Propain Tyee Aluminum & Carbon – An Enduro bike to configure & fall in love with
The new Propain Enduro does not present itself as a game changer, but as a further development of its predecessor. Even if the changes to the new Propain Tyee are often in the details, they make it a better Enduro. And the most important thing: Propain remains true to its philosophy with its latest bike.
Propain surprises the MTB scene with the re-launch of the Tyees. The predecessor was just launched in 2020, so three years ago. With the new Tyee, the direct mail order company from Lake Constance is resisting the trend towards ever longer product life cycles, which is primarily set by the large companies in the industry. Part of the reason is that Propain only builds bikes for gravity fans. This focus ongravity allows Propain to bundle the engineering power from within and present new models with small updates. Large manufacturers with significantly larger model ranges can no longer afford this service in every area. However, Propain remains true to its philosophy.
As a direct seller with configurable equipment and custom paint options, Propain has two unique selling points compared to the direct competition. The strategy behind it: making customers happier than anywhere else. And this strategy is also reflected in the new Propain Tyee. Because with small changes to the already successful Enduro bike, Propain wants to show its customers that they are still on the money. The message that Propain sends out is clear: We spare no effort to make you happy on the trail. However, some trends in the industry are deliberately ignored.
Less weight, more riding pleasure – the Propain Tyee remains an all-rounder
The Propain Tyee was always an Enduro, that could also be pedalled uphill. And this character trait is also retained in the latest expansion stage. While many manufacturers fill up their Enduro bikes with 180 mm travel at the fork, the Tyee stays at 160, or optionally (or with the cheaper versions) at 170 mm travel at the front. With 160 mm of travel, the rear end also smooths out rougher bumps. Here, because of its niche orientation, Propain has an ace up its sleeve. Those who want more travel will find it in the Propain Spindrift. In order to maintain the touring character, Propain not only gets rid of spring travel, but also puts the frame on a diet. Weighing 2.9 kg in the carbon version and 3.4 kg in the aluminum version, the frames are approx. 200 – 300 g lighter than their ancestors. In the high-priced versions, the Tyee complete bike remains under 15 kilos. Awesome! We were afraid that there would soon be no Enduro bikes in this weight class. Cube has recently shown itself to be weight-conscious with its Stereo One models.
New cable routing
The trends towards more weight, more suspension travel and longer product life cycles are deliberately abandoned. When it comes to cable routing, however, Propain takes the same step as many manufacturers and integrates the cable routing into the headset. If you click through the comments on YouTube and in various forums, you will quickly notice that this trend is not undisputed. At first glance, this means that there is an increased effort involved in maintenance. With the progress of electronic shifting in affordable price ranges, changing shift cables is becoming more and more a relic of the past.
If you still want to change the cable of the derailleur or the telescopic support, this is much easier than before with this cable routing – under one condition: You’d have to remove the fork. If you loosen the Allen screws required for this (2x on the stem, 1x ahead cap), it is much easier to thread the cable/cables through the large hole in the head tube than through the small side maintenance windows of the predecessor. Annoying banging, fumbling and fishing for cables in the frame is no longer necessary. But learning effect only sets in once you have gone through the procedure yourself. The advantage of the new cable routing, on the other hand, is obvious. Visually, the cables are significantly more aesthetic. And especially with carbon frames, it reduces the complexity of the construction, because fewer openings are required in the frame. This simplifies production, reduces weight and minimises the risk of defects. We have explained this in detail in our Video on the Scott Scale and we’ll stick to our opinion here.
The PRO10 rear end – the heart remains intact
There are not many companies in the bike industry that have a completely independent rear triangle system. The vast majority of manufacturers use conventional 4-link constructions for the damper suspension. Exclusive brands such as Pivot buy a license to use a DW-Link rear triangle from Dave Weagle. Propain has relied on a completely independent system for years and combines a closed rear frame triangle along with a floating damper. This basic concept has not changed in the latest version of the Tyee either. Pivot points are minimised to allow the wheel lift curve to sweep backwards in the style of high-pivot bikes. However, the basic character of the rear triangle remains unchanged. Propain rear triangles are not only known for their sensitive response and the feeling of providing more than the nominal suspension travel, but above all they are loved. And that also remains with the new Tyee with its 160 mm suspension travel in the rear, so we conclude: Never change a winning team!
Your choice: Geometry & Wheel sizes
In order to meet different tastes and the requirements of riders in different sizes, Propain keeps many options open when it comes to geometry and wheel size selection. That’s why the sizes of XS, S and M only come with 27.5 inch wheels. From size M onwards you have the choice of a 29er or mullet (front 29 inches, rear 27.5 inches) setup. These options are made possible by a flip chip in the rear end construction. This means that the chain stays don’t grow in every size (as we praised at the Rose Bonero), but have an adjusted length, at least for large and small bikes. This has a positive effect on the handling of the respective size, because the weight distribution between the front and rear wheel remains more harmonious (across all sizes). By the way: A complete guide on the subject, how to find the right frame size is here.
Compared to its predecessor, the geometry changes only slightly. The reach grows minimally (8mm in size L). The stack shrinks a bit. The seat tube length has also been slightly reduced to make room for telescopic posts with more length. So that you can see the changes for yourself, we have created a comparison between the predecessor and successor.
Current standards on Propain Tyee
- Frame weight: 2.9 kg (carbon) / 3.4 kg (aluminium)
- Bottom bracket: BSA (bolted)
- Wheel size: 29 inch or mullet
- Rear wheel installation dimensions: 12×148
- Seatpost: 30.9mm
- Cable routing: Integrated through the headset (in the case of aluminum, optionally also through the down tube)
- Bottle cage: Space for one bottle (and additional mounting points for a storage pack)
- Special feature: Adjustable chainstays
- Derailleur hanger: UDH (Sram Egale Transmission compatible)
