The Priority grabs you straight away. No rear derailleur, a swingarm the size of a small country, a massive sprocket perched above the bottom bracket, and a silver finish that makes it look like nothing else on the trail. Almost everything about it feels different, new, and just a little bit intriguing from the off. But where, exactly, have Priority put their priorities?

Priority Vanth | 170/165 mm (f/r) | 19.5 kg in Size S2
€8,433 (including shipping, customs and import charges) | Manufacturer’s website

Priority Bikes are a relatively young brand out of New York City, focused almost entirely on direct-to-consumer belt drive bikes that punch above their price. With the Priority Vanth, the American manufacturer steps beyond the commuter and leisure crowd into something new: a premium enduro bike built for serious trail riding. Featuring 170/165 mm of travel (f/r), a mullet wheel configuration, their proprietary Still Point high pivot suspension platform and a Pinion Smart.Shift 9-speed gearbox, the Vanth breaks new ground in several areas. Above all else, it promises one thing: downhill performance. Equipped with FOX suspension and a starting price of € 7,469, including the hefty shipping, customs and import costs, it certainly isn’t cheap. But given the sheer amount of innovation on board, the price feels fair. We put the Priority Vanth through its paces and it certainly got us excited for bike park season.

The bike takes its name from Etruscan mythology. Vanth is a benevolent demon who guides souls along their unknown journey into the afterlife. For those of us who prefer riding bikes to visiting the underworld, the Priority Vanth is the companion that’s meant to guide you safely down the most intimidating trails.

The New York brand has a clear mission: “Make Cycling Simple”. By that, they mean building bikes that require as little maintenance as possible. The company name, though, reflects founder and CEO Dave’s own shift in priorities when he started the business. His goal was to spend more time with his family without giving up his passion for cycling. Fair enough. Sometimes the only solution is to start your own company.

Founded in 2014, Priority Bikes got off the ground through three successful Kickstarter campaigns, with every bike reportedly delivered to its backers on schedule.

Most of the brand’s bikes feature a belt drive paired with either a singlespeed drivetrain, an internally geared hub, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) hub or a Pinion gearbox integrated into the bottom bracket area. Priority’s claims of “Quality Parts” and “No Overhead”, combined with their direct-to-consumer sales model from the US, are reflected in the specifications and pricing across the range. The line-up is primarily made up of commuter and recreational bikes priced between € 500 and € 3,600, not including import costs.

The new Priority Vanth is something of an outlier in the range, opening up an entirely new category while standing out clearly in both price and performance.

The new Priority Vanth in detail

At first glance, the 170/165 mm travel (f/r) enduro bike is all about that imposing swingarm, pivoting around a single, high-mounted main pivot. Next your eye goes to the big idler pulley above the bottom bracket and the smaller tensioner below it. Hunting for a rear derailleur and cassette is a waste of time, there aren’t any. What’s left is a rear end that looks unusually clean and uncluttered. The Vanth comes in an elegant silver that mimics raw aluminium, while the proud welds on the front triangle make no attempt to hide how the frame’s put together. The one-piece carbon swingarm is muscular and purposeful around the main pivot, then tapers gracefully to the dropouts. To our eyes, it strikes a fine balance between form and function.

The bike as a whole looks remarkably tidy and understated. With no drivetrain components hanging from the swingarm and all the key hardware gathered around the seat tube, both the front and rear of the bike look clean and streamlined. There’s no rear derailleur or cassette in sight; the gearbox, shock, suspension linkage and idler pulley are all neatly packaged in the centre of the frame. The cables and brake hose enter through ports on either side of the downtube, which are sealed with neatly integrated covers. From there, the brake hose runs externally across the gearbox before it’s secured again further along the frame. The only detail that feels slightly out of place is the lower shock mount, where a plain steel bolt is left exposed. By comparison, all the other pivot points are finished with smart black machined aluminium covers. Inside the front triangle, the frame offers mounts for a bottle cage on the down tube and a tool mount beneath the top tube.

