![\"ccs-41808-0-55833200-1395834808.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-41808-0-55833200-1395834808.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIt took us a while to get our hands on a PYGA OneTwenty, obviously owing to their great popularity. We finally were able to organise a test bike at the end of 2013 and had a blast on it for about a week until some things started to go awry. First the Avid XO brakes badly needed a bleed, then the Rock Shox Revelation packed up, seeming to lose a seal. We had to send it back for work.<\/p>\n
It didn’t knock my impressions of the frame though, because that was performing very nicely indeed. And I couldn’t wait to get it back for a proper go. But wait is what we did.<\/p>\n
Eventually out of the kindness of his heart (and probably to get us off his back), Cliff from PYGA lent us his personal ride for a week. We took advantage of this week, riding almost everyday, even taking time out of the office to do so (it’s a tough life).<\/p>\n
I face a challenge with the PYGA, though, that being my vertically challenged height. At 170cm, a size large bike is simply too big. I had to swap out the stem and the seat post for shorter items to compensate, but the longer wheelbase and reach still played a part. Thank goodness for the low stand-over height.<\/p>\n
Price: <\/strong>R19 900 (frame only with rear shock)<\/p>\n Frame:<\/strong> PYGA OneTwenty 650 large<\/p>\n Rear shock:<\/strong> Rock Shox Monarch RT3<\/p>\n Fork:<\/strong> Rock Shox Revelation RCT3 140mm 27.5<\/p>\n Brakes:<\/strong> Hope Tech Evo M4 180\/160 F\/R<\/p>\n Shifter:<\/strong> SRAM XX1<\/p>\n Cassette:<\/strong> SRAM XX1<\/p>\n Crankset:<\/strong> SRAM XX1 with pre-production cSixx N\/W 34T chainring<\/p>\n Front derailleur:<\/strong> Hybrid of cSixx Carbon XC and new Super Single direct mount guide<\/p>\n Rear derailleur:<\/strong> SRAM XX1<\/p>\n Chain:<\/strong> SRAM XX1<\/p>\n Handlebar:<\/strong> cSixx prototype carbon bar<\/p>\n Stem:<\/strong> Truvativ Stylo T30 70mm (swapped out for FUNN Strippa 45mm)<\/p>\n Grips:<\/strong> ODI X-treme Lock-On (half-flanged)<\/p>\n Headset:<\/strong> Cane Creek 40<\/p>\n Seatpost:<\/strong> KCNC Ti Pro Lite-8000 (swapped for Nukeproof Warhead)<\/p>\n Saddle:<\/strong> Fi’zi:k Gobi<\/p>\n Pedals:<\/strong> FUNN Bigfoot<\/p>\n Wheels:<\/strong> Stans NoTubes ZTR Arch EX 650b rims with Stans 330 hubs<\/p>\n Tyres:<\/strong> Schwalbe Hans Dampf Snakeskin 2.35<\/p>\n The OneTwenty looks very much like it’s bigger brother, the OneTen. Yes, the names indicate the frame travel, just like the Zero is PYGA’s hardtail. It has a floating suspension design, with the shock connected to the chainstays (instead of the downtube) and the rocker link. This is not unlike Trek’s floating suspension designs, albeit without the concentric pivot point around the rear axle. The rear pivot is on the seatstays as is the post-mount brake tab, which aids in separating the braking forces from the suspension action.<\/p>\n The ‘Lava orange’ finish is gorgeous, bright and sparkling, but deep enough to not be gaudy, and the black anodised seatstays and rocker give it a nice contrast. All the tubing is heavily hydroformed 6066 T6 alloy, there is a Syntace 12mm rear through-axle and internal cable routing is only at the rear, going through the chainstays.<\/p>\n Other features of the frame are a tapered headtube, asymmetrical chainstays connected to a square-ish bottom of the seat tube, which creates stiffness and strength. A strengthening connects the top of the seat tube to the top tube, allowing for a low stand-over height.<\/p>\n Hope brakes:<\/strong> The Hope M4’s provided great modulation, superb stopping power and never hinted at fading. They did drag though and the fault seemed to be over extended pistons. A bit of tinkering worked most of this out.<\/p>\n XX1:<\/strong> There’s no faulting the XX1 system. It works great every time. Strong clean clicks and smooth shifting every time. It was pretty funny to see Race Face lower crank guards on the SRAM cranks. About time SRAM made one, I think.<\/p>\n cSixx chainring & guide:<\/strong> Cliff told me that their cSixx narrow\/wide chainring was at the moment being produced and this was a pre-production version. It never gave any problems, nor did the pre-production Super Single XC oriented guide. The cage of the guide was mated to the more expensive carbon mounting, but would have a plastic mounting normally.