Tech

Rookie Review: Pyga OneTen29 – Could she be the one?

· By BikeHubCoreAdmin · 15 comments

Let me preface this article by saying that I am not a pro, or an expert. I do not know the technical details or have any inside scoops. Also, I am not sponsored by, or affiliated to PYGA in any way, and I’m not getting paid to write this review. I do, however, love riding and enjoy writing, and this is merely an average guy’s opinion and experience with the Pyga 110 29er.

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Every rider, in an ideal world, needs at LEAST two mountain bikes; a racey bike and a fun bike. Now, how fun and how racey each bike is depends on the individual, where you live, which brands have brainwashed you etc etc. There are a million different options on the scale from super light racey twitchy bikes, to gnarl monster heavy downhill bikes. If, however, you are like me and can afford only one bike at a time, is there a bike that can fit the do-it-all role for our South African conditions?

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It all began when I was invited to ride the Isuzu Trucks PE Plett race as part of team bikehub.co.za, a real honour. I took my bike in for a fork service about ten days before departure which revealed major issues and ended up costing me an arm and a stanchion, and the bike would not be ready in time for the race. I made a call to SJ at Revolution Cycles and he organised me a demo Pyga. Rad! Now, my bike is a hardtail 29er race machine, lightweight and upright, with as little travel as you can respectably ride on a mountain bike. It’s a great bike for its purpose, competing in XC races (I won one, once).

The demo PYGA OneTen in relation to my bike is a super fun, trail hungry, machine with a fair amount more suspension. I was going into the race a bit fitter than my partner Matt so I was very keen to give the “fun bike” a real try, and I wasn’t really worried about the weight penalty of the Pyga over my carbon race machine.

So what are the specifications?

  • FrameOneten29 Aluminium 110mm travel
  • Rear ShockRockshox Monarch RT3
  • ForkRockshox Revelation RCT3 29 130mm
  • BrakesSRAM Guide-RS
  • ShiftersSRAM X1
  • CranksetSRAM X01
  • BBSRAM GXP Pressfit 92
  • CassettesSRAM XG 1150
  • ChainSRAM X1
  • WheelsetSpank Oozy Trail-295 Bead Bite 29
  • TiresOnza Lynx 29×2.25
  • HeadsetCane Creek CC ZS44/IS52
  • BarsKORE MEGA 760mm, 31.8mm, 20mm rise
  • StemKORE Cubix 70mm
  • GripsKORE Ikon grips
  • SaddleKORE Fazer SL
  • SeatpostReverb125 420

SJ told me the bike as is a R52,000 build. All in, it weighed just over thirteen kilograms.

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The bike is a real head-turner. I personally like the look of it and think the colour scheme is awesome. SJ put on a bottle cage for me and said it “looked cool”. I think it was more like a camouflaged bottle cage to confuse me while riding but it did suit the bike.

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I am a fan of dropper posts; I had one on a previous bike and loved it. The thing is, on a racey carbon hardtail, it just seems weird to put on a dropper, and so you never really see that. With the Pyga though, it would seem weird NOT to put one on. At the end of the day, if your bike has a dropper, you are gonna have more fun. I’ve gotten used to chafing my bellybutton on my high mast saddle whenever I go down steep sections but it’s definitely more awesome and faster with a dropped saddle.

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I had only really pedalled about 100m on the bike before the start of the race but the setup was done well, (large frame with a short stem, which is all the rage right now) and the suspension was dialled to my great weight. It immediately felt comfy and I had no problem familiarising myself with the slacker head angle.

Fairly new for me was the X01 groupset. I pushed on the phantom front derailleur shifter a couple of times by mistake. The X01 was flawless, despite the muddiest riding conditions I’ve ever put a bike through. I’ve always known that 1×11 option was a good option, but never really thought it was worth the extra cash if weight-saving was the only benefit. It’s not. The narrow-wide thing works in such a way that there is no chain suck or shifting issues in harsh conditions. I was very impressed how flawlessly it performed, whilst my partner was fighting chain suck at the most inappropriate moments.

