YT Capra CF Pro - Review

YT Industries' history dates back to 2006, when company founder Markus Flossman witnessed a crew of youngsters throwing down at the local dirt jumps on department store bikes ill-equipped for the abuses of hard riding. That was the inspiration for the first bike in the company's line, a well spec'd hardtail that was light years ahead of a department store bike, but more affordable than the higher end dirt jumpers on the market at the time. Even though YT's lineup has expanded to include carbon fiber downhill and enduro bikes, the ethos of offering high performance bikes at a reasonable price has remained, which the German company achieves via a consumer direct sales model. You won't see YT on the sales floor of your local bike shop anytime soon – they're solely available online, which cuts out the costs associated with the traditional manufacturer → shop → consumer sales model.

YT bills the Capra as a “hardy mountain beast,” and with 165 or 170mm of rear travel, a slack, 65.2° degree head angle, meaty tires, wide bars and a short stem it has all the hallmarks of a modern all-mountain or enduro race bike. We tested the CF Pro, which has a carbon fiber front triangle and seatstays, BOS suspension front and rear, and a generous helping of e*thirteen and SRAM components. Available in sizes S, M, and L, the Capra CF Pro retails for $5195 USD.




Frame Design

The Capra's carbon monocoque frame has a stout, aggressive look to it, with a head tube junction that could serve as the prow for some sort of futuristic battleship. That beefy aesthetic continues throughout the frame, from the wide, pentagon shaped top tube to the bottom bracket junction that looks capable of withstanding some serious abuse. While the majority of the frame is constructed from carbon fiber, the chainstays are made from aluminum to help ensure they can withstand the abuse that the bike's pilot is sure to dish out.


Internal routing is used for the rear derailleur housing and in the seat tube for the stealth dropper post, while the rest of the housing is cleanly routed along the top of the down tube. ISCG tabs are in place around the PF30 bottom bracket, and there's also the option to run a front derailleur, a feature that's becoming less and less common in this age of 1x drivetrains. Unfortunately, the rear suspension configuration does rule out carrying a water bottle inside the front triangle.


Suspension Design

The Capra relies on a Horst Link suspension design that YT refers to as “V4L” for its 170mm of rear travel (the travel drops to 165mm if the shorter stroke Monarch Plus rear shock is used instead of the BOS Kirk). The shock is mounted to the seat stays, and just below it there's a Y-shaped aluminum link that connects to the brace running between the seat and down tube. That link is what directs the bike through its travel, and its dimensions and orientation were designed to create a bike with good mid-stroke support for pedaling, while also having a very strong ramp up at the end of its travel to help keep it from bottoming out harshly.

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Sizing

Although YT recommends that riders under six feet tall go with a size medium, looking at the reach numbers (422mm for the medium, 445mm for the large) convinced me that the large would be the better fit, and more in line with other bikes I've been riding recently. The one thing to keep in mind is that the M and L both come with 150mm dropper posts, and the size large has a seat tube length of 18.82”, which may make it difficult for shorter riders to achieve a proper fit without switching to a post with 125mm of drop.

Climbing

A 65.2° head angle, 170mm of travel – a few years ago those would have been the ingredients for a bike that's a pig on the climbs, but times have changed, and the Capra pedals quite well, especially given its downhill-oriented nature. It's not going to win an XC race against the lighter and livelier bikes out there any time soon, but I also never found myself cringing when faced with a long sustained section of climbing. There's minimal pedal bob, even with the rear shock in the open position (which is a good thing, since the difference between the lever's two positions is barely noticeable), and the frame geometry feels well balanced, which makes it easy to find the sweet spot for maintaining traction.

The 2.4” wide Maxxis Highroller II tires don't help much with maintaining rolling speed, but they do offer plenty of grip on loose terrain, keeping the Capra scrambling up through loose rocks and debris like its mountain goat namesake. There's plenty of travel on hand to erase the obstacles that loom up from the trail, and the wide bar / short stem combo provides extra leverage for lift the front end up and over anything that can't be plowed straight through.

It's worth noting that the BOS Deville's compression adjustments are found on the underside of the right leg, which means there's no way to easily firm up the fork for longer climbs, something that out-of-the-saddle pedal mashers may find slightly annoying, but it's a minor inconvenience, and if anything simply encourages a little smoother pedaling style.



Descending

I don't use the term 'confidence inspiring' too often, especially since it's become a cliché that shows up in everything from the catalog copy for long sleeves jerseys to sunglasses, but with the Capra it really is an apt sentiment. This is one of those bikes that helps erase the little voice of doubt in your head as you drop into the opening move of a steep, rutted and raw trail, a bike that encourages going a little bit faster, and a little bit bigger than usual. It may have 170mm of travel, but the Capra doesn't smother the rider in downy pillows of plushness - it has more of a sporty feel, remaining composed throughout the entirety of its travel even when faced with jarring impacts or harsh compressions. That composed feeling helps keep the bike maneuverable at slower speeds, situations where bikes that are more eager to go through their travel can feel sluggish and unresponsive. The relatively short chainstays and low bottom bracket height help as well, making it easy to whip the bike in and out of tight bermed corners.

