Pyga Bikes have managed to capture the imagination of many local mountain bikers. Look no further than the Post your Pyga topic for evidence of this. With it’s promises of burley performance and all day comfort, the OneForty650 Pascoe is a crowd favourite.
The Bike
The OneForty650 Pacoe is an aluminium 140mm big trail bike which supports forks between 140mm and 160mm and rolls on 650b wheels. Our test bike is the Mark 2 frame, Pyga don’t do year models, instead they do incremental changes between batches. The updated frame sees the head angle slacken slightly to 66.5 degrees with a 160mm fork. Pyga also modified the tubing, the head tube, top tube and seat tube are all redesigned. Chainstays remain suitably short for a bike that’s intended to excite on the descents at 431mm.
The suspension is a float design meaning that the shock is held in position between the top rocker and the extended chain stays without being fixed directly to the front triangle. The float setup offers better tuning through the shocks travel. The main pivot is low, just above the chain line, to assist with pedalling efficiency.
The aesthetically motivated may be disappointed to see external cable routing but those working on the bike will be pleased. There is routing through the seat tube for a stealth dropper post. The rear wheel fits into a Syntace X-12 axle and there is provision for ISCG-05 bash guards and chain guides.
The Build
Fork: The RockShox Pike has been the go to trail and all mountain fork for a few years now. On the Pascoe, the Pike worked just as well as it does on any other bike. A solid dependable specification choice.
Shock: Like the Pike, the RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair proved more than up to the task on the OneForty650 Pacoe. It is silky smooth and ramps up when needed.
Drivetrain: The drivetrain on our test bike was a combination of SRAM X01 and X1 components. The X01 cranks were solid, especially after taking somewhat of a beating under my piloting, while the gears didn’t miss a beat. A setup I’d be glad to ride on any trail bike.
Chainring: Our test OneForty650 Pascoe arrived with cSixx’s thick-thin oval chainring and Super Single chain guide. I noticed no differences with the elliptical shape compared to a round chainring. The idea behind it on a bike like the Pascoe is to assist with a smoother transition of power assisting with maintaining traction on technical or steep sections. While the OneForty650 Pascoe was composed in the rough stuff, I’d struggle to say whether the chainring was a contributing factor.
Retention device: cSixx’s Super Single chain guide chain guide attached to the ISCG-05 tabs. The chain guide served its purpose and kept the chain in place throughout our testing which included the infamously rocky Eselfontein Enduro.
Brakes: The SRAM Guide RS brakes provide good stopping power when needed with good feedback and control. I’ve only had good experiences with the Guide range of brakes.
Wheelset: The Spank Oozy Trail wheelset proved to be up to the task providing no hassles. While current trends demand wide wheelsets with extra wide widths, I felt the Oozy Trail’s 25mm internal diameter was sufficient.
Tyres: The Onza Ibex tyres provides plenty of grip and can soak up a beating. A good choice for this style of bike.
Cockpit: Short stem, wide bars is how I like a mountain bike cockpit to be set up. The OneForty650 Pascoe obliges with sturdy Kore components. The saddle is also Kore and was attached to the bike via a faultless RockShox Reverb Stealth adjustable seat post.
On the trail
Jumping on the bike for the mandatory car park test, the Pyga lacked that instantaneous fizz and front wheel pop feeling that makes you feel like Cédric Gracia. But taking the OneForty650 Pascoe down a mountain shows how poor initial judgements can be.
On the trails, the OneForty650 Pascoe is all about composure. The Pascoe feels supremely comfortable and stable on any trail and from this safe place it eggs you on to push yourself further and further to edge of your abilities.
The 140mm rear suspension feels much bigger than the numbers suggest. The RockShox Monarch shock and Pyga’s float suspension do a great job at feeling effortlessly smooth and bottomless without obliterating feedback from the trail. On a number of occasions, particularly after casing jumps, I had to stop and check that the bike had been using the full complement of travel. Each time it had. The extra travel on the 160mm Pike helped the bike feel balanced, matching the big hit capability of the rear suspension.
The handling was precise and predictable. The shortstays proved good at getting the rear wheel through turns with the rear suspension making sure of traction throughout. In the dry summer conditions, the Pascoe gripped very well in turns and felt best when I got forward, committing my weight over the front wheel.
Although the large sized bike was a bit short in the legs for me at 193 cm, the Pascoe felt roomy when out of the saddle and put me right in the centre of the bike.
The Pyga is more than happy to pump and flow on smoother trails but it’s in the rough stuff where it shines. The geometry and super capable rear suspension work together to get the rider through most situations. And it does so with speed. Even under hard braking the suspension remained as effective as ever.
On the climbs the OneForty650 Pascoe is no spring chicken and it feels a little chunky but with efficient pedalling it will get you to the top of the steepest climbs. It was a bit better on longer flat roads than I expect, being able to eat up distance without letting you know that it’d prefer to be facing downhill. Even though locking out the shock wasn’t entirely necessary, I found myself reaching for the lever on most sizeable climbs. The full ready to ride build (excluding pedals) weighed in at 13.1 kilograms.
Conclusion
The Pyga OneForty650 Pascoe is a fully fledged super trail bike. It shines on the descents, encouraging the rider to go big with its confidence inspiring feel. It will also get you to the top of climbs and out the other end of all day trail adventures. For those looking for a practical hard hitting trail bike, you won’t go wrong with a Pyga OneForty650 Pascoe.
Pricing
The Pascoe frameset which includes a Monarch Debonair shock, Syntace X12 axle and seatclamp retails for R23,900.
Pyga also offered a full build kit. We had the X1/X01 build for testing which goes for R58,000. However, due to exchange rates, moving forward Pyga will be offering the Pascoe with a SRAM GX build (including dropper post) at R63,950. Full specifications of both bikes are listed below.
Full Bike X01/X1 (as tested) Specifications:
- Rear ShockRockshok Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair
- ForkRockShox Pike RCT3 650b
- BrakesSRAM Guide RS
- Rear DeraileurSRAM X01
- ShiftersSRAM X1
- CranksetSRAM X01
- Bottom BracketSRAM GXP Pressfit 92
- CassetteSRAM XG 1150
- ChainSRAM X1
- WheelsetOozy Trail-275 Bead Bite 27
- TyresOnza Ibex 275×2.25
- HeadsetCanecreek CC ZS44/ZS56
- HandlebarsKORE Mega 760, 31.8mm, 20mm rise
- StemKORE Cubix 50mm
- GripsKORE Ikon grips
- SaddleKORE Frazer
- SeatpostRockShox Reverb125 420
Full Bike GX1 Specifications:
- Rear ShockRockShox Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair
- ForkRockShox Pike RCT3 650b
- BrakesSRAM Guide RS
- RotorsSRAM Rotor Centerline 180/160
- Rear DeraileurSRAM GX 1x11spd Long Cage Black
- ShiftersGX 11 SP Trigger Black
- CranksetGX 1400 175 32T
- Bottom BracketBB Pressfit MTB
- CassetteXG 1150 10-42
- ChainPC1130 11S
- WheelsetSRAM Roam 40 27.5″
- TyresOnza Ibex 27.5 60TPI
- HeadsetCanecreek CC ZS44/ZS56
- HandlebarsKORE Mega 760
- StemKORE Aerox 50mm
- GripsKORE Ikon grips
- SaddleKORE Durox Saddle
- SeatpostOCD 30.9
Well I don't have one of these, but the OneTwenty....And man is it ever capable!
Coming from the Spaz Enduro I was a little worried about its capabilities for going down...but those were unwarranted!