Propain Hugene 3 CF Frame

Many bike models tend to evolve by growing over time, whether it’s getting a bit more travel or burlier angles with each passing generation. It’s probably fair to say that this has been driven by the general evolution of bike geometry to some extent, so as our industry matures (and with it the collective understanding of what geometry could and should be), brands are taking a closer look at the positioning of each model in their range, and making changes accordingly. That’s exactly what happened with the Propain Hugene, as the latest generation found itself with slightly LESS travel than its predecessor. That’s one of things that drew us to it, and part of the reason it became the long-term test bike of one of our tech editors (and author of this review).

Propain Hugene CF (gen 3) Highlights

• High Modulus Blend Carbon Frame
• 29” wheels
• 140 mm front travel
• 130 mm rear travel
• “PRO10” multi-link suspension layout with floating shock
• Classic or integrated cable routing
• Frame storage
• BSA 73 mm BB
• PM180 post mount
• ZS56/ZS56 headset
• ISCG05 chainguide mount
• UDH derailleur hanger
• TPR seatstay and chainstay protector
• New, soft downtube protector
• Frame weight (size M): 2.8 kg without shock
• Build kits available from €3.399 EUR

Initial Impressions

There are a few crucial things I look for in a trail bike, conditioned by the fact that I also have an enduro bike available for the bigger days out. Two factors stand out over the rest, namely geometry and travel. I want a trail bike that is FUN to pedal around, which in my book translates to efficient climbing, an ability to generate and carry speed in undulating terrain, and geometry that will let you have as much fun as possible on the way down. When Propain released the third generation of the Hugene, it seemed to tick all those boxes for me.

The reason I care about travel on my trail bike is that I don’t want too much of it. It’s so easy to slip into mini-enduro mode when you’re shopping for a trail bike, adding 10mm of travel here and a kg there - “just in case” – and before you know it, you’ve built a bike that is still not quite as capable as you thought it might become, but certainly a lot less engaging than you had originally planned for. Upon seeing Propain take 10mm of travel OFF the Hugene for the gen 3 version, I figured they were talking my language with this one. For those bemoaning the 140r/150f builds of the previous Hugene, the new TYEE Trail was designed to fill that gap and would likely be a good candidate if those numbers are what you are looking for.

Looking over the geo chart, I found more digits to be to my liking (at 6’0” or 1m84 I went with the size L). I have relatively long legs, which means I need a steep seat tube to avoid getting pushed off the back too much with my saddle up. 483mm of reach is right in my sweet spot for a trail bike, and the 120mm head tube means there’s just about enough stack to get my handlebars where I want them without going completely crazy with stem spacers and handlebar rise (it’s not a super stacked bike by any means, but it does feel taller in action than the dimensions would suggest, more on that later). A shred-worthy head angle is a must these days, although I can definitely live with it being somewhat conservative on a trail bike if I have to. The most important part for me here is that it shouldn’t be so slack as to completely mute the feedback you get from the front – a super slack bike is fun in the steep stuff, but can easily be a bit lifeless on flatter trails. As for chainstay length, I’m not fanatically attached to the extremes. I can find my happy place on a bike at either 435mm or 445mm, or somewhere in between. Propain doesn’t vary the chainstay length by frame size for the Hugene, which might be a disappointment for those hanging off the edges of the size bell curve, but 445mm is a solid choice for a bike of this nature. All in all, the Hugene came within a few mms of my ideal geo in regards to every dimension.

Looking over the frame features, I was of course happy to see ports for traditional cable routing (headset routing only would have been a non-starter for me, given how often I need to swap parts on my test bikes). A threaded 73mm BB is always a welcome sight as well, as is the long insertion depth available for the dropper post. The UDH hanger was another must, as I’m a big fan of SRAM’s T-Type Transmission. A 180mm postmount for the rear brake is a spec choice I applaud, most people will probably want a 180mm rotor out back on their trail bike, and not having to faff with an adapter keeps everything looking extra tidy and clean. Frame storage was a first for me, and I was definitely looking forward to getting some stuff off my back to be carried by the bike instead.

Propain’s “PRO10” suspension platform is based around two counter-rotating links that hold the shock between them. This floating shock set-up is good for initial sensitivity, while the layout of the pivots provides for a generous amount of anti-squat. The leverage rate is reasonably progressive, which should translate to good manners when bottoming out. The kinematics could probably handle a coil shock with ease, but we don’t know of one that would physically fit the frame – it was a tight fit even for our air shocks.

The Build

We opted for a frame-up build for this one, so we won’t be reviewing a full off-the-shelf build package. As it were, Propain sells their bikes via an online configurator which lets you play around with the parts spec for all their packages, so “stock” is slightly less relevant here anyway. We started with a matte black frame with Swedish Yellow frame decals (one of 14 options available for the frame decals), opting for the smaller of two decal sizes to avoid offending those among us with billboard allergies.

