YT Capra 29 Core 4 review | Enduro Bike of the Year winner

It’s no major surprise to see the YT Capra Core 4 at the pointy end of the Enduro Bike of the Year test again. It was, after all, a top contender in this category in 2023.

So, what’s changed and how has it managed to take the coveted title this year?

Aside from a drop in price saving customers a couple of hundred quid, YT has given the Capra Core 4 a proper spec makeover for 2024.

The biggest changes are to the fork, shock and drivetrain, swapping from Fox to RockShox for the suspension and upgrading to SRAM’s new wireless Transmission gearing.

YT has also added a longer-travel dropper seatpost, which is a real plus when tackling steeper trails, thanks to the extra saddle clearance.

Why did the Capra Core 4 win our test? Well, in short, it works just about everywhere – something that’s crucial for the best enduro bikes.

Flow tracks and mellower trails remain plenty of fun to ride, despite all that travel on tap, yet dive into something steeper or faster and the Capra Core 4 provides masses of confidence and composure.

YT Capra 29 Core 4 frame and suspension details

The carbon-framed Capra is offered with mixed wheels (MX) and aimed at those who prioritise bike park laps and heavy landings, or as a full 29er – as seen here.

You can’t simply swap wheels as you see fit, though, as you can on some bikes, because YT has created bespoke rear ends for each wheel size.

Aside from chainstay length and clearance differences, the full 29er offers a little less progression (it’s easier to compress the suspension towards the end of the stroke) through the 165mm of rear-wheel travel compared to the MX version. Despite this, YT says it’ll still work with a coil-sprung rear shock.

The rear-wheel travel is controlled using YT’s Virtual Four Link (V4L), four-bar linkage suspension system.

In a bid to deal better with speed-sapping square-edge impacts, the Capra’s rear axle tracks backwards and upwards through the first 85mm of travel, before continuing to arc forwards and upwards for the remainder.

An asymmetrical ‘wing’ spans between the seat tube and down tube on the driveside of the bike and is said to add stiffness and strength where it’s most needed.

This strut dictates bottle cage placement and access. Thankfully, YT includes its own cage with all Capra models as standard. This uses a left-hand entry/exit design.

While the Capra’s shorter-travel Jeffsy frame now features a small down tube hatch to stash essentials, the Capra doesn’t. Instead, there are bolts on the underside of the top tube to fix essentials in place.

All bearings used throughout the suspension linkage are double-sealed. YT says the pivots also get an additional seal fitted to help prevent water and muck getting in, all in a bid to boost durability.

YT has specced a press-fit bottom bracket, though, which will require more effort to replace compared to threaded equivalents.

YT Capra 29 Core 4 geometry details

The Capra’s geometry might not be that notable, but the numbers offer a balanced and well-proportioned ride position.

I tested a medium frame with a reach of 447mm – a measurement that’s reasonable but not extreme.

According to my measurements in the low setting, the head angle sits at a relaxed 63.9 degrees, helping produce a front centre (the horizontal distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the front wheel axle) of 800mm.

If you want to steepen things by 0.3 degrees and lift the bottom bracket by 5mm, a flip chip at the base of the shock can be swapped around.

I’m not sure quite why you’d want to make that adjustment, though, because even in the slacker setting, the seat tube angle is reasonably steep at 77.4 degrees. And I wouldn't want to raise the bottom bracket higher than the 342mm I measured it at.

Chainstays vary slightly between the five sizes, with small to large bikes featuring 438mm rear centres, while the XL and XXL frames use 443mm back ends.

The medium bike has a 420mm seat tube, giving ample scope to pair it with a longer-drop seatpost – something I pointed out on the Capra Core 4 I tested last year but YT failed to provide.

YT Capra 29 Core 4 specification

Although the frame of the Capra hasn’t changed in some time, YT has overhauled key aspects of its spec. And, importantly, it has dropped in price for 2024 – YT clearly flexing its direct-to-consumer muscles.

Suspension now comes courtesy of RockShox. At the front sits a 170mm-travel ZEB Ultimate fork, complete with Charger 3 damper.

