Boasting more travel and a flexible approach to sizing, the all-new 2018 Capra is longer, lower, and slacker than its predecessor - and there are now two wheel sizes to pick from as well.
When YT launched the Capra in 2014, we called it a game-changer. While it can be hard to put your finger on exactly what makes a bike stand out from its peers enough to warrant such accolades, there was little doubt at the time that this German goat (“capra” in latin) was going to shake things up. Back then, it offered more travel, less weight, and better all-round capabilities than any other bike in that category – and since YT sell direct, the incredible pricing didn’t exactly hurt its chances for success either. Fast forward to 2018, and the game has certainly changed. Four years is an eternity as far as product life cycles go, and although YT has been very successful with the Capra, the competition has not stood by idly during this time. That means that the fun-loving crew from Forchheim had to set about completely redesigning their flagship enduro machine to stay relevant, and it was to enjoy the fruits of their labor that we were invited to Portugal at the tail-end of last year. Read on to discover what awaited us when we got there.
The new Capra has some big shoes to fill, both in terms of performance as well as aesthetics. Well, on the topic of shoes, it’s no secret that YT like ‘em big, so it wasn’t a complete surprise to discover that the new bike was in fact two new bikes – a 27.5-inch version, and a big shoe 29er.
Perhaps slightly more surprising was the amount of travel on offer: 180mm for the 27.5-inch bike, and 170mm for the 29er, in the top-of-the-range CF Pro Race spec (the rest of the lineup makes do with 170mm for the 27.5-inch bike, and 160mm for the 29er). Yes, enduro bikes have been getting progressively longer in travel over the last couple of years, but 180mm, that’s borderline DH-bike territory? Well, it turns out that this is exactly what they were aiming for. YT really wanted to make a DH-bike that can also pedal, and this is what the new Capra is meant to be. Looking at the rest of YT’s range, the 27.5-inch Jeffsy now makes a lot more sense, sitting somewhere between the 140mm 29er Jeffsy and the Capra.
Talking to Stefan Willared (CTO and chief mad scientist at YT) about the new Capra he told us that more and more riders seem to want the one-bike solution. Many of these riders need a solid bike for their every day riding, and they don’t want to have to rent or keep a DH bike in the garage just for that one trip per year to the bike park. If you’ve visited said bike parks over the last couple of years, you’ve no doubt noticed more and more people showing up with their enduro bikes already, which further validates YT’s decision to make the new Capra even burlier.
Of course, the new bike also had to be as light as or even lighter than its predecessor, and there was the small matter of a geo update to keep up with the Joneses, especially in terms of reach. Stefan and his team worked hard to come up with technical solutions that would allow them to reach these goals, and the results are pretty impressive. For example, the distinctly shaped head tube “box” on the carbon frame is not just a visual gimmick. It is in fact fully dual-crown fork certified to the same exact specifications as YT’s TUES DH bike, and because it uses a headset that sits directly in the carbon, it still manages to save quite a bit of weight.
The chainstays are now carbon, where they were made from aluminum on the previous version. The cable routing is now fully internal (with built-in cable guides to make wrenching easier), and there are no more cables under the down tube. There are a number of protective features on the frame as well, like the metal chainsuck guards on the chainstay or the polymer guards under the downtube. All in all, the new frame is a quality piece of kit, the cumulative result of YT’s experience and lessons learned to date.
Looking at the aluminum version, YT did not cut any corners here either. For example, using a “double-hydroforming” process for the new seatstays allowed them to shave a good chunk of weight in this area alone - the new alloy frame comes in several hundred grams lighter than its predecessor. It also gets updated internal cable routing, while for the rest it shares the general layout and geometry with its carbon brother.
So what about tires, and more specifically, what about all those new-fangled tire sizes? Well, YT doesn’t feel like Plus tires offer any real advantages at this point, so they’ve not provided room for such meaty rubbers on either of the new frames. A 2.6 will fit however, and of course the bike uses the Boost standard both in the front and the rear. On the topic of standards, YT got rid of one too: there is no way to mount a front derailleur. With e*thirteen’s TRS+ cassette providing a full 511% range of gears on all the new Capra builds, you won’t miss it.
