RAAW is a German brand that does the whole aluminium enduro bike thing, with clever frame details.

The RAAW crew has updated its Madonna 160mm 29er, with a new V2.2 version. It retains the industrial design aesthetic and huge main pivot bearing of the original Madonna, but there are improvements regarding the shock mount and rear axle.

Read more: the best enduro bikes 

Madonna plays nice with any shock you like

Although the V2.2 frame is broadly similar in appearance, it features a new single hydroformed seat tube.

This creates a better mountain interface for the rocker link, which has also been improved, and now has houses the bearings, instead of having them embedded on the frame.

Riders who chose 160mm enduro 29er, want shock options and that can make packaging a challenge. Bigger coil and air shocks, with their reservoirs, can be tricky to mount on some long-travel 29ers, and RAAW has recognized this issue.

No changes to the geo

The Madonna V2.2 now has a lower shock mount formed from two separate pieces, which allows for better packaging.

If you are the kind of rider that loads a frame to the limit, RAAW is offering a more secure rear axle fastening system. It uses an oversized nut, that makes the Madonna V2.2. look pleasingly industrial and promises to remain firmly in place, no matter how many runs of the bike park double black, you do.

There are no changes to the core Madonna geometry. That means that your V2.2 bike rides at a 64.5° head angle and on a size large, you get 480mm of reach. Exactly what you’d expect on a 160mm 29er.

Pricing for the RAAW Madonna V2.2 starts at £1,725.15, for a frame only option. There are various Fox and Öhlins upgrades available. And yes, the Madonna’s main pivot bearing is still massive – and should last for many seasons without requiring attention.