Intro - RAAW Madonna V3

Round two of this blog covers something I have been very excited to receive - the new RAAW Madonna V3.

After sending RAAW a random email about brand partnerships, I was very grateful to be offered a place on their ambassador program for 2024. I have followed RAAW for a while and took a keen interest in their bikes. I like their approach to designing bikes - simplicity, durability, build quality and progressive geometry. A big thankyou to RAAW for offering me this support - It’s not often companies will even respond to these sort of requests and my subsequent interactions have been super welcoming and personal. A goal of Onward MTB Coaching is to develop meaningful relationships with bike brands, so I am really excited about this new connection.

It’s surprising to some, but I actually haven’t owned lots of bikes in my time as a MTB coach in Queenstown. I have had 4 in the last 7 years - A Transition Sentinel (2018, size M), a Specialized Enduro (2020, size S3), a Nukeproof Giga 290 (2022, Size L) and now this. I prefer to keep my frames at least a season to create some continuity in my riding (the components can change considerably in this time, mind).

In the last 4 years, I have only used a trail bike to coach on, despite doing the majority of my riding in bike parks. I do sometimes miss the brutish security of a downhill bike, but damn, these enduro bikes are so good these days and offer up so much more utility.

I have got about 5 rides in on the Madonna V3 so far. I had to get up to speed pretty quickly on it as I needed to coach some fast cats on it.

Bike Set Up

About me - I’m 178cm, and 85kg kitted up in normal riding gear. When I’m coaching, my hip pack tends to weigh about 4kg, which I usually set my bike up to accommodate.

Frame - RAAW Madonna V3, size large, 160mm. I have got a few different shock mount configurations and chain stay lengths to try. Everything is in mid position for now.
Fork - Rockshox ZEB Ultimate A1 170mm. Custom Fluid Focus piston tuning kit in the Charger 3 damper & bushings resized. 75psi, no tokens, 14LSR, 2HSC, 5 LSC.
Shock - Ohlins TTX22 M.2. 525lb spring, HSC open, LSC 10, LSR 6. I have a new Rockshox Vivid air shock to try, too.
Wheels - DT Swiss 350 hubs, DT Competition spokes, DT FR541 rims, brass squorx prolock nipples. Stans tape and sealant.
Tyres - Schwalbe Magic Mary Prototype Front, DH Casing (21-23psi), Continental Kryptotal Rear, Soft, DH casing (26-28psi). No inserts.
Brakes - Shigura. Magura MT7 calipers, Shimano XTR levers. Magura royal blood inside. 220mm Galfer 2mm rotors. Swiss stop E pads rear, Magura race pads front.
Gears - (All 12 speed) - XT mech, SLX cassette, XTR chain, XT bottom bracket, XT cranks 170mm 30t, Deore shifter, Nukeproof chain guide, SP41 cable outers, standard inners.
Sitting - 210mm Oneup V2 dropper post, Specialized mimic power saddle 143mm, Wolftooth remote.
Cockpit - (different to pictures) Williams Racing Products stem 31.8 x 35mm, Deity Blacklabel bar 38mm rise/775mm wide, ODI reflex grips (thinner of the two options).
Pedals - Chromag Dagga.
Other - Trusty old Soho Bikes London top cap, Specialized bottle cage, Cane Creek Hellbender 70 headset.

Yep, there are a few mismatches with this set up - different suspension, tyres, brakes, and a drivetrain that resembles a box of chocolates. I like to try new things!

I like to prioritize the areas on the bike that either improve my connection to the bike, or the bike’s connection to the ground. Suspension, tyres, brakes get a lot of my attention, as does my cockpit and pedals. I’m going to be shifting to 31.8mm bars for a bit more forgiveness on the hands, as well as some shorter cranks to try - either 160 or 165mm.

There was a time where I cared about having top level everything, but really, it just doesn’t matter in some areas. The product ranges from the likes of Shimano have got so good at every level and I don’t see the point in splurging on XTR with very little functional benefit over their cheaper offerings.

The position of the controls on the bars are fairly unique (everything is run very inboard as I prefer to have my hands in the middle of the grip and hate anything getting in the way) but the rest is fairly standard.