For the rear suspension linkage layout, YT stuck with their “Virtual 4 Link” design (a Horst link variation), which graces all of the bikes in the company's range (except for the hardtail dirt jumper). They’ve gone to metric shock dimensions on the new Capra, and they’ve also opted to run a particularly long shock, especially on the 27.5-inch bike. This gives an overall low leverage ratio, which allows the shock work at lower pressures and makes it easier to tune. The ratio curves have also been revised, and the new bike is slightly less progressive overall compared to the old Capra, with a bit more support at mid-stroke. The previous generation was one of the most progressive bikes available, and it was sometimes criticized for being a bit harsh through fast chop as a result, so this change makes perfect sense. When asked about coil shocks, Stefan Willared confirmed that the new Capra will work well with one, but they like the tunability and the “pop” of an airshock better which is why they are not offering any off-the-shelf, coil-sprung models for sale at this point.
“Pick your reach and go ride” is how YT described their approach to sizing on the new Capra. The previous generation of the bike was on the short side, but rather than just decide that everybody now needs a longer bike, YT wanted to take advantage of the proliferation of dropper posts to make sure people could choose the reach they want to ride without worrying about stand over height and clearance for a full-length dropper. So in addition to making the bike longer (the old size Large became a Medium in terms of reach), they also knocked up to 40mm off the seat tube lengths. As a result, YT says that any rider should now be able to choose between at least two or maybe even three sizes, and still have room to run a full dropper. On the topic of sizes, the 27.5-inch bike now comes in 5 sizes, from S to XXL, with the 29er available in 4 sizes, M to XXL. YT did not feel that the big wheels would work well for the shortest riders out there, so they opted out of making a size S 29er.
In order to make sure that the bikes remain properly balanced across such a wide range of sizes, YT adjusts the chainstay length by frame size, something they first introduced on the Jeffsy. As usual, the stays are compact without being super-short. On the 29er, there’s also a “Flip Chip” that allows you to adjust the BB height and head angle by flipping a chip in the rear shock mount.
Why was the Flip Chip not added to the 27.5-inch bike? Because YT feels like they have so much experience with the 27.5-inch wheel size by now that they really know what works and how people want those bikes to feel. However, because a 29er wheel on a long travel bike is newer territory for these guys, they opted to offer the Flip Chip to make sure the bike would suit a wider range of potential variations in riding style and preferences.
DH bike on a diet, or enduro bike on steroids? The new Capra could be described as either, but on the trail it still feels like a regular mountain bike when you first sling a leg over it. Yes, this beast packs a big punch, but the suspension still feels lively and the seated position is well suited to spending time in the saddle on your way up the hill, all thanks to a decent amount of anti-squat and a steep enough seat tube angle. At 1m84 this tester took full advantage of the flexible approach to sizing and rode both bikes in XL, which provided lots of room and a relaxed riding position.
Sintra, Portugal was host to this launch, and the area surprised us with an awesome variety of trails – all of the fun-loving kind! Slightly off the radar so far, this new riding destination has a lot going for it, and the crew at WERIDE knows the trails inside and out. They also put in a lot of shovel time to keep the singles in prime condition, and with a mix of everything from techy rock to flowy jumps on the menu the area was perfect for testing a bike like the Capra.
Point and shoot quickly became our motto when sat atop the mountain about to discover yet another new (to us) trail. The amount of confidence a bike like the new Capra provides is ridiculous, second only to an actual DH bike. The long travel and the slack head angle take the sting out of almost any trail, while the generous sizing and significant BB drop keep you centered and balanced even as things get hectic. We had the opportunity to ride both the 27.5-inch bike and the 29er, which revealed a lot of similarities in how the two bikes behave. They do not feel significantly different on the trail, which means that you are pretty much free to pick the wheel size you prefer here. Yes, the 29-inch wheel rolls over stuff more easily, but the this tester did feel slightly more comfortable aboard the 27.5-inch bike, most notably (and perhaps surprisingly so) on steep and rough terrain where the smaller-wheeled bike actually felt the most surefooted and stable – no doubt a result of a slightly slacker head angle and more travel. The 29er takes a little bit more input when hitting corners as well, but this probably has more to do with getting used to the timing of the bigger wheels (this tester rides 27.5-inch bikes most of the time). We also rode the different travel options (the top-spec 27 CF Pro Race gets the full 180mm, while the rest of the 27 line makes do with “only” 170mm), without noticing a major difference in handling – certainly not something we’d put down to an extra 10mm of suspension travel. The CF Pro Race is a banger build no doubt, but we enjoyed the CF Pro every bit as much.
When does it all become too much bike? Later than we imagined, actually. Even on tight and twisty trails the Capra remained easy to ride, thanks in part to the progressive nature of its rear suspension layout which provides a solid platform to push off against at all times. It should be noted that most of the trails we rode were at some point purpose-built for mountain biking, so they lacked the super-tight and awkward switchbacks found on old Alpine hiking trails for example. That’s not to say that there was a shortage of gnar, just that most of the lines were of the high-speed variety which suits the new Capra down to a T.