The new RockShox Vivid Ultimate shock takes care of rear-wheel travel. That means plenty of external adjustment on both units – great for those who love to fettle ride feel.

Despite the price drop, YT has managed to include SRAM’s new GX Eagle AXS Transmission gearing, which is impressive.

Another important change for 2024 includes the new own-branded Postman V2 dropper post. I moaned about the lack of drop on the Capra Core 4 last year, struggling to get low enough on the bike due to the limited 125mm of post drop.

This year, the Capra gets the second generation of the post, with travel on the medium frame coming in at 150mm, though this can be reduced by 5-25mm should you need to.

Maxxis tyres provide impressive damping and grip at the front and rear. YT has wisely opted to use DoubleDown casings at the front and rear, for added peace of mind.

The 3C MaxxGrip Assegai up front and the 3C MaxxTerra Minion DHR II form one of the most tried-and-trusted tyre double acts in the business, meaning there’s absolutely no need for an immediate tyre upgrade.

The Maxxis tyres wrap around Crankbrothers Synthesis Enduro Alloy hoops, which are renowned for their comfort. These wheels use Crankbrothers’ own hubs.

Renthal supplies its bar and stem, exclusively in a fully blacked-out finish, something you won’t see on bikes from other brands. Although the 50mm stem feels decent enough, I’d prefer the smaller sizes to use 40mm because of the way weight is distributed down through the front axle.

The complete weight for my medium test bike was 16.66kg (without pedals).

YT Capra 29 Core 4 ride impressions

I put the Capra 29 Core 4 through its paces on a wide range of terrain, including steep, natural singletrack and flowy jump lines through to high-speed, super-rough bike park tracks.

This enabled me to gauge where the bike performed well and if there were any limitations on specific trail types.

YT Capra 29 Core 4 setup

Setup was more or less a fit-and-forget affair, thanks to the easy-going nature of the Capra, the fork and the shock.

At 68kg in riding kit, I settled on 56psi in the fork, with one volume spacer and all damping adjusters wound completely off.

I also backed off the damping adjustment on the rear shock and ran 30 per cent sag with 149psi.

YT Capra 29 Core 4 climbing performance

There’s very little to grumble about when climbing on the Capra Core 4.

The rear suspension remains calm enough to avoid having to flick the shock’s lever to firm things up. This leaves you free to crack on with the job at hand, safe in the knowledge little energy is being wasted.

This is in contrast to last year's Capra Core 4, which used a different shock and bobbed more under power. It feels as though YT is using a firmer compression tune to help stabilise things, which certainly makes for a positive change when climbing.

The Capra’s seat tube angle isn’t as steep as some in this category, meaning you’re not sat as upright when climbing. It’s still a comfy place to be, though.

I felt nicely positioned on the bike and never too hunched over or awkward on long stints working against gravity.

There’s ample traction at the rear and a taut enough feel through the pedals that you can still attack steep, lumpy pitches should you need to, without having to throw your weight around to counter front-wheel lift or limited rear-wheel grip.

While the Capra Core 4 isn’t exactly a rocket ship on the climbs, it’s certainly no chore to pedal and doesn’t make you suffer unnecessarily.

YT Capra 29 Core 4 descending performance

Downhill, no matter the gradient or terrain, the Capra Core 4 simply gets stuck in and gets the job done with more flair and poise than most.

It’s fun, but seriously capable, composed and easy to ride straight from the off.

When getting stuck into high-speed, rough and ready bike park tracks, it was the composure on offer that first jumped out.

The Capra Core 4 is a hard bike to rattle or upset, despite its more conservative reach and wheelbase figures.

On faster-paced trails, I found it easy to get up to speed and hold that pace without having to stab at the pedals all that often.

While things at the rear may be more stable under pedalling, I’d argue those changes result in a slightly less active rear end at times. That’s certainly not to say things are harsh or uncomfortable – and this may only really apply to lighter riders – but the previous Capra Core 4 felt a little livelier.

However, it’s that additional support that helps the latest iteration feel so fast, composed and efficient when the hits start mounting up beneath the wheels.

Backing off all the shock’s damping adjustments gave me just about the feel I was after, but left me with nowhere to go if I wanted to run the rebound faster or compression softer. If I owned the Capra, I’d consider getting the shock tuned for my weight straight from the off.

