2022 Pinkbike Awards: Outlier Bike of Year Nominees - The Ones That Do It Differently

In other news that's not surprising, the brand-new $10,000 trail bike that's been in development for two decades is "pretty dang good" while carrying your jacket, multi-tool, and one of those double-sized Mars bars in its downtube, and it's also reliable, adjustable, and not affordable. But if you're like me and need more than a new storage hole or 0.5-degree steeper seat angle to get really excited, there are also a handful of bikes out there doing it differently.

Reeb's steel SST, the wild Antidote Darkmatter, Contra's steampunk MC, and the sleek-looking Digit Datum are our four standouts for the new Non-Mainstream Bike of the Year award, but which one deserves the win, and why?

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Why it's nominated

The 120mm-travel SST is a sturdy steel trail bike made to do all the things in a package that's both simple and advanced. The 4130 chromoly steel tubes are welded in a barn in Lyons, Colorado, but it uses Selective Laser Melting 3D-printed hollow chainstay yoke, seatstay clevis, and rear dropouts to cut grams and add strength. For suspension, the chainstays are flattened just ahead of the axle to mimic how a Horst Link functions but without the extra bearings and pivot hardware that you'd usually see there. Aside from being drop-dead gorgeous, it's also a fun bike to ride that's relatively forgiving for how much travel it has and can do a lot of things well.

FULL REVIEW

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Why it's nominated

The 164mm-travel Contra MC ticks every box on the list and more: made in low numbers, steel tubes, some handmade aluminum links, all the chain, and an idler pulley the size of a large pizza. The rootbeer paint doesn't exactly hurt, either. The Magic Carpet comes from the mind and hands of Evan Turpen, a former pro downhill racer and mechanic who taught himself how to use engineering software in order to create bikes that matched his needs. It flattens everything on the downhills, of course, with remarkably deep-feeling suspension and an uncanny ability to mute rough terrain. Surprisingly, it also climbs quite well given that it's relatively heavy, even by enduro bike standards.

FULL REVIEW

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Why it's nominated

Shock? Pfft, the US-made Digit Datum frame uses a 12" strut half-hidden in its top tube and a 2:1 suspension ratio; how's that for non-mainstream? Putting a shock there isn't a new idea, of course, but the Datum employs it as an upper link while there's an actual link down by the bottom bracket. With fewer moving parts and the shock mostly tucked into the frame, the Datum is both light and clean looking. The strut is unique to the bike but user serviceable at home, will be custom-tuned for you, and is covered by a warranty and service plan.

FULL REVIEW

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Why it's nominated

More exotic than a tiny fish swimming up your wee-wee during an Amazon vacation, Antidote's wild-looking Darkmatter uses a high-pivot, link-driven suspension layout with an idler pulley to deliver 190mm to 200mm of travel depending on the wheel size. The carbon frame is built in Antidote's factory in Poland, and the options list includes EXT or Öhlins suspension, high-end components, and even custom paint. Matt Beer spent a bunch of time on an EXT-equipped Darkmatter in Whistler earlier this year and came away impressed by the bike's suspension and handling. Stay tuned for Matt's review in the near future.

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