Also, with a tough stage race as a tester, I found the 32 tooth front ring was adequate. If the climb is so steep that a 32 ring doesn’t suffice, it’s probably easier and quicker to get off and walk. And on the other end of the spectrum, you only run out of gears if you are pacing down a tar road at high speed and then you must either tuck in behind someone or learn to spin a bit faster, but you very seldom need to go that fast on a mountain bike race.

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One of the defining factors of this bike is the rear suspension. I was very skeptical at first. My brother kept telling me this bike pedalled well (he had one). Now I don’t know how or why, I can’t even tell you what the linkage system is called, but the rear suspension works well! I’m not sure who gets the praise, the RockShox Monarch or the design itself, probably a combination of both but I was very impressed. It is simple too. Flip the switch toward the drivetrain side to increase pedalling efficiency, flick to the left for fun. On a previous bike I had the design was such that you bumped that switch every time you took your water bottle out, very stupid. It was also the Fox CTD system and it was impossible to tell the difference between the C, the T, or the D. No such issues with the PYGA.

I noticed was that the bike never felt sluggish on flats or climbs. I even rode up behind a Specialized Epic on a tar road climb and confirmed with Matt that the Pyga had virtually zero pedal-bob, even compared to the Epic, which is supposed to have a ‘brain’. And, even with the switch on the right, with no pedal-bob, the suspension still worked just as well when you needed it. I could even bounce it nicely if I needed to bunnyhop etc. I left it set on the ‘fun’ side for the majority of the race, even the pedally bits, and it ate up the miles.

For conquering tough stages and doing long rides, I honestly think a bike like the 110 is more comfortable, more fun, pedals just as well as the racier bikes, and looks cooler. If you are in the top percentile of racers for whom the weight penalty is a big issue, you don’t really need to be reading this review anyway because you either know more than me or are told which bike to ride by your sponsors.

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There’s not too much for me to say about the brakes,wheels, bar etc, except that they are all a good option and I would be happy to buy the bike specced exactly like that. The Guide brakes are awesome and apparently more potent because of having 4 pistons instead of two (I don’t know?). The wide bars are fun to ride with the only danger being small gaps. The wheels seemed pretty bomb-proof to me and gave me no hassle whatsoever. The fork on the front is a 130mm Revelation, which felt great to me. I know people are raving about the Rockshox Pike, which is the more expensive option and would also fit very well on the bike. I personally don’t think my riding talent warrants the extra cash. Both are really good and I would probably struggle to be able to discern what the real difference is, if I’m honest.

The Reverb seatpost is the standard, I think, and most people seem to agree it’s the best option on the market. At PE Plett, the terrain was pretty tame and I hardly ever needed to use the dropper. So, when I got back to Cape Town I decided to test the bike properly on the more tricky stuff. It had already proved itself very capable of dominating long hard stage races, now I wanted to see its playful side. I took it to a Strava segment that I know and love called ‘tech rocky descent’.

I know my exact limits on this segment with my hardtail and I wanted to see how easily I could beat my own best times with the Pyga. On the hardtail I had a PR of 1:22, which was just good enough for a top twenty. Getting it was hard though. It’s a very rocky bumpy ride and on a hardtail it feels like the bike will buck you off. I also have a hard time focusing because my eyeballs get shaken up and down so much. After two failed attempts on the Pyga (dog walkers forcing me to slow down and a near off from taking a wrong line), I got a clean run. When I got home I was stoked to see my time narrowed down to 1:13, good enough for 13th place and only 13 seconds behind the leader, Mark Hopkins (from PYGA).

As you would expect, the Pyga was a much more comfortable ride. Holding on was easier, and floating over treacherous rocks I felt much more in control. The dropper post did exactly as promised. The bike can definitely thrash trails much harder than I can. In other words, I would need to get much more aggressive or start riding real hectic downhill trails to find myself needing a more capable bike. In conclusion, for me, this bike would serve well as a do-it-all. The one bike in the garage: go ride some stage races on it, do an enduro on the weekend and push the limits of my own technical riding abilities. I really liked it and was surprised how sad I was to give it back. If winning isn’t really your concern when signing up for a stage race, I honestly think this kind of bike would serve you best. Actually, just ask for a test-ride. You have to give it a test ride.

