YT Industries' Tues CF follows in the footsteps of the popular aluminum-framed model that Andreu Lacondeguy piloted to a win at last year's Red Bull Rampage, but the updated version gains a carbon fiber frame, 27.5” wheels, and now has 208mm of rear travel, up from the previous model's 200mm of squish.
YT has been making waves thanks to their direct-to-consumer sales model that allows them to offer complete bikes priced well below the competition, and the Tues is no exception. $4295 USD is enough to purchase the Comp version reviewed here, which comes well specc'd with a RockShox BoXXer Team RC fork, Vivid R2C shock, SRAM Guide brakes, and a DT Swiss wheelset shod with a 2.4” Maxxis HighRoller II tires. There's also a higher end option, the CF Pro, available for those willing to shell out $500 additional dollars. The CF Pro is equipped with air-sprung BOS Supension and SRAM's 7 speed X01 DH drivetrain.
YT CF Comp Details
• Intended use: downhill
• Wheel size: 27.5''
• Rear wheel travel: 208mm
• 63.5° head angle
• V4L suspension design
• Carbon fiber front triangle and seatstays, aluminum chainstays
• 1.5" head tube
• PF30 bottom bracket
• 12 x 150mm rear spacing
• Sizes: S, M, L
• Colors: green/black, white/black
• Weight: 37.7lb / 17.1kg (large, actual, w/o pedals)
• MSRP: $4295 USD
Frame DetailsFrom afar, the Tues CF shares slightly similar lines to the Capra, its enduro-oriented relative, but this is a longer and lower version of that popular ride, with the position of the shock and swingarm designed to keep the bike's center of gravity as low as possible in order to maintain stability at blistering speeds. Of course, the Tues also has much more travel than the Capra – 208mm to be exact, and geometry meant for going downhill. Fast.
Both the front triangle and seat stays are made from carbon fiber, but aluminum is used for the chainstays to help them hold up to the thrashing that comes with downhill and bike park riding. According to YT, the use of carbon fiber allowed them to shed 1kg (2.2 pounds) over the aluminum version, a very substantial weight savings, although at 37.7 pounds for a size large this isn't the lightest DH bike out there. To help keep the carbon frame free from harm a plastic guard extends along part of the down tube and over the outside of the bottom bracket shell.
There's no internal cable routing on the Tues, save for the section of the seat stay where the derailleur housing briefly disappears from view, but that's nothing to complain about – external routing means easier maintenance, and the routing on this downhill machine is well executed. A PF30 bottom bracket is housed in the 83mm shell, which is matched up to a 12x150 rear end.
Suspension LayoutYT's Virtual Four Link (V4L) suspension design, their take on a Horst Link configuration, is used for the Tues CF's 208mm of travel. That travel comes courtesy of a massive 10.5” x 3.5” shock, giving the bike a very low 2.3:1 leverage ratio. A leverage rate that low allows for spring rates to be 300lb or below for most riders. The shock itself, in this case a RockShox Vivid R2C, is mounted to the carbon seatstays, which are in turn connected to an aluminum link. The suspension is designed to be very progressive towards the end of its stroke, keeping the bike from blowing through its travel too quickly.
GeometrySet UpDuring the set up of the Tues I ended up swapping out the spring in the BoXXer Team fork and the one on the Vivid shock in order to have the bike properly configured for my weight. This is a step that I typically need to take, since I'm on the lighter side of things for my height, but riders who weigh less than 150 pounds may find it difficult to find a spring that's soft enough for them to achieve the correct amount of sag. This is due to the longer spring that the Tues requires; there aren't many options below the 200 lb spring rate I settled on.
HandlingIt took a few laps to get accustomed to the Tues CF's length – the size large has roughly the same reach number as an XL Santa Cruz V10, and measures 10mm longer than a large Specialized Demo – but it wasn't long before I felt right at home. It's like moving into a house after spending time residing in a tiny studio apartment – at first the extra space seems foreign, but then you start to wonder how you lived in such cramped quarters for so long.