You’ll look in vain for a chainstay protector. It simply isn’t needed, since the Gates belt runs beneath the elevated chainstays at all times. The layout also does away with the need for a split rear triangle when fitting or replacing the belt, because unlike a chain, a belt is a continuous loop that can’t be broken and rejoined.

Suspension and kinematics of the new Priority Vanth

The defining feature of the Priority Vanth is its rear suspension kinematics in combination with the Pinion gearbox. Called STILLPOINT, Priority’s patented suspension platform combines a high pivot layout with the main pivot, linkage pivot and idler axle positioned far forward within the front triangle. According to Priority, only this arrangement makes it possible to achieve the bike’s specific kinematic characteristics: an anti-rise curve that remains impressively low for a single-pivot high pivot design, helping the suspension stay active under braking, and an anti-squat curve that delivers efficient, pedal-neutral performance without unwanted bob. At the same time, the position of the idler pulley keeps pedal kickback, which is often a drawback of high pivot bikes, to just 3.3° throughout the entire suspension travel.

The shock is mounted vertically within the frame and driven by the swingarm through a rocker link and a connecting link. That gives a leverage ratio falling from 3.03 to 2.24 at full travel, a healthy 35% progression. We never felt the need for one during testing, but the kinematics should work just as smoothly with a coil shock, which is also officially approved by Priority.

The rear axle path illustrates how the rear centre grows by up to 34 mm throughout the suspension travel.

A big part of the rear suspension’s performance is the rearward axle path. As the suspension compresses, the rear centre grows by up to 34 mm over the full travel, 17 mm of it from the sag point on. That lets the rear wheel move backwards as it hits an impact, getting out of the way of obstacles rather than hanging up on them, and carrying speed through rough ground.

Another big win is the drop in unsprung mass at the rear wheel, thanks to the lack of a rear derailleur and cassette. Shedding up to a kilogram of unsprung weight is something you simply can’t achieve with even the lightest carbon wheelset or by running paper-thin tire casings. With less mass to control, the suspension can react more quickly, allowing the rear wheel to track the ground more consistently and delivering a noticeable increase in traction.

Handling should benefit too from the way so much of the bike’s mass is gathered around the centre of the frame. It lowers the centre of gravity and reduces rotational inertia, making the bike feel more composed and easier to move around.

That matters here, because at 19.5 kg the Vanth is heavy. It’d be a fine figure for a mid-power eMTB, only this bike has no motor and no battery. As a result, the Priority Vanth is a true heavyweight by enduro bike standards. The main culprit is probably the aluminium front triangle, since the swingarm is made from carbon. According to Priority, carbon was chosen for the one-piece swingarm to allow its stiffness characteristics to be tuned precisely.

The spec of the new Priority Vanth

We tested the Factory build, which is listed on Priority’s website for € 6,038. However, by the time the bike has been shipped, cleared customs and delivered to your door, you’ll need to factor in an additional € 2,394 for shipping, 14% import duty and 19% VAT. That brings the total price to € 8,433. With that in mind, a bike park trip to the north-eastern United States, complete with buying and breaking in your new bike, might not be such a bad idea. That said, Priority are already working on making the Vanth available through a European distributor. Whether that will ultimately bring the price down remains to be seen.

All Vanth models come equipped with a Pinion C1.9i Smart.Shift gearbox, offering a 568% gear range across nine gears, electronic Smart.Shift technology and in-house 165 mm cranks. Both the front sprocket and rear belt cog feature 32 teeth and are made from stainless steel. Combined with a 143-tooth Gates CDX Carbon belt, the system is designed to deliver exceptionally low wear.

On gearing, the setup is broadly comparable to a 12-speed SRAM drivetrain, a 520% range from a 10-52 t cassette and 30 t chainring, though the Vanth gives you a slightly easier climbing gear and a marginally taller top gear as well. The 26-tooth idler is fairly large, which reduces stress on the loaded section of the belt. The tensioner runs a much smaller pulley with generous take-up and sits on the unloaded side, absorbing chainstay growth as the suspension compresses. At the rear sprocket, a further guide pulley stops the belt skipping under load.

