LONG TERM REVIEW: PROPAIN HUGENE

Propain’s Hugene started life as a 130mm-travel trail bike in 2018, and then evolved a few years later with more travel and slacker geometry, pushing it into the all-mountain category. The second-generation Hugene 2 CF is a 140mm-travel do-it-all bike that can be matched to 140- or 150mm-travel forks to suit just about any rider preference. With custom built-to-order options and pre-assembled standard builds, the Hugene can be a true chameleon. After testing and loving Propain’s Rage 3 CF last year, we were eager to sample the German brand’s all-around option.

 

FRAME

Propain offers the Hugene in one full-carbon frame configuration built with its Blend Carbon that, as the name suggests, blends various carbon types that are optimized for the layup—basically like every other brand does. It is a 29er-specific design without any sort of chassis adjustments or the ability to run a smaller rear wheel. A size large with a 140mm-travel fork (what we tested) comes with a 65.5-degree heat angle, 76.5-degree effective seat tube angle, 480mm reach, and 445mm chainstays.

Acros brand sealed bearings are used through the suspension pivots, and they are further protected by Propain’s own dust covers. Cables are internally routed with tunnel-style guides, and there are low durometer chainstay protectors to silence chain slap. At the base of the downtube is a plastic bolt-on protector as well. A full-size water bottle fits on the downtube on all sizes, and there are accessory mount bosses under the top tube for tools or whatever you want to put there.

COMPONENTS

In addition to three standard build options ranging in price from $4,100 to $6,469, the Hugene can be fully customized and built to order through their bike builder. There you can choose frame color, decal color, SRAM drivetrains, Fox or RockShox suspension, and various other components.

Our test bike came built with Propain’s Performance-level build and costs $5,544. It includes SRAM’s mechanical X01 12-speed drivetrain and Truvativ Descendant Carbon Eagle cranks. SRAM X01 certainly gets the job done, but it sure feels very mechanical in every regard, especially after coming off of a Transmission wireless group. The most interesting spec is the Formula Cura 4 brakes paired with 203mm rotors. They offer lots of braking power but felt a bit too on and off with that delivery. It’s one of the very few times we wanted a smaller rotor.

Newmen’s Performance 30 wheels took a beating well and Schwalbe’s Magic Mary front and Big Betty rear tires gripped well overall. BikeYoke’s Divine dropper post continues to be one of our favorites, although this one seemed extra sensitive to seat-collar bolt torque. It would get sticky when torqued to spec, so we ran it a bit looser without issue. Sixpack’s cockpit components are nothing to write home about, but they get the job done. A few testers didn’t like the saddle’s long nose that got in the way on out-of-the-saddle steep climbs.

 

SUSPENSION

Propain’s Pro10 suspension system features dual counter-rotating links with a floating rear shock mount on the lower link. The Hugene 2 has 140mm of rear-wheel travel, and our Performance build comes spec’d with a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RCT rear shock with adjustable low-speed compression and rebound, as well as a lockout lever (that we never touched). Propain says you can use a 140mm or 150mm fork on the Hugene. The standard spec build, like our test bike, comes with a 140mm-travel fork, but 150mm is an option in the custom bike builder. Our fork is the RockShox Pike Ultimate RCT3 with adjustable rebound and high and low-speed compression.

 

CLIMBING

When we first hopped on the Hugene, test riders noticed its somewhat unique cockpit feel. It has a low-feeling bottom bracket that makes you feel “in” the bike rather than perched on top of it. This is paired with a steep-feeling seat-tube angle and tall stack height, even with the stem as low as it would go. On the trail, these sensations translated well, giving us a comfortable and efficient position while climbing.

Its suspension pedals quite efficiently with a lot of built-in anti-squat to keep things quiet. We started with 25 percent sag but eventually gravitated towards 30 percent and preferred it there. With the generous anti-squat, most riders felt it transferred a bit too much small-chatter feedback to the rider with less sag. At 30 percent, it exaggerated the low feel of the bike, but it still pedaled with excellent efficiency. Overall acceleration is quick and climbing efficiency is very good.

