The RAAW Madonna V2 Is Here

The first Madonna was launched in 2017 and started the journey of RAAW. Since then we’ve been very privileged to meet many riders and share endless kilometres of trails. It’s been an amazing experience so far. And as it goes in life things evolve and change, we gather experience and constantly aim to improve. The Madonna V2 is the result of all the riding, observing and chin-scratching we have done over the past two years.

Geometry

The Madonna V2 adds a size small, upping the family to four sizes. Medium has grown to 455mm reach. Large and extra-large also gain some length. The steps between the four sizes are now evenly distributed with 25mm reach steps between sizes and 15mm headtube length steps. The four sizes feature three different seat tube angles to maintain a very balanced and centred seated position that still leaves some room for the upper body to move.

The geometry numbers are now based around a 170mm travel fork. The option of 180mm travel up front will also fit the Madonna V2 like a dream, but would alter the geometry slightly.

With the Madonna V2 we’ve reinforced what the first Madonna was initially designed for. While being an excellent climber the focus still remains on downhill performance. The head angle is slackened to 64.5˚ and accompanied by a 44mm offset fork. The reach and stack numbers have grown giving the bike an even more planted character.

Dropout Inserts

We use different chainstay lengths between frame sizes because we believe it’s very important to have balance between the front and rear of the bike.

But we also appreciate that riders have their own preferences. Therefore, we’ve designed the dropouts with inserts. The different frame sizes come with growing chainstay lengths following what we think fits best. But we also offer additional inserts in our shop so you can change and experiment with different chainstay lengths.

Rocker 60 & Rocker 65

The suspension of the Madonna V2 is designed around two different rocker links, the Rocker 60 and the Rocker 65. Both rocker links generate 160mm of travel at the rear wheel, each with just over 20% of progression.

But the differentiating factor is the shock stroke. The Rocker 60 uses 60mm of stroke on the shock to generate 160mm of travel at the rear wheel. The Rocker 65 uses 65mm of stroke to produce the 160mm of travel.

This results in a higher leverage ratio for the Rocker 60 that is best suited for riders up to 90kg and a lower leverage ratio for the Rocker 65 that is best for riders over 90kg.

Riders on the lighter end of the scale benefit from the Rocker 60 with more mechanical leverage that helps the damping and adds to the small bump sensitivity. The Rocker 65 enables heavier riders to run a lower air pressure or spring rate and happy damping for the shock.

The different stroke lengths on the shock are fixed internally but based around the same shock. A 205 x 60 shock can be modified to 205 x 65 and vice versa. But this needs to be done directly by Fox.

Design

The refined top tube design reaffirms our core direction at RAAW, where functionality and durability are the highest priorities. The straight top tube makes for increased bottle cage space and helps save weight.

Two fresh gussets are used to guarantee smooth transitions between tubes in key areas.

Comparing to the previous Madonna, the weight of the Madonna V2 has reduced by 150g. This is down to the new top tube design, allowing for an extended thinner tube section, and by adding the Super Leggero AL7075 hardware as standard.

Gear Storage

The Madonna V2 features an external gear storage solution, allowing different options for the rider. Two bottle cage bosses under the top tube accept mounts from accessory brands, like Wolf Tooth, offering straps and bags for personalized storage.

A bottle cage mount is standard on all sizes. Size small and medium can fit a 500 ml bottle, size large and extra-large have plenty of space for any bottle. Even beer…

Frame Protection

The Madonna V2 features a new down tube protector. The protector is made from a soft 5mm thick rubber and can simply be stuck to the frame. It covers the full width of the down tube and extends over the bottom bracket weld.

A new chainstay protector is also made from soft rubber and features a ribbed pattern to silence chain-slap. The ribs are exaggerated towards the front and cover every single bit of chainstay that would otherwise be exposed to the chain. The chainstay protector can also simply be stuck to the frame.

The inside of the right seat stay is also protected with a pre-cut silicon piece.

Main Pivot

Updated main pivot caps eliminate any potential creaky noises and ensure a quiet bike ride after ride. The main pivot nut evolves and uses the Shimano Bottom Bracket tool interface for tightening.

The Madonna V2 avoids beating around the bush and comes standard with a 203mm brake mount on all sizes. 180mm brake mounts are also available if that’s what you prefer.

More info on the RAAW Madonna V2 is available on their website.