Review: YT Jeffsy Core 2

In a sea of hyper-specific super bikes, often with five-figure price tags, the new YT Jeffsy stands out by taking a less-complicated approach. It’s a trail bike that, quite simply, wants to make every ride better.

The new Jeffsy is, like earlier versions, a 29″-wheel trail bike. The Core 2 features an alloy frame with 145 mm of rear-wheel travel and a 150-mm fork. The geometry is slightly updated, longer and a little slacker, though not so much so that the bike becomes cumbersome and slow cruising down more relaxed grades, which puts the third-generation Jeffsy in a good all-rounder position. The company tweaked the suspension to make it more progressive, and added improved pedalling and bottom-out performance. There are also two chainstay lengths now, one for XL and XXL and a shorter one for S-L. This design goes a long way to making the Jeffsy one of the best-balanced and easiest-to-ride bikes I’ve swung a leg over in a while.

Jeffsy Core 2 has a Fox 36 Performance fork

SRAM GX Eagle mechanical drivetrain helps keep costs down and keeps the Jeffsy running consistently for a long time

Fox Float X Performance shock

High / Low flip-chip gives the Jeffsy some adjustability

Cables and plenty of gearing range

DT Swiss M1900 wheels aren't light, but they're tough

DT Swiss 370 hubs alre also tough, without being pricy

YT supplies its own Postman dropper post, which was impressivel reliable, and not just for a price conscious option

SRAM Code R brakes aren't amazing, but they're fine

YT Jeffsy Core 2 XL in a very nice blue.

That is all a lot of words to say that the Jeffsy is naturally suited to a wide range of trails. It’s also easy to set up. There’s no adjusting to new tech or experimental geometry or wasting time struggling to dial everything in. One flip-chip (for high/low settings) makes a straightforward adjustment to geometry, if you choose, but is designed around the low setting. With Fox’s user-friendly and capable Performance series suspension, the Jeffsy is one of the easiest bikes to get comfortable on.

Easy to get on with doesn’t mean Jeffsy is limited, either. I found myself looking at lines I usually avoid or think twice about, and steering toward little side-hits I’d usually roll by. Really, the only places the Jeffsy and Fox combo felt out of sorts was on long, extended sections of relentless roots and rocks and very steep tracks. In the latter case, Jeffsy lost the confidence and poise it otherwise maintained so well, putting more demand on teh Fox 36 Performance than it felt like that fork could manage.  But, generally, as long as I had half a second to recover—that is, a section of dirt in between groups of roots and rocks—Jeffsy regained composure quickly and was ready for more.

Compared with the carbon-fibre Jeffsy models, the Core 2’s alloy frame loses an in-frame storage compartment and adds a little weight. That makes it slightly less efficient under hard climbing accelerations and standing efforts. But it is still comfortable enough on the climbs that I rarely thought twice about turning up for another lap. More important, every component on the Core 2—from the GX Eagle drivetrain to Fox Performance suspension and DT Swiss M1900 wheels and Maxxis tires—stems from YT’s focus on function and durability. Even YT’s own Postman dropper post proved bomb-proof over many months of testing. It may not be as flashy as some bikes, but the Core 2 will be fun to ride for a long time.

There are many ways to measure the quality of a bike. With Jeffsy, YT’s success comes from keeping it simple. The alloy frame elicits smiles on the trail at a rate that proves you don’t need to spend a small fortune to get a really good bike. There’s no fancy electronics but, strictly on performance, Jeffsy competes with bikes twice its price. Jeffsy is good value, yes, but it’s not just a good bike for the value. It’s just a good bike.

YT Jeffsy Core 2

Components SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain with 10–52 tooth GX Eagle cassette, four-piston SRAM Code R Trail brakes, YT Postman V2 dropper post (125-mm small, 150-mm medium, 170-mm large, 200-mm XL, 230-mm XXL), Renthal AL2014 bar (780 mm) Renthal aluminum stem (50 mm)
Suspension Fox 36 Float Performance fork with 150 mm of travel, Fox Float X Performance shock with 145 mm of travel
Wheels DT Swiss M1900, 29″ Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR II tires
Sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
Price $4,599
Website ca.yt-industries.com