Park bike or racing machine? The 2025 YT TUES MK4 has already secured several World Cup titles over the years and also has the potential to become a favorite among park rats thanks to its countless adjustment options. How fast and fun is the new YT TUES compared to the hottest DH bikes of the year?
16.1 kg in size L | 29″ | € 5,999 | Manufacturer’s website
While increasingly more manufacturers of the DH World Cup are switching to exotic rear suspension designs and high-pivot layouts, YT remain grounded with their new TUES. The German team focuses on evolution and versatility, sticking with the familiar-looking four-bar linkage and a deeply-integrated shock. The YT TUES is available in five frame sizes and allows you to fine-tune the geometry with three different flip chips to suit your preferences and riding style.
Tipping the scales at 16.1 kg, the YT TUES MK4 is one of the lightest bikes in our test field, and, like most of its competitors, generates 203/200 mm of travel at the front and rear. At € 5,999, it’s also the second most affordable contestant, and that’s despite being the flagship model in the TUES range – which is not surprising at all for the German direct-to-consumer brand.
Find an overview of this comparison test here: The Best Downhill Bike 2024 – Six exciting DH bikes in a comparison test
Specs and details of the 2025 YT TUES
The YT TUES MK4 relies on a discrete design language and yet impresses with its sleek, organic frame shapes and elegant pearl-white paint finish, which makes it one of the most stylish bikes in this test. Shifting is taken care of by a SRAM X0 DH 1×7 drivetrain, while TRP DH-R Evo brakes do stopping duties. The brakes are paired with massive 220 mm rotors front and rear – the biggest rear rotor in the entire test field! This setup prevents brake fade on long, tortuous descents. However, during this test, we found that the brakes deliver relatively little braking torque, requiring stronger fingers than other brakes.
The cables are neatly routed internally and disappear into the frame just behind the headset. A generously sized chainstay protector prevents chain slap and paint chips, ensuring a quiet ride on the trail. Given the aggressive riding style the TUES was designed for, YT also rely on extensive frame protection: a big TPU plate shields the downtube and bottom bracket against stray rocks and nasty impacts, while both the seat and chainstays are covered with protective tape. However, the latter didn’t hold up well over time, and started peeling off after just 15 days at the bike park on our test bike.
The TUES comes equipped with a bash guard and chain guide combo, which prevents the chainring from getting damaged and the chain from falling off. Bump stops on the frame prevent the dual-crown FOX 40 Factory fork from damaging the carbon frame in the event of a crash. The fork relies on a GRIP2 damper and is paired with a FOX DHX2 coil shock. Both offer countless adjustment options and deliver a tremendous performance on the trail. However, the shock comes standard with a predetermined spring rate for each frame size, and this can’t be freely configured when buying the bike.
The Crankbrothers Synthesis DH alloy wheelset is pretty robust but we had to tighten the spokes several times over the extensive testing period – and a few dents appeared in the rims too. The wheels are paired with MAXXIS ASSEGAI tires in the robust DH casing and super-soft MaxxGrip compound front and rear. The tires generate top traction, but the soft compound wears out quickly on the rear wheel. Park rats who don’t care about top traction should switch to the more durable MaxxTerra or even DualCompound once the rear tire is worn out.
YT TUES MK4 CORE4
€ 5,999
Specifications
Fork FOX 40 Factory GRIP2 203 mm
Rear Shock FOX DHX2 200 mm
Brakes TRP DH-R EVO 220/220 mm
Drivetrain SRAM X0 DH 1x7
Stem Renthal 50 mm
Handlebar Renthal FatBar Alloy 800 mm
Wheelset Crankbrothers Synthesis DH Alloy 29"
Tires MAXXIS ASSEGAI, MaxxGrip, DH Casing/MAXXIS ASSEGAI, MaxxGrip, DH Casing 2.5/2.5
Technical Data
Size S M L XL XXL
Weight 16.1 kg
Specific Features
Chainstay length
BB height
Wheelsize
Tuning tip: None
The geometry of the 2025 YT TUES
YT offer the widest range of frame sizes in this group test, delivering the TUES in a total of five sizes, S to XXL. Reach grows from 430 mm to 510 mm in 20 mm increments. The finely staggered sizing makes it easy for smaller riders to find their perfect fit, ensuring that everyone gets a suitable frame. Additionally, the YT TUES features three flip-chips, which enable different wheel size configurations and countless geometry settings,thus allowing you to fine-tune the bike to suit your specific requirements.
First off: to change the wheel size configuration, you’ll have to rotate the flip-chip in the shock mount and swap the linkages on the left and right sides. While this isn’t something that can’t be done quickly at the trailside or in a car park, with a bit of practice it becomes an easy task that only takes a few minutes. Frame sizes S and M come standard as a mullet bike, while sizes L through XXL roll out of the factory as full 29ers–though there’s no option to choose your setup at the time of purchase.
Second: the chainstay length can also be adjusted using a flip-chip in the rear dropout, whether you’re running the bike as a mullet or a 29er. The cool part is that all you need to do is rotate the rear brake adapter– no additional parts required! The bike comes standard in the “long” setting, which is 5 mm longer than the “short” setting. Moreover, the chainstay length grows with the frame size: 444 mm in S and M, 446 mm in L, 456 mm in and XL and XXL. This is meant to ensure consistent handling across all sizes while allowing you to choose your bike based on your personal preferences – very practical!
