Submitted by
coconuthugger
a Cross Country Rider
from Klamath falls,Oregon
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2008
Strengths: This bike in my opinion is a climbers dream.I climb around 6000 ft, a week on it.
Weaknesses: None that I can think of,and I really thought about it,I notice on the reviews left in the past people complaining about it being a softtail,well all you do is tighten it on the allen boltand its a hard tail,And it blows me away some of the complaints were almost like they bought a bike that they did not know much about it,seems kinda of stupid or there's a bunch of rich people out there I mean were talking about a frame that costs 2875.00 new with no fork???
Bottom Line:
I never even feel the softtail I do not know what the other peps are talking about,But then again I have a crosscountry build,and the bike is designed for guys under 170lbs.If your a big guy get the scott ransom sl.
Moots customer service is the best you can for a reasonable fee have your frame sent to them and they will overhaul it and take out any blemishes on the ti finish.
Do you think good ole Mike Sinyard Ceo/founder of Specialized would do that for you??
Similar Products Used: Klein,adroit.
Kona ,sex one.
Klein,attitude.
klein ,rascal.
bianchi,fg lite.{road}
Bike Setup: full 2008 xtr,Mavic crossmax slr.fox 100 rlc.Moots stem,Moots seat post,Syntec carbon riser bar.
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Submitted by
Sgltrak
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2007
Strengths: Light, great workmanship, ease of maintenance, simple idea
Weaknesses: Rear end feels a bit whippy. Rear end bobbing while pedaling on flats.
Bottom Line:
I wanted one of these from the first time I saw them at Interbike around 1988 or 1989. Coming from rigid bikes, the soft tail makes long days on the trail less brutal. I like a light bike and this is that bike, without the harshness of a hard tail. Great XC race bike and also good for endurance riders.
However, my other bikes are all Prestige steel frames, and they feel a bit snappier and seem to corner better. The rear end on this bike seems to feel a bit loose in the corners. Also, on a long flat fire road or paved road, I get quite a bit of bob in back.
Overall, I really like the bike and think the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Similar Products Used: Bridgestone MB-1, Paramount Team, Marin Team
Bike Setup: 1997 YBB Superlight Frame
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Submitted by
James Hemphill
a Cross Country Rider
from Silver City NM
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2006
Strengths: Simple design that is maintance free for the most part. Smooth ride!, and a good technical climber.
Weaknesses: lots of noticable bob in the rear end on smoother trails and roads.
Bottom Line:
When I got the bike I was wanting the miricale frame, somthing that was as light as a hardtail, excellerated like a hardtail, but was not as harsh as one on the trail. Well I was able to knock out two of those demands with this bike. It is light for how I have it built up, and it is nice a smooth over the trails. Long 20-30 mile rides on rough trails are much more enjoyable than with a HT. But this is my problem with the bike. The rear end bobs alot. I cannot keep a fast spin on a road, gravel or pavement to save my life. The rear end bounces me around. I think I have a pretty good spin, I never had much of a problem with my ventana, and I can ride the rollers no handed on my road bike. Most of my rides start out with a few miles of pave until I get to the trail, so this problem is annoying. On the trail the bobbing isnt very noticable, but the bike feels sluggish compared to a HT. So all that being said, I still think it is a great bike, but I wouldnt really want to race it. I think this bike belongs on long trail rides. I guess there is no perfect bike! James
Strengths: Lightweight, very responsive, climbs like a goat, incredible craftsmanship, much much more
Weaknesses: It took a little while getting used to a slightly looser rear end, kinda flexy, (I came off of a Specialized Stump Pro).
Bottom Line:
Okay, I know, I have only owned the bike for less than a year but, I have put over 1k mountain miles on her. I am a 150 XC racer who has been converted from Aluminum to Ti. Absolutely love it with authority! The bike climbs like a champ. I can stay seated much longer by not getting bounced out of the saddle. The perfect XC machine. If you want a frame that climbs like a hardtail, is responsive in the technical singletrack, and want customer service that exceeds the competition.....than the Moots is the way to go. Worth every penny.
Bike Setup: XTR, CK hubs, Bontrager rims, Sid, Syncros Ti, Mythos IRC
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Submitted by
Bruce Dance
a Cross Country Rider
from Damp, delightful, Blighty
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2002
Strengths: Light weight, unique and smooth ride, beautiful craftsmanship, won't corrode (mostly),simple and reliable.
Weaknesses: Not cheap. Potential reliability/corrosion in rear shock (see below). Very different ride to either 'conventional' full sus. or hardtail, so you'll love it (probably) or hate it (not likely).
