Propain has been one of the most popular bike brands in our reader survey for several years in a row. The latest iteration of the Tyee is available in countless variants, which can be customised using Propain’s extensive configurator. But can the new Tyee follow in the footsteps of its predecessor?
16 kg in size L | € 6,214 | Manufacturer’s website
The Propain Tyee has long been part of the furniture on our trails. Now in its sixth generation, the German manufacturer’s bike for the rough stuff continues to impress with its eclectic nature, which is partly due to Propain’s extensive configurator, allowing you to customise both the spec and look of the bike down to the smallest detail. Moreover, you can choose between an alloy and a carbon frame, and pick your favourite wheel configuration. Retailing at € 6,214, our test bike is the second cheapest competitor in this test field. Propain’s proven PRO10 rear suspension generates 160 mm of travel, and is paired with a 170 mm fork at front. Our carbon Propain Tyee in size L rocks a mullet haircut and weighs in at 16 kg.
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best enduro bike 2024 – 14 of the most exciting enduro bikes in our 2024 comparison test
The 2024 Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX in detail
With its unmistakable frame silhouette, the Tyee 6 CF doesn’t look a whole lot different than its predecessor, suggesting that the German manufacturer’s development team works on the basis of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The most striking difference is the shape of the tubes, which have sharper edges to ensure a fresh, modern look. The cables are routed internally and vanish into the frame through a proven Acros headset. However, this is paired with a specially developed SIXPACK stem, which allows you to easily adjust the height of the cockpit despite the internal headset routing – we really like the look of it! The cables are clamped securely at the ports, ensuring a quiet ride on the trail together with the newly revised chainstay protector – a real pleasure for your ears and soul! Unlike six of the other manufacturers in this test, Propain forgo a storage compartment in the down tube, which is a real shame. Instead, they provide a tool mount on the top tube, which allows you to secure all your trail essentials directly to the frame – at least in theory! However, the flat top tube and rear suspension design result in a very small frame triangle, leaving virtually no room for a tool strap when carrying a big bottle in the cage.
The spec of the 2024 Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX
The 2024 Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX features a high-quality spec that’s trimmed uncompromisingly towards versatility and trail performance. The suspension consists of a top-tier RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork with Charger 3 damper, and a matching RockShox Vivid Ultimate shock, both of which offer countless adjustability options and deliver a tremendous performance on the trail. OneUp supply the dropper post, which offers a whopping 210 mm of travel, but can’t be inserted all the way into the frame. Perched on top, you’ll find an SQLab 60X saddle which is super wide – so wide, in fact, that all of our test riders struggled to get on with it on the trail. Although saddle compatibility is very much down to personal taste and anatomy, we recommend picking the cheaper SIXPACK saddle from the configurator when customising your bike. The Propain Tyee is the only bike in this test field to come equipped with SRAM’s new MAVEN Silver brakes, which are significantly more powerful than CODEs, only just missing out on the coveted Best in Test badge in our latest disc brake comparison test. SRAM also provide the electronic X0 Eagle Transmission drivetrain, which relies on a direct-mount rear derailleur and ensures smooth gear shifts even under load.
The OneUp carbon handlebars, which usually come standard in 800 mm, are cut down to 780 mm on our test bike; in our opinion this is the optimal width for a bike in this frame size. For the wheels, Propain rely on two fellow German brands, combining a Newmen Evolution E.G.30 alloy wheelset and Schwalbe tires. You’ll find Magic Mary in Super Gravity casing at the front, while Big Betty brings up the rear in the sturdy Super DH casing – both tires in the ultra-soft Ultra Soft rubber compound. This combo, which isn’t available in the configurator, ensures plenty of grip and stability, albeit at the expense of rolling resistance. We recommend using Super Gravity tires front and rear, with the Ultra Soft rubber compound at the front and Soft compound at the rear.
Propains extensive online-configurator allows you to customise both the spec and look of the Tyee 6 CF down to the smallest detail.
Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX
€ 6,214
Specifications
Fork RockShox ZEB Ultimate 170 mm
Rear Shock RockShox Vivid Ultimate 160 mm
Seatpost OneUp Dropper 210 mm
Brakes SRAM Maven Silver 200/200 mm
Drivetrain SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission 1x12
Stem Sixpack Millenium 50 mm
Handlebar OneUp Carbon 780 mm
Wheelset NEWMEN Evolution E.G.30 Alu 29"/27.5"
Tires Schwalbe Magic Mary, Super Gravity, Ultra Soft/Schwalbe Big Betty, Super Gravity, Soft 2.4/2.4
Technical Data
Size XS S M L XL
Weight 16 kg
Specific Features
Online configurator
Toolmount
Flip-Chip
Tuning tip: Choose the thinner SIXPACK saddle from the configurator.
