We’re so used to seeing the smooth, swoopy shapes of modern carbon mountain bikes, that the angular, chiselled, almost motorsport-like carbon structure of the new Pyga Mobu come as a pleasant shock. And the name hints at its South African origins as the name MoBu derives from the Sesotho word for ‘soil’.
The motorsport comparison is well-earned too, as Pyga has turned to a South African company, Blackstone Tek, that does carbon work for companies like Ariel (they of the Ariel Atom), Ducati, Norton and other top notch firms. The method of construction for the Pyga Mobu is similar to how Hope makes the HB130 frames, where the carbon sheets are laid directly into the open mould (rather than being laid around a mandrel that later gets put into a mould.) This means that the layers of carbon are compressed evenly, without wrinkles and voids. It takes a lot less final finishing, and the end result is generally stunning.
However, this approach is slow and labour intensive and Pyga reckons it will only be making 130 or so a year, perhaps rising to 300 in the future. You’re unlikely to see another of these in your street/trail centre for a good while, that’s for sure.
Enough about the carbon, what is the Pyga Mobu all about? The idea of the bike is that the same frame forms the basis of either the 118mm XC race bike, or, with a change of shock (and flip chip) a 130mm ‘light trail/downcountry’ machine.
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This medium frame has a reach of 445mm OR 455mm, thanks to a titanium, reversable headset cup holder in the head tube that offers 10mm of reach (but not angle) adjust. Sizing for the Mobu is Medium, Large and XL, with 29in wheels, Boost spacing (with a further 2.5mm of offset in the rear triangle to allow for a better dished rear wheel – yet, you can still run a regular wheel in a pickle.) Max tyre size is 2.35in. A target all-up weight is aiming at 10.3kg.
The Pyga Mobu was launched at the Malverns Classic and since then, Pyga reckons to have taken orders for 50 already. If you’re after more information, check out: pygamountainbikes.com
This bike will also appear at the Tweedlove Festival next week if you’re keen to see one. Expect to see a completely different spec by the time it gets there. Pyga UK’s main man, Duncan had built it up like this for the Malverns and Eurobike, but was already looking to colour-co-ordinated things better. (Incidentally, the frame decals come in a range of colours for just such a purpose).
And if XC/Marathon/Light Country (and western) isn’t your bag, given the bigger travel bikes in Pyga’s range, we won’t be surprised to see more carbon in the range in future. For now, though, there
And the price? The Pyga Mobu will set you back £4999 for a frame, shock and a whole lot of attention to detail.