Hi any owners out there with the older ASX yeti with 6/7 inches of travel? If so what are they like as a uk all day bike, mixing trail centres and old fashion ups and downs in north of england. How do they climb? What size frame are people using?

Thanks

I ride an ASX,love it,fairly heavy for xc duties but you get used to it! Use it regularly on local rides around Yorks,trail centres and annual trip to Alps,climb ok for a single pivot,mine’s got dhx 5.0 with propedal. I’m 6’2 and ride a large frame,they come up pretty big,I’d try one before you buy.

Had mine since 2004, orig 5th element coil, but now running Totems. All up weighs 38-39lbs.

Great fun & fast downhill obviously. The real surprise is how well it climbs. Not fast uphill, but if you can turn the pedals, it will go up almost anything that I can’t manage on any other bike.
The hard part is pedalling it. When I’m fit, 4-5 hours in the Peak is fine, not fit & it’s horribly hard work.

Trail centres – it goes round them OK, but is just way OTT – I take a shorter travel lighter trail bike for that, as the Yeti looses all momentum too easily with occasional inclines. (e.g. Spooky woods is horrible on it)

All round though, for Sundays and night rides, it’s definitely weapon of choice, unless I’m in a hurry, or want an all day epic.

All that said, 2 mates used to have them and both have switched to specialised (1 enduro, 1 SX trail). Both are v impressed with how fast & planted they are in comparison to the Yeti.

A very nice bike, as Tinman says (and it is quite annoying what he can pedal his up), and it is very overkill for all round riding. It is a true ‘do anything’ bike as long as you can pedal it uphill and you don’t mind doing any uphill riding slowly. any frame thay weighs 10lbs will be sluggish on anything but downhill.

however, things have moved on, and you can get a good 6″ frame that is a whole lot lighter for all round riding and will be more fun for trail centres. TBH a hardtail is fine for most trail centres

I think it’s overkill for a lot of riders. It’s a freeride bike so it’s not going to be very nice to pedal around. Better, cheaper more versatile bikes out there that can do everything it does only better.

Thanks folks,can you recommend some other older/second hand frames that fit the criteria please.

“Thanks folks,can you recommend some other older/second hand frames that fit the criteria please. “

what’s the biggest drop/jump etc you’re going to do? How hard do you ride? To some extent that will decide what frame you need.

For most XC stuff a 4 to 5 inch bike will be fine, just depends hoe much skill compensation/comfort/slack angles you want.

Most 5″ bikes will handle “uk all day bike, mixing trail centres and old fashion ups and downs in north of england” but it depends if you want it to handle big drops/jumps etc or if you are happy to avoid big stuff for fear of breaking your bike/yourself.

You will find a lighter 5″bike a LOT faster round trail centres, but maybe a touch slower in really rocky stuff.

Hi andy looking for a frame for my SO female friend, she wants a full suss bike and I have run out of suggestions, and a work collegue in the south is trying to sell her his asx, she is 5ft 7 and weighs 9st, I have suggested an older trance with pikes to start with, but she is keen to have a big bouncy bike, any suggestions?
Thanks

Have a look at a Cove Hustler, theres a small on ebay, not mine,
I wanted a bike that fitted similar requirements to the ones you list and bought a 2nd hand frame and its great!
They are quite burly but not over heavy, im fairly hard on my bikes and this seems to cope.
Climbs well and goes down even better!
Shes welcome to take mine for a spin if you get nr Hebden Bridge,

She wants a big bouncy bike, so presumably she wants to engage in downhill and freeride? Borrow or hire a dh bike and take her to a dh trail. That’ll give her a better idea as to what she might want to ride.

I’m assuming she doesnt have much biking experience ? Unless she’s a fairly competent rider it sounds like a bad idea to me.

she is 5ft 7 and weighs 9st

Well unless she’s superwoman, and a really hardcore freerider an ASX will be WAY overkill.

I’m 10st and have an old Turner RFX which is of similar ilk, but a bit lower and longer – ASXs have a pretty high BB which makes them a touch unstable, they’re also a little short in the TT and the standover on the one’s I’ve tried is pretty pants too. (a small was just about OK on me at 5’10”, but way too short). I’d echo the comments about them being a) overkill for most UK stuff and b) hard work for most trail riding. Mine knocks off technical climbs and descents like they weren’t there, but sucks on the flat, and you need to be bloody fit AND strong to pedal it for 35,40 miles in the peaks. Trail centres are kinda dull on it.

In her position (and assuming I *had* to have a full 6″ (!)) I’d look at the cotic Hemlock, Trek Remedy, maybe a Turner 5spot, Nicolai Helius AM, Orange 5, Giant Reign, etc. Similar travel, but a bit more trail friendly weight and geometry.

Thanks folks, from what i can gather she is a fair rider, she rides with my SO and daughter, she has a cove hardtail, and has ridden my SO turner xce which is too small but I think gave her the taste for full suss, as I have said above really want her to go to something like a trance or a xce/flux, she wants to keep the hardtail and *have* a *big bike*, she works in marketing/graphics, which says a lot :wink:. Thanks Jon some good suggestions there on the trek/orange.
Anyone know anything about GT sanctions?

Imo the ASX makes no sense for her.

Make no mistake the ASX is a freeride bike but it’s a funny beast. It’s not dissimilar imo to the Uzzi or the Foes Fly – in that it’s designed to take the big hits but it’s still got pretty steep geo. They make sense in BC when piloted by power house guys who ride every thing on them.

Even if she was racing downhill she’d be better off with a lighter “big bike”.Her desire for a “big bike” probably means she wants to go fast over rough stuff and jump. Geometry is key here, not travel. Something like a small sx trail or reign, commencal mini dh with a light build would probably be adequate.