[Closed] Yeti Bikes - What do you think of?

Light, fast, expensive.

I like them.

Overpriced, overrated, excellent marketing.

Cracking frames.

The SB66 was a little ahead of the curve with reach, I'd have thought - was longer than most bikes of it's time. And the suspension was innovaitive. They've evolved that platform since, not unlike most manufacturers.

I'd never buy one because of their reputation for snapping chanstays and the shockingly poor way I've seen them treat people in warranty situations.

Had three frames, asr 7, asr and now a sb95.

All had have limited tyre clearance, the SB eats bearings for fun, but I really like how it rides especially with a dB air. Climbs well , but I do have 150mm 29erforkson it and is capable on the downs.

Warrenty all brands have the horror stories even Turner, and imho Turner is brilliant.

I like Yeti but I mainly ride a Stooge

Expensive and unreliable.

Overpriced, overrated, excellent marketing

Generally I would agree Jambo but I do think overrated is a bit harsh.

I've had four Yeti's, but three were frame replacements that suffered from their, rather poor, quality control. The 5C I had was fine but not special at anything, so yes, overpriced on function if not style. The hardtail ARC was beautiful and I shouldn't have replaced it with a Niner Air C which is a rocket ship, just not a very comfortable rocket ship!

Quite bemused by the OP's view of Yeti's which I always thought of as a race brand, but then they could be remodelling the marketing to fit the adventure demographic .

Cracking frames

I see what you did there 🙂

Had a ARS5C and if I was till riding in the Chilterns, you'd have had to prise that bike out of my cold dead hands, but I moved to Calderdale  and it was a bit out if its depth  didn't break though .

My thoughts are soley based on marketing and chatting to other bikers - never owned one.

Great looking bikes.

Not really evolved much in recent years so a bit behind the times now in terms of geo.
Used to have a rep for snapping frames.
Expensive / boutique brand.

Defintiely not a brand I associate with an adventure bike - much more a race brand, prob due to a certain Mr Rude riding one so well in EWS in 2016 for me.

If I suddently had the money and need for a high end bike, I'd be doing some research on them along with a lot of other manufacturers but they wouldn't be topo of my list.
Maybe that's daft but that's how marketing / rumour mill works eh?

Interesting that I have such deifined opinions about a brand I have actually never ridden and only seen in passing - no mates I have ever ridden with have got one.
Well, interesting to me anyway.

Si

Cracking frames

This sadly, I only know one person with one - a 2017 carbon SB66, front triangle cracked, replaced, rear triangle cracked replaced, infinity switch thing has eaten itself. This is a middle aged guy who rides once a week at Cwmcarn and Afan (fairly agressive style in fairness) not some EWS pro smashing around Finale.

Theyre being very good about it, but I wouldn’t fancy one after the warranty period.

Never understood the hype, and definitely never considered buying one, but I don't believe they make bad bikes.

Where as there are some manufacturers I just won't buy, there are others that a mehl, yeti are in that group 😀

Quite bemused by the OP’s view of Yeti’s which I always thought of as a race brand, but then they could be remodelling the marketing to fit the adventure demographic .

See, good marketing. I like Joey Schusler’s films but every time I watch them I feel a bit conned. In all the riding shots they are riding so light on gear for what you then see them with in all the camp type shots. And I think for most ‘adventure riding’ types, a high end enduro bike is probably the last choice of bike.

Saying that, I think the winner of last years HT550 was on a carbon yeti so what do I know.

I think of them previously making downhill bikes (as Gwin started on) and now making enduro and trail bikes, which have won tons of races under Graves and Rude. And they’re expensive and were progressive long, low, slack geometry but nowadays aren’t that long or slack compared to others. And the original Switch system was a maintenance nightmare.

I always thought of Yeti as XC race bikes. When life took over and I couldn’t get further than Swinley for a ride I swapped my 140mm for an ASR5 and still love it.

Overpriced? Sure, but what high end carbon bike isn't? I like them, they used to have issues with cracking but I think the current models are OK. A mate had one that had a metal/carbon rear swing arm where the bonding between the metal and carbon was prone to failing but that was a few generations of model previous to the current lineup. I Like them and if money was no option my first choice would be a 5.5C. I'd have one over an SC any day of the week....however not sure how good they'd be through a UK winter with the switch infinity suspension.

