YT Industries Capra
Discussion
I'm looking to buy my first full suspension bike and had pretty much decided on the Santa Cruz 5010, having tried one and being very impressed by the ride and the way it seemed to soak up the bumps. I'd compared it with the Norco Sight and equivalent Yeti and Specialized offerings.
I'm a beginner and want to learn how to ride enduro and trails.
Last night I came across the YT Industries Capra, which seems to get glowing reviews.
Has anyone ridden both of these bikes and be able to give me an insight on how they compare.
The Capra is roughly half the price of a 5010 in the UK.
What are the chances of getting a demo ride on the Capra (I'm based in the Midlands) as I've learnt from experience with my other bikes not to buy without trying it first.
Thanks in advance for any help and advice.
I'm a beginner and want to learn how to ride enduro and trails.
Last night I came across the YT Industries Capra, which seems to get glowing reviews.
Has anyone ridden both of these bikes and be able to give me an insight on how they compare.
The Capra is roughly half the price of a 5010 in the UK.
What are the chances of getting a demo ride on the Capra (I'm based in the Midlands) as I've learnt from experience with my other bikes not to buy without trying it first.
Thanks in advance for any help and advice.
It is meant to be THE bike of the moment, or rather it's similar to THE bike of the moment the new SC Nomad 650b for a far more sensible price (about half), and it's very very good.
YT only sell direct so you've got no chance of a test ride unless you can find someone with one who'll let you throw a leg over it.
It's worth considering though whilst it's a great bike, it's very focused it's a 170mm travel each end Enduro race bike with suitably slack geo - even as light as it is and how well people say it climbs it'll be a real handful and won't 'start working' until you're going very fast - if you're okay with that, you'll love it I guess - but if it's your first FS I wouldn't expect to hop on and immediately double your pace - there will be a learning curve.
There is also the whole argument about whether such a beast is much use in the UK on our little weak trails - but I've been riding 6" 'Enduro' style bikes for 8 years or more around the trails centres and uplift days and I love mine - I've never once thought 'I wish this was lighter' or 'a smaller bike would be faster here' and certainly never 'oh no, I'll be mocked by the bike geeks for being over-biked'.
YT only sell direct so you've got no chance of a test ride unless you can find someone with one who'll let you throw a leg over it.
It's worth considering though whilst it's a great bike, it's very focused it's a 170mm travel each end Enduro race bike with suitably slack geo - even as light as it is and how well people say it climbs it'll be a real handful and won't 'start working' until you're going very fast - if you're okay with that, you'll love it I guess - but if it's your first FS I wouldn't expect to hop on and immediately double your pace - there will be a learning curve.
There is also the whole argument about whether such a beast is much use in the UK on our little weak trails - but I've been riding 6" 'Enduro' style bikes for 8 years or more around the trails centres and uplift days and I love mine - I've never once thought 'I wish this was lighter' or 'a smaller bike would be faster here' and certainly never 'oh no, I'll be mocked by the bike geeks for being over-biked'.
I bought a YT December before last, Lovely bikes and only Canyon come close to bang per buck.
Not ridden a Capra but i would love to.
Great guys to deal with and help you out with any questions before hand.
Capra as a first bike, talk about going in at the top! Not an Apollo or a Boardman
?
Not ridden a Capra but i would love to.
Great guys to deal with and help you out with any questions before hand.
Capra as a first bike, talk about going in at the top! Not an Apollo or a Boardman
?I have the Capra's predecessor which was equally well regarded - all the magazines rated it 10/10/.
I believe the sizing and geo is exactly the same on the new bike as the old (I'll check) - as they clearly found a winning forumula.
You're welcome to try mine one evening over Stile Cop is you want - it might be the closest you get.
BTW I believe that the waiting list for a new Capra is currently about 14 months...
I believe the sizing and geo is exactly the same on the new bike as the old (I'll check) - as they clearly found a winning forumula.
You're welcome to try mine one evening over Stile Cop is you want - it might be the closest you get.
BTW I believe that the waiting list for a new Capra is currently about 14 months...
Mr Gearchange said:
I have the Capra's predecessor which was equally well regarded - all the magazines rated it 10/10/.
I believe the sizing and geo is exactly the same on the new bike as the old (I'll check) - as they clearly found a winning forumula.
You're welcome to try mine one evening over Stile Cop is you want - it might be the closest you get.
