Words/photos/video: Tom Caldwell

As soon as we found out Propain were launching a carbon version of their very successful Rage frame, the team were more than eager to give it a go. As soon as we got hold of the first pre-production frame at the last BDS round at Llangollen, it was built up and on show for all to see, gaining a lot of attention from passers by.

After the BDS round, we put Phil Atwill behind the bars and did several days of testing and filming in Wales, at Revolution Bike Park and Foel Gasnach. It was clear there was nothing holding this bike back, with Phil giving feedback along the lines of ‘it’s like throwing a trail bike around’. Only good news for the Germans.

After we assaulted Wales, we flew out to Finale Ligure, on the Italian Riviera to finish off some filming on the harsh rocky terrain it has to offer and it certainly did not disappoint. Light enough to pedal across some of the enduro stages but tough as nails, able to haul through the sharpest and most awkward of rock gardens without a hitch.

There we have it. The brand new carbon Propain Rage. Head over to the Propain website and check them out, they’re very well priced for the specs available too. Expect to see a lot more of the German brand floating around the UK very soon.