All the parts were chosen with care, and they’ve all been extensively reviewed here on Vital already, so we won’t be diving into the details again as that would be quite repetitive. You can read more about the initial build HERE, including why those parts were selected and how they have performed for us over time, and there are individual reviews available of everything from wheels and tires to brakes and drivetrain.

Putting the bike together was entirely event-free. Cable routing was easy, the BB threads were in good condition, and everything came together quite nicely. Our limited edition yellow Öhlins lowers were a good match for the “Swedish Yellow” decals, obviously not due to any kind of coincidence. We opted to protect our new bike with a Tailored frame protection kit from RideWrap, which covers a large percentage of the frame with pre-cut pieces of protective film, and although applying the kit isn’t necessarily something we’d want to be doing every day, it went well in the end and the result was satisfactory.

On The Trail

Climbing

As stated earlier, one of my goals with my trail bikes is that they should be as close to “fun” as possible when climbing or cruising along on undulating terrain. With a relatively generous amount of anti-squat and a steep seat tube angle, the Hugene is – quite literally – off to a great start in this aspect. Whether you’re sitting and spinning or sprinting off the line, the PRO10 suspension reacts with firmness. You get most of what you put into the pedals back as acceleration, and there is not a lot of bobbing either. The riding position is forward, and the bike feels quite stretched out and relaxed, a result of the long-ish wheelbase and generous reach. We added a couple of spacers under the stem to move the cockpit up and back a little bit, which turned out to be the golden ticket for this rider.

As you get into rougher terrain, the Hugene remains on the firmer side of the equation. Small-bump sensitivity is good, albeit not super-plush; this is not your average mini-enduro. It is far from uncomfortable though, so don’t go getting the wrong impression here, it’s just not a 1965 Cadillac either. “Taut” is perhaps the word we’re looking for. That tautness comes in handy when navigating trickier obstacles on the way up as well, as the bike is always ready to react and you always get your money’s worth from your pedaling inputs. The BB is definitely on the low side, and at sag you’re pretty close to the ground. Even with 165mm cranks we found ourselves with a higher-than-average pedal strike rate on rockier trails. Other than that, the suspension is able to mix pedal-induced firmness and bump-induced compliance in the right proportions to create a tasty climber’s cocktail.

Descending

What goes up must come down, and the Hugene does not disappoint when gravity takes over. The relaxed geo creates a lot of confidence, with the long wheelbase and slack head angle working together to provide great stability as the speed increases. The Hugene is quite lively, and it reacts well to rider input - but it does so without much drama. It favors a centered or forward riding position, but with the extra spacers under the stem we never felt like we were too much over the front. Eyes up, heels down, and go.

We tested the bike with two different rear shocks, the Öhlins TTX1Air m.2 and the FOX Float X Live Valve Neo. Both turned out to be a great match for the rear linkage, serving up both comfort and support in equal measure. Of course, the Live Valve shock has an extra trick up its sleeve, the ability to keep the rear shock essentially locked out unless otherwise required, which gives the bike an edge when it comes to pedaling. However, even without the Live Valve shock, we never found ourselves reaching for the lockout switch as the linkage has more than enough built-in support and anti-squat to make it super fun to rally around with the shock fully open.

When the trail gets really rough, the Hugene shines. The suspension reacts really well to plowing into stuff, and the faster you go, the better it feels. Even when charging head-on into fields of boulders the bike is surefooted and safe. Of course, it’s no enduro bike, so you’ll eventually run out of travel, but the bike never becomes ragged. We wouldn’t say it feels like it has more travel than the numbers would suggest, because it remains poppy and playful at all times, but we will say that it really knows how to use the travel it has.

Neither of the shocks we ran on the bike have a hydraulic bottom-out feature, but the Hugene remained well-behaved even when using up all its travel, testament to the progressive leverage rate curve. We noted no weird quirks in the suspension behavior at any point, and the bike is happy to get airborne when you ask it to. It is also a very quiet bike, with just a little chain slap from time to time to remind you that you are riding a bicycle. All in all, it’s a well-mannered trail bike that is easy to get up the hill and a ton of fun to ride on the way back down.

How Does the Hugene Compare?

Over the past few years, I’ve gone through a number of trail bikes with similar travel numbers, and it’s interesting to discuss them together briefly to get a feel for each bike’s main characteristics. This isn’t about which one is “best,” more so a comparison exercise that might help illustrate how they differ and which one might be right for you.