Bottom Line:
This is a very different bike in feel from any of the above. If you are thinking of buying one, I would advise a good long test ride; if you have any doubts, I reckon they will be dispelled entirely. Having said this, on the basis of a five minute ride alone, I am sure I would not have bought this bike. Let me explain; on a visit to Los Altos, I rented a YBB-SL out for the day, so I had a good test ride (although this wasn't what I had in mind at the time). At first, the bike felt to me like it had another hinge in it somewhere. [NB- To put this into context- 25 years on road and off-road bikes has made me value and notice stiffness/responsiveness in bikes. I was long of the view that undue flex mostly robs power in sprints, climbs etc. However, I had to concede (having won a club hillclimb first time out on a (borrowed at short notice) 753 Ilkeston Team Raleigh frame) that the best, most springy materials (eg 753 steel, good Ti alloys) don't seem to rob power in the same way even though you can feel them move. As a kid I drooled and lusted after a Speedwell Ti road frame....] Anyhow, the way the YBB-SL moved at first alarmed me to such an extent that after a two mile climb I got off, and I checked the wheels, frame, QR, tyres, well, everything really. I was convinced there was something loose or broken, it felt THAT weird to me. Needless to say there was nothing especially amiss, save a little wear in the fork bushings, and maybe a bit less tension in the wheels than I would have liked. About four or five hours later I'd finished a good ride. I noticed that although I was tired, I wasn't fatigued in the same way as usual. I also noticed that the bike no longer felt weird to me, just a bit different. I can't describe this properly, but between a Ti hardtail and the YBB-SL its like the difference between running barefoot and using quality running shoes. I think that the YBB-SL may require a slight change in riding style for some people (I'm ~180lbs these days, and I ride smoother, and more in the saddle when I'm on the YBB). The day following my rental I was offered the bike I'd ridden at a good price and I bought it. It's now seen two further years of hard use and I would not part with it. Long days in hard country are possible on this bike; between the Ti saddle, the tyre, the soft-tail and the Moots Ti seatpost, there is almost 3" of movement in the back end. This makes the bike 'all-day' comfy, yet it is light, simple and thus reliable, plus the open frame design allows for easy portage where required. The latter is of course a pain in the rear end (literally) in the case of an FSR-XC or many other FS designs as there is often nowhere good to shoulder them (or fit a bottle cage...). My only worries have concerned the rear shock. This is exactly set to catch all of the rubbish coming off the back wheel. The basically reliable coil spring/elastomer arrangement can wear through being blathered in all the rubbish, plus there is a small hole in the bottom part of the assembly, which could let muck in (although mine was blocked with a penny on the inside when I got it!). I have devised and fitted a simple yet effective flexible plastic shock guard on my YBB-SL. This also reduces the risk of road-salt induced corrosion, which is a concern since there is otherwise steel, Ti and Al, all in intimate, damp contact; -not necessarily a good combination for all-weather-all-year use. All in all, the YBB is as close as I think you can get to a 'do-it-all-with-style-and-reliability' lightweight XC-biased MTB. I can and do ride other MTB's, but their speciality benefits are only ever marginal- for me, the Moots pretty well does it all. If you can afford it new, or are lucky enough (like me) to get a used one at a good price, go for it.
Similar Products Used: Specialised FSR-XC, Marin team Ti (hardtail). Ti 3/2.5 road bike.
Bike Setup: Moots YBB SL, XT, 517's, King, X-lite bar ends, Moots finishing kit t.out, custom-built Judys (special upper tubes + true rising rate coil springs + unique speed-sensitive open bath oil dampers + no flippin' knobs to twirl in vain or valves to leak = 90mm of super-plush controlled travel with no bumps and clunks + complete reliability. Which is nice. )
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Submitted by
Michael Terapane
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA, US of A
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2002
Strengths: Very Light Frame YBB Design takes the edge off big hits Quality of Workmanship; This frame is a work of art! Customer Serivce, The Moots crew were great to work with
Weaknesses: None that I have found...or heard of for that matter.