BTW I believe that the waiting list for a new Capra is currently about 14 months...
Interesting point, the 'old' one, the Wicked is almost the same bike, except it's Alu rather than Carbon, it's cheaper still and depending on the size you need and the spec you want - you might get one by the end of the month - Capra is going to be late-Oct, early Nov at the best. I believe the sizing and geo is exactly the same on the new bike as the old (I'll check) - as they clearly found a winning forumula.
You're welcome to try mine one evening over Stile Cop is you want - it might be the closest you get.
BTW I believe that the waiting list for a new Capra is currently about 14 months...
Mr Gearchange said:
I have the Capra's predecessor which was equally well regarded - all the magazines rated it 10/10/.
I believe the sizing and geo is exactly the same on the new bike as the old (I'll check) - as they clearly found a winning forumula.
You're welcome to try mine one evening over Stile Cop is you want - it might be the closest you get.
BTW I believe that the waiting list for a new Capra is currently about 14 months...
Mr Gearchanges Wicked should be even better now the front suspension has been re-attached to the rest of the bike......... ;-)I believe the sizing and geo is exactly the same on the new bike as the old (I'll check) - as they clearly found a winning forumula.
You're welcome to try mine one evening over Stile Cop is you want - it might be the closest you get.
BTW I believe that the waiting list for a new Capra is currently about 14 months...
(turns out this bike is good enough to be ridden down the black runs at Bike Park Wales without the damper cartridge screwed to the fork
)I like to think of it as supreme levels of skill that allow me to ride downhill, hard, with zero fork damping. 
Thanks for helping me to put my fork back together mate - I owe you beers a plenty.
FWIW I bought my YT completely blind - just ordered a large size and waited for it to turn up.
It's not the worlds greatest climber (170mm fork and a slack head angle) but I have ridden it up mountains - actual honest to goodness mountains and it was absolutely fine.
Mine has done everything from pootloing around the fireroads with my kids to 60km all day adventures, to climbing up and down mountains, to riding full on DH tracks. I cannot think of another bike which can do all of those things. As Paul alludes it spent a day at Bike Park Wales hammering down a selection of reds, blues and blacks and there at no point did I feel either under, or over biked.
Like I said you are welcome to have a go on my Wicked - it will be very similar to the Capra in terms of feel and ride as the dimensions and angles are identical.
Thanks for helping me to put my fork back together mate - I owe you beers a plenty.
FWIW I bought my YT completely blind - just ordered a large size and waited for it to turn up.
It's not the worlds greatest climber (170mm fork and a slack head angle) but I have ridden it up mountains - actual honest to goodness mountains and it was absolutely fine.
Mine has done everything from pootloing around the fireroads with my kids to 60km all day adventures, to climbing up and down mountains, to riding full on DH tracks. I cannot think of another bike which can do all of those things. As Paul alludes it spent a day at Bike Park Wales hammering down a selection of reds, blues and blacks and there at no point did I feel either under, or over biked.
Like I said you are welcome to have a go on my Wicked - it will be very similar to the Capra in terms of feel and ride as the dimensions and angles are identical.
Hi Op
I have a capra pro currently, and have ridden a few of the comparable Santa Cruz offerings.
To be fair, the YT gets great reports as it's genuinely a fantastic bike, and a deserved step above the rest, including the SC offerings.
The only thing I'd suggest, is A) there's a long lead time (Current orders are delivered late Nov) so you'll miss the summer, B) the sizing is a little small, so you'd want to size up (I'm 5.11 and ride a large Capra, but medium Demo and Camber), and also, if you get issues with it (as I currently have), you have to send the bits back to Germany
It's certainly the best all round bike I've ridden and suited to UK's tame downhill far more than most full on 200mm downhill bikes. I've ridden Forest of dean a few times on mine and it's measurably better than my Demo, and it behaved faultlessly at Bikepark Wales last week
As i alluded to above, it's not been great from a quality point of view with the rear BOS kirk shock leaking air ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc0O9hWG9Y8
The problem is, is if this was a SC or a specialized, you could expect them to just swap the shock over and you'd be on your way in a couple of days. However, with YT, they've asked me to send the shock to them for inspection (even though I sent them above video) and they'll then send it off to BOS in france, who'll take a french amount of time (could be two days or two months) and then send it back to Germany, who'll repackage it and send it back to me. This process could take 4-8 weeks - a time I'm then without a bike if I didn't have a spare shock to use
If you're passing Swindon and want to have a ride around the street on it to try it out (all be it with a monarch shock, as that what I'll be running once I've sent the BOS back to Germany), you're more than welcome as long as you bring your SLS
Here's a vid of me trying it out at FOD
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/368730/
I have a capra pro currently, and have ridden a few of the comparable Santa Cruz offerings.
