It's bike forges like these that make the bike industry so special. Ruben Torenbeek founded his label in the Allgäu region in 2016. The one-man show has now grown into a bike brand with eight employees, three bike models, a dedicated fan base and a cool image. Because the Raaw philosophy is well received. Longevity and ease of maintenance are very important to Raaw. You can see this in all Raaw bikes: external cable routing, large bearings, aluminium frame material. This also applies to the Raaw Yalla downhill bike.
Raaw Yalla: advantages and disadvantages
The Yalla big bike is only available as a frame kit, but Raaw boss Ruben has personally "test-ready" the downhiller for us. The frame has numerous adjustment options: Rear triangle progression, chainstay length (+/-5 millimetres), head angle (62°-64° degrees) etc. However, optional brackets are required for this (from 45 euros).
Raaw delivers the bikes in the recommended centre position. Despite the maximum reach, the riding position is rather compact. The jumps at the start of our test track were a lot of fun with the poppy suspension. On descents, the geometry provides a lot of security. The suspension reacts in a sporty, lively manner - pushing and maintaining speed is excellent with the Yalla. However, when things get fast and furious, the rear end reacts tightly, passes on hits and requires precise line selection and a lot of physical effort. Even when we turned the compression damping all the way out, the bike retained this character. Despite the XXL chainstays, the bike is surprisingly lively around corners. However, manual fans will have to tug hard on the handlebars.
Conclusion on the Downhill bike Raaw Yalla
The Raaw Yalla has a feel-good geo - great! We weren't entirely convinced by the suspension. It is rather stiff and requires precise line choice and a lot of fitness on rough DH terrain.
The Yalla can do everything well, but nothing brilliant. Although I like hard race setups, the rear end was too firm for me - the shock seemed over-damped. I really liked the geometry. - Stefan Garlicki (height: 1.84 m)
The Raaw Yalla (29 inch) in detail
Manufacturer information
- Distribution: Raaw Mountainbikes GmbH
- Material: Aluminium
- Sizes: M, L, XL (test size greased)
- Weight without pedals: 16.5 kg
- Price: from 2990 Euro (frame)
Measured values
- Front / rear suspension travel: 200 mm / 200 mm
- rear suspension system: Four-bar linkage
Equipment
- Fork / damper: Fox 40 Float Factory / Fox DHX2 Factory Coil (400 lbs)
- Cranks / gears: Sram X0 Carbon DH / Sram X0 DH
- Brake system: Shimano XT
- Impellers: Newmen Evolution SL E.G. 30 system wheelset
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip TR DD 2.5, Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxGrip TR DD 2.4
Strengths and weaknesses of the big bike
- Plus: Geo, durability of bearings etc., adjustability
- Weaknesses: Frame kit only, rigid chassis
Sheet music for Raaw Yalla
- Park: 5 from 6
- Race: 3 from 6
- Overall grade: 8,0
