THE NEW PROPAIN SRESH SL EMTB

June 26, 2025

Propain hopes their new Sresh SL will provide the most natural feeling eBike yet, with TQ’s lightweight HPR60 system giving a mid-power eMTB version of the Tyee. With a sleek silhouette and low build weights from 18.2kg (40.1lbs), we were excited to see if Propain had managed to hit that sweet spot of mountain bike handling with eBike assistance as we set out to produce this Tech Check feature.

As with all of our Tech Check features, this is not intended to be an official The Loam Wolf review or endorsement of the new Propain Sresh SL. Instead, we aim to share some valuable beta on this new lightweight eBike, and share the initial ride impressions we’ve obtained during the production of this feature.

WHAT IS THE PROPAIN SRESH SL?

“Super Light. Super Legs. Super Silence.” is how Propain tries to convey the spirit of the Sresh SL. And while it’s sickly sweet, we acknowledge the sentiment. This is a mid-power eMTB packing 29” or mullet wheel compatibility and 150mm rear travel, designed to satisfy trail and enduro eBikers.

Super Light? At build weights beginning right around the 40lbs mark without cutting corners, we’d suggest it to be a legitimate claim. That said, going up to our custom Signature build with the larger 580Wh battery, Fox Factory suspension and other odds and ends, the number on the scales is less impressive, yet still very reasonable for a hard-hitting all mountain eMTB. Now, we did not have a scale out on the trail but using our calculated hand scales, we would safely say our test bike weighed right around 44-45 lbs. This low weight figure begins with Propain’s Blend Carbon frame, plus the lightweight TQ eBike system.

Super Legs? Speaking of the TQ system, the Sresh SL houses the new TQ HPR60 mid-power drive unit. This 1.9kg (4.2lbs) drive unit produces 60Nm torque and 350W Peak Power. With a natural and responsive feeling, it gives the sensation of having a great day on the pedals. The Sresh SL frame will accept either the 360Wh (1.83kg / 4.04lbs) or 580Wh (2.70kg / 5.94lbs) TQ batteries, though most builds will ship with the lighter 360Wh as standard.

Propain opted to make the battery easily removable, with one allen key bolt being all that is required to pull the battery out of the frame for easier charging.

Fitting the 160Wh Range Extender can boost the range available for the bigger days in the saddle.

And Super Silence? The TQ’s Harmonic Pin Ring system (hence the HPR name) runs exceptionally quietly. In fact, it’s easy to forget you’re on an eBike at times. Between this quiet drive unit and well-managed cables and chain protection, the Sresh SL flies well under the radar and lets you focus on the ride.

PRO10 SUSPENSION | Propain’s Pro10 suspension system continues to feature on their full suspension bikes, offering the handling characteristics that they desire. This dual-link suspension system is compatible with coil or air shocks happily, thanks to moderate 25% progression over the 150mm of rear wheel travel. Up front, there’s a 160mm fork across all builds.

To ensure the Sresh SL still offers the efficiency required for a lightweight eBike system, there’s plentiful Anti Squat in the climbing gears, sitting at 125% at SAG in the large cog on the rear cassette.

ADAPTABILITY | The Sresh SL can be configured with either a pair of 29” wheels or a mixed-wheel setup at the point of purchase. Thanks to an upper link-mounted flip chip, both rear wheel sizes can be configured with the same main frame. This flip chip offers the possibility for geometry customization too, with an extra-low “shred setting” being available with a 27.5” wheel in the 29” flip chip setting, though this should only be equipped by experienced riders due to the low bottom bracket.

ALL MOUNTAIN GEOMETRY | Geometry differs slightly between the 29”, Mixed-wheel and “Shred” settings, but we spent our time on a size large in the standard Mixed-Wheel setup. Head Tube Angle was a well-rounded 64.1°, and effective seat tube angle is the same 77.6° across the size range. The bottom bracket is 344mm from the ground, and the rear end is 450mm long. The fit on our size large was solid for our 5’10” – 6’2” test crew, with a 475mm Reach and 636mm Stack height.

MANY BUILD OPTIONS | The SRESH SL will have five stock build specs available internationally, however, the US market will only receive a choice of two “Signature” specs. That said, Propain’s build configurator allows riders to spec close to a full custom build for all of their bikes. This configurator will even allow customers to select their preference of headset-routed cables or using the standard ports in the side of the headtube.

Our custom build tipped the scales at around 44/45 lbs. The bike we were testing was extremely customized, so we don’t have a definitive MSRP. The Signature two build, which our bike likely started out as, retails for $8,799. With top-spec Fox Factory suspension; an X0 T-Type drivetrain, and Trickstuff’s Diretissima brakes, this build left little to be desired…we would likely estimate the build pushing the MSRP around the $10,000 mark. It even had the solid DT Swiss HX1700 alloy wheels wrapped in the Schwalbe Magic Mary and Albert tire combo we used in our 2025 eMTB Shootout, with the excellent Radial Gravity casings.

THE WOLF’S FIRST IMPRESSION

Propain’s North American Marketing Manager, Patrick Thomas, met us for an all-day session of filming and riding for this Tech Check feature. Unfortunately, he needed to take the bike back with him the same day, so our first ride impressions will only consist of a day’s worth of riding. It is important to remember that our Tech Check features are not reviews and are only meant to provide our first impressions. We will be getting the Sresh SL back in the coming months as a participant in our 2026 SL/Lightweight eMTB Roundup.

The Sresh SL uses the new TQ HPR60, and is the second bike we’ve ridden with this new system. The HPR60 is a welcomed addition in the drivesystem category, and much preferred over the HPR50 drive unit. Though this new system has more power in terms of torque and peak watt output, it’s still provides a very natural pedalling feel. By that, I mean it feels exactly like pedalling an analog bike, albeit on a very good day. The steeper the climb, the more rider effort is required to get the power out, unlike some other systems that deliver more power while pedaling softly. Most impressive was the battery life. Our film day consisted of three full loop climbs and a handful of session climbs, totaling roughly 3,000 feet of elevation over 12 miles, and we ended our ride with the 580wh battery still with a whopping 68 percent. That was using almost boost mode exclusively for my 170lbs mass.

On the subject of climbing prowess, the Sresh SL Pro10 suspension platform did a great job of transfering the power from the tires to the ground. The Pro10 platform provides a very supportive yet comfortable feel on the climbs, and was supple enough in technical terrain to ensure the rear wheel stayed planted to the ground. The Sresh SL has a very predictable climbing nature overall.

How does the Sresh SL descend, as that is what really matters, right? It is eerily similar to it’s analog counterpart, the Propain Tyee. As a 150/160 SL eMTB, it had no problem taking on trails that should be above its weight class. On the chunkiest of trails, the Sresh SL did a good job of staying composed and soaking up the hits without transferring feedback to the hands or feet. It also did a great job at receiving rider input when it comes to line corrections or just picking up and hopping over obstacles on the trail, no matter the speed. In that sense, it feels much more like an analog bike than it does an eBike. While it felt at home on tech trails, it was equally happy on flowier trail sections, with a playful, poppy nature that made even the mundane sections of trails fun and enjoyable.

Propain’s first foray into the “SL” category shows great promise. From it’s slim and sleek frame build, the customizable build options, and the inital ride characteristics from our first day out, it has us itching to get more laps in. It’s a pity we have to wait a couple months to get the Sresh SL back for the long-term test, but we feel it will be worth being patient for! Until then, leave a comment down below on what you would like to know about Propain’s 150/160 lightweight eMTB, and we will do our best to answer those questions for the long-term review.