Bottom Line:
I just got my frame on friday. I spent the day building it up and rode it saturday and sunday. I absolutely love this bike, granted it is a wee bit early but I cannot find one weakness anywhere! My set-up ain't the lightest out there but boy does it work for me. This thing glides down the trails, I feel like I am riding a gazelle. I weigh around 180 or so and have this set up with the a stiff spring in back. I have not felt and flex at all in the rear end. This thing tracks as true as can be. I was a little worried about matching the 100mm marathon with this frame but it is a killer combination. I am stilling playing with the air pressures in the fork to get it dialed right but I love this combination. The guys at Moots were great in terms of customer service. Yeah it cost alot, but it is well worth it. The only down side so far, I have started rubbing a bit of the finish off where the cable housing runs along the seat tube. Just put a small piece of duck tape on the seat tube and that took care of it. But hey, big whoop!!! I'll give a more detailed review when I get some more rides in. It has been raining for two weeks in GA so been tough to hit the trails. E-mail me if you have an questions. I cannot recommend this frame any higher. Perfect for cross country riding/racing. Lidetime warranty on the frame is certainly a bonus. If you are looking for gushy travel, this is not the mount, but a fast, ride all day, explore uncharted single-track ride it is. Would be home in the twisty single track of the east as well the wide open rides of Fruita or Moab. It is a joy to own and a bigger joy to ride. A big ole 5 spankin' 5 chilis for this one.
Similar Products Used: Used to have an IF deluxe and a Ventana Marble Peak FS; sold both of those to afford this puppy!!!
Bike Setup: Moots 2002/2003 YBB, Marzocchi Marathon S 100 fork, chris king head set, Thomson seat post and stem, answer hyper lite bars, XTR shifters and brakes, XT front and rear dereilleur, truvative stylo team cranks and BB, time atac pedals, Mavic 517's CD ceramics with king rear hub and ringle super bubba front hub; flite saddle
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Submitted by
Warren Wicks
a Cross Country Rider
from Landstuhl, Germany
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2002
Strengths: Awesome ride! The YBB is built for a lifetime of enjoyment. Customer support who not only know MOOTS products, but own and ride them personally. Sore Saddle, Y'all are the best!
Weaknesses: It flexes a bit much for me in XC racing conditions. However, for normal XC riding...nothing comes close to a better ride.
Bottom Line:
A dream come true. What XC rider would not want a MOOTS YBB? This bike is sweet. Whether it is "Big ring" and fire roads or tight single track you ride, the YBB does it all with ease and style. I put in over 5000 MTB miles last year and 3/4 of them were on my YBB. I love this bike for its quality ride. It just does not get any better than this. Literally, I'm blown away each time I get back on my YBB after riding my TREK STP 400. My YBB is so smooth and comfortable in comparison to my STP. The combination of the one inch travel rear suspension and the natural flex of Ti give this bike a great ride for long hours in the saddle. This bike is built to last with its perfect welds, simplicity and low maintenance. Save up your bucks, though. They do not come cheap, but it is well worth the money spent. How I'm fortunate enough to have a bike like this I don't know, but it is truly great.
Favorite Trail: Rodalben F trail (30 mile single track loop)
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$2400.00
Purchased At: Sore Saddle Cyclery
Similar Products Used: TREK STP 400 (SID Race & Full XTR)
Bike Setup: SID Race, Next LP's, Avid Ultimate Brakes & Levers, XTR Rapid rise, Hugi 240 wheelset, Chris King, MOOTS Post, WCS Stem and Bar, Egg Beaters
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Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodstock, GA
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2002
Strengths: The build quality and Moots design and support.
Weaknesses: Buying brand new will lighten your cash stash quite a bit, but who cares all money the IRS lets you keep should go toward a bike.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a dream to ride. I have a Mootaineer and love the ride of that bike but wanted something a bit lighter. My wife has a YBB and would not shut up about how well it climbed and then one day I noticed she was about 2 gears higher than she used to be on a trail we ride a lot. This could be explained by her being fit due to the fact that she rides it all the time. That said she told me that she had been doing that from the very first ride. That and the fact that she was describing the ride to her friends as "It's like having wings under your butt" sold me. I found a used YBB S/L right here on MTBR and bought it for $1,250. The frame was very clean and had those sweet Moots welds. I think it important to note that I weigh 200lbs and am on a superlite. While there may be some flex I think it is probably more due to the fact that I am riding a 28 spoked set of wheels. Hey I like to tempt fate. Knock on wood no problems. I ride light. If you are over 180 or so I think you might be better off with the standard YBB. Again I got a deal on mine so.... This bike does climb like someone stuck a red hot chili pepper up it's ass. I find myself in the big ring so much more and the tight stuff, unless it is an overgrown trail it is not tight on this thing. I have said it before in another review, but this bike Zigs when you were thinking zag and should have been thinking zig. Make sure you get the right size!!!! there are enough of them. Not many choices for quality Ti builds out there anymore. Value rating is high as I got mine for a great price with another $200 or so added on for a factory refinish YBB rebuild this bike is brand new so call it $1,600 with shipping.
Favorite Trail: Stanley Gap/Flat Creek/Green for now
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$1250.00
Purchased At: MTBR / Used
Similar Products Used: Nothing similar as nothing comes close, but my ride impressions are compared to Moots Mootaineer, VooDoo D Jab, DeKerf SS, Santa Cruz Heckler.........
