Moots YBB 29er Mountain Bike - OhioOutside.com Demo Bike
The Moots YBB is moots answer to short travel the short travel cross country racers who still want a fast bike but with a little something to take off the edge. Two different shock (well really a spring) options provide 1 1/8” of travel, no air, no pump and easy maintenance. On the flip note … there is no lockout.
Made in the USA is something that is hard to find now a days. It seems like it is only the top end bikes from brands like Trek, Specialized, etc. Well really it isn’t any different here except that Moots really doesn’t make a low end/ entry-level bike. Frames from Moots that are “Handbuilt in the Rockies” roll in at almost 3 grand, not exactly easy on the pocket book.
What you get is a frame that has great feel, attention to detail and when people see it they are bound to comment on it, kind of like having a puppy except for you get more comments from guys than chicks.
Out on the trail, the YBB (just learned this stands for Why Be Beat) rear end with the 29er wheels rolls along flattening out the little stuff like it wasn’t every there, and softening the bigger stuff. Of course every 29er is going to roll over the ruts, rocks and dips, but the added 1 inch of suspension is the frosting on the cake. It is silky smooth on single track and just feels like it is alive underneath you and climbs pretty well. I think I am the holdup on the climbs. Simplicity is the one way to say it, no pivots to worry about and just one slider to maintain.
The Setup:
Cushion up from is handled by 80mm of pure Manitou Minute fork providing quick handling, lockout for climbing and lots of adjustability. Manitou I think has claimed a bad rap in the past from a few people, but personally I have found nothing but good things for this fork. The only think it is missing is a remote lockout.
Bar is Bontrager Race-X-Lite and the stem is from Thomson, and together they handle the duties up front. The Bontrager carbon components are top notch along with the Thomson Stem also being top notch.
Braking is handled by Hayes Brakes (sister company of Manitou), the 406-gram Stroker Trail handles all the stopping power required for the Moots. Small light compact levers teamed up with a 160mm rotor handle the long descents very nicely keeping the rider under control … at least for a 200lb rider. Looks on these brakes is pretty sharp, pretty much all white with a grey lever, they stand out quite well. Hayes really hasn’t seemed to skip anything here. There are lighter brakes on the market, but the price point on the Hayes Stroker Trail is great.
Sram handles 95% of the drive train and provides crisp reliable shifting with X0 shifters, Rear Derailleur, PG 990 cassette and a 991 chain. Cranks up front are handled by SRAM’s sister company TruVativ and they provide us with a lightweight 800-gram carbon triple crank set. The only thing of the non-SRAM family we have is the front derailleur and that is a Shimano XT.
Wheels are courtesy of our friends at Bontrager, the 1740 gram 29er wheels roll over pretty much everything. Mounted with a various selection of tires ranging from Bontrager, Kenda and others.
Check out the OhioOutside.com demo bike at an OMBC or X-Terra Event this summer.
Full Specs:
Frame: Moots YBB 29er Titanium (Made in the USA)
Fork: Manitou Minute 29er – 80mm travel
Front brake: Hayes Stroker Trail
Rear brake: Hayes Stroker Trail
Front derailleur: Shimano XT
Rear derailleur: SRAM X0
Shift levers: SRAM X0
Cassette: SRAM PG990 (11-32)
Chain: SRAM PG 991
Crankset: SRAM (Truvativ) Noir Carbon
Wheelset: Bontrager Race X Lite Tubeless
Front tire: Bontrager Tubeless Ready
Rear tire: Bontrager Tubeless Ready
Bars: Bontrager Race X Lite
Stem: Thomson X4 Elite
Headset: Cane Creek 110
Tape/grip: Bontrager Race XXX Lite
Pedals: Egg Beater 4ti
Seat post: SDG I Beam
Saddle: SDG I Beam Formula FX
Bottle cages: Profile Carbon w/ alloy bolts
Computer: N/A
Total bike weight: 24.5 lbs
Check out the Moots website at www.moots.com for more information or watch the video below.
