I’m lucky enough to get the chance of one of these bikes, but struggling to decide. Anyone got one of these that can give a quick caption review? 🙂

They both look good, with both losing out with no ISCG tabs, but the Primer with a high direct front mech mount and adjustable rear travel…

Cheers in advance
Mark.

get both and send the one you don’t want to me 😉

The switch infinity link gives an amazing ride (own a SB6c) but it needs TLC; if you aren’t one for being pedantic with looking after a bike the Primer may be better for you 😆

http://enduro-mtb.com/en/yeti-sb5-5c-x01-review/

Primer looks good, but I’ve not ridden it so can’t really comment on it.
I’ve got a 45 though, and absolutely love it 🙂

Haven’t missed a front mech, and i honestly don’t see the need for adjustable rear travel when this thing rides as well as it does in pretty much every situation.

How much does your 4.5 weight roughly? It’s probably the current dream bike…

Amazing, thanks guys…

Sorry bigjim, nada chance! 🙂

Tom.Nash – I will tinker the hell out of it, but what kind of TLC does it need, I thought it was merely a grease port to occasionally put some in(?)

Pinetree – Some of the reviews are talking about the mismatched front and rear travel lengths, do you feel that’s an issue after owning one? point taken about the lack of ISCG/front mech mount too…yours looks mint too!

Also interested in both of these frames, although would the SB5.5c be the more equivalent comparison?

Yeah I have considered the 5.5c as well, but is too close to my other bike, so really wanted to look at the lower travel alternatives.

mismatched front and rear travel lengths

I think this is a load of balls personally, speaking as someone with a transition smuggler with 115 at the back and 140 (designed to be 130) at the front. In fact I’m not sure I’ve ever had a bike with the same travel front and rear!

Party up front, business out back, like a reverse mullet 😉

@Bigjim – Pretty light. Maybe 12-12.5kg? (Size M) I’m not sure as I’ve changed a few bits over since I last weighed it (heavier tyres, lighter cranks etc…)

Pinetree – Some of the reviews are talking about the mismatched front and rear travel lengths, do you feel that’s an issue after owning one? point taken about the lack of ISCG/front mech mount too…yours looks mint too!

Not at all. All Yetis have relatively mismatched travel, which doesn’t make sense on paper, but is completely irrelevant when you actually ride them. The Switch Infinty system works real well, and kinda makes it feel like a 130mm bike. Maybe someone more tech-savvy (read: Nerdy) than myself could point out the subtle differences in the suspension characteristics, but to me it’s always ridden like a much bigger bike than it is (the SB5 i had before was the same)
Put it this way- I’ve chucked it down some pretty hairy stuff, and never felt that it was out it’s depth.

Regarding the front mech thing; I haven’t run a front mech on an MTB in a good few years, so it’s not really an issue for me. I like 1x drivetrains, and the gear spread is getting so wide now that a front mech is redundant for a lot of people, myself included.
The ISCG thing- yeah i kinda get the gripe, but it’s a superlight trail bike, so I’m not really sure it’s necessary. If you’re doing the kind of riding where you’re smashing the bike through big rocks and clattering the chainring, you probably want the 5.5 rather than the 4.5 (FWIW, I’ve ridden the 5.5 and was absolutely blown away by it, but it’s too big of a bike for 99% of the riding I do)

Just my 2 pence 🙂

If you find yourself down in the south-west and fancy a spin on mine, give me a shout.

I think this is a load of balls personally

Couldn’t agree more. People get really hung up on the numbers, but forget that mm travel is just one part of the bigger picture. How a bike rides will depend on geometry, suspension platform, component choice and so on… A few mm of extra travel very rarely makes a huge difference to a bike.

Like I say, the 4.5 is an amazing bike. I’ve not know anyone who’s been disappointed with it.

This is what intrigues about the Primer – 115mm mode for most home trail riding, 130mm for alpine holidays (with fork adjusted accordingly). None of the reviews I’ve read yet have commented on the shorter setting though.

