With 180mm of travel front and rear but with a single crown fork the Propain Spindrift is almost nudging DH territory. We’ve been here before with the lighter weight Cube Fritzz, but this coil sprung Propain really reminds us of park bikes such as the Specialized SX Trail.
Words and images: Ieuan Williams
With the German brands really pushing the boundaries of performance at a great price Propain are right in the mix with their current range. The Propain Rage downhill bike was a 2017 Dirt 100 pick, and the Spindrift looks to be on the same page. With ‘Propain Dirt Zelvy’ rider Phil Atwill loving this bike on his recent New Zealand trip we were keen to spend some time on this long travel design. Do new bikes such as the 2018 Commencal Supreme SX and this Spindrift cut through all the ‘enduro’ chat and hail the rebirth of the ‘Mini DH’ category of bike?
SHAPE AND FIT
With the size large that was on offer for this test there is no lack of room in the cockpit (a reach of 465mm) and with a simple change of a stem to a more sensible 35mm length it’s a welcoming place to be. This is the biggest size Spindrift, so if you’re over six feet tall and like a long reach then take a good look at the geometry chart first. A size XL would sort this – let’s hope they have one in the pipeline.
‘Low, slack and packing a full 180mm of travel! All in all a bike designed for business’