To be fair, the YT gets great reports as it's genuinely a fantastic bike, and a deserved step above the rest, including the SC offerings.
The only thing I'd suggest, is A) there's a long lead time (Current orders are delivered late Nov) so you'll miss the summer, B) the sizing is a little small, so you'd want to size up (I'm 5.11 and ride a large Capra, but medium Demo and Camber), and also, if you get issues with it (as I currently have), you have to send the bits back to Germany
It's certainly the best all round bike I've ridden and suited to UK's tame downhill far more than most full on 200mm downhill bikes. I've ridden Forest of dean a few times on mine and it's measurably better than my Demo, and it behaved faultlessly at Bikepark Wales last week
As i alluded to above, it's not been great from a quality point of view with the rear BOS kirk shock leaking air ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc0O9hWG9Y8
The problem is, is if this was a SC or a specialized, you could expect them to just swap the shock over and you'd be on your way in a couple of days. However, with YT, they've asked me to send the shock to them for inspection (even though I sent them above video) and they'll then send it off to BOS in france, who'll take a french amount of time (could be two days or two months) and then send it back to Germany, who'll repackage it and send it back to me. This process could take 4-8 weeks - a time I'm then without a bike if I didn't have a spare shock to use
If you're passing Swindon and want to have a ride around the street on it to try it out (all be it with a monarch shock, as that what I'll be running once I've sent the BOS back to Germany), you're more than welcome as long as you bring your SLS
Here's a vid of me trying it out at FOD
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/368730/
Edited by graeme4130 on Tuesday 1st July 20:36
Many thanks for the replies so far, keep them coming.
This is the problem with a direct sales model. Whilst the price is great, there's no chance of a demo and for me it takes a great leap of faith to buy blind.
It's all very well looking at the spec's and reviews, but as I've learnt with my other bikes, finding what's right for you, you just don't know till you go out and try them. They are all so different and some better than others.
I'd rather pass than spend around £3k on a bike to find it's the wrong one.
YT Industries are currently quoting around October delivery for a Capra.
Mr Gearchange - thanks for the offer, whereabouts are you based (PM me if you like)
I'm waiting to here back from my almost local SC dealer who says he may still be able to get me one of the launch day 5010's, with the carbon wheels, XTR etc, for a very good price.
I'm reluctant to pull the plug if the Capra might be the better bike. What to do?
This is the problem with a direct sales model. Whilst the price is great, there's no chance of a demo and for me it takes a great leap of faith to buy blind.
It's all very well looking at the spec's and reviews, but as I've learnt with my other bikes, finding what's right for you, you just don't know till you go out and try them. They are all so different and some better than others.
I'd rather pass than spend around £3k on a bike to find it's the wrong one.
YT Industries are currently quoting around October delivery for a Capra.
Mr Gearchange - thanks for the offer, whereabouts are you based (PM me if you like)
I'm waiting to here back from my almost local SC dealer who says he may still be able to get me one of the launch day 5010's, with the carbon wheels, XTR etc, for a very good price.
I'm reluctant to pull the plug if the Capra might be the better bike. What to do?
I've had a few Santa Cruz bikes and have ridden most of the current ones, and I can honestly say, before you even consider the cost as part of the decision criteria, that the Capra stands head and shoulders above them all. I rode an early prototype capra back in March, and I couldn't believe how good a bike it actually is, and I was worried that I'd remembered it wrong for when my bike arrived.
Steve Jones and the other guys at Dirt have ridden the Capra back to back with most modern bikes, and I know that he agrees with me.
The BOS shock issue is a right pain in the arse, but if you went for the lower spec bike then it comes with the new Pike forks and Monarch + which is still a very fine fork/shock combo, but a bit less temperamental than the BOS kit - http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/en/Bikes/Trail/C...
BOS kit is by far the best on the market, but hard to dial in properly and, as I've found with a leaking new shock, doesn't have the best end of line quality control.
