Perhaps this is why Moots has remained so relevant and why it hasn’t been afraid to put its own spin on hot trends in the industry— and no trend is hotter than 650b, or 27.5-inch, wheel size.
Instead of a deeper travel enduro rig, the Rogue YBB 27.5″ is a trail bike take on the 27.5-inch wheel size that leans more toward efficiency under power over the long haul than aggressive, enduro-style riding. The pivotless YBB damper in the monostay delivers only 1.125 inches of travel, making it a soft tail, not a full-suspension bike. This is for riders wanting a smaller wheel size due to their height, or a bike that just feels a little smaller and easier to flick around on the trail.
Moots uses its original recipe 3/2.5Ti oversize tubing with a monster 44mm diameter head tube for steering precision. Designed around a 100mm fork, the Rogue YBB 27.5″ has fairly steep head angles to keep weight forward for a powerful position and nimble turning radius, but not so steep you get punished for a bad line choice. Moots wants smaller riders to feel very confident on the Rogues so it has curved top tubes on the mid-size frames and strutted seat tubes in the small sizes for increased stand-over.
In all, there are eight stock sizes of capital Rogue YBB 27.5″ and while there is no question building a Moots of your own from the ground up is a bucket-list item for most riders, our test bike came equipped with the bullet-proof performance of Shimano XT, DT Swiss 100mm forks and Spline ONE XR1501 wheels, along with Moots Ti stem and seat post and Crankbrothers lodine 3 alloy bars. Even with this mid-range build the 20-inch test bike weight 23.6 pounds—clearly, Ti can still do battle on the scales.
ON THE TRAIL
Where the Rogue YBB 27.5″ shines is on twisting single-track climbs and fast, rolling single-track descents. Its spot-on geometry and small wheels make it incredibly easy to manage, picking apart switch-backs and ripping through quick berms. Smaller trail riders used to feeling “over-biked” will immediately feel the benefit of the Rogue YBB 27.5″—and even big riders just wanting a bike they throw around a little more easily will fall in love with it. The YBB soft-tail itself is an acquired taste. Most riders will get a big helping of comfort, ideally tuned for epic rides. Big riders already exposing a lot of the 27.5 Ti seat post will want to opt for the firmer damper, or else they may get more bounce than they bargain for since a Moots Ti seat post is already such a great impact damper.