Making our way back up the hill proved to be pretty easy going. The new Capra is a good climber, certainly a far cry from the heavy, wallowing freeride bikes of times past. Sit and spin, and you’ll see the top of the hill sooner than you perhaps expected. Most of the builds on offer feature some kind of lockout switch on the rear shock, but this bike also makes do just fine without one. If your regular riding features some more mellow trails as well, you’d find more use for a middle (“trail”) setting perhaps, although once again we should point out that thanks to the progressive rear linkage, the Capra retains a fair bit of liveliness despite its ample travel.
On the topic of progressiveness, the original Capra was sometimes criticized for being too progressive which left it feeling a bit harsh over high-speed chop for example. YT has addressed this point by flattening out the leverage ratio curve on the new bike by a bit. While it’s still among the more progressive bikes out there, this change did appear to take the sting out of small- to mid-sized chunk, while still retaining that bottomless feeling when landing bigger moves.
So, has the game changed again? The new Capra has a lot more competition than perhaps the original did when it launched, and it arrives at a time when the single-bike quiver is becoming increasingly popular. It is easy to be impressed by headline numbers like “180mm of travel” or “65 degrees”, but the real game-changer for YT here is the geo and the sizing. With shorter seat tubes and a whopping 5 sizes to pick from, you are now free to pick the size of bike that really fits you, your terrain, and your riding style. Yes, this is a lot of bike, but it remains surprisingly fun and agile on mellower trails too. A good bike as a whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, and at that little game the new Capra is right up there among the front runners.
YT has never been afraid to take the road less traveled, and for 2018 they have decided to move away from the near-ubiquitous SRAM Eagle drivetrain in favor of a Shimano-e*thirteen combo on the entire Capra (and Jeffsy) range. YT says that they feel like this 11-speed drivetrain is more robust than the 12-speed groups, and since the e*thirteen cassette actually offers more range than the 12-speed Eagle cassette, the feel like this change is all beneficial.
For the rest of the components, it’s FOX suspension on the higher end models and RockShox on the lower end, with an assortment of e*thirteen and Race Face parts rounding out the builds. SRAM’s Code got the nod in the brake department, in different versions depending on the model.
A few observations on some of the parts:
2018 YT Capra 27 CF Build Kits
2018 YT Capra 27 AL Build Kits
2018 YT Capra 29 CF Build Kits
2018 YT Capra 29 AL Build Kits
More information at: www.yt-industries.com.
Johan Hjord - Age: 44 // Years Riding MTB: 12 // Weight: 200-pounds (90.7kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)
Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.
Photos by Daniel Roos and Johan Hjord
Tristan_Mayor
2/18/2018 9:56 AM
Interesting initial write up.
I have a question at this stage though - if the geometry is the main update/headline, why is a 6' test rider choosing XL?
iceman2058
2/18/2018 10:04 AM
In light of the recent trend of ever-lengthening reach, I've been riding longer bikes when possible to see what it's all about. The type of riding we did at this launch is described in the article, and the XL worked very well for that terrain. The bike I'm currently riding is a size L, with 460 reach, and it's perfect for the kind of terrain I ride the most at home. I could easily have ridden the Capra in L as well.
The main point of the Capra geometry update isn't just that it's longer - it's that the bikes are all much lower at the seat tube as well, in order to enable riders to choose the reach they want, almost regardless of frame size.
Tristan_Mayor
2/18/2018 1:08 PM
Mmmm yeah but if it was an "extra large" bike, surely it would simply be too big for a person of 6'?
If the average (ie "medium") height of a white, western man is 5'10" that should in theory put you on a Medium or Large.
I guess my point is that brands are catching up to "real world" sizing, but we're not there yet
Edit: I have had another thought though, maybe guys of 5'8" and smaller would find it insulting to be told they are "small"? Lol
iceman2058
2/18/2018 1:21 PM
Maybe we’re not supposed to think about things in terms of “too long” or “Medium” or whatever. Maybe we should think about it like sizes/lengths of skis, for example. A long ski for downhill, a short ski for slalom. Pick the one that corresponds to how you ride, and don’t get too hung up on what the size is called.
