Markus Flossman, CEO of YT Industries, is one of the most striking personalities in the bicycle business. Former bodybuilder, lover of fast cars and talented marketer. Flossman is particularly well known for his innovative marketing campaigns. The slogan "I hate Jeffsy", which YT used to advertise its trail bike months before it was launched and sparked curiosity and amazement in the scene, was a real marketing success. Flossmann has also developed a penchant for producing elaborate video trailers for new models. He even hired Hollywood stars such as Christopher Walken for this. No one in the industry had ever dared to do anything like this before.
The facts about the Jeffsy Uncaged 14
- Frame: Ultra Modulus Carbon
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Fork: Öhlins RXF36 m2 Air 150 mm
- Shock absorber: Öhlins TTX2 Air
- Gear system: Shimano XT 12 x 10-51
- Wheels: Crankbrothers Synthesis Enduro
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR II 29'' x 2.5/2.4
- Brakes: Purple Hayes Dominion A4 203 mm
- Telescopic post: YT Postman V2 (125/150/170/200 mm)
- Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Weight: 15.1 kilos (manufacturer's specification, size S, without pedals)
- Price: 4999 Euro
For YT Jeffsy Uncaged 14, Flossmann has once again produced a clever film clip called "The power of friendship". The main character is the superhero "Jeffsy" (who even looks a bit like his creator). The highlight: buyers of the Uncaged 14 receive the superhero figure with their bike. The story behind the creation of this colourful special model also fits in with the marketing experts from Forchheim. According to them, the Jeffsy Uncaged 14 was originally intended to be a custom build for Markus Flossmann himself. However, the staff were apparently so enthusiastic about the design and construction that the bike went into series production as a special model.
The frame of the YT Jeffsy: not just gaudy
Visually, the YT Jeffsy Uncaged 14 is undoubtedly an eye-catcher. But the inner values are also impressive. The 29-inch frame is made of lightweight Ultra Modulus carbon fibre, which is also used in the top-of-the-range CORE 5 model. The World Cup-proven V4L rear triangle provides 145 millimetres of suspension travel and the chainstays grow with the frame size (437 mm for S-L / 442 mm for XL-XXL). The Öhlins fork delivers 150 mm of travel, the steering angle is moderate at 65 degrees and the effective seat tube angle is a climb-friendly 77 degrees in all sizes. The YT STASH down tube storage compartment offers space for tools, snacks and more in the supplied neoprene STASH bags and has a weatherproof storage compartment lid with locking lever.
The equipment: very special
The Uncaged 14 is equipped with a racing-inspired Öhlins suspension package, including the TTX18-equipped RXF36 M.2 fork, which has a triple air chamber. This allows the initial and final bump stops to be tuned with a damper pump instead of tokens. The TTX2 damper features size-specific tuning to ensure a consistent ride feel across the range, while the high & low-speed compression tuning offers maximum adjustability.
The 5DEV R-SPEC cranks, manufactured in San Diego, California, from 7050 aluminium, drive a mechanical 12-speed Shimano XT drivetrain. The Industry Nine 1/1 hubs, the Title ST1 stem and the limited edition "Purple Hayes" Dominion A4 brakes are anodised purple. The build is completed by Crankbrothers Synthesis Enduro rims, a Title AH1 Rise Bar in silver and a Postman V2 dropper seatpost.
The geometry of the YT Jeffsy Uncaged 14
Nothing new in terms of geometry, as the Forchheim-based company already had adapted to modern times only nine months ago. Compared to the original Jeffsy, the reach in size L has increased from 469 to 475 millimetres. The head angle was slackened by a whole degree and now measures 65 degrees. This longer, slacker treatment was particularly effective downhill and gave the YT Jeffsy noticeably more confidence at high speeds. Nevertheless, the bike remains free of extremes and maintains the distance to even more downhill enduro bikes.
Another unique selling point of the YT Jeffsy is its size-specific chainstays. According to the manufacturer, these measure 437 millimetres in sizes S, M and L and 442 millimetres in frame sizes XL and XXL. The seat angle, on the other hand, does not change with increasing frame size and measures 77 degrees in all sizes with a normal saddle extension. This means that bikers of all sizes can enjoy a perfectly balanced geometry. Also good: a flip chip on the shock mount allows the geometry to be minimally altered. The bike comes from the factory in the low setting. If you turn the small component by 180 degrees, the bottom bracket rises by eight millimetres and both the steering angle and the seat angle become 0.6 degrees steeper. This setting is particularly suitable for bikers who want to sacrifice some of the smoothness in favour of more agile handling.
Josh Welz
Editor-in-Chief
