Following the success of its enduro focussed YT Decoy with ‘mullet’ wheels, YT launches the Decoy 29 – an all mountain 29er e-MTB with improved climbing capability.
When Andi went on the launch of the YT Decoy, he came away impressed. Further testing on UK soil left him just as impressed with the YT e-MTB package, though he did note that pedal strikes on climbs were something he had to adapt to, with its ‘low’ chip setting being something he’d only use on a fireroad climb before a big DH descent. It looks like the new YT Decoy 29 is targeting riders like Andi who are looking to pedal up the fun stuff as well as down.
The press release from YT reads:
‘After the DECOY proved doubters wrong and demonstrated that EMTB’s can look good, feel great and deliver plenty of ‘Good Times’ both up and down the trails, YT embarks on a new mission with their new DECOY models. Both the Pro 29 and Base 29 model are categorized as all-mountain bikes as both geometry and kinematics of the bike have been adjusted for longer rides and highly efficient uphill performance, while 150 mm of travel still unleash that addictive adrenaline rush on technical downhill trail sections; very much to the liking of brand ambassador and World Enduro Super Series Champion Manuel Lettenbichler.’
‘”I was stunned the first time I got to ride the DECOY 29. I was wondering how it would feel to handle an EMTB with 29’’ wheels? In short: unbelievable. The stoke was real powering up steep, technical uphill sections and sending it back down the trails. I am used to big hits and high speeds with my background and I have to say, this bike is just rad. YT has created a perfect all-rounder and new possibilities to send it in the upcoming season.” – Manuel Lettenbichler, YT Family Member’
YT Decoy 29 Geometry
Sizes | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
Top tube | 565 mm | 587 mm | 608 mm | 631 mm | 654 mm |
Reach | 422 mm | 442 mm | 462 mm | 482 mm | 502 mm |
Stack | 615 mm | 620 mm | 624 mm | 633 mm | 642 mm |
Seat tube length | 400 mm | 420 mm | 445 mm | 470 mm | 495 mm |
Chainstay | 458 mm | 458 mm | 458 mm | 458 mm | 458 mm |
Head tube angle | 65.5°/66° | 65.5°/66° | 65.5°/66° | 65.5°/66° | 65.5°/66° |
Seat tube angle (eff) | 77° / 77.5° | 77° / 77.5° | 77° / 77.5° | 77° / 77.5° | 77° / 77.5° |
Seat tube angle (act) | 72° / 72.5° | 72° / 72.5° | 72° / 72.5° | 72° / 72.5° | 72° / 72.5° |
BB Drop | 37 / 31 mm | 37 / 31 mm | 37 / 31 mm | 37 / 31 mm | 37 / 31 mm |
Wheelbase | 1190 mm | 1213 mm | 1235 mm | 1259 mm | 1283 mm |
Head tube length | 95 mm | 100 mm | 105 mm | 115 mm | 125 mm |
BB Height | 339 / 345 mm | 339 / 345 mm | 339 / 345 mm | 339 / 345 mm | 339 / 345 mm |
Standover Height | 745 mm | 732 mm | 719 mm | 709 mm | 698 mm |
The Decoy 29 leaves the mullet wheels behind and introduces new geometry to make it more suitable for steep and technical climbs, as well as improving comfort on longer rides. Both the head and seat tube angle are steeper, and the chainstays are longer. This should allow more pressure to be added to the front wheel on climbs. There’s still a geometry adjusting Flip Chip, which drops the BB by 7 mm and results in a 0.5°-slacker head and seat tube angle. The Shimano E8000 motor and 540 Wh battery are the same across all the Decoy models.
YT Decoy Pro 29 Gallery
YT Decoy Base 29 Gallery
Chris Hilton, CTO YT Industries, says: “Our current DECOY is made for riders that want an EMTB capable of riding a variety of aggressive off-road trails, but with a special emphasis on more technical and gravity or enduro oriented riding. While this is great for a lot of people, there are others that seek something different and the DECOY 29 could be a better choice. It’s ideal for people that live in less demanding or flatter terrain, but still want to have a real off-road EMTB. Whether you choose the DECOY or DECOY 29, YT’s EMTB bikes are always dedicated to real off-road riders, just like our other mountain bikes. For sure they can take you to the ‘biergarten’ also, but only after you ride every trail you can find.”
The new YT Decoy 29 will come in ‘Pro’ and ‘Base’ models. The Pro 29 model comes with a FOX 36 FLOAT Performance Elite E-Bike+ fork and 150 mm travel, plus FOX FLOAT DPX2 Performance Elite rear shock, 12-speed Shimano Deore XT drivetrain, and SRAM Code RSC brakes. The Base 29 model has the 150mm RockShox Yari RC fork and RockShox Deluxe Select rear shock, 12-speed Shimano SLX drivetrain and SRAM Code R brakes. Both the Pro 29 and Base 29 models come with DT Swiss wheels and Maxxis Minion DHR II tyres. The Pro model comes in black or two tone ‘ghost ship’ green, while the Base model comes in black or tow tone blue.
The Decoy Base 29 is £3,999 / €4,399 / $4,399
The Decoy Pro 29 is £4,999 / €5,599 / $5,599
Claimed weight for the Decoy Pro 29 is 23.3kg, and 23.9kg for the Base 29 model.