With 200mm rotors front and rear, meaty tires, and enough suspension that I briefly considered revisiting my freeride days and hucking off a loading dock, the Capra is a formidable tool for taming challenging terrain, and it took everything from rock and root infested downhill tracks to machine-made jump trails in stride. I even spent a few days aboard the Capra at the Whistler Bike Park, prime testing grounds when it comes to evaluating a bike's performance on jumps and drops, as well as overall durability, and my positive impressions of the bike continued. Whether it was on the chewed up roots of Joyride, or the poppy step-ups of Dirt Merchant, the bike held its own, and felt much closer to a downhill bike than something that I could have ridden to the top of the hill had I not elected to take advantage of the conveniently located chairlift. There's a strong ramp up at the end of the bike's travel that made bottoming out a rarity even when sending things a little too far, and also provided plenty of 'pop' for lofting of the lips off the countless jumps in the park.

For as brawny as the Capra is, its on trail manners are surprisingly, well, for lack of a better word, nice. I'd expected it to be more of a handful, a bike that required a firm hand on the reins to keep from getting bucked, but was instead treated to a ride with manners your grandma would approve of. Pro-level riding skills aren't necessary to have a good time on the Capra - even a rider just beginning to test the waters of more treacherous terrain will find themselves feeling right at home.

The Capra and the Nomad are both prime examples of just how far bike technology has advanced, highly capable machines that are well mannered on the climbs, and absolutely ruthless on the descents.

YT Capra / Santa Cruz Nomad Comparison

When the review of Santa Cruz's new Nomad went up last year it generated a good amount of clamoring in the comments section for a comparison between it and the Capra. I've been able to spend extensive time on both bikes, so I'm happy to oblige, but for those who want a definitive X is better than Y answer, you're not going to find it here. All the same, there are a few differences between the two that are worth highlighting.

Climbing: The Nomad has a little more pep when it comes time to climb, more than likely due to the kinematics of the VPP suspension designs versus the Horst link used on the Capra. Both bikes climb impressively well considering how much rear travel they have, but the Nomad feels slightly more efficient under hard pedaling loads, with snappier acceleration than the Capra.

Handling: This is where the lines really become blurred, as both bikes possess very similar geometry figures, especially if you look at the wheelbase and head angle numbers. I'd call it a draw when it comes to tight switchbacks or slower speed technical maneuvers – it takes the same amount of effort to get through that type of terrain on either bike. The slightly lower standover height of the Nomad does create a little more room to move the bike around in especially awkward sections.

Descending: For pure monster trucking, riding that involves rocketing directly down the fall line and through anything that happens to get in the way, the Capra has the edge. It has a more tank-like feel than the Nomad, and while the Nomad can definitely plow through chunder without any trouble, the Capra feels more at ease plummeting straight down the trail.

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Component Check

• Maxxis Highroller II: Maxxis' Highroller II tires are a common sight these days, due to their predictable handling and excellent traction in a wide range of conditions. They're not the fastest rolling tire, but they get the job done. It would have been nice to see the tubeless-ready version spec'd on the Capra – the ones that the bike comes with have a fairly loose fit between the tire bead and the rim sidewall, making it nearly impossible to run them without tubes.

• Sensus Disisdaboss grips: The Disisdaboss grips are extremely comfortable with or without gloves thanks to their flexible ribbed pattern, and the addition of a small flange on each side to partially cover the lock-on clamp is an appreciated touch.

• BOS Kirk shock: The Kirk rear shock worked without any issues throughout the entire test period, but there are a couple of sticking points that prevent it from being the best of the best. The first point is regarding the red lever on the side that's meant to switch between two low speed compression settings. The lever is conveniently located and easy to use, but the difference between each position was minimal, and I would have preferred a firmer setting for long climbs. The Kirk is also not as supple as the current offerings from RockShox and FOX, and cycling the shock while the bike was stationary revealed a slightly 'gritty' feel as it goes through its travel, a sensation that was there before the bike ever hit the trails. That being said, the high and low speed compression adjustments are effective, and the shock offered excellent support and control for the duration of the test.

• e*thirteen components: e*thirteen has a substantial presence on the Capra, taking care of the wheels, cranks, chainring, and chainguide. Even after a few months of heavy use, including laps in the bike park, both wheels are spinning true. I did need to adjust the rear bearing preload adjuster after it worked itself loose - other than that there's been no need to touch the wheels. Pressfit bottom brackets have a reputation for being creaky and temperamental, which is why e*thirteen uses threaded aluminum cups for their bottom bracket to keep everything securely pressed in place, a design that proved to be effective, since the bike was noise-free for the duration of the test period.





Pinkbike's Take:

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Reviews and Tech Reviews Enduro Bikes YT Industries Yt Capra