Tristan_Mayor
2/18/2018 1:53 PM
Yeah but that assumes that people know what they want before buying and don't need guidance from a recommended size chart
But I do take your point
DavidG
3/30/2018 7:14 AM
Tristan_Mayor, concerned as you are about sizing charts (and rightfully so), YT's sizing chart does recommend the XL for 6' riders. It's right at the borderline between L and XL, so one may go with one or the other. I may actually provide some personal input on that, because I am 6' and I have ridden both sizes. There is a 2cm difference between sizes. I have ridden the L with a 50mm stem and the XL with a 30mm stem, so the cockpit size remained the same. Both felt very good but the XL provided more attack confidence. Not that the L felt lacking in this respect. The only downside of the XL was some twitchiness from the short stem vs. the more stable 50mm stem, but the XL remained my favourite.
DavidG
3/30/2018 10:35 AM
Also the fact that there is an XXL spreads the sizing more, so the correspondence is not direct with the size range of other models.
fnk
2/18/2018 1:20 AM
There are some flaws and chips visible arount the pivots/bearing caps areas. Do you know if this is because the bikes are pre production demos or we can expect that in production one also? It is a little disturbing and badly testifies to quality control.
iceman2058
2/18/2018 3:42 AM
These were not production frames. Furthermore, YT told us that they are now working with one of the premier carbon frame factories available (they have recently changed), so you should be able expect a well-finished product.
fnk
2/18/2018 3:12 PM
That is really great info since I've already ordered a 27 CF Pro
. I assume we can expect lack of issues the first Capra had?
DavidG
2/12/2018 3:03 PM
I plan on getting myself a 29 CF Pro but your comment about the XL size really made me unsure... At 1.84m I'm exactly between sizes and I know that I will feel fine on the L but is it worth it going for the XL?
iceman2058
2/13/2018 1:05 AM
You are really the only person qualified to answer your question. As you would probably have gathered from the article, I'm your height exactly, and I had a great time riding the XL on the trails in Sintra at the launch. Most of these trails are of the fast and rough kind, that generally have you looking ahead and going with the flow. I love the feeling of being able to relax and move around in the cockpit that you get with a longer bike, as well as the extra security when plowing into stuff. Where it sometimes catches me out is getting the front wheel weighted enough into tighter turns, I really still have to think about it to make sure I don't get left hanging off the back (which doesn't really work all that well for turning a longer bike). Personally, it's taken me a while to work my way up the reach ladder to a place where I'm now comfortable anywhere between 460-480mm, depending on the trails. For everyday riding including tighter trails I'd still consider getting the new Capra in L.
DavidG
2/15/2018 4:19 PM
I too have had some good times riding in Sintra... even with a 26"-wheeled Jekyll. So maybe I don't need a huge reach to enjoy it. But I get what you say about the extra security, and I think I might go for the XL to see what it's all about. Thanks for the answer!
WaffleStomp
2/9/2018 9:14 AM
Internally routed brake lines.... dear sweet baby jesus WHY?!?!?
bizutch
2/9/2018 9:47 AM
I think the brake manufacturers have conspired with the mountain bike industry on this one. Somehow it's making them all a lot more money.
Alex_Chamberlin
2/9/2018 8:08 AM
Coil compatible??
iceman2058
2/9/2018 8:45 AM
From the article: "When asked about coil shocks, Stefan Willared confirmed that the new Capra will work well with one, but they like the tunability and the 'pop' of an airshock better which is why they are not offering any off-the-shelf, coil-sprung models for sale at this point."
krisrayner
2/8/2018 5:29 PM
I'm very intrigued by the 29 Capra. My one question is about the actual seat tube angle of 67. With the seat tube being so short, I would think for taller riders, like myself, that its going to put you way out back over rear wheel. I loved my Yeti ASR7, but it had the same seat tube angle and made climbs more difficult than needed.
Is the effective seat angle measured to the top of seat tube, or to the top of the seat post when level with the bars?
traildog
2/8/2018 10:29 PM
Great question, this needs to be talked about more. We need reverse reach and stack for the seat angle, it used to be the same problem with "top tube length"- where are you measuring from?
iceman2058
2/9/2018 12:51 AM
The effective seat tube angle is measured along a line from the BB to the top of the seatpost where it is level with the top of the headtube. I'm 1m84, but I have disproportionately long legs, so I'm quite sensitive to this particular aspect of bike geometry. On the Capra 27, I would have wished for a 1-degree steeper seattube angle, but that is something I would say about many (or even most) bikes I've ridden this year. Here, there was enough range of adjustment in the seat rails to allow me to slide my seat forward enough to be in the perfect position. I don't feel like this is an aspect I would worry about too much on this bike, it is most definitely steep enough to deal with all kinds of seated climbing, without feeling like you're hanging off the rear of the bike at all. And as for the bike that you are inquiring about, the 29er has a half-to-one degree steeper effective seattube angle compared to the 27, in fact. This further alleviated the seattube angle issue for me when riding the 29er.
