With a suspension fork, the Szepter gravel bike is aimed at injecting fun wherever you ride
(Image credit: YT Industries)
Gravity-focused mountain bike brand, YT Industries has launched its first gravel bike today, the Szepter, which represents the brand's first steps into the gravel world.
The Szepter is designed to be an all-round gravel bike, but with a gravity influence per the brand's core, this is reflected most clearly in the component choices and specification of the bike.
YT claims the Szepter is built to be ridden fast on all types of terrain and will inject extra fun into gravel and off-road riding, on-road commuting and everything in between. The Szepter is designed to provide a bridge for road riders and mountain bikers alike to extend their riding in all conditions, year-round.
We had the chance to spend some time with the bike prior to its launch, so head over to our YT Szepter review to read what we think.
YT has taken advantage and embraced the slew of gravel-focused componentry now offered by SRAM with its XPLR AXS groupsets being specced on both Szepter models. As well as gravel-specific suspension offerings which didn't exist a few years ago in the shape of the RockShox Rudy gravel-specific suspension fork and RockShox's Reverb AXS XPLR dropper post.
(Image credit: YT Industries)
The Szepter frame is constructed from Ultra Modulus carbon fibre, weighing in at a claimed 1400g for a Size L frame, and has an ASTM level 3 classification which means the frame meets an international usage standard and means it's suitable for: "rough trails, rough unpaved roads, and rough terrain and unimproved trails that require technical skills," as well as jumps up to 61cm.
It has a 69.4-degree head tube angle (bar the small, where it's 69.3 degrees) and comes with a RockShox Rudy suspension fork with 40mm of travel and 50mm offset. The seat tube angle is set at 74.3 degrees. Dropped seatstays are also a feature of the frame design.
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It will be available in two spec concepts: the Core 3 and the top-spec Core 4 model. The bikes share the same SRAM XPLR AXS gear ratios, each with a 38-tooth chainring being fitted to the crankset and a 10-44t cassette out back. Crank arm length is model-size dependent with small bikes being fitted with 170mm cranks, medium to large sizes getting 172.5mm and XL-XXL given 175mm crank arms.
(Image credit: YT Industries)
YT has included some utility features in the Szepter's design, including integrated front and rear fenders to keep the dirt and mud at bay. The RockShox Rudy fork can be fitted with a mudguard, but YT has designed its own for the fork.
Also included are four rivets on the underside of the top tube to provide options for on-bike storage as well as mounting points for bottles on the seat tube and down tube. Riders have the option of using generic bottle cages or the YT-specific Fidlock baseplate and Thirstmaster combination that offers a couple of different mounting positions.
The tyres on both models take the form of the WTB Resolute TCS in 42mm offering, the Core 3 model gets the 60TPI model whilst the top-spec Core 4 gets the upgraded 120 TPI. The maximum tyre clearance for the Szetper is listed at 45mm.
The Rudy suspension fork also allows a 180mm front disc rotor to be fitted providing extra stopping power off-road when needed. You can also fit a 160mm size should you want a more compact setup.
(Image credit: YT Industries)
Both the Szepter Core 3 and Core 4 models feature the same frame and geometry but the Core 3 comes with a RockShox Rudy XPLR fork with travel set at 40mm, SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS groupset, Zipp service course finishing kit, SDG saddle and WTB Speedterra i23 wheelset. The core three is available in an 'Assault green' matte finish colourway.
The Core 3 is priced at $3299 / £3199 / €3299.
The top-spec Core 4 model gets upgraded to a RockShox Judy Ultimate XPLR fork which benefits from the charger race day damper, again with 40mm of travel. SRAM Reverb AXS XPLR dropper seat post, SRAM Force XPLR eTap AXS groupset, Zipp service course SL bar and stem, SDG saddle, and WTB Proterra Light Wheelset. The Cour 4 comes in the 'Machine light grey' matte colourway.
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
