Well known in South Africa for their race-winning XC/Marathon bikes, Pyga has a staunch dedication to designing bikes that they would love to ride all day. At the long travel end of their current line, the Slackline includes all the best parts of the modern long-low-slack mountain bike geometry paradigm. Without jumping off the cliff into any of those three geometry elements, it appears Pyga has created a legitimate enduro-ready bike that their engineers say is “where we feel the sweet spot between speed and maneuverability lies.” Check the numbers below.
Slackline Geometry (Based on 170mm fork)
| Medium | Large | XLarge | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATTUBE | A | 430mm | 470mm | 510mm |
| TOPTUBE | B | 597mm | 624mm | 651mm |
| HEADTUBE ANGLE (High) | C | 65.3deg | 65.3deg | 65.3deg |
| HEADTUBE ANGLE (Low) | C | 64.8deg | 64.8deg | 64.8deg |
| CHAINSTAY (low) | D | 434mm | 434mm | 434mm |
| CHAINSTAY (high) | D | 432mm | 432mm | 432mm |
| WHEELBASE | E | 1195mm | 1222mm | 1251mm |
| ACTUAL SEATTUBE ANGLE | F | 69.9deg | 69.9deg | 69.9deg |
| VIRTUAL SEATTUBE ANGLE | G | 76.5deg | 76.5deg | 76.5deg |
| BB HEIGHT (High) | I | 345mm | 345mm | 345mm |
| BB HEIGHT (Low) | I | 337mm | 337mm | 337mm |
| HEADTUBE LENGTH | J | 110mm | 120mm | 130mm |
| REACH | K | 454mm | 477mm | 501mm |
I was fortunate to catch the only Slackline at Eurobike, found at the Mountain Racing Products booth, and had a chance to talk with the owner about how it rides. He said that after a month on the bike the length is still taking a little getting used to. He is about 5’9″, and with the 454mm reach on his size medium frame, I can see why that would feel a bit stretched out. He also mentioned being surprised by how well the bike climbs for its otherwise very DH specs. This particular bike is fitted with a MRP 170mm Ribbon Coil fork, a Rockshox Super Deluxe RCT air shock, and some robust-looking Deed Surge carbon hoops. He couldn’t recall the bike’s exact weight, but when I picked it up it felt similar to most carbon bikes of its ilk.
The Slackline’s Boost rear triangle makes room for 27.5″ tires, up to a whopping 2.8″ wide. A flip-chip, located at the lower shock mount, gives riders the option of a 64.8° or 65.3° headtube angle. Frames are available in two colorways including this black-on-black version, and a neon-blood combination that you can ogle on their website. With an external BB and fairly simple cable routing, the bike looks like a good option for folks who like to do their own wrenching.
Size guides for the Slackline begin with a minimum rider height of 165cm (5’4″) for the medium frame, and with a bike this long you may want to compare it to others you have ridden to determine the proper size to order. Pyga has a 27.5+/29″ trail bike called the Hyrax, with a 150mm fork, 140mm rear end, and a slightly shorter 447mm reach, if that is more your style.
Pyga Slackline models start at around $3,100 (based on today’s exchange rate) and are available through their registered dealers. Or, you can contact the company directly to inquire about ordering a bike.
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