Antidote, a Polish company specializing in producing their own carbon fiber bikes in-house, today released their new bike – the Woodsprite. Using 29-inch wheels and 135mm of rear wheel travel, this bike is designed to take many of the characteristics of Carbonjack enduro bikes and bring them to a shorter-travel platform. Antidote says that the properties of Carbonjack really run through Woodsprite – especially in its suspension and geometry. The bike is certainly familiar in appearance, especially in terms of its profile, with the rear shock just behind the seat tube.
Antidote Wood Elf Details
• Wheel Size: 29″
• Stroke: 135 (r) / 140 or 150mm (f)
• Carbon fiber frame
• 65.5° head angle
• Chainstay length: 450mm
• Reach: 455, 485, 515mm
• From € 7799
• From 3799 EUR for frame only
• antidotebikes.com
This bike is made from the Vectran compound that Antidote has been using on their bikes for years. One of the main benefits added to the composite material of the frame is the claimed increase in impact resistance and strength. There are also claims that Vectran carbon fiber is better at damping vibrations. The bike uses CNC frame links made from 7075 T6 alloy. A medium frame with all frame protection added weighs 2.5KG with no shocks.
The bike should be paired with a fork with 140 or 150mm of travel. It has clearance for 2.6-inch tires and a 180-millimeter strut mount at the rear.
frame details
The carbon fiber frame is available in the color of your choice, and the smooth lines seem to run from the head tube to the seat stays to the rear axle. Each bike has its own serial number, and it seems that Antidote’s goal is craftsmanship rather than mass production.
Anitdote claims the bike places the shock in this specific location to keep the bike’s center of gravity low. Either way, it certainly frees up a lot of space within the front triangle and accommodates a water bottle with ease. All bikes come with fenders to keep the excess mud and grit out of the shock.
Still, some people may have misgivings about the placement of the shocks, and that’s not without reason. We certainly want to reduce the chance of any dirt or grit being sucked in by any of our suspension or hydraulics. That said, no one seems to mind their seatpost, rear brake or fork legs. Maybe it’s just a feeling that it’s more likely to be covered in dirt, but either way, it’s clearly a system that Antidote believes in, since it’s on all of their bikes.
geometry
Geometry has some screaming values progress And others who seem less important. For example, this bike has a head tube angle of 65.5 degrees and a seat tube angle of 76.5 degrees. These, combined with a roomy 485mm chainstay size, allow for a large 450mm size and long chainstays, meaning riders have plenty of weight on their feet. Antidote says this is done to balance and better distribute the off-roader’s weight. I thought it would be interesting to see bike brands disagree on rear center length. In some ways, the question of range seems to give a clearer answer, big off-road bikes are about 480 or 485mm in size, but between brands they can be matched to any chainstay between 430 or 450mm. The back of the Woodsprite is definitely on the longer side.
Suspension Design
The Smart FDS suspension on the Woodsprite is compatible with coil and air shocks. The direction of the shock is piggyback steered to the non-drive side. The shock is driven directly from its lower end by the swingarm, and from the upper end by the linkage as it floats in between.
The bike’s lever ratio is relatively constant up to the sag point of the travel, which is 2.55 for the first 35mm of travel. It then accelerates and gradually increases from 2.5 to 2.2, very consistently until the end of its trip. The rise is also very consistent. It dropped from about 85% to about 80% at sag, and then dropped further to 64% in a very linear fashion at the end of the stroke. This value suggests that the bike is more likely to prioritize conservation of geometry over separating braking force from suspension action.
Squat resistance is a little lower, with some bikes hitting over 100% on sag, while Woodsprite varies between 85% and 95% on sag. This means the bike needs to compress slightly under suspension forces, even if only slightly. Values such as these may also mean that the bike is better at gripping over rough or rough terrain because the wheels are easier to get into the travel.
build options
Antidote sells the Woodsprite in several different build kits, including suspension kits from EXT, Rockshox and Fox, and drivetrains from Shimano. Below are some selected editions from the collection.
EXT Era & Storia Lok V3 / SRAM X01 €8699
Rear Shock – EXT Storia Lok V3 210x55mm
Fork – EXT Era V2 150mm
Headphones – CaneCreek 40
Drivetrain – SRAM X01
Brakes – SRAM Code RSC 200mm
Bar – Antidote 35mm / 810mm wide
Dry – Industry Nine
Seatpost – BikeYoke Revive
Saddle – WTB Silverado
Wheels – Industry Nine Enduro S Hydra
Tires – Maxxis Minion DHF/DHRII Exo+
Fox 34 and Float X / SRAM X01 – €8399
Rear Shock – Fox Float X Factory 210x55mm
Fork – Fox 34 Factory Grip2 140mm
Headphones – CaneCreek 40
Drivetrain – SRAM X01
Brakes – SRAM Code RSC 200mm
Bar – Antidote 35mm / 810mm wide
Dry – Industry Nine
Seatpost – BikeYoke Revive
Saddle – WTB Silverado
Wheels – Industry Nine Enduro S Hydra
Tires – Maxxis Minion DHF/DHRII Exo+
Rockshox Pike & Super Deluxe / Shimano XT – €7799
Rear Shock – Rockshox Super Deluxe 210x55mm
Fork – Rockshox Pike Ultimate 140mm
Headphones – CaneCreek 40
Drivetrain – Shimano XT
Brakes – Shimano XT 4-pot 203mm
Bar – Antidote 35mm / 810mm wide
Dry – Industry Nine
Seatpost – BikeYoke Revive
Saddle – WTB Silverado
Wheels – Industry Nine Enduro S Hydra
Tires – Maxxis Minion DHF/DHRII Exo+
For more details, visit antidotebikes.com