I've ridden a Wicked too, and I wouldn't agree that the angles are the same. The BB is a bit higher on the Wicked and this makes quite a difference to stability when going hard at it downhill, but gives a bit more XC clearance, so you spend less time considering your pedal position.
Steve Jones and the other guys at Dirt have ridden the Capra back to back with most modern bikes, and I know that he agrees with me.
The BOS shock issue is a right pain in the arse, but if you went for the lower spec bike then it comes with the new Pike forks and Monarch + which is still a very fine fork/shock combo, but a bit less temperamental than the BOS kit - http://www.yt-industries.com/shop/en/Bikes/Trail/C...
BOS kit is by far the best on the market, but hard to dial in properly and, as I've found with a leaking new shock, doesn't have the best end of line quality control.
I've ridden a Wicked too, and I wouldn't agree that the angles are the same. The BB is a bit higher on the Wicked and this makes quite a difference to stability when going hard at it downhill, but gives a bit more XC clearance, so you spend less time considering your pedal position.
Mr Gearchange - thanks for the PM. I can't access it until the w/e so I'm still none the wiser as to your location?
graeme4130 - thanks for the offer to try your Capra Pro. I'm very rarely in the Swindon area but I will bear it in mind.
The Capra I'm most interested in is the CF Comp1 which I think I'm right in saying is more biased towards enduro/trail rather than the CF Pro which is best suited to d/h?
Your comments on how the Capra compares to the 5010 are most interesting, but I'm a bit alarmed by the poor quality.
IYO what are the main differences and being a beginner to this kind of riding am I likely to notice the difference?
Having tried them both, how did you find the geometry and riding position compared?
Ideally I'm looking for a bike that feels stable on the descents with a low cog and a riding position where you feel sat in the bike rather than on top. Does the top tube and stem length offer good weight distribution and plenty of room to move about or is the riding position more on the compact side? The thing I liked most about the 5010 was the way it absorbed the trial chatter.
Which bike did you feel does the best job of dialing out the peddle bob when climbing?
I'm 5' 10" tall so if I go for a Capra would you recommend I choose the medium or large frame size?
Thanks for all of the comments and advice given so far.
graeme4130 - thanks for the offer to try your Capra Pro. I'm very rarely in the Swindon area but I will bear it in mind.
The Capra I'm most interested in is the CF Comp1 which I think I'm right in saying is more biased towards enduro/trail rather than the CF Pro which is best suited to d/h?
Your comments on how the Capra compares to the 5010 are most interesting, but I'm a bit alarmed by the poor quality.
IYO what are the main differences and being a beginner to this kind of riding am I likely to notice the difference?
Having tried them both, how did you find the geometry and riding position compared?
Ideally I'm looking for a bike that feels stable on the descents with a low cog and a riding position where you feel sat in the bike rather than on top. Does the top tube and stem length offer good weight distribution and plenty of room to move about or is the riding position more on the compact side? The thing I liked most about the 5010 was the way it absorbed the trial chatter.
Which bike did you feel does the best job of dialing out the peddle bob when climbing?
I'm 5' 10" tall so if I go for a Capra would you recommend I choose the medium or large frame size?
Thanks for all of the comments and advice given so far.
Mr Gearchange said:
I'm in Northants but will pop over to Cannock over the next week or so if that helps?
Thanks.What size is the bike and your height if you don't mind me asking( I'm 5'10")
No point in trying your Wicked if it's the wrong size.
I'd be interested in your offer of hooking up at Cannock at some point.
Ballistic said:
Mr Gearchange said:
I'm in Northants but will pop over to Cannock over the next week or so if that helps?
Thanks.What size is the bike and your height if you don't mind me asking( I'm 5'10")
No point in trying your Wicked if it's the wrong size.
I'd be interested in your offer of hooking up at Cannock at some point.
I checked the geo and sizings of the Wicked v the Capra - the Seat angle is the same. Head angle is 0.5 degrees slacker on the Capra (66 v 65.5) and the bottom bracked is 5mm higher on the Wicked.
You can mail me at mattatherton76@yahoo.co.uk since PM's don't seem to work.
Happy for you to take it for a couple of runs down Stile Cop one evening and see how it works out for you.
