First ride review: Propain Hugene – “Huge” despite 140 mm?

If we had to design and build a trail bike, it would be very similar to the Propain Hugene: 140 mm of travel, 29″ wheels and a potent, yet efficient rear linkage. Read on to find out whether the Hugene really is “huge”.

High on the list of a well-functioning rear linkage is small-bump sensitivity, good traction, sufficient progression and neutrality under both pedalling and braking forces. The new Propain Hugene, using the tried and tested PRO10 rear linkage, supposedly delivers on all fronts. 29″ wheels are new to the Propain range, and the Hugene is the first to try them.

The componentry of the Propain Hugene in detail

At first glance, the Propain Hugene comes in three different versions. The entry-level “Start” model comes with a Formula Selva fork, which can be set to offer either 140 or 150 mm of travel, and a RockShox Deluxe RT shock at the rear. The brakes on it are Formula Curas, and the drivetrain is a SRAM GX Eagle. Apart from this, there are two further models available as complete bikes, but you can mix and match with their online configurator. Our test bike was a combination of all three, running Reynolds Black Label Enduro Carbon wheels, Magura MT7 brakes and a SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain, which comes standard on the most expensive of the three basic configurations. The suspension consisted of a Formula Selva fork and a RockShox Super Deluxe shock.

Components/Model	Start € 3.099	Bestseller € 4.099	Highend € 6.399
Fork	Formula Selva 140 mm or 150 mm	RockShox PIKE RCT3 140 mm	FOX 36 FLOAT Factory RC2 150 mm
Rear shock	RockShox Deluxe RT	RockShox Super Deluxe RC3	FOX DPX2 Factory
Drivetrain	SRAM GX Eagle	SRAM X01 Eagle	SRAM XX1 Eagle
Crank	Truvativ Descendant	Truvativ Descendant Carbon	SRAM XX1 Carbon
Brake	Formula Cura	SRAM Guide RSC	Magura MT7
Wheels	Stan’s Flow S1	Stan’s Flow MK3	Reynolds Black Label Enduro Carbon
Seat post	Sixpack Menace	Bikeyoke Revive	FOX Transfer Factory
Handelbar	Sixpack Millenium 785 mm	Sixpack Millenium 785 mm	Sixpack Millenium Carbon 785 mm
Stem	Sixpack Leader 50	Sixpack Leader 50	Sixpack Skywalker 50
Tires	Schwalbe Magic Mary/Hans Dampf	Schwalbe Magic Mary/Hans Dampf	Schwalbe Magic Mary/Hans Dampf

Right at the top they’ve got the “Highend” configuration, featuring the undisputed champions of their class, a 150 mm travel FOX 36 Float Factory fork and a FOX DPX2 shock. The Magura MT7 provides maximum stopping power. Of course, carbon being synonymous with “Highend” these days, the cranks, the handlebars and the rims are all carbon. Speaking of carbon: the Hugene frame will not be available in any other material for the time being.

If it were up to us, our Hugene would have had the RockShox suspension and STANS Flow MK3 wheels of the “Bestseller” model. Also, we would have taken the SRAM GX-Eagle drivetrain, since it is in no way inferior to the performance of the X01 Eagle. We would keep the Magura MT7 brakes, of course, as well as the Sixpack Millenium Carbon, because it simply looks damn good.

The geometry of the Propain Hugene in detail

In black and white, the Propain Hugene is rather simple. With a 460 mm reach and a 621 mm stack in size L, it is neither very long nor tall. The steering angle of 67.5° isn’t particularly slack either. The longer you look at the geometry table, the less spectacular the Hugene seems, but that is by no means bad a thing.

