Just this morning we got word of a chance to win a 29er Jeffsy in a Bike for a Buck charity fundraiser, and now we learn that Jeffsy is already getting a little brother. YT Industries only unveiled their updated 2017 line-up last month, and they’re already adding to it with a new smaller-wheeled trail bike that steps up the travel for a more playful ride. The new 150 or 160mm Jeffsy 27 is the second all-mountain offering for the company, who also build the downhill bike that Aaron Gwin rode to a dominating performances in last year’s UCI DH World Cup. And like its bigger wheeled and longer travel brethren, the Jeffsy 27 is built for aggressive trail riding. Jeffsy is not only an expensive carbon offering either, YT is debuting the new 27.5″ bike in both carbon & aluminum framesets and six different build kits to satisfy a range of budgets. Check it all out, plus sweet Squamish riding…
The Jeffsy family sits firmly in the all-mountain segment, but YT wanted to build a bike that was more agile and aggressive to step up even to enduro riding. It’s all about riding choices. The new 27.5″ wheeled Jeffsy is available with 160mm of travel for the top-end CF Pro Race to transition into lightweight enduro racing, while 150mm of travel suits the rest of the line-up for all-around trail riding. Compare that to the bigger 29er wheels and 140mm of travel for the original Jeffsy 29. Pick a bike that suits how you ride.
YT already has an enduro bike in their 170mm Capra family, so even with the bump up in travel the Jeffsy 27 is targeted more at that type of riding and racing that pairs more pedaling sections with the gravity fueled descents. YT’s team rider Bryan Regnier specifically plans to use the lighter Jeffsy 27 CF Pro Race for some of his EWS races this year, but the Jeffsy 27 will be just as ready for all day trail riding.
YT head Markus Flossmann put it this way. “When choosing the right wheel size for you, your personal preferences, your riding style, and of course also the terrain you ride all play an important role in the decision. Everybody should decide for themselves which wheel size is most appropriate for them. At the end of the day, it’s not about numbers but about how much fun you’re having on your bike. Everything is what you make of it.”
The new carbon frame claims a weight of just 2300g, while the alloy version brings it up to just 2900g. Like the Jeffsy 29, the new bike uses an adjustable geometry position setup by way of Flip Chips that let you set the bike how you ride: low for an aggressive 66° headtube with a big 15mm of BB drop; or high for more climb-y riding with a more stable 67° head angle, just 5mm of drop and an effective 75.5° seattube.
The Jeffsy 27 carries over the same Horst-link 4-bar V4L suspension layout that eats up small bumps, while ramping up support in the middle of travel with a progressive end to take whatever you throw at it.
The bike of course gets a Boost rear end and crankset so there is plenty of room for a 2.4″ tire out back, but also for an E-Type mount for front derailleur or chain guide compatibility. The carbon bike also gets an integrated chainstay protector and downtube guard to keep the ride quiet and frame safe, plus alloy plates to protect against chain suck.
The carbon Jeffsy 27 comes in two Pro builds and two standard builds, with just the top one getting the extended 160mm of travel that YT sees as making it the most likely race bike.
Jeffsy 27 CF Pro Race
The top 160mm Jeffsy 27 CF Pro Race gets only the best spec, and a $5600 price to match. It includes Kashima coated Fox Factory suspension by way of a 34 Float fork & Float X shock, together with a SRAM XO1 1x 11 speed drivetrain paired with the e*thirteen 9-44t cassette, e*thirteen TRSr SL carbon wheels, carbon RaceFace Next SL cranks, and Renthal carbon bar. Total weigh is claimed at just 12.4kg (27.3lb).
Jeffsy 27 CF Pro
Next down, the Jeffsy 27 CF Pro sticks with Fox suspension, only minus the hard anodized coatings. The $4800 bike upgrades to a SRAM XO Eagle 12 speed setup and only adds 200g over the more expensive bike.
For the standard carbon build the CF One & Two the Jeffsy switches over to RockShox suspension.
Jeffsy 27 CF One
The $4000 Jeffsy 27 CF One goes for a simple 1×11 SRAM X1 drivetrain.
Jeffsy 27 CF Two
For the same price the Jeffsy 27 CF Two goes for a double setup with a Shimano XT 2×11 group.
There are also two spec for the aluminum frameset, both of which share the same geometry and 150mm travel of the more spending carbon versions. They both share the same RockShox Pike RC fork, with a Deluxe RT or R shock, respectively
Jeffsy 27 AL One
The big difference between the two aluminum models is their drivetrain setups. The $3000 Jeffsy 27 AL One gets a SRAM X1 1×11 transmission.
Jeffsy 27 AL Two
And the $2600 Jeffsy 27 AL Two opts for a SRAM GX 1×11 2×11.
All models of the new Jeffsy 27 come in four size: S, M, L, and XL sizes. The bikes are available to order now direct from YT, with deliveries slated for early March. Staring at the end of April YT will be taking the bikes on the road across Europe as part of their Rolling Circus, giving potential buyers the chance to ride them on some of the most popular trail centers and bike parks. Dates & locales will be shared in March, and we’ll make sure to drop them in one of our weekly Friday Round Up posts.