For the suspension, Priority rely on a proven FOX combo. At the rear, a FOX Float X2 Factory shock with climb switch and independently adjustable high- and low-speed compression and rebound damping. Our test bike was still fitted with the Performance Elite version as a pre-production specification. Up front, suspension duties are taken care of by a FOX 38 Factory fork with the latest GRIP X2 damper.

The two more affordable spec variants roll on unbranded BOOST hubs with WTB KOM Tough i30 rims. They should comfortably see out at least one full bike park season, and likely a good deal longer under lighter riders or on the front wheel. One welcome detail, and something all too rare on cost-driven OEM builds, is the Sapim Race butted spokes. The tire choice, however, is less convincing. While the combination of a Maxxis Minion DHF up front and DHR II at the rear is a proven match, both come with lightweight EXO casings that simply don’t suit a bike of this calibre. The rubber compounds are well chosen, with MaxxGrip at the front and faster-rolling MaxxTerra at the rear, but we’d recommend upgrading before the very first ride, fitting at least an EXO+ casing up front and a DoubleDown casing on the rear.

Braking is handled by TRP EVO Pro four-piston stoppers on 203 mm rotors, 2.3 mm thick, across every build. On paper, a solid spec.

The seat tube measures 370 mm across all frame sizes, yet it swallows a 210 mm dropper fully inserted, thanks to the forward-mounted pivots that leave the tube completely unobstructed. Depending on size, the Vanth ships with OneUp V3 droppers in 240 mm, 210 mm or 180 mm travel. Rounding off the build is a simple but dependable Race Face cockpit, consisting of an Aeffect stem with a 40 mm length and a Turbine handlebar with 20 mm of rise.

Tuning Tip: Fit a set of high-quality aftermarket brake pads and upgrade the tires to a more robust casing (at least EXO+) up front and DoubleDown at the rear. It will cost you a little climbing efficiency, but it’s a far better match for the Vanth’s impressive downhill capabilities.

All other spec variants of the Priority Vanth

Compared to the Factory model we tested, the Performance Elite build comes, as the name suggests, with FOX Performance Elite suspension and a Race Face Aeffect handlebars. In practice, that means you’re only giving up the Kashima coating while swapping to a more affordable aluminium bar, all while saving € 964. It’s easily our best-value recommendation.

For an additional € 1,446, the Podium build upgrades to a FOX Podium Factory inverted fork, OneUp carbon handlebars with 35 mm of rise, and a wheelset consisting of Race Face ARC30 carbon rims and a Halo MantraDrive 750 rear hub with 150 points of engagement. Priority don’t quote a weight for this build, though we expect it to be very similar to the other two. The weight penalty of the Podium fork, which is around 350 g heavier, should be largely offset by the carbon cockpit and wheels.

The geometry of the new Priority Vanth

The Vanth is available in three sizes, S1, S2 and S3, with reach figures of 440 mm, 475 mm and 510 mm respectively. Those 35 mm increments between sizes are substantial and may leave some riders on the fence between two frame sizes. The rear centre remains the same across the range, measuring 448 mm with the suspension fully extended. Thanks to the rearward axle path, it grows to 465 mm at 30% sag and reaches 483 mm at full compression, placing it firmly towards the longer end of the spectrum. The 64° head angle is sensibly slack, the 78.5° seat angle notably steep. Riders who like a low front end will appreciate the relatively short 100 to 120 mm head tubes and the handlebar’s modest 20 mm rise. That said, the front end is arguably too low, particularly for taller riders, and runs counter to the current trend of pairing long rear centres with taller stack heights to make it easier to lift the front wheel without excessive body movement.

The Vanth forgoes a flip chip, meaning there’s no option to convert it to a full 29er or make further geometry adjustments. Having the ability to tweak the bottom bracket height and switch to dual 29-inch wheels would have broadened the bike’s versatility. A slightly shorter wheelbase, a higher bottom bracket and larger rear wheel would make the Vanth an even more capable companion for long rides and extended climbs.

