Just helping out a mate who’s interested in one of these bikes for general all-mountain trail riding up north – Lakes, Pennines, Dalby etc with possibly the occasional Alps trip. What are owners’ views on the bikes? Any tips for sizing and spec? Issues or problems? There seem to be loads of different models to choose from, judging by YT’s appalling website. Any feedback appreciated. Cheers.

I was very serious about a Capra a few months back.

I did some homework on sizing though and I decided I wasn’t going to commit £3k unseen on a bike that I suspected was going to be too short in the toptube for me.

I struggled with my (large) Marin Wolf Ridge for this very reason and discovered that the large Capra had an identical reach measurement.

The best advice is to see if you can beg a ride from someone who already has one…there are a few around.

Tell him not to buy one, it will only lead to jealousy and resentment. Talk him in to getting some other bike and buy the YT yourself.

Size wise, it’s a bit of a transformer with the 150mm reverb, saddle up and it’s a nice enough place to pedal. It’s not great for spinning up things but if you’ve got the fitness to drive up stuff then it just skips up there (like a mountain goat, nach)
Drop the reverb, the saddle move forwards a LONG way and the whole bike feels compact, tight and it wants you to get your chin on the stem.

Jumping is hilarious, I was dropping off the locks last night from 5′ up to flat and hardly feeling the landings.

Yeah, i’m a little bit in love. It’s a bulldozer though, don’t get me wrong

pssst….there’s a massive ‘YT Capra’ thread over on Pinkbike. However, I can summarize: early frames cracked but this is now sorted. The top tube is a bit short. They are awesome value for money and if they fit there’s very few bikes that can match it.

I went for the Canyon Strive as the Capra looked too short for me.

The less of these bikes on our trails the better – they make me jealous 👿

The less of these bikes on our trails the better – they make me jealous 👿

Loved mine to bits (before some git nicked it). As soon as you get on it feels like a dh bike and you worry that it’s going to be a bit of a pig on the climbs. But the opposite is true. I was actually as impressed with it’s climb-a-bility as I was with it’s downhill prowess. Climbs better than a bike with that amount of travel has any right to and whilst initially scared of the 1x setup I was getting up things I struggled with in the granny of my 120mm 29er.

But that said… point it downhill and it excels. Confidence inspiring from the outset, it takes everything in it’s stride like a DH bike. But it’s also light enough to retain agility so it doesn’t just feel like sitting on a big couch.

Get one – you won’t be disappointed!

i’ve wanted one of these so badly but i’ve resisted the urge because i cant afford or justify the amount of money they cost

however they have now introduced an aluminium version for around £2k…all of a sudden the urge is back and i’m finding it very hard to resist

however they have now introduced an aluminium version for around £2k…all of a sudden the urge is back and i’m finding it very hard to resist

Yep, short of buying a DH bike (which is a little one dimensional!) there doesnt seem to much out there that is as burly/lairy downhill as the Capra…and can still pedal around the woods.

Struggling not to buy one too.

I’ve got a capra pro, its strange when your sitting down it feels long and quite dh like but when you stand up it feels short and very nimble, at 5ft 8 I went for a medium and it seems to fit perfect. I’ve yet to have a day with a lot of climbing involved, first thing I did was remove the conti tyres and fit schwalbe super gravity hans dampf and magic mary super gravity on the front so its super grippy and rolls quite slow but that’s fine with me as I was planning on mainly doing uplift days with it through the winter and have been at innerleithen recently with it and absolutely loved it, sus set up takes some time and is quite noisy which is normal with BOS however it feels super plush and the further through the travel to you the better it feels. As for issues the only thing I have had is cranks coming loose but retightened to recommended torque setting and all seems good. no other issues to report. Overall I am very happy with it, really fun to ride downhill and can handle pretty much everything you can throw at it and its meant to be very capable on the way up aswell, 4 years warranty on the frame and the spec for the money its got to be a winner.

I got one just before xmas, the pro model. Only taken it out for a couple of rides but I’m really impressed (new bike syndrome, obviously).

I also worried about sizing and fall in the no mans land between M and L sizes. I got a tape measure out one night and measured up against my existing 07 Stumpy and most measurements were pretty equal. Wheel base is a little longer and the TT too but only marginally.