Ballistic said:
Mr Gearchange - thanks for the PM. I can't access it until the w/e so I'm still none the wiser as to your location?
graeme4130 - thanks for the offer to try your Capra Pro. I'm very rarely in the Swindon area but I will bear it in mind.
The Capra I'm most interested in is the CF Comp1 which I think I'm right in saying is more biased towards enduro/trail rather than the CF Pro which is best suited to d/h?
Your comments on how the Capra compares to the 5010 are most interesting, but I'm a bit alarmed by the poor quality.
IYO what are the main differences and being a beginner to this kind of riding am I likely to notice the difference?
Having tried them both, how did you find the geometry and riding position compared?
Ideally I'm looking for a bike that feels stable on the descents with a low cog and a riding position where you feel sat in the bike rather than on top. Does the top tube and stem length offer good weight distribution and plenty of room to move about or is the riding position more on the compact side? The thing I liked most about the 5010 was the way it absorbed the trial chatter.
Which bike did you feel does the best job of dialing out the peddle bob when climbing?
I'm 5' 10" tall so if I go for a Capra would you recommend I choose the medium or large frame size?
Thanks for all of the comments and advice given so far.
Higraeme4130 - thanks for the offer to try your Capra Pro. I'm very rarely in the Swindon area but I will bear it in mind.
The Capra I'm most interested in is the CF Comp1 which I think I'm right in saying is more biased towards enduro/trail rather than the CF Pro which is best suited to d/h?
Your comments on how the Capra compares to the 5010 are most interesting, but I'm a bit alarmed by the poor quality.
IYO what are the main differences and being a beginner to this kind of riding am I likely to notice the difference?
Having tried them both, how did you find the geometry and riding position compared?
Ideally I'm looking for a bike that feels stable on the descents with a low cog and a riding position where you feel sat in the bike rather than on top. Does the top tube and stem length offer good weight distribution and plenty of room to move about or is the riding position more on the compact side? The thing I liked most about the 5010 was the way it absorbed the trial chatter.
Which bike did you feel does the best job of dialing out the peddle bob when climbing?
I'm 5' 10" tall so if I go for a Capra would you recommend I choose the medium or large frame size?
Thanks for all of the comments and advice given so far.
The three capra's in the range are all aimed at enduro style riding (ie all day riding, with both up and downhill), just at different spec/price points. I'd personally recommend the middle or lower bike for yourself if you're newer as the Bos suspension on the pro I have (pesky shock leak asides) is pretty much the best in the business, but you have to be able to set it up correctly and it's very sensitive to changes, so if you're new to the sport, it's not ideal unless you know what you're doing with suspension tuning.
The Rockshox kit on the other two is very good kit and pretty simple to get set up
The 5010 isn't really comparable in many ways as it's a 120-130mm bike which is more aimed at xc with a bit of fun, but it'll shake your bones to bits on any downhill, but climb well and still be nippy on single track
The Capra is a 160-170mm enduro bike that's received such good reviews as it climbs like an xc bike, but is still a very capable downhill bike
I've had a few Santa Cruz bikes myself, and they're always really good, but you're buying the image that goes with the cool brand, and as such, you don't get a great spec for your cash. Think of it as the Aston Martin of the bike world.
The yt and sc are not even close to comparable for spec and you'd to be spending 5-6k on an sc to match a 3k YT
If it's good dealer support you need, have you considered a specialized enduro. They'll have a 650b/27.5 bike out imminently if not already, and that'll be a great all day bike and good spec too ?
Plus, you can go to specialized dealer and try all the sizes out too
Edited by graeme4130 on Friday 4th July 19:12
What do you intend to ride? If it's trail centre stuff you may be over biked, even if it climbs well. There's something to be said for a lively ride, and these long travel trail bikes may just mute it.
Yt does sound like a bargain if you can get one though. I'd probably go for a rock shox shod one.
I've been riding around on a Scott genius lt. For £6500 of bike I found it hard work. Disappointing. That included brechfa and natural uk dh sort of stuff too. In the alps it may have been awesome.
Oh and the yt doesn't have a bottle cage mount!
Yt does sound like a bargain if you can get one though. I'd probably go for a rock shox shod one.
I've been riding around on a Scott genius lt. For £6500 of bike I found it hard work. Disappointing. That included brechfa and natural uk dh sort of stuff too. In the alps it may have been awesome.
Oh and the yt doesn't have a bottle cage mount!
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