First Impressions

The Build

I wanted to get this bike together quickly so I could spend some time on it before the bike park closes for Winter 2024. Thankfully, all my old parts fit perfectly on the RAAW and it was a pretty simple frame swap.

One thing of note, is just how well put together every single detail of this frame is. From the packaging, the comprehensive owners manuals, the frame schematic poster to hang in the workshop, the quality of the frame construction- I have never ever seen his level of attention to detail in any bike product I have bought. It really adds to the feeling that you have bought something special, with tangible human design behind every aspect of it. Nice.

Yep, external cable routing is the bees knees - there’s not much more to say. I measured my shock sag at 26% with the 525lb spring and banged an arbitrary 75psi in the fork (coming from 68-71psi at 180mm on the Nukeproof it seemed about right) and away we went.

Geometry/Shape

This is the biggest bike I have owned and I was a little nervous I might have gone a bit too far. I had recently test-ridden an even bigger bike and was blown away how fast it was on flat out sections, so I made the call to go slightly bigger, rather than quite a lot smaller than my last bike. I am glad I did - the first few laps revealed a bike that was very easy to ride, with a good blend of stability and agility.

I have kept everything in the mid position for now, but I do have some high progression/high BB shock mount chips and some -5mm chain stay chips to try out. I ordered these with the frame as these characteristics are usually what I like in bikes. Having these options available, and an entire catalog of in-stock spare parts is another reason I like RAAW.

The major change was the stack height - it’s about 30mm higher than my last bike, which produces a more upright riding position. Initially, it felt like the front wheel was quite far away but it hasn’t taken long to adapt to this new riding position - it’s very intuitive to ride and the front wheel doesn’t feel light or washy. Interestingly, my bars felt a little wider than usual - perhaps a result of having my hands higher? Not sure.

The shape of the bike feels very good on steeps, and a cornering sensation I can only describe as ‘secure’. Even if one of the wheels starts to slide, it feels calm and composed - it’s been easy to develop a sense of trust in the bike.

Ride Feel

Good. Very good. The bike tracks the ground well and it is a bit stiffer in the rear end than my last bike, which had led to a much more composed bike over rough stuff. It’s stiff enough that it tracks a line well, but isn’t so flexy that it deflects and ‘pings’ laterally off rough stuff. The bike built up about 1kg heavier than my old bike, but I haven’t noticed this as a negative in any areas.

The back of the bike feels sublime - the Ohlins TTX is exceptional at eating bumps. I have never spent time on Ohlins kit before and I’m excited to see how it shapes up. Admittedly, I have spent a bunch of time on an air shock lately, but that sensation of coil induced grip is unreal. I wound the LSC back to 10 clicks and the HSC lever to open and it managed bike park bumps well. The rebound is between 5 and 6 (fully open) clicks, which might be something I look at re-valving down the road. I’m tempted to try a 500lb for the softer dirt we’ll be getting soon, but I’ll run some telemetry sessions before doing that.

The bike is very easy to stay centred on and it rewards, but doesn’t demand, a hugely dynamic rider. You just don’t need to work overly hard to make it ride like you want to - it’s very easy to get along with. I have been trying my hardest to unsettle it over high load situations but so far the Madonna has just trucked over everything without much fuss - I can see this being a very confidence inspiring bike to ride.

I am very fussy with bikes and honestly, if I don’t have a positive first impression with something I am never going to like it. My reasoning behind that is that if a rider’s initial reaction isn’t “I like this, this is good”, then over time a rider isn’t going to suddenly one day like it - they’ll just get used to it and adapt to the averageness.

I’m pleased to say the Madonna has been positive so far and I’m super excited to spend some time dialing it in. Stay tuned!

About this blog:

As a MTB coach, my gear gets used. A lot. Over the years I have used a huge amount of gear from different brands and have put them through their paces. Some have triumphed, some have been been average, and many have failed. This blog series aims to give you an honest insight into the stuff we rate and trust to use in our daily work as mountain bike coaches in Queenstown. While we do get some support from brands, the majority of our gear is purchased through stores, just like any other customer. In the cases where we have pricing privileges, we’ll make it clear. Ultimately, we choose everything we use.

Stuff We Use - RAAW Madonna V3 | Onward MTB