Luky_Kuky
2/9/2018 6:11 AM
More rear travel = less steep actual STA (room for rear wheel when shock compresses)... For example take a look on DH bikes.
iceman2058
2/9/2018 6:47 AM
Well. If you also add more travel (and sag) to the fork, you’re back to where you started (although on steep climbs the rear will compress more, yes). Then add progressivity, actual sag, leverage ratio at sag, and anti-squat to the equation, and you arrive at how a given bike will behave on climbs.
Pip3r
2/8/2018 1:03 PM
Whats the story on that 250mm(9.84")x75mm(2.95") shock sizing? Is it proprietary to YT? Neither of their listed sizes show up on the Fox site as available. Already toying with the idea of getting the 170mm bike then having a longer travel shock and dual crown fork to put on for DH... If a 9.5"x3" coil would fit and lower/slacken it that could be the ticket.
bturman
2/8/2018 2:08 PM
ccolagio
2/8/2018 9:56 AM
It is verrrrrry interesting that they built these bikes to be DC fork compatible. Wonder if it'll show up on the race UCI DH circuit on the "smoother" courses. I think there will be some pretty bad @$$ builds on vital in the years to come
jeff.brines
2/8/2018 7:21 AM
Just a quick look at the top rung build - That is a lot of bike for $5200 - Carbon wheels, top rung suspension, carbon frame. That is other guys' $10K bike...
DTC FTW.
Hollywood Gainey
2/8/2018 6:08 PM
I'd pay an extra 1k for 2 threaded inserts in the frame
literally
2/8/2018 6:40 AM
"it offered more travel...than any other bike with that amount of travel."
iceman2058
2/8/2018 10:05 AM
LOL! That sentence was some of my better work indeed!

Thanks for catching it.
bizutch
2/8/2018 6:10 AM
Where can I demo multiple sizes? heh
kwapik
2/8/2018 11:08 AM
Sea Otter for example
bizutch
2/13/2018 7:55 AM
Hah...I could certainly drive down Interstate 40 for 4 1/2 days to do so. Sounds good.
kwapik
2/15/2018 4:45 PM
Had no idea where you were located. There is also the YT "Rolling Circus" demo tour at various locations across the US. Maybe one will be close to you.
David9180
2/8/2018 5:56 AM
Great review boyz! ???
Come back soon, WE have more to offer!
onenerdykid*
2/8/2018 5:55 AM
First time I have heard about a Code Ultimate... is that going to be an actual brake for sale, or just an OEM thing?
iceman2058
2/8/2018 10:06 AM
I don't actually know at this point. I think it's just a carbon lever blade on a Code RSC lever body.
Svobodarider
2/8/2018 5:21 AM
Ragarding the different travel on CF Pro Race - is it just about shock and fork with longer travel (that is what I have found on YT website) or are there any other particular differences on the frame itself compared to other versions?
iceman2058
2/8/2018 7:43 AM
It's just an extra 5mm of stroke on the shock (same length shock body), and a longer travel fork. No difference in the frame.
cadmortess
2/8/2018 4:20 AM
Now waiting for comparison to Nomad 4 and Torque.
Headshot
2/8/2018 4:18 AM
Agreed, by far the best article and pics on the Capra that appeared online today. Well done! Nothing game changing but another solid and well priced bike from YT. A shoot out with the Enduro, Nomad and Wreckoning would be fun.
ccolagio
2/8/2018 9:57 AM
YES. And thank you vital for actually posting all the geo and spec charts for ALL models. Very in depth. Your content is always spot on.
luisgutrod
2/16/2018 5:12 AM
I know of another source with more in depth suspension analysis. Summary: Capra 275 is slightly less progressive than previous, still with a very progressive LR, less antisquat (you would like a climb switch there for fire-road, but its more active/more traction on technical climbing). Curiously, the 29er Capra has better antisquat, close to 100%...cheers..
Verbl Kint
2/8/2018 3:43 AM
Kudos for having the most thorough article of the Capra online atm. Great job, Vital!!
joaomourao
2/8/2018 3:31 AM
Great review guys and thanks a lot for getting us on the map with www.WERIDE.pt
Cheers Dani and Johan! WE hope to see you soon...
iceman2058
2/8/2018 3:34 AM
Yeow Joao! Great trails and awesome guides, WERIDE/Sintra is well worth the visit - good times all around!