PROPAIN TYEE 6 AL Shred² 29 REVIEW

Words by Robert Johnston & Drew Rohde
Photos by Staff

We’ve been working quite a while on our long-term review of the Propain Tyee AL 29. Following the filming of the Dissected episode on the new Tyee 6 AL 29 enduro bike, Propain let us keep hold of this coil-sprung alloy shredder to log many more miles across a wide variety of terrain under all of our team members. From pedaling missions in the Cascade Mountain Range to lapping Mt. Bachelor and Whistler bike parks, there’s not a riding scenario we can think of that we haven’t put the Propain Tyee through. Now it’s time to share our final verdict on its performance and how it has held up to the abuse so far in this long-term review.

ABOUT THE PROPAIN TYEE 6 AL 29

Now on its sixth-generation frame, the Tyee is Propain’s enduro machine, designed to climb efficiently and descend well across a variety of terrain. As with all of Propain’s bikes, there is a high level of adjustability in the build spec and setup of the bike, allowing for each customer to get their idea of the perfect Tyee at the point of purchase from the Propain website.

FRAME AND FEATURES | The latest Propain Tyee has a 160mm travel rear end which is paired with a choice of a 160mm or 170mm fork as standard. Propain offers the Tyee 6 in a choice of aluminum (AL) or carbon fiber (CF) frames. The CF frame shaves roughly 500g (1.1lbs) at a premium of $600. Propain worked with both frame materials to obtain an additional 10% of stiffness in the rear end for improved performance. We tested the AL version, manufactured with Propain’s Blend Alloy which combines three or more different aluminum alloys across the frame to maximize the strength and stiffness to weight ratio. In addition to a choice of materials, Propain also allows each rider to select between a frame optimized for a dual 27.5” wheel setup in sizes XS-M; or a frame which can be adjusted between a mixed 29” front and 27.5” rear wheel and dual 29” wheel setup via a flip chip in sizes M-XL.

Both the Tyee AL and Tyee CF feature a new ICR (Internal Cable Routing) system, developed by Propain in collaboration with Acros (who manufactures the ICR headset) and SIXPACK (who manufactures the stem). On the Tyee AL, provisions are also made for a more standard internal cable routing system, with ports on the side of the headtube, but the Tyee CF uses the ICR system exclusively. Propain was keen to make this system as user-friendly as possible, and so designed split headset spacers which don’t require a total disassembly of the fork to adjust cockpit height; and fitted stainless steel bearings to maximize their lifespan. We had some minor issues with this system creaking following months of abuse, which we’ll discuss down below.

Propain hashed out the fine details in the Tyee 6, aiming to increase durability and minimize noise. They worked on the cable routing pathways to minimize cable growth during suspension movement; refined their frame protection with new TPR material to improve damping and reduce noise and vibration from chain slap; and moved the rear brake inside the rear triangle to improve aesthetics and reduce overall weight. The flip chip features on the seat stay to upper link pivot, allowing for geometry to be maintained between the 29” and mixed wheel setups, or for an extra-low position on the dual-27.5” or mixed wheel setups.

SUSPENSION | Propain continues to use their Pro10 system on their full suspension bikes. Pro10 is a dual-link suspension configuration that sees the rear shock driven by both links, and allows Propain to tune the kinematics to obtain the performance they demand from the Tyee. Notable is the relatively short 55mm shock stroke to obtain the 160mm rear travel, which means higher leverage ratios and so firmer spring rates required. Progression sits around 22%, making the Tyee compatible with coil or air shocks without issue. Anti Squat hovers around 110% in the climbing gears at SAG, which creates an efficient pedaling platform that made the Tyee stand out when hammering on the pedals.

GEOMETRY | The geometry on the Propain Tyee 6 is not extreme in any way, but the table reads like a well-rounded handling package, and that proved to be the case on the trails. The flip chip means that the geometry numbers are shared between our 29” test model and the mixed wheel setup. With the 170mm fork on our build, key figures are a 64.1° head tube angle and 77.1° effective seat tube angle. Reach lengths go from 401mm to 501mm and Stack heights from 579mm to 642mm, with our Large sporting 476mm and 633mm figures respectively.

The XS-M 27.5” sizes receive a shorter 430mm rear end and reduced 8mm of BB drop, whereas M-XL in the 29/mix wheel setup have a longer 445mm chainstay and 24mm BB drop.

Overall, the Tyee in size large comes in with a 1,264mm wheelbase, which is on the shorter side of average in the Enduro space. Out on the trail, this produced a well-rounded character that isn’t exclusively reserved for the fastest and gnarliest trails out there.

BUILD SPECS | Propain Bikes prides themselves on their bike configurator, which allows the customer to take control and really make the Tyee their own when they’re purchasing it. There are three color options for the AL and three different colors for the CF frame, and many different colors offered for the graphic and headtube badge colors.

Build specifications can be tailored extensively, too, with Propain offering four customizable base builds on the AL frame from the $3,599 Price2Ride to the $7,644 Goldrush build, or an additional $600 for the CF frame. There’s also the option to purchase the frame only for $1,649, with a range of shocks for various extra surcharges, or the possibility to custom build a Tyee your way from the full selection of parts Propain keeps in stock.

We tested the Shred2 build on the AL frame, retailing at $4,484 and tipping the scales at 35.8lbs. This is a SRAM-heavy build, with an Ultimate level RockShox ZEB and Super Deluxe Coil; Code RSC brakes; and a GX Eagle 12spd mechanical drivetrain. The finishing kit is covered by a SIXPACK saddle and alloy bar and stem; BikeYoke Revive dropper post, and a NEWMEN Evolution E.G.30 wheelset. Aside from two of our testers finding the NEWMEN wheelset to be a little on the flexy side when pushed hard, we all agreed the build package was very solid.

