Spotted: Vali Höll's Unreleased YT Tues is Idler-Equipped

Feb 16, 2024
by Jessie-May Morgan  
photo

Valentina Höll is in possession of what appears to be an all-new YT Tues, as indicated by the presence of an idler pulley. The World Champion posted an image of her downhill bike to an Instagram story earlier today, wherein a majority of the frame is covered by a sock. While we can't see the detail of how exactly the rear-end connects to the front triangle, or indeed the layout of the shock, enhancing the brightness and contrast does show that the chain is routed over an idler.

That indicates that YT could be testing a high(er) pivot iteration of their four-bar suspension platform. It's not clear from the photo where the main pivot is, however. The continued presence of the horst-link suggests the new bike won't be a grand departure from the V4L layout seen on the current production Tues, but it looks as though the engineers are entertaining the idea that improved bump-eating performance can be eked out of the design by elevating that main pivot a touch. Given the outstanding success of mid- and high-pivot designs in recent years, it comes as no real surprise.

Placement of the idler isn't all that high. We'd hazard a guess that the new Tues will deliver a more rearward axle path than the current design, but it's unlikely to be exclusively rearward. That said, they could just be playing around with idler positions to tune anti-squat and pedal kickback to their athletes' liking.

Anything else? Umm, no. An attempt to infer anything else from an image of such potato-like quality would be an astonishing waste of anyone's time. A wade through the social accounts of teammates Oisin O'Callaghan and Sian A'Hern reveal that they too are riding a new frame (avec sock). Interestingly, Sian's bike appears to be equipped with an OChain, while Vali's is not.

Regardless, I'd wager a small amount of money that Vali and co will be piloting an all-new YT Tues come the start of the 2024 Downhill World Cup. We'll be on site in Fort William, where we hope to get a closer look.

We reached out to YT, who were able to provide the following comment:

bigquotes“A key focus of the YT MOB & our UNCAGED philosophy is performance. That means providing athletes with the best possible products to help reach the top step of the podium. YT Industries is committed to developing technology utilizing athletes feedback, and we're excited to see what the team achieves Down Under.”—YT Industries


Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Spotted DH Bikes YT Industries Yt Tues Vali Holl


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77 Comments
  • 169 0
 I’m currently wrapping my 9 year old frame with black
Neoprene & going for a ride @ my local.
Prototype laps for the masses
  • 84 2
 "Brake Dragger Spotted Bumbling Down Local Trail"
  • 12 0
 @RonSauce: Local hero rides brakes
  • 30 0
 Don’t forget to hand one of your friends a potato to take some pictures!
  • 4 0
 @Durtwrx I came to say the same thing. Stoked to make my 5 year old bike new again by only wrapping an old wetsuit around it.
  • 1 0
 @FuzzyL: apples can be grainy too
  • 62 0
 Would be hilarious if only change is the idler and sock is just there to throw us off.
  • 53 1
 You know that's a frame bag for the UCI's new DH Snow Bikepacking series.
  • 6 0
 It is a skin suit for the frame. They sent the new rear shock to the wrong fluid dynamics lab and this the tuning suggestion they received.
  • 8 0
 This made me laugh. DH Snow Bikepacking **World Champs**
  • 2 0
 @mtshakira: **Brought to you by Amazon**
  • 41 1
 1st day at bike park - "Excuse me sir, the sign says "no alcohol past this point""
2nd day at bike park - Shows up with this
  • 31 0
 Pretty exciting that UCI is adding a bikepacking class to World Cup DH!
  • 20 0
 I like to wrap my hardtail with a black sock and wait for suspicious glances...
  • 18 0
 Zip tie a sprocket on someplace and really get the people talking.
  • 9 1
 @Andykmn: Nobody knows what it means but it's provocative!
  • 5 1
 put this in a different context and you get in trouble my friend
  • 1 0
 That's one way to get sectioned.
  • 4 0
 @Andykmn: chromagbikes.com/blogs/news/worlds-first-our-very-own-high-pivot
Hahaha.
  • 14 1
 You need to watch some MoiMoiTV, Jack addressed this when a kid enquired about the bike Oisin was riding, apparently it's not a new bike, the 'sock' is actually a wetsuit that helps to warm the carbon fibre and make the bike super compliant!