The longer measurements do mean that a little extra effort is required for getting around tight turns, and slower speeds aren't really the Tues' strong suit, but that's not what this bike is meant for. It's happiest rocketing along in a straight line, charging headlong into minefields of rocks and root, not puttering along smooth, mellow trails. There's an immense amount of stability on hand, and I found myself letting off the brakes in places I usually wouldn't simply because the bike felt unflappable no matter the speed.
| There's an immense amount of stability on hand, and I found myself letting off the brakes in places I usually wouldn't simply because the bike felt unflappable no matter the speed. |
Although the Tues has 208mm of travel, I'd place it on the sportier side of things regarding the suspension feel. It never felt harsh, but it doesn't feel like you're rolling down the trail on marshmallows either. Both the BoXXer Team fork and the Vivid shock had a good deal of ramp up towards the end of their strokes, which meant that it was extremely rare to use up all of the travel, even during hard G-outs. Compared to the Santa Cruz V10, the Tues remains higher in its travel during large impacts, and transmits a little more trail feedback to the rider. That characteristic helps the Tues maintain its momentum by allowing it to stay on top of wheel-sucking holes, rather than getting pulled into them and suffering the associated loss of speed.
It may be long and low, but put a jump in front of the Tues and it'll blast off to the moon without any trouble. That end-stroke progressiveness gives it a great deal of pop, allowing it to get airborne with much less effort than I'd expected, at least at higher speeds. At slower speeds the Tues does lose some pep, and the combination of its weight and length make it feel like it'd rather stay on the ground and smash through things instead of bounding around like a kangaroo. The Tues isn't going to satisfy riders who prefer their DH rigs to be spry and nimble, but for those who prefer to lean back, let off the brakes, and hang on for the ride, the Tues doesn't disappoint.
Component Check• RockShox BoXXer Team: After a few days at Whistler a sticky coating starting to appear on the BoXXer's left stanchion leg. It seems as if the combination of the heat and dust was causing the dust wiper to disintegrate and leave remnants on the stanchion, which definitely didn't help things out in the suppleness department. Seals do need occasional attention, and a few drops of fork oil around the perimeter worked as a temporary fix, but it's possible that this was an indication of a bad tolerance between the internal bushing and stanchion. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pull apart the fork to assess the situation further, but according to SRAM, this is an issue that could be dealt with by a local bike shop, even though the bike itself would have been purchased online.
• Sensus Disdaboss grips: I mentioned how much I liked the Disdaboss grips when I reviewed the Capra, and that feeling remain the same – these are extremely comfortable, with or without gloves.
• DT Swiss YT2020 wheelset: : When the dust had settled after multiple rounds of thrashing in the Whistler Bike Park the DT Swiss made YT2020 wheels were still spinning true, without even a loose spoke, an admirable accomplishment considering what they'd been through.
Pinkbike's Take: | YT have pulled off an impressive feat, creating a smartly spec'd carbon fiber downhill bike that's fully capable of high caliber DH racing or park riding for just over $4,000 USD. The Tues offers an incredible price to performance ratio, and proved to be another nicely executed offering from the German brand. With a well sorted DH bike and enduro bike now in their lineup, it's going to be interesting to see what YT come up with next, and how their competitors respond. - Mike Kazimer |
Visit the high-res gallery for more images from this review.
About the ReviewerStats: Age: 32 • Height: 5'11” • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 155lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None Twenty years into a mountain biking addiction that began as a way to escape the suburban sprawl of Connecticut, Mike Kazimer is most at home deep the woods, carving his way down steep, technical trails. The decade he spent as a bike mechanic helped create a solid technical background to draw from when reviewing products, and his current location in the Pacific Northwest allows for easy access to the wettest, muddiest conditions imaginable.
allegedly poor QC and CS, buy cheap, buy twice?
For the point of the OP, i get why 26" would be better for slopestyle, but in the case of a FEST style DH bike used for huge jumps, 27.5 would be pretty sweet.