Bike Setup: Full XTR, Moots Riser bar and layback post Thomson stem, X-fly 80 (reduced to 70MM)
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Submitted by
Blake
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2002
Strengths: Ti and Gucci factor
Weaknesses: Not designed for anyone over 170lbs. this creates a front end wobble because of the lateral weakness in the frame.
Bottom Line:
This bike quite frankly is overrated and like I said is not designed for the larger rider due to the lack of lateral stiffness in the rear triangle. This bike "swishes" on high speed county/fire roads. There are many more and better designs out there that I would recommend over the Moots. IBIS for instance or the Sugars to name just a couple.
Strengths: The ride! The ybb is a work of art on and off the trail. It smoooothes out the rought stuff and allows for more traction while climbing and decending. It will do what ever you ask of it and wont get sassy with you. I have ridden many ti bikes but by far this is the sweetest ridding bike out there. With that angery inch of travel the bike allows the ridder to stay in the saddel longer and use less energy.
Weaknesses: none! Ok well maybe the coin you need to own one.(Its worth every penny. (even worth not owning a car to afford one)
Bottom Line:
A bike you will pay alot of coin for but will own for life! The ultimate mountain machine. I work in a shop and have been doing so for many years. I have been lucky enought to ride and own some nice bikes. This is the 3rd season on the moots witch is amazing I normaly get sick of a bike after a season and get somthing else, until I met her I mean found the ybb. The bike and the ride can not be expressed with words. You need to throw a leg over the PERFECT MTB and ride away until the sun sets. This bike is perfect for thoose who are looking for a bike that can climb as well as decend. tellapathic handiling and a paint job that wont chip, what more could you ask for?
Favorite Trail: Any thing single track and longer than 3 hours.
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Purchased At: WILD ROSE (SLC)
Similar Products Used: Dekerf team st (Failed in 3 months)Plus many other a Ti frames; Kona,Titus,& VooDoo.
Bike Setup: Dee-Lux XTR\sid\mavic\moots stem & post.(21.5 sturdy lbs)
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Submitted by
Tom Hirschman
a Weekend Warrior
from Albuquerque, NM, USA
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2001
Strengths: Light, simple, clean, strong, quiet, stiff, incredable welds, drop outs, work of art. If you can pedal it, it will climb it.
Weaknesses: You get what you paid for! Owned two ybb's and have spent over 4 years trying to find a weakness... still looking.
Bottom Line:
Moots makes one of the finest frames in the world. I have spent literally thousands of amazing miles on two different YBB's. It is a maintenence free hot rod. Having a YBB in the garage will force you to ride. You will not be able to resist throwing a leg over the rolling work of art. Your friends will envy you untill they break down and buy their own YBB. My friends now own them. (Mine is still faster).
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the YBB is the ride. The ride is second to none... OOPS until last week. I went in to buy a 2001 YBB and came out with an Ibis Silk TI. The Silk Ti seems to be an exact copy of the YBB with two exceptions. Plated chainstayes and a different shock. It provides a stiffer ride with an extra inch of travel. 1&3/4" total. I still can hardley believe it, A ride better than the YBB. Most amazing bike I have ever ridden.
Favorite Trail: Up Barts trail, across Sandia Peak's Crest Trail and then down the La Luz.
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Purchased At: Fat Tire Cycles
Similar Products Used: Merlin, old school YBB, and Schwinn Homegrown (because I had to)
Bike Setup: xtr, sid.
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Submitted by
Martin Kreutzer
a Cross Country Rider
from Denmark
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2000
Strengths: Light weight, great looks and durable. Superb craftmanship. The guys at Moots have SOUL and I´m the only one who ownes a Moots in Denmark. YBB climbs like a mountaingoat. Rear suspension just takes the edge out of hits and ensures perfect traction uphill.
Weaknesses: None, so far, but compared to a hardtail the rear end suspension needs a bit maintainance. Difficult to get a Moots in Denmark
Bottom Line:
This is a dream comming true. I never believed that I would become the owner of a Moots but a year ago I realised my dream. This is a thing I will never regret ´cause this bike has it all: Soul, prestige, perfect craftmanship, it gives me a perfect ride and lots of fun. I would by a new one anytime, if neccesary, but for now I´m happy that I don´t have to find the enormous amount of mony!