I've got one of the old 575s with the knuckle in the top tube.  Love it...its a bit flexy (carbon stays) but climbs like a goat 🙂

Peak Yeti ^

It didn't get much cooler than the FRO. They've kept that brand image pretty well.

You have a very odd impression of them OP! Their history is racing and building stupidly fast bikes for racing, I doubt they're intended as much of an adventure bike having no bosses etc.

I've got two, an ASR5 which is no longer built up, was a fantastic bike and I still have the frame in case I ever have the time and space to rebuild it. Never ridden anything that corners like that bike. I have a DJ too which I ride all the time, it's a belter of a little thing for razzing around town, the pump track and glentress. I had a day on a SB6 and it was a belter of a bike, fastest funnest thing I've ever ridden. Both of mine have been bombproof, I'd hazard 99% of people who say they're unreliable online have never even touched a yeti.

I'd love another one but they're well out my price range these days. If I win the lotto I'll get an SB6 and one of the 29er ones, not sure which.

^Bez has it. Proper race bikes ridden by proper legends, bitd.

I'd say Graves is a bit of a legend and Rude on his way. Not Tomac level though!

I currently ride a 2016 SB5c. It's my only mountain bike, so has done 18 months in all conditions. No problems so far, bearing and Switch Infinity link still running smooth. If anything goes wrong I'll be this first to complain, but so far so good.

Why did I buy one? 1. Great heritage (I was abig Tomac fan back in the day) 2. Race proven under Graves and Rude 3. Switch Infinity bikes received positive reviews. 4. Something a bit deifferent from the norm.

Would I buy another? Probably not, the itch has been scratched, and there are so many other bikes to try, but I'd recommend riding one before judging.

Adventure bikes? Nah, race bikes, currently with Richie rude, but back in the day, Missy with her piranha.

My perception is that yeti bikes are overpriced, a bit fragile and behind the curve on geometry.

Also think they've lost the aesthetic appeal they had with the asr5 (?).

Owners may disagree, but that's my perception and there's almost zero chance of me buying one.

Nathan Rennie on their DH bikes back in the day. Richie Rude flying on them. SB6 being one of the hawtest looking bikes out there. Not being aware of warranty issues because I can't afford one... 😉

Pricey but nice-erm-ey

I love my SB95c.  I’d heard about all the stories of cracking, but went into it eyes open.  It’s a great bike - I have a fairly aggressive riding style and it’s shows no problems at all so far.

Not sure I understand the "behind the curve with geometry" comments on Yetis. What are we using as a benchmark these days?

Aren't most main stream brands still a bit more conservative than the lower volume brands? Probably to suit more riders.

My Aeris mk 1.5 always felt too long/slack for me to properly enjoy it. Was great bombing down stuff, but a bit lifeless everywhere else.

Was interested in a Yetis SB 4.5c before I test rode and bought the Hightower. Still wouldn't mind a go on one 🙂

I've got an ASR5 which is absolutely fantastic. It hasn't snapped yet.

I'm not sure I'd buy a 'modern' one because they're just so expensive, but the same goes for all the other 'boutique' brands.

Not sure I understand the “behind the curve with geometry” comments on Yetis. What are we using as a benchmark these days?

Using their enduro race bikes as a reference, the SB6 has a reach of 426 on the med, 447 on the large.

Sam Hill won the EWS on the Mega 275c with 435mm or 470mm on those sizes. The medium Mega is still too short IMO, but Sam's probably on the large and that seems about right to me (not even extreme).

Did those short frames hinder Richie Rude in the mud? That would be speculation, but I know I'm happier on a longer bike when it's sloppy.

The newer Nukeproof stuff looks quite long to me and I know a lot of people are liking the newer longer bike trend. To me they seem bang in the middle size-wise.

I'd still like to test one eventually just to see what they do feel like. I'm no good at looking at numbers and deciding if something isn't right for me. The two 2016 stumpys I had were too small in Large. Hightower in XL feels perfect to me, so I'd probably use that a a frame of reference.

look nice but way put of my price range.

No doubt they're great bikes but considering the pricing and the spectacular unreliability over the course of years- I mean, pretty much all the 575s broke their carbon swingarms which is bad enough but it's something that still happens to their new bikes today, that's just total bullshit.