For the record also, I'm waiting on a new frame but have new 27.5" forks running in my 26" DH bike, runs sweet.
no excuses for poor customer service tho.
In competitive industries, over promising and under delivering is a regular occurrence - regardless of being direct sales of middle man model based.
"little extra effort is required for getting around tight turns, and slower speeds aren't really the Tues' strong suit, but that's not what this bike is meant for. It's happiest rocketing along in a straight line, charging headlong into minefields of rocks and root, not puttering along smooth, mellow trails"
So SRAM fitted these forks with seals that are allergic to heat and dust?
I service my own forks and always let the old oil in a basin until I have enough to bring to the waste disposal.
It usually stays outdoor on the balcony for the whole summer and never saw it evaporating.
So evaporation in lower legs closed by a seal is impossible.
Imho it's more of a quality control issue.
Shows some clips with the c3 project logo near his head tube. Coincidence? I think not.
He is with Canyon.
The reason he left Specialized is because they cut his salary to about a third of what he was making.
Deal with it.
www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1196857146996634
Its not because they havent gotten around to making it public.
Before i ride différent model of Demo during ten years, i prefer this bike. The rear suspension is progressive and ithe bike is Easy in the small corner and Very cool at hight speed. it's a playfull bike..
Thanks to Yti.
And for the record is 1000% OK. It's the same thing all brands do. People should just know this and make buying decisions based on equality, price, value etc, not what a brand stands for or what/who they sponsor.
My eldest son decided after riding the Capra to get a TUES CF Pro, that arrived on time and no issues.
My youngest wanted a DJ bike, so we got him a Dirt Love.
YT has been amazing to deal with and always replies promptly and has always exceeded my expectations.
Since I had three bikes to play with, I ended up entering the 2015 Kamikaze games in DH, DS and Enduro. I was going to race DS on the Dirt Love, but the lack of front brake (and my skill) had me back on the Capra for race day.
I ended up 4th in my age category on the TUES on a trail that I never would have ridden, much less raced. This article is sport on - it wants to go faster and had so much capability. Racing the next day on the same track on the Capra for Enduro was eye opening, I really missed the TUES!
The entire weekend at Mammoth, Cam and Howie both were chatting with me and they were totally stoked with my story. I am a squid, but they were kind enough to listen to my race reports and banter, and always were there with a high five!
I would love to get a YT next year because I think they are as good as anything else but cost a lot less. There has to be an understanding that you could be waiting for a long time to take delivery though. Stuff breaks, too. Not just YT and not just carbon. Metal breaks too. It's a pain in the arse to send stuff back to Germany but worth the risk to save all that cash, in my opinion.
As for actual math, Percentages can go over 100. It's not a scale of 1-100. Percentages are simply a ratio based on fractions of 100. If the first quantity is much larger than the second in the ratio then the percentage will be well over 100.
For example, If a company has $10k in sales one year, then $110k the next year, the sales increase is 1000%.
What you are complaining about is SRAMs responsibility only and its also their own weight specifications they need to fit.
Do you really think YT opens the forks to let off some oil? rofl.
for exsample. When you buy a new car u dont check if there is any oil in motor or suspension. RIGHT ?
Luckily for me i sold my YT after those 10 days when the boxxer problems started.
This whole thing just made my YT experience negative.
Stripping the lowers and lubing the seals from inside would be better though.
Reach should be a industry standard measurement but it isn't. Some how companies manage to get it different.
Sit on 1 and it will be perfect for you at 6.2]
Warranty doesn't work like that.
SRAM compensates for hours of service at approved dealers...
Does your shop not service forks on bikes bought through other shops?
It would also seem that at least 70% of the actual angst about the bike is actually about the components...which at this price you are getting at a ridiculous discount.....
And finally people dont like direct sales and feel like it is cutting LBS short.
So I have a solution to keep everyone happy....buy the bike but plan to ride your old one til it arrives. When it arrives spend $150 of the thousands you have saved over other bikes getting your local bike shop to check it over and make sure it is all good. id do that for peace of mind and because they would be able to process any potential warranty claims on components quickly.
