The Polish high-end carbon specialist adds a shorter travel trail bike to its range.
The Vastness of Freedom. Ever since enduro bikes emerged on the mountain biking horizon, the hunt for a compromise between downhill capability and uphill efficiency has been on. The geometry, suspension layouts, lockout shocks, remotes… Also the incredible growth of racing, with its bespoke requirements laid before the engineers, trying to come up with the latest and greatest of this new all-in-one discipline, new niches to fill, just like in the golden age of downhill racing domination.
The answer to whether mountain bikes have matured into their ultimate form has been unclear so far.
Woodsprite is the antidote to the chaos happening in the big mountain bike category. This is not a new standard, new segment or a new category of products. This is the fruit of a close look at the essence of mountain biking and its fusion with a few decades of technological progress. The new Antidote model uses a lot of the proven solutions from the Carbonjack, specifically the excellent FDS suspension platform and the Golden Ratio geometry concept.
The heart of the chassis is the new Floating Damping Suspension system. SMART FDS works basically the same as the original, but the smaller travel allowed for some streamlining. We used a single rocker link, and the rear shock is now fixed to the swingarm. This made the platform lighter, simpler and sleeker. An additional plus is a simplification of the production process. All of our goal parameters were achieved and the stiffness of the platform did not suffer.
The smaller travel really comes into its own when paired with the geometry philosophy we apply to all our other models. The Woodsprite has a relatively long reach value which helps to move the centre of gravity between the wheels, depending on the situation on the trail. A balanced head angle doesn’t move the front wheel too far outwards, reducing the risk of washing out in corners. A fairly long chainstay keeps the rider in the middle of the bike, all while maintaining a long wheelbase, which ensures high stability at speed.
The Woodsprite offers a very quick and stable ride, a reassuring characteristic of longer-travel bikes, but its bespoke and shorter suspension layout encourages the rider to go airborne, saves energy and provides excellent feedback from the trail. It allows to squeeze out 100% of fun from a simple trail near your house, as well as pump you full of adrenaline on a rock garden in the mountains. It’s light, fast, it climbs great and goes downhill like a stabbed rat.
Does that sound like the definition of freedom in mountain biking? We sure think so.
We decided to tweak the FDS system for specific applications to achieve a bespoke fit for each discipline of mountain biking. At the same time, we made sure that every FDS variant featured the qualities an efficient and supple platform.
SMART FDS is an adaptation of FDS, tailored to the needs of light trail bikes. The shock retains its position behind the seat tube, employing the Split pivot solution. The major difference is making use of a fixed pivot point instead of the virtual setup in the FDS. This is a choice we made seeing that the advantages of the original solution were not as beneficial in a smaller travel application, which renders the weight penalty associated with it pointless.
Convenient access to adjustments is the basis of big mountain bike ergonomics. Quickly change the damping value during between journeys allows you to immediately react to changing conditions on the route. Thanks to the specific arrangement damper, the new WOODSPRITE works better with the rider, ensuring the comfort of a quick change of settings.
The ergonomics of the adjustment result from a broader view of the philosophy and design of the frame as it lowers the positioning point it also allowed to reduce the standover of the frame and lower the center of gravity, affecting the handling and ease of handling the bicycle.
One of the unique things about Antidote is an individual approach to design, not excluding the paint job. We are proud of our perfect carbon fibre weave in the RAW version, but it looks amazing paired with a full paint job.
"Each Antidote serial number has a unique character and story behind it. Attention to looks and aesthetics of the final product is one of the main pillars of our brand’s philosophy." - Mirek Brzozowski - Varnisher
Framesets
Frame
"In the age of bicycle mass production and commonplace outsourcing, we are proud that the entire production process of our frames, from the first line on the drawing board to the very last bolt torqued during assembly, takes place in Poland, in-house. We are meticulous in quality control at every step of the way, and being right there, we are able to respond quickly and have full control over the quality of our products. We are thrilled to provide the level of quality that is out of reach for other manufacturers." - Paweł Marczak, CEO
Antidote Bikes is almost 20 years old. Our company was founded from our passion for mountain biking, engineering and racing, paired with a liking for design and applied art.
We are a workshop producing mountain biking frames out of carbon fibre, aerospace aluminium and titanium. Originally, we also made fully aluminium bikes. We also do research and development work concerning the use of biocomposites in bike frame production.
We are a small company with excellent equipment, high flexibility and an innovative approach towards design, geometry and suspension. The Antidote team is a well-oiled machine consisting of specialists working together for years, making up our own family. Our customers receive products of highest possible quality, thanks to all of our components being produced in-house. We are focused on providing a personal touch and executing unique projects.
The frames made by Antidote are characterized by acclaimed suspension platforms, always individually designed for the needs of a certain discipline.
We take pride in the exquisite aesthetics of our frames’ finish. We love working with the customer to create a one of a kind product together.
More information at: www.antidotebikes.com.
View key specs, compare bikes, and rate the new Antidote Woodsprite in the Vital MTB Product Guide.