Trail bikes are on everyone's lips among mountain bikers, but hardly any other MTB category is described as differently as trail bikes. For us, these are bikes that have 120 to 130 millimetres of suspension travel and can be ridden with maximum agility on trails of all kinds. You can find all BIKE classifications here here.
Propain sells its new Hugene bike as a trail bike, but depending on the equipment, the model is already poaching in the all-mountain segment. All versions of the twentyniner have a 130 mm rear triangle and a 140 mm fork. Only the top model has a suspension fork with 150 mm travel. Propain has redesigned the rear triangle and adapted it to the range of use and the large wheels: The shock now sits in front of the seat tube and is therefore better protected from dirt. Uphill, a high anti-squat value should ensure a stable and smooth rear triangle. The Hugene is designed to accelerate nimbly with high drive efficiency, while at the same time providing a smooth downhill ride.
The geometry is moderate: The steep 67.5 degree head angle (67 degrees with 150 mm fork) combined with a reach of 460 mm should ensure a sufficiently smooth ride without restricting manoeuvrability too much. The 445 millimetre chainstays promise good climbing characteristics. The carbon fibre chassis has been available to order in sizes S, M, L and XL since mid-June.
The three models "Start", "Bestseller" and "Highend" are expected to be available for 3100, 4100 and 6400 euros. The Start version comes with a Formula Selva fork, Sram GX Eagle drivetrain and Formula Cura brakes. Propain equips the bestseller with a Rock Shox Pike fork, Super Deluxe shock and X01 Eagle drivetrain. The top-of-the-range high-end model has a Fox 36 fork, a Float DPX2 shock, Sram's XX1 Eagle drivetrain and Reynolds carbon wheels. All models are also freely configurable.
We have already been able to test the new 29-inch fully from Propain - here are the results:
Light and powerful, but still fast downhill. All-mountain bikes want to be the perfect all-rounder. The brand new Propain Hugene (pronounced: Juh-dschihn) fulfils this requirement. The carbon fibre frame, developed from scratch, is based on a VPP rear triangle with 139 millimetres of suspension travel. At the front, Propain uses the 150 mm Fox 36 Float with the new Grip2 cartridge on the top model. With the Sram Eagle drivetrain and carbon wheels, the 29er weighs in at 13.2 kilos. However, the equipment can be customised in the mail order company's configurator.
Once you sit on the bike, you immediately feel comfortable: the riding position is balanced, the rear triangle is very smooth when pedalling. The harder you pedal, the firmer the rear suspension becomes. This is very comfortable on flat surfaces and helps you shake off your mate when sprinting. On technical climbs with a lot of pressure on the pedals, the traction suffers somewhat. On the other hand, the rather long chainstays keep the front wheel firmly on the ground, but do inhibit playfulness. The Hugene's motto is to descend quickly rather than scurry playfully through tight corners. Downhill, the balanced geometry and excellent suspension are impressive: the rear suspension works sensitively and absorbs even hard hits with ease. Only on blunt landings does it lack final progression. The suspension fork works at the highest level, but is very demanding to adjust with its many setting options. In the tested configuration, the Schwalbe Magic Mary tyres provide extra traction and improve the downhill characteristics without compromising the uphill qualities too much. The chain guide and the powerful Magura MT7 stoppers also fit into the potent overall picture.
CONCLUSION by Tobias Brehler, BIKE tester:
With the Hugene, Propain puts a solid 29er on the tyres, which impresses with balanced handling and very good suspension, especially downhill. The configurator and the typically good price/performance ratio leave nothing to be desired and make the Hugene a versatile all-mountain depending on the set-up.
PROPAIN HUGENE 29"
available at Mail order business
Price¹ (frame) 6100 Euro (2199 Euro)/
Front / rear suspension travel 153 mm / 139 mm
Material / Sizes Aluminium / S / M / L / XL / (47.5 cm)
Weight o. P. / frame 13.18 kg / 2547 g (without damper)
Fork / damper Fox 36 Float Factory Grip2 / Fox Float DPX2 Factory
Cranks / gears Sram XX1 Eagle / Sram XX1 Eagle
Gear ratio / handlebar width 32; 10-50 / 780 mm
Brake system / Disc Magura MT7 / 203/180 mm
Telescopic support Bikeyoke Revive / 160 mm / 31.6 mm
Impellers Industry Nine hubs; Reynolds Black Label Enduro rims; Schwalbe Magic Mary Evo Soft 29 x 2.35 tyres
Reach / Stack / BB-Offset 450/ 630 mm / -26 mm
¹Price plus costs for packaging, dispatch and coordination if applicable
²The BIKE judgement reflects the laboratory measurements and the subjective impression of the test riders. The BIKE judgement is independent of price.
BIKE judgements: super (250-205 P.), very good (204.75-170 P.), good (169.75-140 P.), satisfactory (139.75-100 P.), with weaknesses, unsatisfactory. The weighting of the points in the individual assessment criteria varies depending on the bike category.
You can read this article or the entire issue of BIKE 6/2018 in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the issue in the DK shop reorder:
