- Ooh!
Hopefully you got that.
(laughs)
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(hiphop music)
Hey everybody.
I'm Mike Levy, and welcome back to another field test video.
Who remembers Yeti's SB100?
I sure do because even though
it was released way back in 2018,
it's still one of my favorite bikes.
Well, now Yeti has something new, sorta new,
but I'm gonna explain that in a little bit.
First, meet Yeti's SB115.
Yetis paired that 115 millimeters of rear wheel travel
with 130 millimeter travel Fox 34.
And its specked components like a 50 millimeter stem,
780 millimeter wide handlebar, long travel dropper posts,
and 30 millimeter wide rims from DT Swiss.
Not only that, but the stock build
comes with a 2.5 inch wide Maxxis DHF on the front
and a 2.3 inch wide Maxxis aggressor on the back,
both with XO casing.
So while the Scalpel and the Epic are more likely
to see Lycra and maybe one or two Post-Ride Beers,
bikes like this Yeti, along with the transition in the Revel
are gonna see baggy shorts, and maybe a few pre-ride beers.
The SB115's new name, it makes all the sense of the world
given how much travel it has.
But the front and the rear triangles are not new.
Those are actually the exact same
as what Yeti used for the SB100.
What is new is that small linkage piece
that drives the shock,
and the shock itself is also a slightly longer stroke
to deliver more travel.
All this stuff down here, Yeti calls it
the switch Infinity system.
And no, those two little gold tubes are not tiny shocks.
The black carrier moves up and down
and it lets Yeti control the bike's axle path.
Initially, as the bike goes into its travel,
the carrier goes upward
and that provides a rearward axle path.
Then as the bike goes deeper in its travel,
that carrier moves downward, which reduces chain tension
and it lets the suspension deal with hardened packs better.
Okay, let's look at some other details,
including two ISG tabs around the
BB92 bottom bracket shell.
So that lets you mount one of those little tiny
upper chain guides if you think you need it.
Cable routing is all internal, and it's also tube in tube.
So that means you just push it through
and it should come out the other side
without you having to scream or throw anything at the bike.
Another thing to mention,
look how far that top tube drops down.
With the seat slammed, this thing feels like a BMX bike.
You have a ton of stand over clearance.
If we're comparing bikes, which is what we're doing here,
you probably noticed that the Yeti has some conservative,
but still modern numbers.
And now that's because,
like I've mentioned a few times already,
this is based around that SB100 frame.
They're using the same mold.
So of course the geometry is going to be similar.
It's important to remember that its slacker and longer,
but it doesn't mean better.
We're all shaped differently, we ride different trails,
we like different things.
So look at the Yeti's geo chart and see what works for you.
One last detail to point out,
Yeti's done a real nice job with frame protection here.
There's a nice pad underneath the down tube
and the chain stay and the seat stays
both have protection on them as well.
Okay, let's talk about models and pricing.
The range topper, it goes for $8,000
and it comes with an XX1 drivetrain.
This one that I've been riding,
it's the $6,900 USDT 2 version
that comes with an XO1 drivetrain, Fox factory suspension,
and DT Swiss's XM 1700 wheels.
So all that adds up to 27.1 pounds
with our Schwalbe control tires
and no pedals or bottle cage on the bike.
Frame rate? Well, Yeti says that the turq frame,
a medium sized version weighs 5.8 pounds with a Fox shock.
So those are all the details about Yeti's new SB115.
Up next, we're gonna talk about how this bike rides.
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- We've been riding these bikes since Squamish a ton
but before we get into that, tell me about your ride set up.
- [Levy] Of course we installed the Schwalbe tires
and they were inflated to the same pressure
as all the other bikes.
Now, right out of the gate, the Yeti is good to go.
It has a short stem and a wide handlebar,
and a long travel dropper posts that make it obvious
that this bike is ready for some challenging terrain.
As far as suspension goes, on the front, there's a Fox 34,
which is different than the SIDs
that are on the front of all my other bikes.
So this is actually 130 millimeter 34
with a fit forward cartridge.
And I kept that in the open setting,
and for the rear, 30% sag.
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- And that brings us to climbing.
How did this thing climb?
- Yeah, so there's actually two different stories here
with this Yeti SB115.
It definitely could turn tighter, steer quicker,
steer sharper than bikes like the Spur, and the Revel.
In those situations where you're going zero miles an hour,
you know, when you're snaking back and forth
and it's just like switch back after switch back
after switch back,
yeah, the Yeti definitely took less effort
than those other two bikes.
- And then what about on the less technical climbs?
Does it feel really active
or does it feel like it's sufficient?
- [Levy] So yeah, when you're out of the seat
and you're throwing your body weight around,
it does move more than those other
maybe a little bit more cross-country oriented bikes.
And that active suspension also helps it
in the tech tricky climbing as well too.
The bike feels like it has a lot of traction.
And then the result is, I mean,
you just look where you wanna go and this thing
(mumbles) goes up the stuff.
Where maybe those less forgiving bikes,
you kind of have to think a little more, you know?
- [Sarah] You don't have to choose your line too much.
You can be a little bit--
- [Levy] Right.
- [Sarah] Less cautious about where
you're pointing the bike.
- [Levy] Right, exactly.
So bottom line, there were times when the SB115
almost felt like more of a trail bike
than a cross-country bike.
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The SB115 definitely has a bit of a unique character
where the SB100, it felt like this knife that like ...
You ride it precise.
The 115 is a lot more forgiving as you would expect it to be
with that 130 millimeter fork upfront.
And because of that, you can carry more speed
over the rough stuff, the bike takes less out of you,
and it definitely feels more forgiving
than some of the other bikes here.
- [Sarah] What about on higher speed trails?
What was that like?
- [Levy] On a higher speed stuff,
you can feel that this bike is shorter.
You can feel that the frame is the same frame as the SB100
with a 450 millimeter reach for this large.
It's shorter and it's less stable.
You know, it can feel like this sometimes.
It is a weird sort of combination of quickest handling
because of that, and forgiving suspension,
which really suits terrain that is rolling and tight,
and maybe not super steep, or super fast.
Those sorts of places, that Yeti can really cover
a lot of ground.
When it does get steeper
and when it does get going really fast,
yeah, I mean, you can't keep up to bikes like the Spur
and the Revel. That's bottom line. That's what it is.
And that I think comes down to the geometry of this bike
and it's based on the SB100.
Yeti's other bikes are fairly progressive
if we're talking geometry, and this isn't.
And compared to a handful of these newer bikes
that we have here, that's obvious.
Bottom line, if you have challenging terrain,
yeah, it was going a little slower on the descents
and a little slower when things got tricky.
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- It's time to look at the timed laps.
How did the Yeti SB115 fair?
- Yeah, so the overall lap, the entire lap,
that includes obviously the descent, and the climb,
I was fifth overall out of five bikes.
(mumbles)
The descent, it was fourth out of fifth.
And then we did the efficiency test.
This Yeti had the slowest time.
I mean, it's six pounds heavier than--
- [Sarah] Yeah, that makes a difference.
- [Levy] Than the epic Evil, right?
- [Sarah] Yeah, yeah.
Like people, you know, change their wheels out to shave
a couple of grands.
- Yeah. It--
- 'Cause it sounds like you're gonna notice that.
- Exactly. So it was the slowest bike
on the efficiency task, but on the trail,
it felt more like a quick trail bike.
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Yeti made a whole lot of smart decisions
when they specked this bike.
It's ready to go.
It has some wide aluminum rims from DT Swiss
that have held up very well,
and 130 millimeter Fox fork on the front
which I think makes a lot of sense for this bike
with a three position fit damper.
The cockpit, big wide handlebar, short stem,
and a long travel dropper post and four piston brakes.
So right out of the gate, this thing is ready to go.
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- Well, let's get into pros and cons then.
What were some of your favorite things about this bike?
- I think my favorite thing
about this bike is the suspension.
It stays super quiet.
It doesn't move around when you're moving around,
it doesn't move around much when you're peddling.
but at the same time, it's very compliant,
it takes in all the small stuff, it feels supportive,
it doesn't bottom out hard,
so they've done a really good job there.
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- And what about the not so good stuff?
What were some of the cons?
- Honestly, I think Yeti missed a bit with the geometry.
The reach could be longer,
the front end could be a little bit slacker.
As it is, it can't really compete with the likes of like
the Spur and the Revel Ranger.
It feels, handling wise, like it'd be a little too quick.
But I mean, you know, if your terrain is tighter and slower,
it might be just the ticket.
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- All things considered. who's gonna buy this bike?
Who's the SB115 for?
- Yeah, I'll tell you who it's not for,
and that's for somebody who's going to race cross-country.
It's definitely not a race bike.
What it is though is extremely forgiving,
and it still has nimble handling.
So if you want something
that maybe is a little more forgiving
than your average cross-country bike,
but you don't need those slack angles,
or anything like that, the SB115 might be a good option.
Okay, there you have it, Yeti's SB115.
Stay tuned for more reviews and round table discussions
from the Cross-Country Field Test.
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