The Dorothea can be modified to either a 200mm travel downhill bike, or a 170mm enduro bike by using different shock lengths and linkage components. Either configuration can run on dual 29” or mixed wheels to suit the rider’s preferences. In the 200mm setting, the overall progression is extremely high. The pedal kickback is negligible throughout its travel because the idler wheel is mounted to the rotating lower link.
In the enduro mode, the seat tube angle of the 170mm travel Dorothea can be as steep as 82 degrees for an upright, seated position with the fork resting at a 65-degree angle. Since Myotragus can weld the Dorothea with custom geometry, the DH mode could be built as slack 61 degrees and has two chainstay length options – 435mm, or 450mm when a 29” wheel is used. Those figures grow to by 20mm once the suspension sags under the rider’s weight.
Myotragus uses a virtual high-pivot layout they call ‘OLS Suspension’ designed primarily to move the rear axle backwards by 57mm in total. The top link rotates on an eccentric pivot while the lower link moves upwards, compressing the 250x75mm shock from both directions.
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The path of the rear wheel describes practically a backward-sloping straight line, which aligns with the force vectors of impact due to the ground to significantly improve its absorption capacity. |
What looks like a prototype is actually the Spanish brand’s finished product. Raw 7020-T6 aluminum is favored over carbon for the frame construction for durability against rock strikes and to allow for custom geometry. Myotragus also prefers the untreated finish to reduce the weight and cost of the Dorothea. A bare frame without a shock weighs 3,800 g or 8.38 lb, which puts it around the same weight as a RAAW Madonna frame. Surprisingly, the scissoring linkage and frame components total just over 30 pieces – much less than Norco’s Range which accounts for nearly one hundred parts.
Adding to their industrial ways, a gearbox lowers the center of gravity for the bike and the unsprung weight, while increasing the ground clearance. Pinion’s C1.9XR 9-speed gearbox spins the gears through an oil bath while providing a 463% range. This transmission style also reduces the change in anti-squat since the chain does not move across gears on the rear axle. Due to the small batch, local production, Myotrgus could build the Dorothea to run on a conventional drivetrain as well.
Like Commencal’s Supreme V4 single high-pivot bike, the Dorothea has an anti-rise value around 130%. Pulling the rear brake will compress the rear suspension, but Myotragus prefers how this characteristic preserves the geometry. In their opinion, this doesn’t have any negative effect on how sensitive the suspension is due to the compressive braking forces.
Does it climb like a mountain goat? Probably not, due to the weight and the associated parts that focus on descending. The anti-squat actually starts low and rises to just over 100% as the suspension settles in the sag point. That’s not the only number to account for when discussing pedalling efficiency though. Geometry has an influence on that too.
Although Myotragus is still testing and finalizing the details on the Dorothea, pricing is estimated to land around the €3,000 mark, which doesn’t include a shock or custom geometry. For more information or to get in touch with Myotragus, check out their detailed website here and follow them on Instagram.