Handling-wise, the Hugene has a unique feel, too. The front end feels a touch steeper than others we have tested recently, and the chainstays feel long. Overall, this makes for a great climber, even in slower technical sections, but there were places where a lack of weight over the rear wheel caused us to hunt for traction, forcing us to move back on the bike and exaggerate our body English.

 

DESCENDING

Heading downhill we had mixed feelings at first. Even with sag set at 30 percent, which slackened the front end slightly and transferred weight rearward, the front end felt a touch quick at speed when the descents started really getting steep. Knowing that the bike is also offered with a 150mm-travel fork, we swapped one on and everything came together for us. Not only did it slacken out the front end several degrees, but it also pushed the front wheel out slightly, lessening the sensation of the long chainstays. The bike felt better balanced in every situation we put it in, even climbing.

Rear-suspension performance is excellent while descending. It favors control over plushness, but this just adds to the bike’s predictable nature. Because of the generous anti-squat, we ran the shocks’ compression adjuster all the way soft for it to settle into corners and pick up small impacts better. Although the chassis feels light and flickable, it’s still quite predictable and seems to always go where it’s pointed. Test riders also noted how well the bike lays into and tracks through rutted corners.

WHAT DID WE LOVE?

We really like the lightweight and nimble feel of the Hugene. It’s playful when you want it to be without losing predictability (after the fork swap). We also appreciate how well this bike pedals. Its efficiency really makes it a great all-around mountain bike.

 

WHAT DID WE HATE?

We don’t love the rubber cable anchors that are supposed to keep the cables and brake hose put. Not only are they unsightly, but they don’t really seem to work. The ones at the bottom of the downtube slid out of the way as the rear suspension compressed, allowing the hose and cable to slide in and out of the tunnels as the suspension compressed. It doesn’t cause any short-term issues, but it might after a few seasons of hard use.

Although we have no issues with SRAM’s mechanical drivetrain, we would love to see Shimano options offered as well, particularly in the custom bike builder. We would also like to see the ability to run mixed wheels and have some geometry adjustment options. Some riders also feel the standard builds should come with the 150mm-travel fork.

 

BOTTOM LINE

Versatility is the name of the game in the all-mountain category, and Propain’s Hugene 2 has it in spades. It took us a little while to dial it to our liking, but once we did, we felt right at home. Even though most of our test riders preferred the 150mm-travel fork, someone who wanted a slightly quicker-handling bike that skewed a bit towards the trail side of the category spectrum might like the 140mm-travel version. Between all the custom options, fork-travel choices, and great all-around performance on the trail, the Hugene 2 is a solid choice for general trail-riding fun of all kinds.

PROPAIN HUGENE 2 CF PERFORMANCE BUILD

https://www.propain-bikes.com/us/ 

CATEGORY: All-mountain

WHEEL SIZE: 29″

SUSPENSION: 140mm (front), 120mm (rear)

 

Price: $5,544
Weight: 30.3 pounds (without pedals)
Sizes: S, M, L(tested), XL
Frame tested: Carbon, 140mm travel
Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RCT
Fork: RockShox Pike Ultimate RCT3 140mm travel
Wheelset: Newmen Evolution A 30
Tires: Schwalbe Magic Mary front, Big Betty rear (29×2.4″)
Seatpost: Bikeyoke Revive, 160mm travel
Saddle: Sixpack Kamikaze
Handlebar: Sixpack Millenium 805
Stem: Sixpack Vertic 50
Grips: Propain
Headset: Acros
Brakes: Formula Cura 4
Rotors: Formula 203mm front and rear
Rear derailleur: SRAM X01 Eagle (1×12)
Shifters: SRAM X01 Eagle (1×12)
Crankset: Truvativ Descendant Carbon Eagle
Bottom bracket: SRAM GPX
Cassette: SRAM XG-1275 10-52
Chain: SRAM GX Eagle
Chainrings: 32-tooth

GEOMETRY SIZE LARGE 

Head tube angle: 65.1°

Effective seat tube angle: 76.1°

Reach: 476 mm (18.7″)

Stack: 634mm (25″)

Bottom bracket height: 335mm (13.2″)

Chainstay length: 445mm

Wheelbase: 1,242mm