With 180mm of travel and coil or air options for the rear shock, the aluminium Spindrift is yet another hard-hitting and well priced option from Europe.

Eight years ago we were moving away from the heavy and often overbuilt ‘Freeride’ bikes that had defined this category of long travel single crown forked bikes. The air sprung Orange Alpine 160 and Commencal Supreme showed promise and the way forward, but many builds were way over 35 pounds and still had the clatter of double chainsets. And there wasn’t a dropper post in sight. With a 170mm fork and 180mm of rear travel the Propain Spindrift, shows a nod towards those bikes. A combination of a coil rear shock (on our test bike), low slung aluminium frame, Fox 36 forks and a purposeful wheelset certainly brings back memories of the capable and much loved Specialized SX Trail – a defining bike in the ‘mini DH’ category of those times. That bike hit scales at 37.5 pounds (17Kg) though, whereas the Spindrift is around six pounds lighter and rolls on 27.5″ wheels. It goes straight up against bikes such as the incredibly capable Radon Swoop and latest generation Orange Alpine 6.