to 300W of assist. It doesn’t yank you up the hill with brute force. Instead, it adds just the right amount of sauce so it still feels like you’re doing the work (without blowing out your legs).
The 360Wh integrated battery is removable (nice touch) and has enough juice for 3–4 hour rides with over 1000m of climbing. Need more range? Toss on the optional 160Wh range extender and ride well past sundown.
And yeah, there’s an app for that. The TQ E-Bike app lets you dial in power, assistance levels, and pedal response so you can go full boost or keep things mellow depending on the ride.
🧠 Ride Feel & Suspension: Light, But Not Fragile
Mondraker didn’t just slap a smaller motor on a trail frame and call it a day. They redesigned their ZERO Suspension kinematics for this lightweight category. The new layout lowers the shock position and tightens up the swingarm, giving you a more planted feel and buttery stroke off the top.
You still get a full 150mm of rear travel paired with a 160mm Fox 36 up front—plenty for technical lines and spicy descents. The result is a rig that floats uphill, rips through flow trails, and holds its own in the chunk.
🛠 NEAT Builds: Something for Every Taste
The NEAT lineup includes three dialed builds:
- NEAT R: The entry rig, but far from basic. Fox Float Performance suspension, SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, and Mavic E-Crossride wheels.
- NEAT RR: The sweet spot with Fox Factory suspension, SRAM GX AXS shifting, and Mavic E-DeeMax SL hoops.
- NEAT RR SL: Top-tier dream build. SRAM XX Eagle AXS, RockShox Reverb AXS dropper, Mavic E-CrossMax carbon wheels, and all the Kashima you could want.
Every model rolls on Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR rubber and features 4-piston brakes for real stopping power.
🔥 Who’s It For?
The NEAT is for riders who want a lively feel and don’t need full-throttle eMTB torque on tap 24/7. It’s for those who appreciate a clean aesthetic, quiet motor, and the ability to customize their ride feel.
- Transitioning from a traditional bike? You’ll love the NEAT’s natural handling and extra pep.
- Coming from a full-power eMTB? You’ll be amazed at how much lighter and more playful this thing feels.
- If you ride with buddies who are still riding acoustic, then the neat is a perfect blend of power and agility that will allow you to ride with more accomplished acoustic riders without getting left behind.
🏁 Final Thoughts
The Mondraker NEAT isn’t just another lightweight eMTB. It’s a refined, forward-thinking ride that proves less can be more—when done right. If you're after an all-mountain machine that blends modern geo, trail-sharpened handling, and stealthy power, the NEAT might just be your next whip.