The pinkbike advice tends to be to size up if you’re looking to mirror the forward geometry bikes which are popular at the moment. I had a ride on an L at BPW and it felt perfectly fine, not too long and not too big. Ultimately I went with the M because the measurements were so similar to the old stumpy.

For the money, I think you’re hard pushed to match spec other than going to Canyon.

In terms of riding, it’s an improvement uphill despite having 50mm more travel at the back but I put that down to better support in the early stage of the stroke (and the Spesh Brain shock being cack). Downhill around Afan reds was quite boring but it’s loads of fun in the bike park. Heading to Cwmcarn soon which should be a bit more a test before the weather improves and we start venturing further north for peak and lakes riding.

Annoying bits?

TT paint scratches quite easily, just from mud off your shorts but i fitted an invisframe kit after the first ride.

Being a euro bike the brakes arrive the wrong way round. When you swap them over your rear brake exits the frame on the same side which results in serious bend in the brake hose. Doesn’t look like it’ll cause a problem in the long run but it does look a little funny when you initially see the majority of the hoses bunched to the left. I’m not sure whether you can reroute the hosing and haven’t looked in to it yet.

Other than that, if your mate decides to take the plunge think about using one of the money transfer services like HiFx. The transfer through them was £150 cheaper than the rate my bank gave me. If i’d been savvy and paid as soon as I’d signed up i’d have saved another £60 but I wasn’t :/

So in summary. Good bike, not quite as modern geo as others but still goes up and down very well for a 170mm travel bike.

Not mine BTW

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YT-Industries-Capra-650B-/331462522541?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item4d2cb4b6ad

I’m not sure I agree with the pink bike thread about sizing up. While the TT is short, the actual reach is not that short and the front wheel is very out in front as it’s very slack. Also, with that 150mm dropper you don’t actually have too much adjustment of the seatpost unless you change that to a 125mm.

The pink bike thread seems to be a lot of people complaining that it’s not the bike they want it to be. It is what it is, other options are available if it isn’t what you want.

I was also quite shocked at how the steerer was cut to the minimum, I’ve never had a bike provided like that and it’s frustrating as you have no sort of adjustment.

I considered one, but in the end the sizing put me off.

I would want the reach of the size large, but the seatpost length of the medium.

If I went for medium the reache would be too short, and if I went for large the seatpost too long.

Went for an orbea rallon in the end, probably not as good value for money as the capra, but it absolutely flies downhill.

Cheers all. He’s gone ahead and ordered this evening. Be interesting to have a play on it, although I’m strictly an Orange man myself, and well beyond conversion.

I’ve had mine for two months now, and it’s fantastic.
I’ve done virtually every type of mtb’ing and it’s taken it all in its stride. I did change the chainring from a 32t to a 30 however, but I needn’t have bothered as it’s made no difference on the climbs.
I was worried as I had a SC Blur LT2 which I’d built to my spec and loved, but the Capra Pro blows it away.
I was worried size wise, but I like my bikes tight to chuck about, and the medium is spot on for me (I’m 180cm).
Get one….. get one now!!!

Anyone know what seat tube diameter the capra has?

4 year warranty on a carbon frame seems pretty poor to me. Don’t the ‘better’ makes usually offer a limited lifetime warranty??

I’m not sure I agree with the pink bike thread about sizing up. While the TT is short, the actual reach is not that short and the front wheel is very out in front as it’s very slack. Also, with that 150mm dropper you don’t actually have too much adjustment of the seatpost unless you change that to a 125mm.

The pink bike thread seems to be a lot of people complaining that it’s not the bike they want it to be. It is what it is, other options are available if it isn’t what you want.

In terms of sizing, I also ignored the sizing up advice and I’m glad I went with the medium.

Having said that, I’m only 5’9″ and the Large fit fine (the dropper was full up and approx 15mm out the top of the seat tube) so you could size up as long as your legs aren’t unusually short.

My main worry was that going for a L would ultimately have left me with a bike which felt unwieldy at times.

@matther01

31.6mm I believe.

http://www.yt-industries.com/en/products/bikes/enduro/232/capra-cf-pro-race?c=92

Click on the seatpost section to expand.

traildog: So they all have cut down steerers/slammed stems? Despite everyone saying the world will end etc I like a higher stem so that would be an issue 🙁

Couple of spacers in there. Front end feels higher than a 26″ 160mm bike.

