New Propain Tyee: first ride review

The new Propain Tyee is an evolution of the previous Tyee. Which may not make for most exciting news but does make for a similarly fun ride.

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By rhyswainwright

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https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/propain-tyee-review/

Very nice bike but I’ll never buy anything with headset cable routing. What a bloody stupid idea. At least there are workarounds for PF BB’s like threaded adapters. I actually had a Hugene ready to order until the Privateer sale happened and I bought a 141. I’d still like to try one of Propain’s longer travel models, they look mint.

Lol – Acros approached them with the headset.

Every Acros headset I have seen has been a hopeless, rusty POS, awful quality.

TBH, I can’t be arsed with normal internal routing either, so headset routing is only slightly worse, but it’s definitely worse.

I’d still like to try one of Propain’s longer travel models, they look mint.

I’ve always looked at propain bikes and found myself thinking “gosh that [ebike over there] is a pretty”.

In the USA the same prices apply 1:1 in USD, in the UK likewise in GBP.

**** me
🙁

You usually have to add sales tax (as it varies state to state) for US prices. So, maybe, not quite as bad as it seems.

OTOH that they have had to use a plastic sheath on the steerer to stop the cables eating should not ever have been a thing.

I bought the last model of the Tyee earlier this year and it really is an outstanding bike, it’s hard to fault it really, every aspect of it is superb 🙂

Internal headset routing fills me with horror though…

The new latest thing.

I seem to be disenchanted with bikes these days. A couple of years it was the latest length of stay, the tweaked 05deg head angle purported to make the ride better than the best. But I’m sure in another couple of years the chainstays will be back to being longer, and that whatever degree will be gone.

The only real changes are the price goes up and up.

Maybe a computer model will notice the differences, but I feel some kid themselves.

Sorry for being the cranky old cynic.:(

I have to say, I agree. I haven’t tried any bike with cables in the headset, but I remain open minded to trying one.
Although I have changed headset bearings in the past, upper bearings do generally last better thank lower ones.
The main update on this bike is that it can be bought with Transmission. On the configurator it is only £900 more expensive than GX, which sounds pretty good. And if you use that battery shifting, the cable routing is less of an issue.

For me the bigger issue with the headset is that this bike is no longer compatible with a angle adjust headset. I have one on my ’22 Tyee, but I don’t think that will work on this bike.
I was also disappointed that the seattube is still a bit long, and that the geometry didn’t grow a bit more. They could do with an XXL size.
The rear brake mount isn’t ideal. It will be nessesary to remove the caliper to access the pad retaining pins on most calipers. I think it will also reduce heal clearance.

Looks like the only real change is fixing the cable routing which previously ran under the BB. Geo doesn’t look much different and the tool mount is only relevant because they’ve not added frame storage like most of thier competitors.

Headset cable routing and moving the caliper – meh

They fix the routing for the back end then totally screw up the front end, I really hope the headset cable routing doesn’t catch on, it might make me quit biking if it becomes the norm, I hate it that much.
Still a little frugal with the reach numbers and that elaborate brake mount probably creates problems rather than cure them, I spotted a washer between caliper and adapter, technically that’s a bodge in my book and those welds on the stays are hideous, Friday afternoon job by the look of it.

I love the headset routing because I have ocd about cable routing and hate that most bikes internal routing is only designed to work properly if you put the brakes on the wrong way round. I rally dislike seeing the cables. But then I’m the same with my office set up. I’m also not that convinced it’s that much of an extra chore when changing the headset. It’s not as if it’s a regular job and doing afresh brake bleed at the same time pobably isn’t that bad an idea anyway

it might make me quit biking if it becomes the norm, I hate it that much.

You’ll be in quite a large club, there are alledgedly thousands of people who quit becasue of tubeless, 29ers*, boost hub spacing, and soon you’ll be joined by people who want xx1/xtr level but don’t want electronics.

Hell, even Brendan Fairclough stated in a magazine interview that he would retire rather than ride a 29er.

I’d have one of these bikes, but really I just want a trail bike, pretty much any will do.

I really hope the headset cable routing doesn’t catch on, it might make me quit biking if it becomes the norm, I hate it that much.

Pfft. I ride because I like riding, the type of cable routing doesn’t make that much difference. You must not like riding much!

On the sizing, it may be a bit shorter than many on paper, but they don’t really feel like that. Propain advised me to get a medium even though I was borderline for the large and was coming from a longer bike. I’m glad I listened to them as it feels more than big enough.

It’s good they have a test centre in the UK too, now you can try the sizing.

The build quality is also excellent, I’ve been very impressed. Well worth a look 🙂