Third: the bottom bracket height can be adjusted via a flip-chip in the lower shock mount, which comes standard in the “high” setting and changes the bottom bracket drop by 5 mm, from 25 mm to 30 mm. At the same time, it slackens the head angle by 0.3° slacker and shortens the reach by 4 mm. This adjustment lowers your position on the TUES, providing an added sense of security, especially on steep descents. We tested the YT TUES in the “high” setting with long chainstays and 29er wheels.
The geometry of the YT Tues in the high setting with long chainstays.
| Size | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheel Configuration | MX | MX | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Top Tube | 579 mm | 602 mm | 624 mm | 646 mm | 668 mm |
| Seat Tube | 390 mm | 390 mm | 420 mm | 420 mm | 510 mm |
| Head Tube | 100 mm | 105 mm | 110 mm | 115 mm | 120 mm |
| Head Angle | 63.2° | 63.2° | 63.2° | 63.2° | 63.2° |
| Seat Angle | 76.7° | 76.6° | 76.5° | 76.4° | 76.3° |
| BB Drop | 25 mm | 25 mm | 25 mm | 25 mm | 25 mm |
| Chainstays | 443 mm | 443 mm | 445 mm | 455 mm | 455 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1230 mm | 1252 mm | 1276 mm | 1309 mm | 1331 mm |
| Reach | 430 mm | 450 mm | 470 mm | 490 mm | 510 mm |
| Stack | 633 mm | 637 mm | 642 mm | 646 mm | 651 mm |
The 2025 YT TUES on the trail
But enough with the tech talk, let’s hit the trails! The TUES makes you feel at ease from the get go. The rear suspension provides good support and plenty of pop, allowing you to pump hard through rollers and berms. This makes the TUES a good companion for big freeride lines with massive berms and big jumps. However, the suspension of the YT doesn’t generate as much speed as the GIANT and Pivot.
The YT TUES is highly versatile and perfectly customizable to suit your personal preferences.
The suspension of the YT TUES packs a punch and handles anything you throw at it with ease. It does exactly what it’s supposed to, in a pleasantly unspectacular way. It has enough end
progression for big hits at the same time working sensitively at the beginning of the stroke. This ensures plenty of traction and control on nasty root carpets and prevents your ankles from exploding with harsh huck-to-flats. However, with fast, consecutive hits, the rear suspension tends to stiffen slightly, which results in a slight loss of traction. In this regard, the Santa Cruz V10 and Pivot Phoenix have a slight edge.
Balance, baby! The TUES impresses with great stability in fast sections, yet still navigates tight corners with ease. For even more agility and fun on leisurely bike park missions, we recommend switching to the mullet setup, which increases the fun factor and provides more room for movement towards the rear. Overall, the YT TUES has excellent all-round qualities and delivers solid, no-nonsense downhill performance. It’s easy to control in all situations and responds predictably, though it doesn’t shine in any area in particular. Nevertheless, it performs very well across the board and won’t hold you back on the trail. In short: simply awesome, without the wow factor.
This also became evident in the timing results, where the YT TUES consistently ranked among the top 3 fastest bikes across all testers, with just a 0.3-second gap to the fastest time. So, despite the slightly unspectacular ride feel, the YT proves it can still deliver blazing fast times on the trail.
With its strong suspension and numerous adjustment options, the YT TUES appeals to a wide range of riders — from park rats to ambitious racers.
Who should take a closer look at the 2025 YT TUES?
Fast times, confident handling, strong suspension, and versatile adjustment options – the YT TUES proves to be a well-rounded bike! It appeals to a wide range of riders: whether you’re a park rat, occasional shredder, ambitious amateur, or even a pro racer, in the right configuration it’s an excellent choice for all types of riders,even though it doesn’t particularly excel in any particular area. With its attractive price, it’s especially tempting for those looking for a high-performance bike that can handle all riding situations without breaking the bank.
Conclusions about the 2025 YT TUES
Even though the YT TUES isn’t a revolutionary upgrade compared to its predecessor, it’s still a sleek bike that performs impressively on the trail. It can be perfectly tuned to your individual preferences and works well as both a park and race bike. While it may not deliver any wow moments on the trail, the YT TUES excels with its strong suspension, confident handling, and good balance, making it an attractive option for a wide range of riders.
Tops
- Very good all-round qualities
- Suspension with strong support
- High variability
- Fair price
Flops
- Unremarkable ride feel
More information can be found on the YT website.
The test field
Find an overview of this comparison test here: The Best Downhill Bike 2024 – Six exciting DH bikes in a comparison test
All bikes in the test: GIANT Glory Advanced (Click for review) | Pivot Phoenix V5 (Click for review) | RAAW Yalla! (Click for review) | ROSE Scrub DC 3 (Click for review) | Santa Cruz V10 DH X01 (Click for review) | YT TUES MK4 CORE4
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Words: Simon Kohler Photos: Peter Walker