Similar Products Used: Dekerf hardtail (great bike!), C´Dale Raven 2000, Gary Fisher Sugar, Full Dynamix Team, S-Works and many others
Bike Setup: Moots YBB Superlight 17.5" with Manitou SX Carbon ´99, Sram 9.0 SL, Avid Mag 40 brakes, XT cranks, Time pedals, Moots seatpost, Syntace stem and handlebar, Crossmax UST Tubeless w. Michelin Wildgripper tires, Flite seat
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Submitted by
Shawn Sr
a Cross Country Rider
from Southern Calif
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2000
Strengths: Superb craftsmanship, feels like a hardtail that's more comfy, not everyone has one. Can't list all the stengths could go on for hours.
Weaknesses: Price. What bike is worth $5000.00 ? I admit I'm a bike freak and have spent the money, but I'm gonna be in to this bike for close to $5500 when I get all the overpriced goodies, and I bought the frame used.
Bottom Line:
This bike is far and away the best bike I'd ever ridden. I'm basicly a hardtail purest that has never ridden a full suspension bike I liked. Full suspension to Me feels like wearing a condom durring sex. I struck interest in soft tails after reading an artical in a Magizine 2 years ago. These days pretty much any of the Ti soft tails offer a good ride. I prefered the Moots over all the others. Bicycle John's in Burbank Calif has all the hot Ti bikes in stock. Thanks the John I was able to make a Desision on which one is for Me. The two things that made the Moots stand out from the others was the Hardtail like ride and the Supirior Craftsmanship. I diddent thinks welds could be as clean as on the Moots. This bike is an effciant climber and a good desender. I took a gamble running a 100mm fork but it seems to have been a good match. I won't tell you to just go out and buy this bike because it's expensive. I justifey the purchese with the fact that riding My bike is My favorite pasttime. This bike begs to be ridden long and hard. Moots really has the soft tail concept dialed and it shows in the ride. I don't think the perfect welds do much for the ride but they are tell tale signs of uncompromising quality. This frame is not ment to be something for everybody, it's ment to be everything to someone. If you have a 4 plus grand buget to build a bike and like good long trail rides, this bike will not disapoint. I love this bike and would get it again if I had to. Ten flaming chilis for this Titanium Masterpiece.
Similar Products Used: In My search for the perfect cross country frame I've ridden: Dean Duke, Light Speed Tasali and Unicoil, Ibis Silk Ti, and lots of steel and Ti hard tails. Previous bike was a 98 Stumpjumper Pro.
Bike Setup: YBBeat frame, Moots layback post, Marzocchi Z1 X-FLY, Brooks Swift saddle, 8 spd XT/XTR drive train.
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Submitted by
Gregg
a Cross Country Rider
from minneapolis, MN
17.5 inch YYB frame weighs 4.2 lbs (1998 model). An alum hardtail w/ susp seatpost weighs a little more and gives more travel and has more lateral stiffness. I LOVE THIS YBB. I can not imagine riding another bike. Do not compare it to a full suspension bike. Compare it to hardtails w/ or w/o seatpost susp. The 1 inch travel is enough to keep me seated over the little bumps which help endurance. Great traction during climbs due to the active travel. Absorbs small bumps on decent. I'm 38 and my spine does not hurt anymore. I can not tell if the lateral stiffness is hindering me on climbs. TI is real durable in crashes. MOOTS is THEE standard in craftsmanship. Is it worth the $2500?...of course not, but I'd buy it again if I needed too. The rear spring & elastomer setup is fine. You'll feel a little pogo-ing on some rolling bumps.
Similar Products Used: Alum frame hardtail with suspension seatpost.
Bike Setup: XT, Marz Z2, lightweight wheel set, and TI seat post and seat. 24lbs bike.
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Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs CO
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2000
Bottom Line:
I bought my YBB in the late summer of '99, after about 10 years of riding Fishers, which I was in love with. THIS BIKE ROCKS! I rode it for about a month and a half, then took it to my 3rd annual 24 hours of Moab, where I did 4 grueling laps. If I wouldn't have had my YBB I DEFINITELY would have suffered greatly. Yeah, I was whipped at the end, but if needed I could have ridden another lap for my team. Never in the previous years have I said that. This alone should be testament enough, but I also think that I have become a better technical rider because of the compliant nature of the frame, and can go on longer rides because of it. I used to use a suspension post with my Fishers, and the YBB is WAAAAAY smoother than even the best post out there. I can hardly believe that a bike can make you a better rider, usually I said it didn't matter what you rode, but in the case of my YBB, it did. Do yourself a favor, cough up the dough and GET A YBB!!!
Well, after 11 years or so on the trails, I have managed to tweak the derailleur hanger on my Ybbeat. Kind of a freak deal, did a partial endo, rear wheel got up off the ground ab Read More »