To be fair, it is direct sales, its dirt cheap and they are great bikes....BTW EVERY SINGLE PERSON i meet on the trails who has a YT absolutely loves them.....and that's a lot of people.
i bought a set of boxxer rc like 2 years ago and they had little oil in them, but as i knew about it i sorted it before it was a problem, plus i knew they were done proplerly.
my point is if you buy any bike with a boxxer is worth pulling the lowers and putting the correct amount in. regardless of who made it.
its not yt's fault the forks are shipped like this.
also you would have thought RS would have pulled there finger out by now.
lets be honest, if this bike came with fox 40s people would be bitching "yt's are shit my forks rattle blah blah"
thats the way it is, yeah it sucks, either live with it or buy a skateboard
Can't fault it - having to order expensive mech hangers with daft shipping costs is a PITA but I have a sweet bike that soaks up anything I throw at it, and which was about half the price of anything else with the same spec. It's been used and abused, thrashed and crashed and is still super solid - I have total confidence in hitting anything on it.
I'll be happily ordering a Tues CF Pro as soon as they build it in an XL (which surely must be 2016 as the Carpa AL is now in XL).
I am 5.87 ft 174.5 cm. I want to order a medium size.What is your advice???
I dont now about the costumers service now!! but i had a tues in 2010; broke the chainstay when i was in porte du soleil.
Called yt and 2 days later they send me a new one in Morzine post office.
So back then the service was verry good..!!
P.S. This carbon bike is too heavy for you? I guess that is why you will not see a broken one, ever!
My specialized was bought from a large chain bike store, the headset bearing's developed the slightest bit of play, called the shop, they ordered the parts, I dropped it off last night and it will be ready for collection this afternoon. 6 days after I reported it.
Meanwhile my mates riding a hybrid specialized frame with with a random selection of parts just to get a ride, he's missed 2 race weekends now.
YT make a great budget bike but thats exactly what they are, if your expecting the same quality control and customer service that you get from the big brands, your in for a let down.
I feel lucky that when I went to order a YT they had no idea when they could supply the bike so went 'brand name'. Shame cuz the bikes look the business.
A month to replace a warranty part is a joke and for people using these bikes competitively its costly too when you start loosing you entry fees and cant ride.
What happens when the chain stay snaps or top tube cracks, should he keep replacement frame parts too? And who should pay for them? Perhaps YT should send 2 bikes just in case.
As for the 'broken frame' argument that's a total strawman - lets see your LBS replace an entire broken frame for you without question - I know plenty of people that have had big brand bikes bought from an LBS that have had major problems getting parts replaced under warranty.
And we are talking about a part that is renowned for breaking, regardless of the make - as such pretty much every single person I know has a spare one somewhere. I just went onto YTs website - every mech hanger they make is in stock and can be delivered to you within a couple of days - quite why you think its a month I don't know - unless this is a warranty argument in which case that could happen with any company and the delay has absolutely nothing to do with availability and everything to do with customer service of the manufacturer. As you stated your issue took six days - I can get a mech hanger from YT in three, yeah I'd have to fit it myself, but its a mech hanger - if you are racing competitively and cannot replace a mech hanger then something is seriously wrong.
Alu Version weighs probably less?!?!
Are this budget parts??
The same parts are on Speci or Trek Bikes $ 8'000 Bikes!?
And weight is everthing! All talk about the weight!
For $4000 17 kg OK.
But for $8000 and more 17 kg are unacceptable.
If that doesn't work, just click on my name and you can see a photo with him on it.
I am 5087ft (174.5cm) i want to order a medium size yt tues pro. you have any advice regarding to your height and frame size,,,?????
1) Compared to most people your size are you proprtioned the same, have a longer torso with shorter legs, or a short torso with long legs? If you are torso long, then the medium, if a short torso, the small.
2) How do you like your bikes to fit. If you like them short and playful like a BMX bike, a small. If you like longer and stable, a medium.
After all we're all spandex wearing strava enthusiast hill climbing jockeys at heart... Apparently.