This is what intrigues about the Primer – 115mm mode for most home trail riding, 130mm for alpine holidays (with fork adjusted accordingly). None of the reviews I’ve read yet have commented on the shorter setting though.

I’d be interested to know how it affects the geometry, because surely it will work better in one mode than the other?

It just seems like a bit of a gimmick to me, and that you’d end up with a compromise in both… Like I said, the mm travel on paper doesn’t really bear much relevance in my opinion.
I’d happily take my bike to the alps and smash it down most everything (Pleney’s rough as shit with a 200mm bike, so I don’t imagine having a 130mm bike would be any different to a 115)

Awesome, thanks guys…big help.

If by South West you are in the area of South Wales or coming there soon, let me know dude 😀

woolymonster – Member

Tom.Nash – I will tinker the hell out of it, but what kind of TLC does it need, I thought it was merely a grease port to occasionally put some in(?)

As the whole system relies on the switch infinity, if the bearings are even moderately stiff or the link not greased (in the UK) it affects the performance. I have learnt, the hard way, to ignore the advice and keep the link pumped with grease to stop any water/grit working its way in. If water/grit gets in the kashima poles don’t stay kashima for long! The plus side is that taking it apart and reassembling is so simple, just make sure that bolts are accurately torqued. As soon as any bearing feels a bit rough change it, a bearing is far cheaper than the infinity link. When I have had issues though, Silverfish have been faultless in replacing the link. It’s not a show stopper just a consideration.

I took the Primer for a spin around the field at the Ard Rock – it’s pretty mint.. I have a SB6c but going to be selling soon for a Hightower or Pivot Switchblade – imo the craze for big travel bikes is to cater for lack of technique for many; I remember Chris Ball winning the Tweedlove King and Queen enduro on a first gen Tallboy!

If by South West you are in the area of South Wales or coming there soon, let me know dude

Devon, unfortunately, and there’s no way I’m getting up to Wales any time soon. Got a heavily pregnant missus due to drop this week, so f*ck knows when I’ll get to ride my 4.5 again… 🙁

when I’ll get to ride my 4.5 again

if it’s an XL I’ll look after it for you for a few months 😉

Fellas, all kinds of good and thanks for the input.

Pinetree – I’ll echo bigjim and if it’s a medium, look no further!

Tomnash – Many thanks

@Woolymonster – whats your email address?

woolymonster, do you mind me asking why you are not considering the YT Jeffsy?
It not being fancy enough is a very valid answer! 😉

I’ll echo what pinetree and others have said. I’m really impressed with my SB45C.

I’ve had it since May. It rides / feels bigger then the numbers suggest. It doesn’t feel mis-matched or unbalanced. I’ve not missed a front mech or ISCG tabs and haven’t dropped a chain once.

It’s light. It’s stiff. It feels solid and planted. It pedals ridiculously well to the point that the shock is left fully open. It likes to go fast.

Apart from a rinse and wipe down I’ve not had to do anything particular with the SI linkage. Although I do try and keep this area as clean as and I’ve recently procured the recommended grease to keep it topped up.

Quite pleased with the spec to. I spec’d different bars, stem and tyres from the stock build. I did have reservations about the rims but they’ve actually been pretty robust even though they are not on trend with 22.5mm internals. Actually the only things I’ve changed since are the grips and upgraded the star ratchet in the hub.

Can’t fault it really 🙂

[url=https://flic.kr/p/LQhUog]Untitled[/url] by mik75, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/LvNFWW]Untitled[/url] by mik75, on Flickr

@Pinetree – woolymonster@hotmail.com

@Wrecker – I have considered it, actually quite like it and from what I hear it’s pretty good to ride, but got a lot of stuff to swap from another frame…this coupled with a killer deal on either frame I’m looking at has resulted in the choices 🙂

@Kingofbiscuits – Cheers dude, looks like a good tough choice for me then 🙂 …got to take a punt at some point…thanks for taking the time to reply dude