That’s not essential to making this bike work properly, but more like the icing on the cake.

Through chunky rock sections, it’s impressive how much momentum the Capra can maintain and how comfy things can feel behind the Renthal bar. Bumps are nicely muted, yet there’s still enough feedback being fed through the chassis to ensure you know what’s going on beneath the tyres.

This was never more obvious than when tackling technical jumps with rough sections of trail in between the landings and take-offs.

While some of our Bike of the Year enduro bikes required additional pedal strokes in between the gaps to maintain speed, the Capra kept its rolling speed without any additional pedal bursts to make the distance.

Tight and tech

Steepen the gradient and, while bikes with more extreme dimensions arguably have the edge here, the Capra can still mix it with the very best in the category.

Its proportions ensure a confident position on the bike, enabling you to drop your heels and slither down the steepest chutes without a second thought.

There’s still enough room to ensure there’s no need to throw your weight about in order to compensate. Instead, you can remain centred between the wheels and focus on the job at hand.

Traction-rich tyres and solid, powerful SRAM Code RSC brakes help here, too, and add to confidence levels, especially on wetter, muddier trails.

It helps massively that YT has now specced a longer dropper post, enabling you to get low on the bike and attack the trail when you need to, rather than hover over the saddle trying to avoid it.

While not the lightest, the Capra still enables you to lift and place the wheels delicately and deliberately, without having to muscle each and every move to do so.

You can be precise and accurate, but equally, there’s more than enough margin for error if you don’t.

As speed slows, the Capra’s nimbleness soon comes to the fore. The supportive suspension really gives you something to push against, enabling you to load the bike and change direction quickly.

When getting on the pedals out of the turns, you can notice pick-up in the rear hub as you frantically put the power down.

That’s because the engagement isn’t quite as rapid as some. This isn’t a major concern though and the spec is otherwise bulletproof.

Consistency is key

Like the spec, there’s very little to pick holes in with the Capra Core 4’s overall performance.

No matter what trail I pointed it down, it handled it with ease.

Even on tamer trail-centre runs or smooth jump lines, the Capra doesn’t disappoint.

Despite the weighty, tough tyres and masses of travel, it’s still a fun, engaging bike to ride. It’ll pop off lips and is more than happy being thrown sideways in the air.

Pump it through rollers or smash it along undulating hillsides and it just deals with it, all the while keeping a smile on your face.

There’s an argument to be had that making the dimensions more extreme could benefit the ride quality even more. And to some extent, that may well be true. But go too far in one direction and there’s a chance you’ll lose the Capra’s incredible all-rounder quality.

That's exactly what cemented its position in this test – it's a seriously capable enduro bike that can handle any trail and do so in a fun but controlled manner.

How does the YT Capra 29 Core 4 compare?

In terms of all-rounders, it’s probably worth comparing the YT Capra Core 4 to the Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29.

Like the Capra, the ONE77 doesn’t have the most radical numbers, but it’s still a very versatile, big-travel bike with some great kit on for the money. It’s also a full 29er.

The Capra’s kit arguably trumps that of the Cube, although the ONE77’s Hayes brakes outperformed the SRAM Code RSCs found on the YT, especially in wet weather.

Uphill, the Cube’s taut frame and low weight make it pretty speedy and probably easier to tick off the metres on than the YT.

It’s very fun and flickable when descending. But when things get really rowdy and rough, the ONE77 doesn’t offer the same level of stability or comfort, especially on longer descents.

The ONE77 is a great bike at a really good price, but it doesn’t feel as robust or capable on more serious tracks.

YT Capra 29 Core 4 bottom line

When push came to shove, the YT Capra Core 4 had the edge over the other seven bikes in this test, quietly disposing of track after track with a calmness and pace that few could rival, no matter the type of terrain.

Even if you’re not riding the wildest trails going, the Capra provides enough support and agility to ensure the fun factor doesn’t ever fizzle out.

While this was a top-three Bike of the Year contender last year, the spec changes for 2024 have helped the Capra Core 4 clinch the top honours this time round.