YT Industries isn’t a name with a long history in downhill racing, but the German direct-sales brand have hit the World Cup circuit with a bang. Known for offering well designed, top-spec machines at affordable prices, they’ve enjoyed massive success in Europe and have now set their sights across the pond.
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They first captured attention in the US by sponsoring freerider Cam Zink and have now stepped things up by signing reportedly the biggest pro deal in mountain biking to take on the inimitable Aaron Gwin. And it’s paid off — Gwin won on his first outing aboard the Tues CF in Lourdes, France, and followed that up with a second victory in Leogang, Austria, placing him at the top of the World Cup leaderboard.
Tougher than the rest
It’s testament to the calibre of YT’s downhill bike that Gwin is riding a completely stock large frame, with no geometry changes, special linkages or offset headsets. On appearances, there’s little to separate this bike from any other Tues CF. The differences come in the set-up, particularly the suspension.
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Watching the American ride you notice just how little the suspension is moving. For an average rider, running air pressures this high and compression damping this firm would rattle them to pieces and make it impossible to weight the front wheel for traction. The former motocross racer has the strength to overcome this and the hard platform allows him to remain neutral and carry speed through holes. Some have said that it’s this suspension set-up that allows the three-time World Cup champ to pull out seemingly impossible time gaps over his rivals.
Gwin’s mechanic John Hall says the base tune for the suspension is decided during pre-season testing. Inside the fork and shock, the shim stacks (thin metal washers used to control the flow of oil) will be set up to Aaron’s preferences. Once on the race circuit they may change this slightly, but mostly it’s a case of fine-tuning things to suit individual tracks. They’ll adjust air pressures by a few psi and tweak compression and rebound damping, running things softer and slower in the wet for more grip.
The bike rolls on stock e*thirteen LG1r carbon wheels fitted with their new seven-speed DH hub and cassette. The broader hub and narrower cassette allow for a wider spoke angle, making for a stiffer rear wheel. Both hubs are fitted with metal-cased Japanese bearings to make them spin even sweeter, while the bottom bracket bearings have been changed for ceramic versions.
Against the odds
1. No easy ride
2. Up front
3. Crank it up
4. Anchors
5. Contact points
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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