Regarding the weird/small sizing…at 6’2″ would the large fit me or should stop lusting over this bike?

dlr – Member
traildog: So they all have cut down steerers/slammed stems? Despite everyone saying the world will end etc I like a higher stem so that would be an issue

Pinkbike users are suggesting having a higher rise bar. I think it ships with a 30mm rise fatbar and personally I think anything more than that will start to look a bit like a bmx.

Agree it’s a bit off to not give you the opportunity of adjusting by using spacers but on the plus side, it looks good out of the box.

FWIW, I removed the bar immediately and am on a 10mm rise sixc.

Decided to hit the button this weekend on one. The dates have already moved from May to June on the ALu 2 version 🙁

At 5’7 I guess I’d be after a medium?

timmys – Member
Regarding the weird/small sizing…at 6’2″ would the large fit me or should stop lusting over this bike?

It might fit, although you might find it a bit short. It’s all down to preference. I don’t find my medium any shorter than the medium 07 stumpy I came off (with 55mm stem).

I measured up against my old frame to work out where it might feel different before I bought.

If you go to the pinkbike forum there’s a couple of people who’ve asked about sizing (in the last couple of days) who are 6’1. That might help?

The pinkbike thread and this user group are v useful

YT UK facebook group

They do an XL in the alu model now.
If you go to FoD, BPW there will be loads of them about and people will let you try for size.

The bike is fapping brilliant and YT are very helpful. Buying direct isn’t for everyone though and I think that is one of the main considerations in buying it versus a locally sourced bike.

I’m 5″8 with a 30″ inside leg and always like a small cockpit. I spent an hour last night going over the geometry of the 2012 canyon strive I have with the geo of the Capra. Everything says size small to me but then almost all advice on her and the “other” site says to size up to a medium.

I sized up from a Medium Canyon Strive to a Large, best thing I ever did, 5′ 9″ short with rather long legs 😉

Sorry to revive this, but does anyone know if the wheels are tubeless from the start, or do you need to tape them yourself?

4 year warranty on a carbon frame seems pretty poor to me. Don’t the ‘better’ makes usually offer a limited lifetime warranty??

I think you have to accept that there’s a difference between warrenty and unlimited crash replacements, if something breaks after a couple of years (let alone 4+) then that’s not a manufacturing defect, it’s just hit the end of it’s life. Warrenty’s are just there to provide a reasnoble timeframe for manufactuing defects to become apparent, after that you’re into the ‘bathtub curve’ with very few issues untill you reach the other side and they start failing becasue they’ve reached the design life of the product.

Sorry to revive this, but does anyone know if the wheels are tubeless from the start, or do you need to tape them yourself?

On the Pro they come with tubes in, and valves in the box.

A mate has a shiny new one, the full monty version boss forks etc. I’ve ridden it & yes it’s good but can’t help feeling most of the UK stuff you’ve mentioned is where I ride, the lakes especially & can’t help feeling slightly over biked, I ride a Bronson & love it.
The Capra has a very low BB & a lot of pedal strikes.
This whole enduro thing has got ridiculous & people now think they have to ride these bikes because the magazines tell them.
They are good but unless your hammering big mountains regularly, then there may well be other options to consider, that said you get a lot of bike for your bucks if cost is a factor.

ninenailspete – Member
Sorry to revive this, but does anyone know if the wheels are tubeless from the start, or do you need to tape them yourself?
On the Pro they come with tubes in, and valves in the box.

And on the Comps, the E13 wheels are taped and ready but come with tubes and no valves.

Excellent news! Thanks for sharing that 🙂

Boo, checked them for inflation without a tube and they went up fine. Put some splooge in and reinflated, but they’ve gone down overnight.

The Contis they came with are a very baggy fit. May need a few gos before they seat properly by the looks of it, but doesn’t inspire confidence for when you have to push them hard!

Hi,
Just to share my linkage review about YT Capra 2016 🙂

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNl2beu1AWM[/video]

Through our experience if you don’t ride it it doesn’t crack, if you do ride it however, well don’t throw the bike box away!