Who'd have thunk it!

youtu.be/pszRSfCIHKM?si=BE0wN8_FHJjsAzpM&t=1028
  • 1 0
 obviously
  • 4 0
 Cold fork, warm frame. Makes sense.
  • 1 0
 They covered this like a month ago, when they didn't want the frame to get dirty! Wink
  • 2 0
 @FaahkEet: This comment deserves more praise.
  • 12 3
 Where do you get those potato camera shots? Phones from 5 years ago shot better
  • 6 0
 They got really close with the potato this time and it still looks a mess.
  • 4 0
 @dstroud70: 3x digital potato
  • 3 0
 All I know is that this photo is making me feel nostalgic for my old flip phone
  • 20 0
 @RonSauce: Heh. Telephotato lens.
  • 1 3
 Has cellphone camera quality even changed in the past 5 years? To me these devices all look like black rectangles. I think mine is a bit over five years old (it is refurbished but I think it is eight years old or so) and never realized it might look dated until the waitress burst out laughing when she spotted it. Either way, qualities like these can certainly be achieved if it is dark enough (so ISO values need to be cranked) and you're far enough (so you're going to use a lot of digital zoom).
  • 9 0
 I heard that these "spy shots" have to be provided through a dead-drop email address that automatically runs the original high quality photo through 300 jpeg compression algorithms to protect the identity of the original pixels involved.
  • 1 0
 Ok in this instance I suppose I have to correct myself, it seems like the original photo on instagram was of medium quality but dimly lit and PB shouted ENHANCE at it to try to bring out some of the details.
  • 1 0
 They got it from Vali's insta , it says in the story
  • 6 0
 Some of us are old enough to remember the 1983 America's Cup, which if you don't know, involves sailing, and Australia assiduously wrapping their winged keel every time the hauled the boat until they defeated the USA thus ending the latter's 132 year winning streak, the longest in sports history. Every subsequent sports equipment wrapping project has the sad air of Already Been Done, as they say in skateboarding. About the photo though, Vali herself posted this on her Instagram but it was heavily back lit making it hard to see anything. Thanks to the Pinkbike intelligence unit for this excellent effort.
  • 9 0
 Looks like a Trek Y33
  • 1 0
 Looks more like a Sunn Radical+ carbon prototype ~1995
  • 6 0
 Stop covering bikes. It’s carbon how much tweaking are you doing at this point? Changing the linkage.
Just show the bike it’s not rocket appliances.
  • 14 0
 There's actually a little Capuchin monkey in place of the shock which is why the cover is needed, so it doesn't escape or see too much and get overwhelmed.
  • 1 0
 Several piss jugs under the covers. Way of the road
  • 4 0
 Isn't that a TRP rear mech?
  • 25 1
 Given the image quality I can't even tell if that's a bike.
  • 1 0
 Honestly, I bet the bike is faster like that because aero, but you shouldn’t be able to race it in UCI event because it’s a fairing.
  • 3 1
 Ok seriously why is every spy shot taken on a nokia flip phone? There's like 7 pixels in that photo...
  • 1 0
 It was posted on Vali’s instagram
  • 1 0
 The TUES is a great bike. Easy to service and quiet. Just gotta get rid of that pressfit BB haha
  • 1 0
 There's really nothing wrong with with a PF BB on a team-supported DH race bike.
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: what makes you say that?
  • 1 0
 @TheGrey724: A DH race bike doesn't really wear out BBs and there is no performance difference with a threaded unit. PFs ARE more of a hassle for a weekend warrior who is putting thousands of miles on their do-it-all trail bike BB (me).
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: Having wrenched for a team professionally for 4 years, I have to tell you that the pressfit design is horrible for one main reason. It eats the bike alive. Every time you remove and press in a new bottom bracket, you are ever so slightly widening the bb shell. On a race bike, you are changing or greasing bottom brackets possibly several times a day depending on conditions. I have had to retire dozens of frames after only a season or 2 because of this. It’s actually not typically an issue on bikes owned by guys like you because you aren’t replacing them that frequently. Cheers.
  • 1 0
 @TheGrey724: Thanks for clarifying that. I had no idea race mechanics spent that much time with BBs.
  • 2 0
 Is that a Prototype red axle on the Mallets?
  • 2 0
 will the hype-ivot never end?
  • 1 0
 I would make a wild guess that this cover is hiding a shock connected to the swimarm by a link or two. Prove me wrong.
  • 2 0
 Its a Trek Y33
  • 2 0
 Looks like a Jekylll….
  • 1 0
 Sian Ahern is on one too.
  • 1 1
 MoiMoi called it a "magic carpet" in his vid last night. He's riding one for Cannonball DH, as is Mush.
  • 1 0
 Then he said it was a pogo stick
  • 1 0
 Chainline looks a bit like the Corsair Maelstrom...
  • 1 0
 Sooo hiding what exactly? Everything looks the same these days anyway
  • 2 1
 Nice resolution .. Thought it was an old Y not a YT ..
  • 1 0
 YT should do what commencal did, make a freeride frame and a race frame.
  • 1 0
 Still has a do dad hanging off the back by the rear wheel tho. Y?
  • 1 0
 Looks like a proper bikepacking bag.
  • 1 0
 OChain O’Callaghan?
  • 7 6
 It's YT, who cares.
  • 5 4
 You cared enough to ask who cares but failed to punctuate.
  • 1 0
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