YT Tues Mark 4: The new big bike from YT Industries - Tues, the careerist

The first YT Tues (not everyone understood the pun "Tu es!") cost 1999 euros and caused a stir among the competition in 2010 with this dumping price. On our test track at the time, the scary downhill in Bolzano (4-person trail in Kohlern), the Tues stayed particularly cool and promptly took the test victory and the highest score of 10. A picture book debut!

YT Tues: The bargain bike for scary trails rides high on the podium

In 2012, the Tues 2.0 model was upgraded to a proper downhiller with new kinematics, a respectable weight (16.8 kg) and still at a hammer price (2499 euros). Team rider Andreu Lacondeguy rode it to 4th place at the Red Bull Rampage in the same year, and two years later the Spaniard won the super competition in Utah with the Tues.

Wait, it gets even better! Okay, freeride, check. But now the Forchheim-based company wanted to prove that their bike can also win World Cups. To this end, they produced a Tues in carbon fibre and signed up super racer Aaron Gwin. From a marketing perspective, this was a dangerous game. Why? Well, it could just as easily backfire. Because Gwin came from Specialized and was in first place, so if he finished just a little further back on the new bike, the conclusion would be obvious: the bike can't do anything (later happened with Intense). But Gwin delivered, and so did Tues. First World Cup: victory! At the end of the year he was in 1st place overall. The team from Forchheim rejoiced at this stroke of genius and showed that they can freeride, they can race. You can't achieve more as a gravity brand.

YT Tues Mark 4: Successful big bike in fourth generation

Fast forward to 2024 and the Forchheim-based company has once again had its Tues in the wringer and is now presenting the Mark 4, i.e. the fourth development stage of the successful big bike. And as always, if you want to make something good even better, there is a risk of making it worse. And? Negative. The Forchheim-based company took a similarly cautious approach to its classic in the Refitting and fine-tuning like Santa Cruz with the V10.

The facts

The carbon big bike Tues will be available in two models: The top-of-the-range Core 4 (photo) with Fox Factory suspension for € 5999 and the Core 2 with Rockshox suspension for € 3999. Both models and all sizes come with the option of all-29 tyres or MX with a small rear wheel. The geo can also be varied: Steering angle (63.2/63.5 °), bottom bracket height (+/-5 mm), chainstays (440/445 mm). Weight: from 15.9 kilos.

The first driving impression

We rode the Core 4 in size L (fitted very well, 470 mm reach, tester height: 1.78 m) and All-29 tyres. Typical for Tues: sit on it and feel good - the bike stays true to itself. Super: the handling. The Tues loves manuals, especially with a short tail. A flick of the wrists and you're surfing down into the valley on the rear wheel.

The Tues suspension felt very composed during the first rides - even on the blunt 3-metre drop on the test track, which nobody wanted to do - and rightly so! In other words: powerful suspension and yet the 2024 Tues doesn't bog down in its travel, but offers enough counter-pressure that it bounced through jumps and wagged through corners like an enduro bike. Also typical of YT: the equipment. Everything really fits down to the smallest detail.

Well, lots of praise! But individual tests are only ever meaningful to a limited extent, which is why we'll be putting the Tues into a big comparison test soon. Stay tuned!

Conclusion on the new YT Tues Mark IV

The new Tues is one of the best big bikes on the market, that much is certain even after an individual test. Super: the wide range of use. The bike is fast, potent and yet very free-riding. Top! - Dimitri Lehner, FREERIDE Magazine