Thanks PYGA and SJ for helping me out.

Here’s a quick video montage of our ride at the ISUZU PE Plett race 2015:

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Comments

nonky

Oct 5, 2015, 1:24 PM

every loan needs to be paid back.  fact.

Shaun McCormack

Oct 5, 2015, 1:57 PM

It's not an XL is it? ( he says hopefully )

karma

Oct 6, 2015, 9:32 AM

GrahamS2

Oct 6, 2015, 9:35 AM

 

Easy tiger, it's a Pyga  :clap:

NicoBoshoff

Oct 6, 2015, 9:39 AM

 

I'd love to see that R54k Niner good Sir. 

karma

Oct 6, 2015, 10:30 AM

I'd love to see that R54k Niner good Sir. 

http://niner.co.za/product/jet-9-carbon-2-star-gx1/

 

with some change...

pleasure...

Stevief

Oct 6, 2015, 11:12 AM

I'd love to see that R54k Niner good Sir. 

Baam ! You've just been served !!

Ozzie NL

Oct 6, 2015, 11:20 AM

I am a Pyga 110 owner but that Niner looks like a good deal

 

I spent just under R50k in Q1 this year to get mine built with full XT components, Arch wheels and Rockshox XX suspension.

 

Could the difference be in the componentry because it is a cross Sram / Shimano built across several groupsets?? Found something similar on a Spez Camber I looked at.

Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

Oct 6, 2015, 11:20 AM

and at a much lower spec.

 

X1/X01 mix vs GX

Guide RS vs DB5

Dropper vs none

X01 crank vs S1000

Spank Oozy Trail 295 rims vs niner branded bargain rims

Monarch RT3 vs RT

Revelation RCT3 vs Fox 34 performance FIT (let's call it equal here, RCT 3 is equiv of Factory fork, but the 34 is the better chassis)

 

If you were to spec the Niner with the same components, you'd be FAR higher ito cost. 

 

So no. No serving happening here. As for 11kg - in this spec? I doubt it. 

Odinson

Oct 6, 2015, 11:25 AM

 

 

and at a much lower spec.

 

X1/X01 mix vs GX

Guide RS vs DB5

Dropper vs none

X01 crank vs S1000

Spank Oozy Trail 295 rims vs niner branded bargain rims

Monarch RT3 vs RT

Revelation RCT3 vs Fox 34 performance FIT (let's call it equal here, RCT 3 is equiv of Factory fork, but the 34 is the better chassis)

 

If you were to spec the Niner with the same components, you'd be FAR higher ito cost. 

 

So no. No serving happening here. As for 11kg - in this spec? I doubt it. 

 

Hey, Foo.

 

http://38.media.tumblr.com/92a031e0729703243acc1f113f0450f2/tumblr_mfgq9fwl201rw29eto2_500.gif

Maniac Merv

Oct 6, 2015, 11:28 AM

and at a much lower spec.

 

X1/X01 mix vs GX

Guide RS vs DB5

Dropper vs none

X01 crank vs S1000

Spank Oozy Trail 295 rims vs niner branded bargain rims

Monarch RT3 vs RT

Revelation RCT3 vs Fox 34 performance FIT (let's call it equal here, RCT 3 is equiv of Factory fork, but the 34 is the better chassis)

 

If you were to spec the Niner with the same components, you'd be FAR higher ito cost. 

 

So no. No serving happening here. As for 11kg - in this spec? I doubt it. 

Bam !!

NicoBoshoff

Oct 7, 2015, 4:59 AM

That awkward moment someone does their victory dance, and their pants fall down...

NicoBoshoff

Oct 7, 2015, 5:01 AM

Baam ! You've just been served !!

Nope.

EmptyB

Oct 7, 2015, 7:45 PM

Really cool article.

peanutville

Dec 24, 2015, 11:24 AM

Nice review ;-)

 

Have ridden a friends Pyga & was also impressed...

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