Myotragus Dorothea is a 200mm high pivot bike with gearbox

The Myotragus Dorothea isn’t exactly a name to roll with, but fortunately the Spanish company’s default 200mm axle tire has enough other talking points to pass the brand over. The idler wheel, complex connections and gearbox are clear indications that this is no ordinary gravity bike. The rear axle track moves exactly in an almost straight line to maintain momentum and retain a long wheelbase for stability.

The Dorothea can be retrofitted to either a 200mm-travel downhill bike, or a 170mm-travel enduro bike using different shock lengths and linkage components. Either configuration can be run on dual 29-inch wheels or mixed wheels to suit rider preference. On the 200mm setup, the overall progression is very high. Pedal bounce is negligible throughout its travel because the idler wheel is mounted on the swivel bottom link.

In enduro mode, Dorothea’s 170-millimeter-travel seat tube angle can be steepened by 82 degrees for an upright seating position with the fork positioned at a 65-degree angle. Since Myotragus can weld the Dorothea to a custom geometry, the DH mode can be built with a 61-degree slack and has two options for chain length—435mm, or 450mm when using a 29-inch wheel. Those numbers grow by 20mm once the suspension sags under the rider’s weight.

Myotragus uses a default high-axle layout they call “OLS Suspension” designed primarily to move the rear axle back 57mm overall. The upper link rotates on an eccentric pivot while the lower link moves up, compressing a 250 x 75mm shock from both directions.

What looks like a prototype is actually the final product of the Spanish brand. Billet 7020-T6 aluminum is preferred over carbon for frame construction for durability against rock bumps and to allow for custom geometry. Myotragus also prefers an untreated finish to reduce Dorothea’s weight and cost. The bare frame without the shock weighs in at 3800 grams or 8.38 pounds, which puts it about the same weight as the RAAW Madonna frame. Surprisingly, the frame and scissor link components total just over 30—well below Norco’s Range of nearly a hundred.

Adding to their industrial ways, the gearbox lowers the bike’s center of gravity and unsprung weight, while increasing ground clearance. Pinion’s 9-speed C1.9XR gearbox spins the gears through an oil bath with a range saving of 463%. This transmission style also reduces shifting in anti-squat since the chain is not traveling through gears on the rear axle. Due to the small batch, local production, Myotrgus could build the Dorothea to work on a conventional drivetrain as well.

Like Commencal’s Supreme V4 single-axle high bike, the Dorothea has an anti-rise value of about 130%. Dragging the rear brake will compress the rear suspension, but Myotragus likes how this characteristic maintains geometry. In their opinion, this has no negative effect on how sensitive the suspension is due to compressive braking forces.

Does he climb like a mountain goat? Probably not, due to the weight and associated top-down focused parts. The anti-squat actually starts low and goes up to just over 100% as the suspension settles into its sag point. This is not the only number to consider when discussing pedaling efficiency. Geometry has an impact on that, too.

Although Myotragus is still testing and finalizing the details on the Dorothea, the price is estimated to be around €3,000, which doesn’t include a custom shock or geometry. For more information or to contact Myotragus, check out their detailed website here and follow them Instagram.