Size S1 S2 S3

Top tube	568 mm	605 mm	641 mm
Seat tube	370 mm	370 mm	370 mm
Head tube	100 mm	110 mm	120 mm
Head angle	64°	64°	64°
Seat angle	78.5°	78.5°	78.5°
Chainstay	448 mm	448 mm	448 mm
BB Drop	9 mm	9 mm	9 mm
Wheelbase	1,230 mm	1,269 mm	1,309 mm
Reach	440 mm	475 mm	510 mm
Stack	630 mm	639 mm	648 mm

The new Priority Vanth on the trail

Setup

Setting up the Vanth got off to a slightly frustrating start, and it was the TRP brakes’ fault. Straight after bedding them in, the pads seemed contaminated. The following morning they greeted us with loud squealing and disappointingly little stopping power. It wasn’t until we heated the pads with a hot air gun that the noise disappeared for good and braking performance became reasonably consistent. Even then, we were never entirely convinced by the pads. On steep descents, outright braking power always felt lacking, and beyond a certain point, pulling harder on the levers produced little additional stopping force.

It’s worth pointing out that TRP specify their own bedding-in procedure, which differs from the industry norm and takes considerably longer. The pads need to be bedded in gradually over an extended period and should not be subjected to heavy braking until the process is complete. As such, we don’t want to overemphasise this issue. If necessary, aftermarket pads with more familiar friction characteristics are readily available.

Another minor irritation during setup came from the TRP EVO Pro brake levers. The clamp bolts interfered with both the OneUp dropper remote and the Pinion Smart.Shift controller, making it impossible to position the two controls exactly where we wanted them. We eventually found a workable compromise, but the cockpit ergonomics could certainly be better.

The cockpit on our test bike in size S2, with its 110 mm head tube, felt noticeably too low for our liking. We also weren’t particularly impressed by the stock grips, so we made a few changes before heading out on the trail. We moved all the headset spacers beneath the stem and swapped the handlebars for a model with 50 mm of rise, which noticeably improved the riding position and overall feel of the bike.

How does the new Priority Vanth climb?

What took some getting used to

The first thing to bear in mind is that the Pinion gearbox isn’t a conventional derailleur drivetrain, and that inevitably brings a number of differences. Most of us have spent decades riding bikes with derailleurs, becoming accustomed to both their strengths and their shortcomings. A gearbox feels different at first, and any departure from what we’re used to naturally attracts closer scrutiny. We’ll take a closer look at those differences below and explain how they affected our riding experience. At the same time, it’s important to keep them in perspective. In our experience, very few of them detract from the ride once you’ve spent some time adapting to the system. In fact, depending on the kind of rider you are and where you ride, the Pinion gearbox can be a genuinely worthwhile upgrade.

The Pinion C1.9i offers a 568% range across nine gears. Against a typical 12-speed derailleur drivetrain with a 520% range, the Pinion’s average step between gears works out at 124%, versus 116% for the derailleur. So the jumps between gears are noticeably bigger with the 9-speed gearbox. In practice, though, we didn’t find it especially distracting. On relaxed enduro climbs, we just tweaked our cadence or speed to suit the terrain. Only on longer stretches of flatter ground did we occasionally wish for slightly tighter spacing.

On our test bike, however, three gear steps were noticeably larger, while the adjacent steps on either side were smaller. The difference was obvious on the trail. The Pinion C1.9i specification sheet lists gear ratios that work out at shifts of between 123% and 125% from one gear to the next. On our test bike, though, we measured jumps as low as 117% and as high as 132% across three consecutive gears. We spoke to Pinion about this and were told that the ratios published on their website do not accurately reflect the actual gear ratios.

As you’d expect, you can shift under load, but also while the cranks are stationary. One difference that takes a little getting used to is the timing of the gear changes. After pressing the shift lever, there is a slight delay before the next gear engages. Depending on the crank position when you press the lever, the shift point can vary by around a third of a crank revolution, as the Smart.Shift system executes gear changes at the crank’s dead centre once your cadence exceeds 30 rpm. In practice, though, this isn’t all that different from a conventional derailleur drivetrain, where the chain first has to reach one of the cassette’s shift ramps before the gear change can happen. One thing that did stand out was that, on rare occasions, we noticed a noise coming from the gearbox around two crank revolutions after the gear had already changed. Pinion told us this is neither a fault nor a cause for concern, and that it only occurs very occasionally.

