[Closed] New Yeti SB5.5c

Long Low & slack = journalism speak for middle of the road

Looks lovely but a 1300g front tyre?

All the inertia of a fatty without the comedy levels of grip?

Nearly 7 grand.....get a grip

Long Low & slack = journalism speak for middle of the road

Well, it's *quite* long (admittedly, not as long as a Mondy, but hey) - not the longest reach, no, as you'll see if you read the article,but the frontcentre is up there thanks to the HA and the fork travel. It's got a very low standover though, and is 66.5 degrees HA on a 29er not classified as slack these days?

barney - is 66.5 degrees HA on a 29er not classified as slack these days?

SC High Tower is shorter in CS and longer in reach too. Bit of a reversal! Yeti used to be relatively long, and SC were short.

I'm going for a High Tower.

Sure, it looks lovely...but as someone has already mentioned, it's £7k and no doubt some arseholes will be along next week with some new standards which will render it obsolete.

It's 1980s bedroom poster material, along with a Porsche 959 and the tennis player scratching her bum and is just as relevant to the real world.

Short stays by Yeti standards which probably accounts for some of the…

poppy spring in its step

66.5 is slack if you take nothing else into account, its running 160 forks so its about the same as a 68.5 on 120 forks or 67.5 with 140 forks... ish... sort of, which isn't very slack for a modern bike, in fact its steeper than the SC Hightower.

Well, no, that's not true. How do you set up sag on *your* bikes?
The SC Hightower is also pretty slack for a 29er, with a 67 degree HA (on the 140mm fork - put the chubbies on there with 150mm fork and it's a bit slacker again). Set them both at 20% sag though, and the Yeti is still slacker. Although it's hard to tell the difference on the trail unless you're going hard, at which point you notice the extra 20mm on the Yeti.

rhayter - A 601mm top tube on a medium – that's pretty damned long!

Not compared to other modern bikes, its about average

Looks lovely but a 1300g front tyre?

All the inertia of a fatty without the comedy levels of grip?

I'm not sure where they got 1300grms from. States as 1005grms on the maxxis web site and I have one on my enduro 29er, weight in at 1050grms on my scales, not light but you don't notice a massive difference in inertia over a magic mary.

The grip levels are insane BTW, and digs into mud really well.

How am I going to afford this?!

It's about 2cm shorter reach than my Smuggler, but then I certainly wouldn't want anything longer than the Smuggler, which I'm running a 35 stem on. Wheelbase is a touch longer though. Looks lovely!

I'm thinking Richie Rude will be on this round 5 Aspen ews.

I'm not sure where they got 1300grms from. States as 1005grms on the maxxis web site and I have one on my enduro 29er, weight in at 1050grms on my scales, not light but you don't notice a massive difference in inertia over a magic mary.

Mikeep - I took the tyre that's downstairs, and I weighed it.

[i]I took the tyre that's downstairs, and I weighed it[/i]

damn you and your empiricism.

barney - Well, no, that's not true. How do you set up sag on *your* bikes?

It may be longer, lower and slacker than something from the 90s but its not long low and slack is it?

My fiesta is faster than my old clio but I wouldn't call it fast

@Barney, sorry, I didn't realise there was a grammar moderator on this forum. My is bad.

It may be longer, lower and slacker than something from the 90s but its not long low and slack is it?

Wasn't it you calling the hightower short and steep? Someone on here always goes round every new bike thread saying that!

It looks lush, and I like the mismatched travel, ( I've got a smuggler which even with a lot less travel seems never to find its limits) but 160mm travel is a lot and I wonder if I'd need it?

At £7k I'll pop it on paper for consideration post lottery win! 🙂

bigjim - Wasn't it you calling the hightower short and steep?

It was me, then I looked properly at the numbers and apologised. I still don't think its particularly LLS but I'll admit its not short and steep, its just average for a new bike these days, much like the Yeti is about average for a new bike these days but it has a longer fork on it.

Wasn't it you calling the hightower short and steep? Someone on here always goes round every new bike thread saying that!

I do wonder how long, low and slack (regardless of sag) the bikes are that some people ride. I also wonder if they trade in their existing bike whenever a longer, lower, slacker bike come on the market. I'm also interested to know what would be too slack. Or too long. We'd all know when it is too low

I'm also intreagued that no one moans about short chain stays. I thought short chain stays were as bad as a short reach or a high BB. And haven't 29ers been proved to be slower than 650b? I thought a chap in Wales had done a lot of fine work on bicycle geometry and come to those conclusions.

For the record I have a 29er with 66.7* head angle but it is a little cramped and the stays are too short. I have another that has geo all over the place. Fine bikes, the pair of them.

Mikeep - I wasn't actually deliberately commenting on your grammar; I was telling you where I got the weight from. We've got two of those tyres in for Fresh Goods, and I went downstairs and I weighed one of them 🙂

thepodge - first-glance slackness awards? Set it up with the appropriate sag, and ride it. The Yeti will be a teensy bit slacker. Your novel concept of 'steeper per mm of travel' is nonsense, like measuring digestion by turd length.

Your novel concept of 'steeper per mm of travel' is nonsense, like measuring digestion by turd length.

I just snorted my coffee out of my nose! 😆

I'm also intreagued that no one moans about short chain stays. I thought short chain stays were as bad as a short reach or a high BB.

I guess it depends on the application but on a 29er short chainstays keep the turning nice and there's generally a push to get them short as poss. My smuggler is longer than an oil tanker but still turns nicely around my body. Still got to steer that long front round mind!

Or too long

I wouldn't want to go longer than the smuggler, riding where I ride. It's a big old thing to turn through tight turns, and hop etc.

