Vital MTB Editor Build: Propain Hugene CF (Gen 3) 7

Yep, here we are again, another year has gone by, and it’s time to build up a new bike for the season. Constant readers will know that I tend to pick a trail bike as my main ride for the year, which gets regular use as my daily driver in addition to being the designated test bed for many of the parts reviews I do. For 2026, I’ve gone with the third (and most current) generation of the Propain Hugene CF, a 130mm multi-link carbon frame from Germany. I’ve just finished building up the bike, so without further ado – here it is!

Frame

I’m quite picky when it comes to my trail bikes, as I need them to be poppy and playful enough to really separate them from my enduro bikes. That’s why I’ve yet again chosen to “limit myself” to 130mm of rear travel, as for me that provides the best compromise between pedaling and pushing it on the descents. For the geo, I look for something right around 480mm of reach (I’m 6’0’ or 1m84 with disproportionately long legs for my height), and a head angle that is slack enough to allow for some spirited riding here and there. My bike from last year (a YT IZZO) had a reach of 473mm, which is right on the short side for me (while their XL at 493mm is too long for the kind of riding I do most of at home). The 2026 Propain Hugene in size L lands at 483mm, which is just about as perfect as it gets for me. It also has a significantly slacker head angle than the IZZO, which has me pretty excited as it seems like it might really give me the best of two worlds, as well as a steep seat tube angle which should be great on the climbs. So far I’ve only managed a couple of shakedown rides but the bike seems to be exceptionally comfortable for the modest amount of travel on tap, yet light and nimble on the pedals. Also well pleased with how the color scheme came together, thanks to Propain's online configurator capabilities I was able to specify "Swedish Yellow" for the main graphic which turned out to be a great match for the factory yellow Öhlins fork. Stay tuned for a full review once I get more time on it, and of course you can look forward to seeing it in plenty of other articles and reviews throughout the year. Yeow!

Frame Storage

I’m a frame storage noob, as this will be my first personal bike equipped with an onboard stash. The Hugene’s compartment is pretty big, as you can access pretty much the full length of the downtube, although it is a bit on the slim side which presented some challenges when it came time to put together my kit. Propain supplies the Hugene with two frame storage pouches, a neoprene bag that is made to hold a tube, and a tool roll equipped with a Velcro strap. The inside of the frame is smooth, and the cable routing fully guided as it passes by this area (the cables exit the guide tubes just before frame ports). After some puzzling, I was able to put together a collection of tools that covers most major trailside repairs: allen/Torx keys, chain tool and tire lever from Daysaver, tubeless plugs, spare chain links, and a tiny pump. The trick here is to make sure the tool roll is slim enough to fit in the frame, which I was able to do after some puzzling. I would have loved to have an accessory mount on the frame as well, which would have allowed me to choose a bigger pump for example, but I’m happy enough as it is and looking forward to not needing any kind of pack for my shorter rides now.

Frame Wrap

Since I’ve never fully wrapped a frame before, I decided this would be a good opportunity to try it out. RideWrap stepped up with what they call their “Tailored” protection, a kit that features an impressive puzzle of different pieces that come together to cover nearly all of the frame. The process is fairly involved, but RideWrap does a good job of setting you up for success. The kit includes a large sheet with all the different protection pieces on it, as well as the fixing solution concentrate, a microfiber wipe, a squeegee and some frame cleaning wet towels. Once you dilute the fixing solution with water, you spray it on your protection pieces before placing them on the frame. With the Tailored kit you’ll be covering most of the frame, so there are quite a few intricate cuts and you’ll need to arm yourself with a bit of patience and attention to detail to get everything to line up just right. Also really pay attention to getting all the air bubbles out with the squeegee thing – yours truly may or may not have rushed this step a few times which has left me with a few tattletale air pockets. All in all, I’m happy to have the extra protection on there and I’ll be providing a full report further down the line on how the stuff is holding up.