The electronic Smart.Shift controls worked very well throughout our test. The two shift paddles are positioned one behind the other, and while the layout feels unusual at first, it quickly becomes intuitive. If you prefer, the functions of the two paddles can also be swapped to suit your personal preference.

One thing that was new to us is that the Pinion Smart.Shift system doesn’t tell you which gear you’re currently in. Glancing down at the rear wheel, the way you would with a derailleur drivetrain, obviously isn’t an option, and unlike the mechanical Pinion system, there’s no gear indicator on the shifter either. As a result, you can only estimate how many gears you still have available in either direction. In practice, though, this is only really relevant on steep climbs, where you’re likely to be at one end of the gear range while also having the opportunity to look down at the bike.

The Smart.Shift system uses a small red LED on the shifter to warn you when the battery is running low. We never saw it light up during our test, and according to Pinion, a single charge should last several months with regular daily use. Once the red LED lights up, however, you should recharge the system before your next ride, as the remaining battery capacity is said to be fairly limited. Charging is via a short lead that exits the frame just above the downtube near the head tube, and the appropriate charger is, of course, included. Once charging is complete, however, the cable doesn’t retract back into the frame and instead remains outside. In practice, this isn’t an issue. Even on rough trails, the cable neither rattled nor drew any attention to itself during our test.

On the trail, we found the Pinion and GATES combination on the Priority Vanth felt noticeably more elastic than a conventional chain drivetrain. This was most apparent under high, pulsing pedal loads, such as grinding up a steep climb in first gear. More powerful and heavier riders are likely to notice it most. It can become a drawback when tackling steps or roots on steep trails at low speed, where you’re putting maximum force through the pedals just to clear the obstacle. In these situations, the bike is more likely to stall instead of popping up and over, as the belt stretches under load. Carrying more speed helps, but maintaining momentum on steep technical terrain is easier said than done. We can’t say for certain where this pronounced elasticity comes from, but it’s likely the result of several components in the drivetrain flexing under load. What is clear, however, is that the relatively small rear sprocket generates higher belt tension. Compared with a drivetrain using a much larger 52-tooth rear sprocket and the same overall gear ratio, this results in greater drivetrain elasticity.

In a handful of very high-load situations, the steep climbs mentioned above or hard accelerations out of corners, we also felt slight vibrations through the pedals, along with a quiet but faintly coarse mechanical noise. Unfortunately, we couldn’t establish whether this fades over time, as we didn’t cover the 1,000 km running-in distance recommended by Pinion during the test period. However, after speaking to a rider who has used Pinion gearboxes for several years in the Enduro World Cup, we were told that both the vibrations and the drivetrain drag diminish noticeably once the gearbox has been properly run in.

On the climbs, the Vanth’s geometry initially makes a good first impression, thanks to that 78.5° seat angle. It shortens the seated cockpit slightly, but we never found that uncomfortable. On very steep pitches, though, you have to shift your weight well behind the saddle to keep the front wheel planted, a result of the very steep seat angle and the exceptionally long chainstays once the suspension settles into sag.

Overall, the Vanth makes no secret of where its priorities lie. Every metre of climbing has to be earned. It feels heavy on the pedals, never particularly eager to accelerate uphill, and the combination of a high system weight, the gearbox, belt drive and idler pulley demands noticeably more effort than a conventional enduro bike. Even if Lief Roders and Evan Wall make it look effortless in the EDR, we’re sure they won’t complain when a stage starts with a lift or shuttle transfer. Our own testing backs up these impressions too. No enduro bike we’ve tested so far has required as much physical effort to get to the top of the hill.