I thought a chap in Wales had done a lot of fine work on bicycle geometry and come to those conclusions.

You say fine work, others might say hot air...

please include "like measuring digestion by turd length" on next edition's spine

10mm higher BB than a hightower and a lot more standover height. Longer reach on the HT and lower stack (as I would like) Also 5 year vs lifetime warranty (and bearing replacement) for comparable costs.
I know where the smart money is.

I'm sure a couple of manufacturers make bikes with shorter chain stays than the smuggler, so I'm going to have to say that your chain stays aren't short. Sorry. And they gave the second iteration a little more ground clearance, so it isn't low. Not to mention the head angle, it is a wonder you aren't over the bars the whole time! It is long, I'll give you that.

I am, of course, just kidding. I would use one of those little faces to indicate that, but I'm never sure I'm using the right one. I once unwittingly accused someone, with better knowledge of these things, of being a penis. Life can be so confusing when you report to a young(er) person.

Looks lovely, but its made in the US where its sunny and at worst a bit dusty. A few months in the UK winter and the bearings will wobbly then fall out.

At £7+k its just too expensive for what it is.

You can buy a XC bike and an Enduro style bike and still have change for that - especially if you take advantage of direct mail order suppliers like YT etc.

Recently I've bought a XC plastic fantastic for less than £2k and am about to order an Enduro rocket all bling spec for about €3.5k and still have change for an Alps holiday, or some skills lessons.

I know where the smart money is.

You love Jeffsy?

Can I test ride it as well, just to see if it is worth £7+k ?

LAT - I do wonder how long, low and slack (regardless of sag) the bikes are that some people ride. I also wonder if they trade in their existing bike whenever a longer, lower, slacker bike come on the market. I'm also interested to know what would be too slack. Or too long. We'd all know when it is too low

barney - first-glance slackness awards? Set it up with the appropriate sag, and ride it. The Yeti will be a teensy bit slacker. Your novel concept of 'steeper per mm of travel' is nonsense, like measuring digestion by turd length.

A number is a number not a definition. The same HA on a 100mm bike versus a 160mm bike would make one slack and one steep... good phrasing though

This is descending into one of those argumentative threads where someone, convinced they are correct, is actually spouting inaccuracies and other people get upset about it. BUT THAT'S WHY WE LOVE THE INTERWEBS, RIGHT?

67 Hardtail / 66 full suspension, both running 140 forks with about 430 reach & 60 stem. I have no plans to trade in my bike as there really isn't much slacker or longer on the market for a given seat tube size.

But what about the cs length and bb drop? Seat tube angle? Stand over? Distance between bb and end of your handlebars? Rake? Frame size?

other people get upset about it

I'm not upset, quite the opposite. I am convinced I can help the Internet become a better place.

Is it really that long or low. Compare it to the long in the tooth Spesh enduro (large) not often noted as a long bike and you get remarkably similar numbers as this so called long yeti

reach yeti 442 spesh 445
wheelbase yeti 1195 spesh 1186
chainstay yeti 437 spesh 430
front centre yeti 758 spesh 757

So the extra 9mm length is in the chainstay.

wrecker - Member
10mm higher BB than a hightower and a lot more standover height. Longer reach on the HT and lower stack (as I would like) Also 5 year vs lifetime warranty (and bearing replacement) for comparable costs.
I know where the smart money is.

HT has the plus wheels thing too, and SC are less likely to leave you high and dry on warranty than Yeti, and the HT's the better looking bike for me.

LAT - But what about the cs length and bb drop? Seat tube angle? Stand over? Distance between bb and end of your handlebars? Rake? Frame size?

Same, for my max seat tube size (450mm) you're only talking a few mm here and there, sometime its in a perceived negative direction as I have to downsize the frame.

chrismac - Is it really that long or low...

All the numbers are very very similar to the Jeffsy. Put a 140mm fork on the Yeti and they would probably be even closer.

The yeti also has the same problem regarding seat tube lengths. 483mm on a Large and 521mm on the XL.

Also.

Going 1x lets Yeti take the chainstays down to 437mm, which isn’t too shabby at all.

Err, the Jeffsy is 435mm on the medium and small and still has space for a double chainset should you wish. Not sure how clearance compares but yeti were always typically tight.

I love how everyone is arguing about it not being long and low when they haven't claimed it is long and low

I mean look at these numbers

539
1942
2190
28

bigjim - I love how everyone is arguing about it not being long and low when they haven't claimed it is long and low

From the STW first ride review thing

bears all the usual hallmarks of the Thoroughly Modern Filly (sorry) – it is, of course, Boost, it’s long, low and slack with short chainstays:

bigjim - Member

I love how everyone is arguing about it not being long and low when they haven't claimed it is long and low

You've a P and you didn't read the article!? They'll be doing something unspeakable to your next delivered mag 😀

It’s light – with this spec (and an ENORMOUS 1300g Minion DHF 2.5 up front which Barney and Rich both desperately want) it comes in around the 28.5lb mark, and it bears all the usual hallmarks of the Thoroughly Modern Filly (sorry) – it is, of course, Boost, it’s long, low and slack with short chainstays

I was meaning Yeti themselves haven't claimed it is long and low. [i]Rather than trying to get too extreme with the new bike's numbers, Chris Conroy, Yeti's president, said that one of the goals was to make the bike into a little more of an all-rounder compared to the race-bred SB6[/i]

made in the US where its sunny and at worst a bit dusty. A few months in the UK winter and the bearings will wobbly then fall out.

The bearings on my US designed Transition have been fantastically resistant to Scottish year round riding, I've just had mine changed after a solid year's riding though they weren't too bad.