Suspension

Last year, we did a back-to-back test of two 34mm and two 36mm trail forks, all set at 140mm of travel. While all the forks in that test performed at a high level, the Öhlins RXF36 m.3 really stood out to me. For this latest iteration of the fork, Öhlins has aimed it squarely at the short-to-mid travel category (140-160mm), and in doing so, they’ve been able to better adapt its characteristics to that use case (the previous version of this fork supported up to 170mm of travel, but since the introduction of the RXF38 they’ve been able to refocus the RXF36). They’ve also made changes to the damping tune and have further reduced internal friction – the result is a fork that is VERY comfortable yet as supportive as you want it to be. The dual positive chamber air spring is also very versatile and easy to set up right. I’ve paired the fork up with the m.2 version of the TTX1Air, which fits in the Hugene frame thanks to its slimmer air can (compared to the TTX2Air). I’ll be bringing you an in-depth review of this updated shock at a later point as well.

Drive Train

I’ve been running the same SRAM Eagle GX Transmission derailleur since it was first introduced (it has been on my two latest editor builds), and that should tell you two things: I really like it, and it has held up exceptionally well so far. Solid, dependable shifting in all circumstances, and a wireless shifter pod with ergonomics that suit me. For the cranks, I’ve gotten used to having a power meter on my bike, and the latest SRAM GX with an integrated Quarg unit has been super solid for me over the past year. It does tend to eat through batteries pretty quickly, but it's easy to operate and provides consistent measurements that I can use to evaluate my form or just nerd out over needlessly.

Wheels and Tires

The DT Swiss EXC 1200 wheels impressed me a year ago in testing, and I’ve brought them back on this build as I know exactly what I’m getting here: set-and-forget performance with rims that can take a beating. The bearings roll quickly, and the faster engagement of the DEG hubs is how I like it on a trail bike. I’ve dressed them up in the latest iteration of Specialized’s Butcher and Eliminator tires, both with Grid Trail casings. From the compound to the tread pattern, these tires are a great match for my riding conditions, which tend to be dry and rocky for most parts of the year.

Brakes

Having tested most of the best brakes out there, I find myself choosing Hope. The newly updated EVO TR is a perfect match for any ambitious trail bike build, with awesome stopping power, great modulation, and now with the added convenience of a much cleaner bleed process thanks to the addition of a handy port on the lever reservoir. Hope also made a change to the way the lever interacts with the piston on the EVO brake, which results in quicker initial engagement and shorter free stroke compared to the previous generation. Loved the fact that the Hugene frame features a 180mm post mount which means no adapter needed there for this build - a cleaner look is always a plus in my book!

Dropper Post

I’m not afraid to throw a couple more batteries on my bike, especially when they can provide you with super easy actuation of your dropper post. This may sound a bit ridiculous, but I’ve come to really appreciate just how effortless it is to actuate the Fox Transfer Neo in all circumstances thanks to the ultra-short throw of the lever on the remote and the quickness of the wireless connection. I do wish it was MatchMaker compatible but you can't win them all. The post itself is also smooth and fast, both qualities that I value in a post, and it’s holding up well after more than 18 months on the trail. Is a wireless post necessary? No. Is it a good product that I really enjoy using out on the trail? Yes.

Finishing Kit

Nothing like a shiny Deity cockpit to round out a build, with two of my all-time favorite contact points: the super-squishy Supracush grips (try saying that quickly 5 times in a row) and the ultra-grippy Supervillain pedals. I’ve also mounted up my current favorite saddle, the SQlab 6OX ERGOWAVE active 2.2. For as much as saddles are a very personal item, I really have to point out just how comfy this thing is. With the shorter nose of the 2.2 version, it’s also well suited to more demanding riding scenarios where you need to move around a bit more on the bike. And to conclude, I’m STILL rocking my much-loved Specialized Zee bottle cage with that weird color that doesn’t match ANY of my bikes.

Well, there you have it. I’m stoked on how this build turned out, and I look forward to sharing more of it over this coming year!

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 52 // Years Riding MTB: 20 // 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 Johan Hjord