Posted by: spotter
I'm currently still on a Trek Scratch Air 9 from 2011 and this exact bike is on my short list. I'm just a hair shy of 6' so I would assume large would suit me as well... I had a couple questions for you;
Is this your "one bike?" Do you plan on riding park at all with it? I'm from Vancouver and live in Germany and would be visiting bikeparks from time to time (riding everything from jump lines and flow trails to DH tracks, excluding big gaps/drops)
More importantly how is the chainring clearance? A lot of the riding over here has done a number on my bashplate due to some exposed stone and undroppable root lines and the lack of ISCG mounts for a bashguard concerns me.
I'm leaning more toward a Capra but the Alpine climbs (steep and unrelenting) really make the weight of the Jeffsy attractive.
Edit: Ah, and how is the Turbine dropper so far? I've heard some not-so-good stuff...
Not sure if I mentioned it in this thread but I actually came off a 2011 Trek Scratch Air 8 ("Virtual Large" Trek sizing) to the YT Jeffsy 27 (large). I'm 5'10" with a long torso and shorter legs. The large fits me perfectly with a 35mm stem thrown on, the stock 50mm was rideable but I felt a bit stretched out. With the 35mm, I am comfortable on long seated climbs and feel like I am in the middle of the bike descending: weight on the front tire but never a feeling of going over the bars. I am honestly descending better than I was on the Trek, and I had a 180mm Fox 36 VAN R coil fork on that thing. Having a longer front centre just makes a huge difference I am finding. Rear suspension feels ages better than the Trek (Fox RP2).
I have a Norco Aurum for DH/bike park. I weigh about 210lbs before gearing up, and prefer riding rough technical stuff than jump lines. The Jeffsy might be able to handle that terrain, but I feel like I would destroy it within a day or two in Whistler. It does jump well though. If I was going to have one bike I would look more at the Capra with a Fox 36 and Float X2 + beefier wheelset, and would wait as there are rumours they will lengthen the frames for 2018.
Haven't hit the chainring yet but definitely a risk. I believe there is an e-type chainguide you can buy but dunno about bash... would be nice to have a lower taco even.
Jeffsy definitely climbs well, my bike is 29.5lbs with Race Face Atlas flats. No problems with my Turbine yet, have about 20 rides on the thing.