THE DIRT

From Whistler and Mt. Bachelor park laps under Drew and Sean, to big-mile pedal missions in the under Neighbor Chris; the Tyee has been a bike that the crew has found themselves grabbing to ride regularly over the last six months. While it’s not been without issue, it’s safe to say it’s made for a good time for the duration of testing.

SETUP | Setup on the Propain Tyee 6 AL is fairly simple, and we found that the coil-sprung rear end was not the most fussy and demanding of a perfect setup. What is of course essential is to obtain the correct spring rate for the rider weight, which leads to having to remove the shock from the frame to change between riders in different weight brackets. While it’s far from impossible, the Pro10 system tucks the shock away inside the frame and it’s effectively trapped by the two links, which can make it a little trickier than some to wiggle out or to access certain shock adjustments.

The high leverage ratio demands firmer coil springs or higher air pressures – it wasn’t an issue for us on the coil-equipped model tested, but we could foresee heavier riders potentially struggling with running into the maximum air pressures allowed in some shocks. If you’re in the 220lbs+ camp, it’ll be worth getting in touch with Propain to ensure you can get set up with a shock that’ll work for you.

CLIMBING | Climbing this coil-sprung, 160mm travel alloy enduro bike surprised our crew, in a good way. The seated pedaling position was comfortable, with the taller riders in the crew appreciating the fairly upright and centered position for winch-and-plummet style riding, and our shortest rider, 5’10” Chris, enjoyed the slightly more stretched out feeling for his typical flatter rides. That said, he’d opt to go for the medium size if he purchases the Tyee, which is on the cards after his enjoyment during testing.

The Pro10 kinematics offer plenty of support to keep the rider from wasting energy when pedaling, offering an efficient platform that had us happy to log miles on both fire road and singletrack climbs. In the recommended flip chip configuration and with the 170mm fork fitted, pedal clearance was satisfactory – even with the 170mm crank length – to keep us happy on all but the chunkiest climbs.

DESCENDING | Descending the Propain Tyee 6 AL was a pleasurable experience for everyone in the crew, with a notably well-rounded feeling that provided enjoyment from gnarly tech trails in the bike park to flatter flow trails on the local trail loops. The standout notion was the quiet operation of the Tyee during descending, absent of cable rattle and with the quiet hub letting you hear the wind rushing by and the noise of tires on the dirt. A quiet bike always feels better, likely because of the absence of the vibrations that would usually cause the noise, and the Tyee was not an exception, offering up confidence and comfort to push hard. The only noise that eventually presented itself was from the headset, which we’ll cover in the component report below.

The Pro10 rear end combined with the coil sprung shock made for some nicely balanced handling characteristics, offering up plenty of support for both hard impacts that get close to the end of the travel, and for pushing through corners and pumping the trail. It’s not the most comfortable or lively bump-eating machine out there, but it avoids being overly harsh to the point that the less aggressive or more comfort-focused riders on the team would be unhappy.

The one element that had our team conflicted was the stiffness of the Tyee AL and NEWMEN alloy wheelset combination. For heavier riders like Robert (210lbs) and for the most aggressive park riding under Drew (190lbs), there were times where the handling had a slightly vague feeling. We experimented with some stiffer wheels and obtained a slight improvement in this respect, but were agreed that the AL frame is not the stiffest out there. Riders who value a more direct handling response will likely be better served by the Tyee CF frame option. That said, the comfort and compliance offered by the increased flex made certain scenarios more pleasant and undoubtedly reduced fatigue on longer descents, so it’s not all bad. Neighbor Chris noted no such issue with frame flex, and praised the comfortable, confident, and quiet ride of the Tyee.

FINISH AND VALUE | At under $4,500 for the build tested, with a selection of components that we’d be happy to hop on and ride until they needed replacing and a notably high-quality frame with well thought out details, we’d consider the Propain Tyee AL to offer a good value proposition. Items like the Dirt Shields on the frame pivots make a notable improvement to bearing life – after 6 months of testing with some terrible conditions along the way, the bearings still look brand new underneath – and the quiet running of the bike makes it clear that Propain has covered the details well.

COMPONENT REPORT | To address the headset issues we mentioned earlier, as month six of testing commenced, the Tyee developed a loud creak from the front end, which turned out to be something in the headset. Following a full disassembly by Chris, it was noted that there was a significant buildup of dirt and grime inside, and that the majority of the components of the headset were made from plastic. The stainless steel headset bearings still look and feel fresh, but a good clean and re-grease of the headset was required, following which the noise went away. Six months of regular riding without maintenance seems like a reasonable interval to us, so we can’t complain too much, especially after three days of torrential rain and mud at Whistler Bike Park.

Otherwise, aside from the wheels not being as stiff as everyone on the team would desire and the SRAM Code brakes splitting opinions of the crew, we’ve got very little to complain about with the components package.

The Wolf’s Last Word

The Loam Wolf crew has been impressed by the Propain Tyee 6 AL overall, with Neighbor Chris quickly shortlisting it as one of the bikes he’s considering spending his hard-earned cash on, and the rest of us enjoying our time on board. It’s not a bike that particularly excels in one area, aside from maybe its value proposition, but one that makes for a good time across a wide variety of trail scenarios.

If you are looking for something a bit different from the masses, an enduro mountain bike or big mountain bruiser that offers solid value and a fun ride, the Propain Tyee AL is worth checking out. 

Price: $4,484.00
Weight: 35.8 lbs
Website: Propain-bikes.com

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