Pyga OneForty650b Pascoe – First Look

We check out a South African stallion – the Pyga OneForty, and take it for the first ride!

Back in the spring we checked out the Pyga OneTwenty – a 120mm travel, 275 wheeled trail destroyer. It’s supple suspension and sensible angles were a winner in our books, but we just felt from time to time that we wanted something slightly slacker and with a whisker or two more travel. Presenting the OneForty650b with, you guessed it, 140mm of travel at the back. The headtube is a degree and a half slacker at 67 degrees, and combined with the short chain stays (430mm) and a roomy top-tube this is a bike that is designed to attack the descents before charging back to the top for another go.

Our test bike arrived outfitted with another great pick of parts suitable for the riding the bike is designed for, including Rock Shox’s much revered Pike fork and Monarch shock, Stan’s rims on Hope Hubs, 1×10 XT drivetrain and brakes, and Truvativ finishing gear. While the bike is available in the UK only as a frame-set, it’s great to be able to test the bike without feeling like something was holding the bike from showing its true colours.

Speaking of colours, the bike comes in a glorious bright yellow. The colour-match fans about might want to run a pair of Mavic’s #Enduro wheels for a really bright looking bike. The slick looking decals and the tidy graphics on the top-tube pay tribute to South African MTB trail legend Ken Pascoe. Pascoe is the chair of the Howick MTB club and has been developing trails for two decades in his local area.

The detailing on the frame is beautiful including Pyga’s signature head-tube badge. The welds are neat and tidy throughout, and the cable guides, dropouts and so-on are all in the right place and easily used, there’s also routing for both external and stealth droppers. There’s even a bottle cage mount for those who are looking to ditch their riding packs. The bike is up-to the minute with the current “standards” 142x12mm back end, ISCG05 tabs, and the option to run a direct mount front mech or frame mounted chain guide.

Out on the trails the back end took a descent or two to get used to. Once set up with about 30% sag on the shock, and the lockout off, the bike just grips and grips. You get to the bottom of big descents with a big grin and a look of puzzlement – has the bike been getting full travel?! An inspection of the travel indicator shows that yep, the shock has been working it’s magic and delivering smooth and seemingly bottomless travel all the way down. This translates into an awesome, grippy ride without feeling like you are wallowing or squelching through things. All through a full day of ups and downs in the (awesome) Dyfi forest and I didn’t touch the lockout on the shock – on the climbs the back end is not fussed by pedalling, even out of the saddle it doesn’t bob or wallow which is really impressive.

We are really looking forward to spending some more time out on this bike. It’s a head turner with it’s sleek lines and bright frame, and with a great suspension platform it more than holds it’s own out on the trails.

RRP £1799 for Frame and Shock

Build prices
Top Build kit – Add £2500
Entry Build – Add £1350
Pyga Bikes UK | R53 Sport