What impressed us straight away

One thing we appreciated from the very first climb was how pedal-neutral the rear suspension is. Even under heavy pedalling loads, the rear end remains composed and resists bobbing exceptionally well. In this respect, Priority have fully delivered on the promises made for their Still Point suspension platform. We also quickly came to appreciate the ability to shift while stationary. It’s a genuinely useful feature, even if it takes a little time before you instinctively remember to use it.

How does the new Priority Vanth perform on the descents?

If you’ve made it this far, you’re finally rewarded, and that goes as much for reaching the top of the climb as for reading this review, because descending is exactly where the Vanth comes into its own. There’s one caveat, though: it likes to be going fast. On flatter trails, where momentum is hard to come by, the Vanth can’t quite hide its weight.

Once the trail opens up, though, the bike impresses with intuitive, confidence-inspiring handling. It leans eagerly into fast corners and holds its line with remarkable composure, making it easy to carry speed through turns.

That said, the real standout is the suspension, which does so much for the bike’s composure. It feels incredibly smooth and irons out the trail beautifully, soaking up everything from small chatter to big hits with ease. Its best party trick, though, is finding grip where you’re sure there’s none left. Time and again, on wet rocks and greasy roots where you’d swear the tires were about to let go, the Vanth somehow claws the traction back and rescues what already felt like a lost corner or off-camber. The sheer grip on offer inspires enormous confidence. You worry less about what the trail is doing beneath you, relax more on the bike and naturally start carrying more speed. And it isn’t limited to one end of the bike, both wheels generate an equally impressive level of traction, with the exceptionally balanced weight distribution surely a big part of why. The Vanth’s considerable weight plays its part too, helping the suspension react more sensitively than it would on a bike 5 kg lighter.

The rear suspension is exceptionally sensitive, and it works completely independently of the drivetrain. Despite the high-engagement freehub, we never felt any noticeable pedal kickback, even picking through slow, highly technical rock gardens. There’s no clutch derailleur fighting the suspension’s movement either, which, along with the reduced unsprung mass, is a big part of why the rear end feels so supple. The FOX Float X2 keeps everything planted and composed, confidence-inspiring at speed and unflappable through big hits.

Another standout feature is just how quiet the Vanth is. Apart from the freehub, the bike is virtually silent. The belt drive eliminates the usual chain slap and drivetrain rattle, while the cables around the cockpit remain completely quiet too. Even the biggest impacts are absorbed without fuss or unwanted noise, allowing you to focus entirely on the trail ahead.

When the trail turned really steep and technical, and we needed strong, immediate braking performance, the brakes ended up holding back the fun more than the bike ever did. The front brake in particular lacked bite, making even simple stoppies a battle against the brake lever, while the rear wheel was unloaded much later than expected. Pulling harder on the lever mainly resulted in more noise rather than more stopping power. In all likelihood, a fresh set of brake pads and following TRP’s bedding-in procedure to the letter would go a long way towards addressing this.

The Priority Vanth is a bike that prefers to stay planted and carry speed, rather than one that asks to be thrown around the trail. It isn’t the sort of bike that effortlessly lifts into the air or flicks playfully through tight berms. Whether you’re trying to lift the front wheel over fallen branches on a climb or pop off drops on the descent, it takes noticeably more effort and a much more deliberate shift in body position. For smaller riders in particular, this can become genuinely demanding. With only limited room to move their weight rearwards, they often have no choice but to actively yank the front wheel upwards. Part of the reason is the long rear centre, which already measures 465 mm at 30% sag and grows even further as the suspension compresses. The other contributing factor is the relatively low front end, particularly for taller riders.

The frame feels impressively stiff considering it’s made from aluminium and has a relatively slender silhouette. We suspect the bike’s comparatively high overall weight plays a role here, as the gearbox is the only unusually heavy component in an otherwise conventional build. At our test rider’s weight of 75 kg, the frame stiffness never felt excessive on the trail. If anything, it complemented the bike’s outstanding suspension performance, whose exceptionally sensitive response proved to be one of the Vanth’s biggest strengths.

Digression: How efficient is a gearbox and belt drive?