The geometry of the 2024 Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX
The Propain Tyee 6 CF is available in five sizes, XS to XL, offering a suitable option for riders between 148 cm and 202 cm tall. Wheel size options depend on the frame size: XS and S roll exclusively on two 27.5″ wheels, while sizes L and XL are available both as a mullet bike and full 29er. Size M, on the other hand, is available in all three configurations: as a mullet bike, full 29er or full 27.5er. A flip chip in the shock mount allows you to adapt the Tyee’s geometry and suspension kinematics to the respective wheel size. At 450 mm, the seat tube is very long, and when combined with the 476 mm reach, this can restrict your freedom of movement on the bike. Chainstay length is 430 mm on the 27.5” bikes, and 445 mm on the mullet and full 29er bikes.
| Size | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 405 mm | 430 mm | 455 mm | 480 mm | 505 mm |
| Stack | 576 mm | 594 mm | 607 mm | 630 mm | 639 mm |
| Chainstay Length | 430 mm | 430 mm | 430 mm | 445 mm | 445 mm |
| BB Height | 348 mm | 348 mm | 348 mm | 348 mm | 348 mm |
| Seat Tube | 380 mm | 400 mm | 425 mm | 450 mm | 480 mm |
| Head Angle | 64.5° | 64.5° | 64.5° | 64.5° | 64.5° |
| Seat Angle | 77.9° | 77.7° | 77.6° | 77.5° | 77.4° |
| Horizontal Top Tube | 528 mm | 559 mm | 588 mm | 620 mm | 647 mm |
| Head Tube | 90 mm | 110 mm | 125 mm | 115 mm | 125 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1145 mm | 1178 mm | 1210 mm | 1260 mm | 1290 mm |
The 2024 Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX on the trail
When riding on level ground, the Propain Tyee 6 CF places you in a sporty, slightly front-heavy pedalling position, with a little weight on your hands. However, this prevents the front wheel from lifting on climbs, no matter how steep the gradient. The rear suspension bobs slightly when pedalling, and we would recommend reaching for the climb switch on longer, steeper climbs – provided your arm is long enough to reach the switch just above the bottom bracket!
When gravity takes over, the Propain Tyee places you in a central riding position, with the weight evenly distributed between the front and rear. However, it places you on top of the bike rather than integrating you between its wheels, which makes you feel a little disconnected from the ground. The low front end forces you into an aggressive riding position, which ensures plenty of traction over the front wheel. The Tyee implements steering input predictably, allowing you to intuitively thread your way through the trail. However, when the going gets fast and rough, the Tyee tends to bounce from one side of the trail to the other like a ping-pong ball, taking a lot of effort to keep the bike in control. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to enjoy the Tyee even in rougher terrain, although this can be very challenging. Overall, you couldn’t say the Propain Tyee is particularly composed, and only the Scott Ransom and Bold Unplugged feel even choppier when things get fast.
The Propain places you on top of the bike rather than integrating you between its wheels, which requires greater physical effort to control the bike in rough trail sections.
On the flip side, the Tyee is one of the nimblest bikes in the entire test field, on a par with the YT Capra. Only the two high-performance competitors, the Yeti SB160 and IBIS HD6, crank it up a notch in terms of agility. The suspension works efficiently and offers excellent small bump sensitivity, generating plenty of traction in the process, with the robust, soft tires providing plenty of grip and damping. At the same time, there is plenty of support on offer from the suspension, which doesn’t blow through its travel too easily, making it easy to generate speed by pumping through rollers and berms – this goes hand-in-hand with the bike’s playful character. End-stroke progression is good, giving the Tyee sufficient reserves to deal with botched landings and questionable line choices.
Who should take a closer look at the 2024 Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX?
The Propain Tyee 6 CF is the right bike for riders who want an agile character for the descents, but prefer to either shuttle back to the trailhead or winch their way back to the top at a leisurely pace. In terms of downhill performance, it’s best suited to riders who want a lively bike that’s also great fun on moderate, sleepier trails. If you like to get rowdy, you might want to take a closer look at Propain’s freeride rig, the Spindrift.
Our conclusions about the 2024 Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX
Both the spec and look of the Tyee 6 CF can be customised down to the smallest detail using Propain’s extensive online configurator. It should come as no surprise that the spec of our test bike is heavily oriented towards downhill performance. On the trail, the Tyee is super quiet, but requires a vigilant riding style at high speeds, mainly due to the top-heavy riding position. On the other hand, it’s one of the most agile bikes in the entire test field, which makes it great fun on flowing trails.
Tops
- Totally quiet
- Extensive online configurator
- Very agile handling
Flops
- Long seat tube restricts freedom of movement
- Lacks composure
For more info, visit Propain’s website.
The test field
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best enduro bike 2024 – 14 of the most exciting enduro bikes in our 2024 comparison test
All bikes in test: Bold Unplugged Ultimate (Click for review) | Canyon Strive CFR LTD (Click for review) | GIANT Reign Advanced 1 V2 (Click for review) | Ibis HD6 GX AXS (Click for review) | Norco Sight C1 (Click for review) | Orbea WILD M-LTD (Click for review) | Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX (Click for review) | RAAW Madonna V3 (Click for review) | Rocky Mountain Altitude C70 (Click for review) | Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV (Click for review) | SCOTT Ransom 900 RC (Click for review) | Trek Slash 9.8 XT (Click for review) | Yeti SB160 T3 (Click for review) | YT CAPRA CORE 4 (Click for review)
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Words: Simon Kohler Photos: Peter Walker Translation: Eric Frajria
