New Enduro and Trail Bikes from PYGA - The Slakline and Hyrax - Mountain Bike Feature

PYGA Slakline Prototype Frame

Have you ever wondered what Patrick Morewood is up to these days? In 2012 he started PYGA after several years of designing bikes for Morewood. The company’s early designs focused on trail and marathon-style bikes, and PYGA earned a 7th place team finish in the Cape Epic – arguably the hardest marathon race in the world. The South African brand is looking to bring a little bit more capability to the line up with the addition of a new 160mm-rear-travel bike which is paired with a 170mm fork.

The Slakline has been in development for two years and features adjustable geometry via a flip chip in the lower sock mount. As we looked the bike over, we were impressed by the number of dialed details. Features include double row bearings at many pivot points for stiffness, lots of clearance for mud or plus-size tires up to 2.8-inches in size, Boost 148mm rear spacing, a threaded bottom bracket, and clean-looking lines throughout.

Those familiar with the brand will note that they’ve moved to a Horst link design, which Patrick felt was best for achieving good braking characteristics in a longer-travel application. The Slakline has an aluminum chainstay for durability reasons, and the carbon layup for the front triangle and seat stays uses a 3k weave on impact zones and where reinforcements are needed. They found that the 3k weave performs best in these areas.

Key geometry numbers include an adjustable head angle of 64.8 to 65.2-degrees, 76.5-degree effective seat tube angle, 433mm chainstays, and very healthy reach measurements across the size range. The initial production will focus on sizes Medium and Large with 454mm and 477mm reach measurements, respectively. Further down the road, small and XL sizes will be available.

PYGA Hyrax Trail Frame

Also new from PYGA is the Hyrax frame, which is named after a small elephant-related creature known for its ability to scurry over and through rock piles. The bike features 140mm of rear travel and 150mm up front. Like the Slakline, the Hyrax features a Metric shock, adjustable geometry, and a 1x-specific design. It is compatible with both 27.5 and 27.5+ wheels. The Hyrax will likely be a go-to trail-shredding machine when it’s released.