Though, fond memories of riding up a fireroad at muckmedden with a mate who had a 575 (I think) and just hearing this massive crack as the swingarm broke in half. When you're getting outreliabled by my Hemlock, you are getting outreliabled by everything.

Still love my ArcC 29er carbon hardtail. Had an issue which appears to have been a design fault in the first 100 frames they made. Emailed shop who contacted Silverfish and within I think 2 weeks I had a brand new frame arrive (original frame was 4 years old by then). If there is a genuine warranty issue, I have no concerns based on my experience.

Lovely shape, fantastic design detail and quality when you look at the carbon layup through the headtube etc and it rides brilliantly. I've surprised a few people with it;s speed etc at Llandegla, on a Basque holiday and other general riding. A shame they no longer make it I think, but I doubt they sold many and can understand them dropping it

“Sam Hill won the EWS on the Mega 275c with 435mm or 470mm on those sizes. The medium Mega is still too short IMO, but Sam’s probably on the large and that seems about right to me (not even extreme).”

Sam Hill rides the medium.

My Big Top has a great paint job, fantastic head badge, some nice logos and hasn't broken (so far).

Geo is a bit old school so I use it as an 'exotic' monstercrosser.

I do love the bike though.

Silverfish have 50% off Yeti clothing at present for the fans on this thread. I just got some shorts and a hoody (probably too old for the hoody, son can always wear it).

Interesting thoughts - I think the 'classic' bikes and riders above were before my time TBH and I don't really associate Gwin with Yeti either. Rude I agree has been great for them in Enduro but for whatever reason that's not my predominant thought around their brand.

The sort of marketing/stories that make me think they want to be 'adventure' bikes are like this:  http://features.bikemag.com/kazbegi/

https://www.bikemag.com/videos/video-yeti-cycles-in-iceland/

Sort of a wilderness/adventure theme I guess.

"Yeti SB6 T-Series Team Replica 27.5" Mountain Bike 2018 - Enduro Full Suspension MTB £9499.00 from Tredz.

If anyone thinks a bicycle is worth ten grand, be my guest. Some of the pivot/sliding trunnion designs they've come up with look like they're going to cost a mint to replace when they inevitably wear out.

Pure marketing genius. Just to put things into perspective you could just about buy a new Honda Africa Twin for the same coin.

Davesport says "If anyone thinks a bicycle is worth ten grand, be my guest"

That is a moot point. You could say that about Rolex, Miele, Ferrari, Mont Blanc, etc. Any brand that is considered "Premium" could have the same argument thrown at it.  The answer is because they can. The concept of 'better' is subjective, so best just to leave it to individual choice.

I don’t really associate Gwin with Yeti either

There's a really cute old video of Gwin when he was with Yeti riding around fort bill area with a teenage Joe Barnes floating around, quite funny now they're both top level racers.

The sort of marketing/stories that make me think they want to be ‘adventure’ bikes are like this

Conversely I only seem to notice their race marketing, though I keep meaning to watch their other films as they're very well shot.

If anyone thinks a bicycle is worth ten grand, be my guest

the SB in yeti bikes stands for super bike, so it's not like they're ever going to even try to be cheap, they are aiming for the top of the market, though my alu ASR5 was pretty reasonable with its pre-brexit and alu pricing. It's like saying a car is never worth 100,000, but people still buy plenty of them, and more than that. If you are on mtbr it's amazing how many people in the US do have a garage full of top end yetis though.

Loved Yeti until they went SB. My 575 was a fantastic all round bike and was good value too. Now, the carbon frame with the weird spring things in the BB for (still can't believe it!) £3.5K for a frame! Frame only! Nah, not interested in that.

Hang on, just realised I've been riding a Yeti in the snow all week! My Big Top. Lovely bike 🙂

Lovely looking bikes, but the complexity of the Switch Infinity system and the fact that it's open to the elements and costs a lot to replace put me off.

That is a moot point. You could say that about Rolex, Miele, Ferrari, Mont Blanc, etc. Any brand that is considered “Premium” could have the same argument thrown at it.  The answer is because they can. The concept of ‘better’ is subjective, so best just to leave it to individual choice.

But you'd expect a Rolex or mont blanc pen to pretty much last forever and still be worth a large percentage of its original price 20 or 30 years down the line. Whereas a bike, not so much.

Great bikes, ride fantastically, expensive, cracking issues, bearings expensive and often, look awesome.