YT IZZO (130r/140f)

I had a YT IZZO immediately before the Propain, and although those two are both direct-sales bikes from Germany with 130mm of travel, they go about their business differently. The IZZO is much sharper, to the detriment of all-out comfort and confidence. It’s snappier on the pedals, and quicker in its reactions on the trail. It’s also an order of magnitude less forgiving. That doesn’t mean that the Hugene is a slouch, far from it, but it is way more relaxed and certainly more surefooted. It is also deceptively good at carrying speed, the IZZO feels faster because of the extra drama and directness of the frame, but the Hugene actually rolls faster down a trail.

Starling Murmur (135r/140f)

The Murmur is a more exotic concept in this list, built around a steel frame with a single-pivot rear suspension layout. On the descents, this translates to a forgiving ride that is really fun to throw into any predicament you can imagine. It’s notably less good at pedaling and carrying speed however, which makes it a bit less rewarding to rally around on undulating terrain or haul back up the hill for another run. The Hugene is every bit as competent, and a lot more efficient.

Transition Smuggler (130r/140f)

The Smuggler looks very close to the Hugene on paper, but they do differ in terms of behavior and feel. The Smuggler is a little bit more “muted” overall, almost a “vanilla” mountain bike, where the Hugene’s character is a bit more defined. This sounds like mumbo-jumbo perhaps, but it’s the closest we can come to describing the differences. Ultimately, the Hugene’s extra anti-squat and the behavior of its rear linkage give it an edge in terms of liveliness that makes it a bit more engaging to ride.

SCOR 4060ST (140r/150f)

To this day, SCOR’s rear suspension is among the better we’ve ever ridden, in any travel bracket. It is impressively good under power, yet very supple and comfortable in the rough stuff. It was not without drawbacks, notably some side-to-side flex that led to rotor rub when cornering, but we still held it in high regard. The Hugene is very close to the SCOR in terms of geo and confidence on the trail, but with a notably firmer overall suspension feel. Of course we also need to mention that SCOR has been “paused” by parent company BMC, so we’ve included it here more as a reference and less as an actual option if you’re looking to buy.

Durability Report

We’ve been riding the Hugene for five months now, racking up somewhere around 700 kms and 18000 meters of climbing. Starting off with the bike’s appearance, the RideWrap film has been doing a great job so far. We’ve thankfully avoided any major crashes during our testing time, but there’s also no significant scuffing to report at this point either. Even the downtube has survived many rides hanging over the tailgate of our truck, which was good to see (we did not add any extra downtube protection in this area beyond the RideWrap film to see how it would do, and it has stood up to the test remarkably well).

As previously mentioned, the Hugene is a quiet bike, and it has remained so after five months of riding. It did develop an annoying creak after a couple of months, which came from the main lower suspension pivot. This pivot is equipped with a couple of funky little cone washers that sit in cups formed directly in the carbon frame, and it turns out that if you continuously pour a mix of sweat and leaking isotone into this pivot, it gets very dry and sticky - whodathunkit. A quick clean and some grease got rid of this creak, which has not reappeared since.

Other than that, the bearings are still smooth, the headset is solid, and the BB still spins in circles. The Transmission derailleur has sat in its place without needing any extra attention. The seat post has not moved on us, nor has anything else. The in-frame storage flap is somewhat tricky to operate sometimes, the bottle cage gets in the way of the lever and it can get a little bit sticky with time. However, it has remained silent, which is something we were initially concerned about. The flap does have a little bit of movement to it, and we thought that adding the weight of a bottle to it might cause it to develop some play over time and start to make noise perhaps, but that has not been the case. And yes, it's been great fun being able to carry all our spares and tools in the frame storage as opposed to in a backpack, much appreciated in particular during the warmer months. The tool rolls supplied by Propain have done a great job of holding everything in place without any rattles, and the flap has kept dust and water out (although we've not ridden through an English winter to really test this aspect).

What’s The Bottom Line?

The “trail bike” category is about as broad a concept as you’ll find in the MTB world today. Its very definition is essentially down to interpretation, whether by the rider or the brand making the bike in question. We’d go so far as to say that in 2026, the “best” trail bike is definitely going to be the one that matches your requirements and does what you want it to – while putting a big smile on your face. Having said that, the third generation of Propain’s Hugene strikes a very enticing balance of efficiency, comfort, and fun, which places it pretty high on our list of “the best trail bike”. If its travel numbers match your riding style and your terrain, there’s not a lot it can’t do, and if you don’t need something more aggressive than this, it’s pretty much the perfect all-rounder. Those looking for a one-bike quiver to tackle the rowdiest trails will of course be better served by a TYEE Trail or Enduro, in which case a lighter build on the Hugene will also make sense to complement the bigger bike.

For more information head on over to propain-bikes.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 53 // Years Riding MTB: 21 // Weight: 190-pounds (87 kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Nils Hjord and Johan Hjord