Mondraker Arid review: Weird or wonderful? Two gravel builds, many thoughts

The Mondraker Arid is the first (non-e-bike) gravel bike from the Spanish mountain bike brand. With a distinctive aesthetic and a wide, upright cockpit position, it's a unique bike in a crowded market. To test this bike, I recruited my friend and expert rider Spencer Powlison, and together we give our takes on this new machine. Want to see what I'm testing now? Follow me on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/ben-delaney or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_delaney - Gear I use for shooting (not sponsored!): Hover X1 Self-Flying Drone: https://amzn.to/3V7MUn5 DJI Mini 3 Drone: https://amzn.to/3wK4eVY GoPro Hero Black 11: https://amzn.to/3wK4eVY DJI Action Cam 4: https://amzn.to/3wK4eVY DJI Pocket Osmo 3: https://amzn.to/3wK4eVY Sony Alpha ZV-E10: https://amzn.to/3QUSqHf Sony Alpha a6300: https://amzn.to/3K7jFKK Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS lens: https://amzn.to/3QNGh6L -- The Ride is supported in 2025 by: Castelli clothing: http://tinyurl.com/43k6pftp Perc coffee: https://tinyurl.com/fjr7nurr (save 15% with code 'ride15') Saris racks: https://saris.com/collections/racks# Silca maintenance: https://bit.ly/47xxvzj (save 10% with code 'theridewithben10') Shimano shoes & glasses: http://tinyurl.com/ye274tep Feedback Sports stands & tools: https://bit.ly/3S9Dq8r 0:00 meet Spencer 2:12 Arid traits, builds, feels 3:36 Spencer's tests 4:36 slack head tube, stubby stem 6:02 wide bars 8:45 wide stays 10:16 plush ride 10:40 storage 11:59 fork pimples 13:36 no solutions, only tradeoffs 13:57 tires 23:03 wheels 24:57 gearing 27:30 Spencer's conclusions 29:00 Ben's conclusions