Nordenmark MTB Extreme Gold Carbon XL
Known for their ski-orienteering chest mounted map boards, the Swedish company, Nordenmark, also makes bike map boards with super premium materials. While they run on the more expensive side, these are some of the sturdiest and well-engineered boards we tested. The model on our list is the MTB Extreme Gold Carbon XL. The company makes a more basic version of their mountain bike map board with lower cost components but when we reached out to the owner Sven, we asked that he recommend for us whatever product he would recommend for the 2021 and 2023 AR World Champions, SAFAT (Swedish Armed Forces Adventure Team) and this is the model we got.
Report Card
Front underside view
Installed weight
The whole system weighs 473 grams when installed. This is the heaviest of the boards we evaluated, but not by much.
Board material
Nordenmark really shines with the high quality materials, beginning with the board itself. It’s made of roughly 1/16” thick sheet of multi layered carbon fiber sheets which places it right where we like it to be in terms of rigidity for working with maps.
Top cover type
Similar to most of the other boards we reviewed, the Nordenmark has a clear polyvinyl top cover. The attachment is a bit different through - one side has been plastic welded to the map board base providing a strong, permanent connection. The other three sides can be lifted and are secured with press snaps.
Bike attachment components (materials, design)
The handlebar attachment rack looks like an aircraft part. It’s a unique three piece design that includes a thick polycarbonate mounting base and throughbolt, a bracket for tilting/shifting forward and backward and the mounting screws for the handlebar itself. The whole mechanism allows for the map board to be rotated 360 degrees without feeling loose. The metal bracket that attaches to the handlebar hardware is made from anodized aluminum and is super light and super strong. The system of bolts and clamps that connect to bike handlebars may look a bit heavy with four screws and wingnuts, but the design is universal, tool-less and super strong. Pre-installed rubber pads on the clamps also prevent damage to your bike’s paint job, which is not something every map board here can claim. Finally there are 5 cushion points between the handlebar rack and the board to reduce vibration on rough terrain
Durability
The polycarbonate, anodized aluminum and carbon fiber parts make the Nordenmark seemingly indestructible.
Cost
Coming in at 1368 SEK (~$125.57) plus s+h, this is the most expensive map board we tried
Ships from / availability
Made in and ships from Sweden. Good availability. Purchase by email at nordenmark.com
Expert trail test:
Relatively quick to mount, no pieces need to be removed for mounting unlike some of Nordenmark’s earlier models.
The only board we tested that has a forward backward pivot, allowing you to adjust the map angle on the go. ND has raced exclusively with a Nordenmark board for the past 9 yrs, and didn’t realize this pivot feature was so rare. I find it an extremely useful feature, especially at night because it allows me to adjust the angle slightly away from me to avoid headlamp reflection glare and see the map clearly.
Nice big sturdy map area - noted very little vibration or board wobble during the ride. Map is easy to read on this one. This model is probably tied with the Autopilot in the top spot for sturdiness and minimal map vibration.
Easy grab snaps to open the cover and flip maps on the go
My only (very minor) concern: the board cover fits relatively snug on this model, so it may be challenging to fit a lot of maps stacked up or a very large map with many folds (looking at you, 2022 Nationals map that was big enough to be a blanket)
Wild Card
Trusted by orienteering pros with serious pedigree, proven experience in the ski-orienteering world.
Overall impressions
The Nordenmark Extreme Gold Carbon XL is the top of the line: the Koenigsegg of mountain bike map boards. It has a design that has been tried and tested by ski-orienteering athletes for years, and the high end materials give the whole product a premium feel. That also comes with a premium price, but for cost conscious racers, a less expensive model with similar design and less pricey materials is also available. The more basic MTB Gold model has a smaller map board (A4 size) and is significantly more affordable at 368SEK (~$35) but is not recommended for competition.
Top view
Forward facing underside view
