Pyga Stage Max – Review

“Who would have thought, Tom racing a 29er in an enduro race wearing a DH helmet. How times have changed”

That pretty much sums it up. Times are changing and 29ers are getting built more and more capable, a far cry from the spindly, flexy-wheeled bikes we first saw a few years ago. The Pyga Stage Max is one of this new breed of more playful, more robust bikes that just happen to have slightly bigger wheels.

• 126mm rear travel
• 140mm fork
• +FIVE chain line concept
• Dual water bottle mounts
• Removable HD front dérailleur mount
• High modulus carbon fibre frame
• Clevice pivot linkage points
• Migrating active brake system
• Internal cable routing
• Tapered head tube

South African brand Pyga have been making great trail bikes designed by Patrick Morewood. I’ve had a ton of fun riding the OneForty over the last year, and the Stage Max has a similar suspension design. The Max is based around a 126mm of linkage driven single pivot rear travel, contained within a stiff carbon frame. This is paired with a 140mm travel fork to produce a shorter travel, go-all-day bike.

The two builds the bike comes in, XX1 and X1, are both even more pimp than the GX build I’ve been riding, so the review here is more of the bike as a whole than a blow by blow break-down of the components. That said, I was compelled to remove the Onza tyres and run the classic winter Schwalbe combination – Magic Mary and Hans Dampf. I have to say, on a 29er, this pairing is superb, all the cliches about  29er grip levels come true!

I’ve definitely pushed the limits of a 5″ XC bike in what I’ve been riding it on, as well as the obligatory trail centre smashing and loamy off piste mellownes, I’ve felt like I should ride it like it was my only trail bike, just to see what happens. Laps of the finest DH trails North Wales has to offer, in the rain, after dark, are a real test of a bike’s descending ability, as were the steep, fresh and wild stages at NDH’s snowy Kidland Enduro.

On mellower trails, this bike rips. The light and lively frame combined with the light SRAM Roam 40 wheels mean the bike can pick up speed really quickly and carry it through sketchy traverses with ease. If you’ve ever ridden Dicko’s in the Dyfi, you’ll know the kind of endless sniper root sections I mean, this bike was a total hooligan through them, happily carrying the kind of pace I’d be happy to hold on a longer travel bike.

Climbs, whether spins up a fire road, or picking your way up through techy singletrack are a breeze, the 3 position shock combined with an efficient pedalling platform to deliver a whole load of grip without sapping your efforts.

When the going got steeper, the bike was still happy, but it’s lighter build did let it down a little bit. I ditched the disappointing tyres which helped a lot, but the 160mm rear rotor and the 67.5 degree head angle do rather give away the intended use of this bike. That said, it soaked up some steep, loose and droppy trails like a champ, the relatively low BB keeping it stable even when it shouldn’t have been!

The playful shortness meant chucking it from one turn to the next was effortless, and snaking through tight sections of trail and flicking from side to side happily. The short travel rear end pairs up well with the 140mm Pikes, and the ease of tuning meant achieving a supple and progressive feeling bike that would soak up most of what I threw at it with ease.

If you want a rock solid bike that can make you climb like a hero and get down most things in fine style, the Stage Max is a great option, and I’d definitely have one in my stable, but not as my only trail bike. Damn, that sounds horribly elitist… Be realistic about what you are after – want a bike for long rides that will still let you get a bit rowdy on the way home? The Stage Max will do the trick!

Frameset (Monarch Shock) £2250
XX1 Build £5585
X1 Build £4695

Pyga Bikes — Pyga Bikes UK