Travel: 140 mm/150 mm	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	410 mm	440 mm	470 mm	500 mm
Top tube	571 mm/573 mm	599 mm/601 mm	626 mm/628 mm	654 mm/656 mm
Head tube	95 mm	105 mm	115 mm	125 mm
Head angle	67,5°/67,0°	67,5°/67,0°	67,5°/67,0°	67,5°/67,0°
Seat angle	75,0°/74,5°	75,0°/74,5°	75,0°/74,5°	75,0°/74,5°
Chainstayshe	445 mm	445 mm	445 mm	445 mm
BB Drop	30 mm/28 mm	30 mm/28 mm	30 mm/28 mm	30 mm/28 mm
Wheelbase	1.146 mm/1.150 mm	1.175 mm/1.179 mm	1.204 mm/1.208 mm	1.132 mm/1.136 mm
Reach	410 mm/407 mm	435 mm/432 mm	460 mm/457 mm	485 mm/482 mm
Stack	602 mm/605 mm	612 mm/615 mm	621 mm/624 mm	630 mm/633 mm

The Propain Hugene on the trail

The Propain Hugene makes a good impression on the very first few meters. Instead of being sluggish and cumbersome, it leaps forward joyfully and constantly invites you to put in a few more pedal strokes. This is in part due to the light and stiff Reynolds Black Label Enduro carbon wheels, but certainly also to the bikes excellent anti-squat kinematics. Together with the wheels, the kinematics also make a positive impact on the Hugene’s climbing capabilities, not only getting you to the top in a relaxed manner, but quickly too. Although the seat tube angle could have been a bit steeper for a more upright sitting position. The 445 mm chainstays and the relatively low front allow the Hugene to get up steep and technical climbs without you having to constantly fight the front wheel to keep it on the ground. In short: the bike can climb, and after climbing you’ll be itching for the descent, and here too the Hugene presents itself from a side that won’t only leave a lasting impression on your mother-in-law.

If a trail bike should be one thing, it’s a lot of fun to ride, and that’s exactly what the Hugene is like few other bikes we’ve ridden. In spite of the large 29″ wheels, the Hugene playfully bombs through tight berms. The low standover height in combination with the low bb provides a high degree of confidence because instead of sitting on the bike, you feel like you’re sitting in it. The Schwalbe Magic-Mary tyres provided plenty of grip on wet or loose surfaces, but as soon as the trails became hard packed and dry, the tyres lacked precision. The relatively steep head angle and the short 50 mm stem provide direct and precise handling. The Propain Hugene shoots from one corner into the other with the reflexes of a kitten, readily going where the rider points it. For beginners, however, the very direct handling can seem nervous. Especially on high-speed sections or very rough trails, the Hugene quickly reaches its limits.

The 140 mm of travel fits the character of the bike perfectly and in only very few situations did we wish for more. In fact, it turned out that the Hugene is a little more balanced when set up with 140 mm of travel at the front, rather than 150 mm. The compact geometry demands that you actively throw you weight around on the bike, and in steep terrain, you might occasionally acquaint yourself with the rear tyre. 10 mm less on the fork could be 10 mm less of your pants being eaten. On the other hand, the 150 mm fork provides a little more confidence when things get steep. The Magura MT7s worked perfectly during our review and proved once again who is the king of the jungle. Thanks to the floating suspension, the Hugene responds very sensitively to smallest of bumps. Also, the kinematics have been made more progressive, so you won’t have to worry about bottoming out.

Who is the Propain Hugene for?

The nice thing about the possibility of customisation is that everyone can build their dream Hugene. But even if the spec is freely configurable, the character of the bike can’t be changed. For all of you who regularly go to the bike park, looking for maximum composure and endless speed, you won’t find it here. Those who like to ride long tours should look elsewhere, for something with less direct handling. For those who want to pop off every root, playing around and having as much fun on the trail as possible, enthusiastic fans of the “Canadian Flick”, be warned: the Propain Hugene could be your next bike!

Pricing and availability

The Propain Hugene will be available online in all possible configurations from June 2018. Pricing should start at € 3,099. Colours are limited to Lime, Silver and Carbon Raw.

Conclusion

Propain did a great job on the rear linkage of the Hugene; they integrated the PRO10 concept perfectly. The bike climbs very efficiently and won’t shy away from any ascent. As soon as things go downhill, the Hugene shows its full potential and convinces with fun-filled and direct handling. Clever details and the high-quality workmanship shouldn’t go unmentioned either. Riders who are looking for a bike for the really rough stuff, we’d recommend the Hugene’s bigger brother with smaller wheels!

Uphill  | Downhill  | Stability  | Agility  | Value 

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