THE NEW VANTH

October 31, 2025

Priority Bicycles, the award-winning low-maintenance belt-drive bicycle brand, today launched the Vanth, the company’s most advanced bicycle to date. The Vanth is a 165mm full suspension enduro bicycle with Pinion C1.9i Smart.Shift gearbox and Gates Belt Drive. The hallmark of the Vanth is the patent-pending Stillpoint suspension platform, which moves the main pivot point to a location that delivers the suspension benefits of high pivot systems along with optimized performance under braking, control on challenging terrain, and extremely low (3.2°) pedal kickback. Additionally, the combination of Pinion and Gates drivetrain centralizes weight placement and eliminateschain and derailleur maintenance.

The Vanth is the culmination of a four-year project combining Priority’s 11 years of experience as America’s leading OE brand with Gates and Pinion, customer demand for application of those technologies in the MTB space, and the addition of key team members on the project including Mike Schwartz, founder of Morpheus Bikes, a brand known for its innovative, gravity-oriented designs and sponsorship of high-profile freeride and downhill athletes. The team’s challenge at the onset was applying the technology in a way to clearly improve rider experience.

“Our customers have been asking for this for years,” said David Weiner, CEO and founder of Priority Bicycles. “With new technologies like Pinion Smart.Shift enabling responsive shifting, the proven advantages of centralized mass in downhill racing, and more teams adopting gearbox systems, now is the moment to bring this platform to life.

As the only bicycle brand dedicated to a low-maintenance rider experience, Priority has been a champion of internally geared drivetrains and Gates Belt Drive systems across its lineup. For full-suspension gear box applications, the system requires a tensioner to mitigate belt growth, allowing for a high-pivot design with a high amount of rearward axle travel. High pivots offer incredible traction and composure on rough terrain, but they also come with tradeoffs, namelyhigh anti-rise and increased pedal kickback.

The challenge required a new way of thinking. Lead engineer Fabien Lemasson, whose background spans both mountain bike and race car design, initially believed it couldn’t be done. Product Lead Mike Schwartz challenged him to plot the pivots exactly where they needed to be, regardless of frame constraints.

That breakthrough became the foundation of the patent-pending Stillpoint suspension system, where the pivots are freed from traditional frame locations and placed to balance braking traction, bump absorption, and pedaling efficiency.

The third member also frees up the seat tube, enabling class-leading dropper post insertion. Additionally, by reducing unsprung mass and shifting it to the centrally mounted Pinion gearbox, the VANTH stays planted and composed while improving suspension performance. Through extensive rounds of prototyping Stillpoint and frame geometry, wheel size and components, pro testing at each phase, and advancements in technology,namely the release of the Pinion Smart.Shift system, the team felt as though there was a market-ready product. As a final litmus test, the bicycles were put through their paces in a secretive blind demo session by professional athletes and everyday riders at a regional bike park.

“We were confident in what we’d built, but after four years of development it was important to get outside perspective,” said Benjamin Chou, VP of Operations. “As a new player, we needed real validation from real riders. We demoed our final prototypes, including both chain and belt models, back-to-back, and conducted post-ride interviews. Their feedback would decide whether we moved forward or shelved the project completely. We weren’t going to do this if the bicycle couldn’t stand on its own merits.”

The results of the test were all positive. Riders praised the gearbox driven variant, that would ultimately become the Vanth, confirming strong interest in how Pinion and Gates could be applied within the mountain bike space.

Every detail of the Vanth was designed with real riders in mind. The frame pairs an aluminum front triangle with a carbon rear end to meet stiffness and ride-quality goals while maintaining long-term durability, sitting atop a mixed wheelset. It’s a vailable in three sizes to fit riders from approximately 5’4″ to 6’4″, each with room for a full-size water bottle. Under-top-tube mounts provide space for tools or spares, and every Vanth ships with a OneUp EDC Strap Mount for easy on-bike storage. The frame is coil-compatible for riders who prefer the feel and tunability of a coil shock.The Pinion gearbox requires an oil change only once every 6,000 miles, delivering quiet, reliable performance year-round.

The Vanth launches in three tiers, ranging from $5,999 USD to $7,999 USD, with all tiers offering the Pinion Smart.Shift C1.9i gearbox, Gates CDX Belt Drive, and patent-pending Stillpoint suspension technology. It will be available exclusively at PriorityBicycles.com, shipping direct to riders 95% assembled and ready to ride on January 16. Beginning January 17, all in-stock orders will ship the next business day. Priority Bicycles offers a 30-day return policy for bikes in original packaging and like-new condition, along with a lifetime warranty on the frame covering defects in materials and workmanship for the original owner.

The company’s U.S.-based support team provides 365-days-a-year, in-house customer service and can be reached by email, text, WhatsApp, or phone. The Priority website also features a full library of FAQs, assembly guides, and technical videos that are regularly updated based on customer feedback, ensuring an easy, low-maintenance ownership experience.

Named after a winged spirit guide from Etruscan mythology, the Vanth was built to lead riders into new terrain with calm confidence. Like its namesake, it stays composed when things get chaotic, a steady guide for the rides that push your limits. With the Vanth, Priority brings gearbox reliability, belt-drive simplicity, and real suspension innovation to riders who just want to ride more and wrench less.

For more information, visit prioritybicycles.com and follow @ridepriority on Instagram.