Because the drivetrain felt noticeably compliant and, at times, slightly reluctant under hard pedalling on steep climbs, and because of the slightly coarse sensation we experienced when accelerating out of corners, we carried out a series of power measurements using power meter pedals. The aim was to find out whether our subjective impression of increased pedalling effort could be confirmed by objective data.

To quantify this, we compared the 19.5 kg Priority Vanth against an enduro bike with a conventional derailleur drivetrain, no idler pulley and a total weight of 14 kg. Both bikes were fitted with the same tires, run at identical tire pressures, the chain on the reference bike was freshly lubricated, and the Gates belt was clean and free from sand. Our test rider weighs 82 kg fully kitted.

Test Power required Additional power required by the Priority Vanth Gradient Speed Cadence Derailleur drivetrain Pinion/Gates absolute relative Notes

1.7 %	20 km/h	68 rpm	225 W	253 W (7th gear)	+ 28 W	+ 12 %	Around 14 W of this is drivetrain drag alone
12.3 %	7 km/h	70 rpm	274 W	307 W (3rd gear)	+ 33 W	+ 12 %	2 W from drivetrain drag, around 13 W attributable to the additional 5.5 kg of the bike weight
“	“	“	“	294 W (3rd gear)	+ 20 W	+ 7 %	Calculated value assuming the Vanth weighed just 14 kg
Drivetrain drag in easiest gear		75 rpm	5 W	4.5 W (1st gear)	– 0.5 W
Drivetrain drag in hardest gear		75 rpm	6 W	34 W (9th gear)	+ 28 W

Unsurprisingly, the Priority takes more power to keep moving. On climbs and in the lower gears, a significant proportion of this is simply down to the bike’s 5.5 kg weight penalty, which increases both the power needed to overcome gravity and rolling resistance. The rest comes from losses within the gearbox itself, the idler pulley and the belt, which stretches slightly under load and therefore generates additional friction. On flatter trails and in the higher gears, the extra power demand is influenced much more by the gearbox’s comparatively high drag torque when freewheeling, and potentially by additional friction from the idler pulley and belt system. Although the underlying causes differ, both loaded test scenarios produced the same overall result: the Priority Vanth required around 12% more rider input than the reference bike. Our Pinion gearbox had seen very little use. According to Pinion, efficiency improves throughout the running-in period, which lasts between 500 km and 2,000 km, increasing by up to 2%. In third gear, for example, it reaches around 97% efficiency once fully bedded in. The main reason is that the seals, which keep the gearbox oil contained, generate less drag over time. The gear teeth also become smoother as they wear in. That said, it’s important to remember that a derailleur drivetrain only performs at its best when it’s clean, properly lubricated and the jockey wheels are spinning freely. You can decide for yourself how often that’s actually the case on your own bike. Which brings us back to what we believe is the most likely cause of the Vanth’s high pedalling resistance: the belt drive. In particular, the combination of an idler pulley and the high belt tension sets it apart from most other bikes. Whether a conventional chain would be the better solution in this specific application is something we’ll be looking into for you at the next opportunity.

Who is the Priority Vanth the right bike for?

Conclusions about the new Priority Vanth

The Priority Vanth is a bike that divides opinion. On the climbs, its performance is fairly modest. The high overall weight, noticeable drivetrain drag and the slightly flexy feel of the gearbox and belt all demand more effort and sap some of the flow, even if being able to shift while stationary is a genuinely useful advantage. Point it downhill, though, and the picture changes completely. Here the Vanth impresses with exceptionally supple suspension, outstanding traction and a whisper-quiet drivetrain that lets you focus entirely on the trail ahead. It’s not a playful bike, largely because of the weight, but it more than makes up for that with remarkable composure and very low maintenance, even if we’d upgrade the tires and brake pads. If every meter of climbing has to be earned under your own steam, there are better options out there. But if your rides mix self-powered climbs with shuttle runs or uplift days, and your priority is flat-out descending performance, the Vanth is one of the most compelling gearbox enduro bikes on the market.

For more information, visit the Priority website.

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Words: Ingo Karb, Benedikt Schmidt Photos: Peter Walker