By Stephen Krcmar

The YT Core 1 Dirt Love. Photo: YT.

I logged countless laps on my skateboard before trying it on two wheels. I was only a few laps into my pedaling experiment when I started thinking about a bike that was a better fit for this type of riding.

I was on a cross-country dual-suspension bike. My clapped-out Specialized FSR and its 29” wheels are great for riding trails, but the frame and bike just seemed too big for the track.

Sure, one of the best things about pump tracks is its run-what-you-brung ethos. Some folks use a bike or board that are great for pump tracks. Other folks just use what they have.  

THE RESEARCH

So, I went into research mode. I have limited experience with dirt-jumping bikes. Although I’ve been mountain biking since the 90s, I like to keep my knobbies in the dirt instead of in the air. 

A quick search yielded more confusion than clarity. These rigs looked similar. Most had a single cog, just a rear brake, and burly frames—overbuilt for the folks who go big. 

The price range was all over the place. There was one from a no-name brand Cojones for $500 and that included shipping. And it even had a suspension fork. I was intrigued but I moved up the food chain. Treat yourself and all that.  

Similar bikes cost a few hundred dollars more. Many were on websites that sell really inexpensive bikes, like BikeDirect.com. And there was an interesting $600 rig with a rigid fork from OG direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand Airborne. 

I’m sure it would’ve served me well. But, a lot of the bikes in the under $1k looked a bit cheap. Like the value-oriented bikes from the fixed gear revolution of the mid-aughts: lots of generic drivetrain parts and wheels.

I started recognizing the brands' names when I reached the $1,000 mark. Canyon and YT are two German-owned DTC brands, i.e., like Tesla, you buy directly from the manufacturer. 

This cuts the bike shop out of the mix, which makes this route contentious for some.

I chatted with a buddy who reviews bikes and he said, "a lot of people get them and then rarely ride them so Facebook marketplace might be a good option. Between YT and Canyon there isn't much a difference."

I quickly looked at Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp but didn't find much. 

One significant difference I noticed at this price point was the size options. Many budget-friendly bikes are designed to fit most riders, but both YT and Canyon offer a more tailored approach. They come in a regular size (Canyon refers to this as "short") and a long size. The key difference is the wheelbase length. The larger size, with its longer wheelbase, is ideal for taller riders (typically 6' and above) who prefer a more stretched-out riding position. This is an important consideration in the overall sizing of the bike.

Both have reported weights of 26 pounds.

CANYON VS YT

The YT Core 1 Dirt Love was on sale for $1049, down from $1400. Canyon’s Stchd 360 was $999, and as of this writing, it is at $899. Shipping was $100 for the Canyon and $120 for the YT. 

My bang-around town bike is Canyon. A flat bar road bike, it’s a nice compromise between performance and price. My only complaint is small: it has a marking tagline on the headtube, so I’m constantly reminded to “Ride My Workout”.

Ugh. 

I’ve also spent time on a Canyon electric gravel bike and even won a ebike division at Steamboat Gravel on it, which is like winning the most handsome man award in the ugly dude competition. 

That’s a long way of saying I like the brand. YT was new to me. Other than a one-day ride on a press junket, I had no experience with them.

The spec of the bikes are close. The big difference is frame material: the YT is steel and the Canyon is aluminum. I’ve ridden both and have a lot of love for both materials. But I do love the feel and ride quality of steel and for a bike like this where weight is a non-issue, going with steel was tempting. 

YT's headquarters in San Clemente, Calfornia. Photo: Stephen Krcmar

Visually the bikes are almost identical. Articulating the difference between the two is like chatting about the difference between 80s metal and black metal. The Canyon has more chrome, so it feels more leather and studs of 80s awesome of Judas Priest. YT is black on black. Call it early thrash. Hell, call it goth if you like. 

Is there really much of a difference between the songs Blackened and Bela Lugosi’s Dead?

I went with the YT Core 1 Dirt Love. Partially due to aesthetics. I just liked the look of YT a smidge more. I also liked the idea of diversifying the stable. 

Instead of paying for shipping, I went to San Clemente to pick it up. 

I only made one mistake on that trip: not reserving a demo bike to play with. Demos are free, but you need to make reservations 24 hours in advance. And the trails are right there. 

Shipping is $120. Unless you pick it up. Photo: Stephen Krcmar

The pick-up was easy, though Google Maps had a tough time finding the Death Star-looking building. The staff was friendly, and they had free beer.  THE BIKE

The build was easy—probably 30 minutes or so. YT includes a torque wrench, pedal wrench (in allen key form, not a 15mm), and fork pump. 

I headed to Menifee for its maiden voyage. But I made one amateur mistake: not getting comfortable on the bike first. A dirt jumping bike's geometry is so different from any other mountain bike style, so that took a minute. And the bars are much wider than anything I've ridden: 780 mm (30.7"). 

Total rookie move on my part. Once I got used to the bike, it was a blast. This thing rails turns, as much as I can rail turns at this point. Like being a pump track beginner on the skateboard, I'm improving slightly with each session. 

The wonderful thing about this rig is that it's all the bike I need. It's never going to hold me back. The only tweak I'd make is a slick front tire, instead of a knobby.

I also let a handful of folks at the Inglewood Pump Track take a few laps and those reviews are a resounding "hell yeah."

If you're looking for a great pump track rig, you can't go wrong with the YT Core 1 Dirt Love.

Sure, the name is practically as long as a haiku, and every time I look at the chainstay, I'm instructed to "Live Uncaged" but it's a hell of a bike. Stephen Krcmar lives and rides in Southern California. He's written about bike culture and reviewed gear for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Outside.