When YT said it had the new Decoy X for us to try out, we knew we had to find a ride that was genuinely challenging. Something to test the 160mm of travel, MX wheels and game-changing power of the Avinox M2S motor.
This content was produced in association with YT Industries
The obvious candidate for true test of the YT Decoy X was the Four Passes ride in England’s glorious Lake District. Also known as the Tour of Great Gable, this 25km loop packs in 1,500m of the most savage climbs and unrelenting rocky descents in the Lakes.
Some remained unrideable, but others were unlocked thanks to the power and control of the latest M2S motor. Climbs that videographer Pete, aboard a bike with the Avinox M1 motor, couldn’t conquer.
Starting in Seatoller, the ride first ascends Honister Pass, via the slate mines, where a nice graded dirt road means the whole thing is easily rideable. However, the descent down Wharnscale to Buttermere is anything but groomed, with loose scree, jagged slabs, and errant boulders at ever turn.
Next it’s probably the toughest climb of the day, up Scarf Gap Pass just below the summit of Haystacks. Small pockets are rideable, but mostly it’s a case of pushing, picking and carrying your bike through an asteroid field of epic proportions. From the saddle, it’s mostly a flagstone staircase down to Ennerdale and the Black Sail Youth Hostel.
A quick stop for food and then the trail rears up once again, over Black Sail Pass. This one is a little more rideable, but quite grassy in places, so it’s super slippery when wet. With 600m of elevation under your belt, the next descent into Wasdale is a corker. Probably the best of the day, with lots of crazy paving, but also some lovely natural toboggan runs and fast, grassy straights. Now you’ve got three-quarters of the ride under your belt, its time to reward yourself with refreshments at the Wasdale Head Inn, because the final climb up Sty Head Pass is the longest of the day.
With the M2S motor in Turbo, I was able to climb quite a lot of it, but it wasn’t easy. A mixture of football-sized embedded rock and snooker ball-sized loose rock made some of it very triallsy and other sections a challenge to find traction. And towards the top there’s a wall of rock that nothing less than a scramble. From Sty Head Tarn to Seatoller is mostly a decent descent, but there’s an annoying section about 200m long that’s basically impossible to ride. After that, it’s time to savour the views and the knowledge that you’ve completed a true Lakes epic.
The bike I rode is the new YT Decoy X Launch Edition. It’s the flagship bike in the new Decoy X range, where the highlight is surely the Avinox M2S motor with 1,300W peak power and 130Nm torque. It also gets the 800Wh battery and the fast charger as standard. Up front is a 170mm Fox Podium fork, and the Float X2 shock handles the 160mm of rear wheel travel. It uses an alloy frame for an all-up weight of 26.07kg for the size large. MX wheels and flip-chip to adjust the geo rounds out the package. Other models in the range include the Core 1, at £4,499 and the Core 4 at £6,499 with Fox Factory suspension. You can find more on the Decoy X range here.