<\/p>\n cSixx prototype carbon bars:<\/strong> The carbon bars were full prototypes and we weren’t allowed to show them close-up. The sweep and rise felt great, a bit conservative, but that’s no bad thing. They felt really solid but perhaps too stiff because I often found my left hand cramping after extended descents. There was no centre marking so I was never completely sure the bars were centre. And the markings on them said 800, but they were more like 760. No complaints there either.<\/p>\n Monarch RT3:<\/strong> The Monarch also performed well, was plush and had no problems outside of an apparent oil leak. But this didn’t seem to affect anything. I only used the pedal setting during some extended climbs too, but often found myself at the bottom of a hill in that setting without feeling a difference.<\/p>\n Fi’zi:k Gobi:<\/strong> I’ve seen many people raving about the Fi’zi:k Gobi saddle, but I really was not a fan at all. It put pressure on all the soft (and wrong) places, and I think it was down to its rounded profile.<\/p>\n Rock Shox Revelation:<\/strong> The Revelation RCT3 performed well but I would have liked some more mid-travel support. I didn’t have quite enough time to get the settings exactly where I wanted them, though. It used all the travel on almost all the descents, but I never felt it bottom once. The action was always smooth and I never felt like I needed to move the Motion Control out of fully open.<\/p>\n Syntace and Stans 330 hubs:<\/strong> That the rear axle needed a tool to be removed was a pain. Simple. There are tool-less solutions, and it would have been much easier with one. On that note, the Stans 330 hubs were also a pain. The spacers often came off, and I even left one home by mistake. Here, again, this is unnecessary, as there are only so many times where you would want to change the spacing of your hubs, and would actually want to remove them. Having them fall off whenever you remove the wheels can really get on your nerves, especially if you lose them trailside.<\/p>\n The OneTwenty’s climbing ability was fantastic. It was obviously helped by the lack of weight, but the suspension design worked a treat. Pick a gear and pedal, or pick a gear and smash, both methods worked very well. For the latter, I chose the Pedal option on the Monarch, but never bothered with the lockout as Pedal would give great traction without compromising performance.<\/p>\n The slackish head angle (67\u00ba) kept the front end down during technical climbs while the steepish seat angle (virtual 74.5\u00ba) kept you upright. The head angle wasn’t too slack that you couldn’t maneuverer up steep climbs, though. The long wheelbase could be a mission with tight corners while climbing, but it also kept the front end stable and didn’t allow it to wander.<\/p>\n There was minimal pedal bob, and only when it was in lower gears did I feel it. The lack of rear knobs on the Schwalbes impacted traction at times, but only in loose conditions and only when I was smashing the pedals.<\/p>\n The OneTwenty has a great balanced feel that gives confidence almost anywhere you ride. Descending is no exception. While many longer travel bikes will plow through roots and rocks, the PYGA tends to float over them, giving you the option to choose your lines through a technical section rather than bombing through it. And also unlike most of those plow bikes, the PYGA will reward you with big, fat smiles when you clean a section that has been giving you trouble on other bikes.<\/p>\n It’s got finesse, and the frame just feels right \u2013 all the angles working together to make you want to find all the cooler, fun lines in the trail you may have passed by before. It didn’t help me, though that the frame was a large, and my 170cm really needs a medium to feel properly comfortable. But with a completely dropped seat and a 45mm stem, I could achieve a reasonable reach and could feel okay on the bike.<\/p>\n The wheelbase came into play a few times, namely during tight switchbacks. I found that I had to loosen the back end to get the bike in line, which was pretty easy considering the force that the Hope M4’s are capable of producing and the state of the Hans Dampf rear tyre.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nSpecifications<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nFrame<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nComponents<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nClimbing<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nDescending<\/h2>\n