For those who are not so familiar with Propain's model range: on paper, the Hugene is the tamest horse in the German manufacturer's gravity-heavy stable and sits in the trail category. It is followed by the all-mountain enduro bike Tyee and the freerider Spindrift. The downhiller Rage completes the range with the greatest suspension travel at the top.
Everything the same visually?
But what's new about the trail bike, which is still only available with a carbon frame? Even if little has changed visually on the frame, the changes are in the details. The main focus of the new features is certainly the slightly reduced suspension travel. While the predecessor still had 150 millimetres of travel at the front and 140 millimetres at the rear, the new Hugene only offers 130 millimetres at the rear in combination with a 140 mm fork. The reduction in travel is intended to increase propulsion and the trail virtues, but in no way minimise riding fun. This makes it even easier to differentiate it from the All Mountain/Enduro Tyee. With the latest generation of the Hugene, Propain promises to create a true trail bike: light and agile, playful and efficient.
The key data for the Propain Hugene CF:
- Category: Trail
- Suspension travel: 140 mm (front) / 130 mm (rear)
- Wheel size: 29"
- Frame material: Carbon
- Weight: from 14.2 kg
- Price: from EUR 3,399.00
- Availability: Delivery from the end of August
Enduro with faster reflexes
In terms of geometry, Propain relies on full-throttle values for the Hugene. With a head angle of just under 65 mm and 444 mm chainstays, the trail bike remains relaxed even on fast sections, as our initial riding impressions confirm. On rough terrain, you can feel the short suspension travel, even if it works excellently and provides good comfort. In our setup with a very downhill-orientated configuration (Ultimate configuration), the Hugene weighs a good 15 kilos without pedals.
Schwalbe radial tyres with Ultrasoft compound on the front wheel and 200 mm Sram Maven brakes as well as a 140 mm Rockshox Lyrik fork provide reserves, but put pressure on the weight. At 2.8 kilos, the carbon frame is not particularly light either, but even has bike park approval. Prepared in this way, the Hugene rides like a short-travel enduro bike, albeit with slightly faster reflexes. Thanks to the short suspension travel, the Hugene reacts much more directly and is effortless to steer. In the saddle, the riding position is quite short and upright thanks to the steeper seat angle of 77 degrees. This means you can climb in a relaxed manner without having to fight against a rising front wheel. However, there is movement when pedalling out of the saddle. Which is why reaching for the admittedly hard-to-reach shock platform becomes a routine gymnastics exercise.
Detail optimisation
But not only the suspension travel has been adjusted, Propain has also worked hard on the finer details. As with the new Tyee, the customer has a free choice of cable routing. The cables can be routed into the frame in the classic way, via the headset or the six-pack stem. Laminated guides also facilitate assembly and maintenance, which is very easy on the new Hugene. The bolted bottom bracket and bolted frame protectors could also score points and contribute to durability. Another highlight is the storage compartment in the down tube, which was adopted from the Terrel CF gravel bike and has a clever sliding closure. To allow for longer dropper posts, the seat tubes are shorter across all four frame sizes.
Prices and variants
While our test bike is the Ultimate Kit for 6424 euros, prices start from 3399 euros. Propain also offers a frameset for 2499 euros. And of course, the configurator is also available for the Hugene, which allows weights from 14.2 kilos. To give the customer some orientation, the Hugene is available in four build kits: Base (3399 euros), Bomber (4849 euros), Ultimate (6424 euros) and Factory (8149 euros), which can be customised accordingly via the configurator.
| Hugene Base 3399 Euro | Hugene Base 3399 Euro | Hugene Ultimate 6424 Euro | Hugene Factory 8149 Euro | |
| Suspension fork | RockShox Psylo Gold RC 140 mm | Marzocchi Bomber Z1 140 mm | RockShox Lyrik Ultimate 140 mm | Fox 36 Factory Grip X2 140 mm |
| Damper | RockShox Deluxe Select Lin XL | Marzocchi Bomber Air | RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Lin XL | Fox Float X Factory |
| Drive | SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission (1x12) | Shimano XT (1x12) | SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission (1x12) | Shimano XTR Di2 (1x12) |
| Brakes | SRAM DB8 200 mm / 200 mm | Shimano XT 203 mm / 203 mm | SRAM Maven Silver 200 mm / 200 mm | Shimano XTR 203 mm / 203 mm |
| Impellers | NEWMEN Performance 30 Base | NEWMEN Beskar 30 Base/Light | DT Swiss EX 1700 | DT Swiss EXC 1200 |
| Seat post | Sixpack Kamikaze (Rigid Aluminium) | OneUp V3 | RockShox Reverb AXS | Fox Transfer Factory |
| Handlebars | Sixpack Millenium 805 30 mm Rise | Sixpack Millenium 805 30 mm Rise | OneUp Carbon 35 mm Rise | OneUp Carbon 35 mm Rise |
| Handles | Sixpack S-Trix | ERGON GDH Team | ERGON GDH Team | ERGON GDH Team |
| Stem | Sixpack Vertic 50 mm (Classic Internal Cable Routing) | Sixpack Millenium 45 mm (Classic Internal Cable Routing) | Sixpack Millenium 45 mm (Classic Internal Cable Routing) | Sixpack Millenium 50 mm (Sixpack Integrated Cable Routing) |
| Saddle | Sixpack Kamikaze | ERGON SM Enduro Comp Men | ERGON SM Enduro Comp Men | ERGON SM Enduro Comp Men |
| Tyres | Continental Kryptotal Enduro | Continental Kryptotal Enduro | Schwalbe Albert Trail Pro Radial | Schwalbe Albert Trail Pro Radial |
The new Hugene can be ordered from 31 July.
Conclusion: Peter Nilges, BIKE Test Manager:
Even with reduced suspension travel, the new Hugene is downhill-orientated and full throttle. In the four build kits, the focus is consistently on stable and enduro-compatible components and add-on parts. The bike is therefore aimed at riders who prefer to ride downhill rather than uphill. Riding fun is a top priority for the Hugene. There are lighter and better trail bikes for fast trail riding and efficient climbing.
