Testing the Yeti SB-66

Yesterday was a fantastic day! I got to test the large Yeti SB-66 aluminium bike in the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors. The night before the test, I had a quick chat with Ian, from Big Bear Bikes in Pickering who was due to take a friend and I on the guided test. We had a chat about skill levels, normal riding terrain and pedals. With that sorted, we arrived to a fully prepped turquoise SB-66 outside their shop. I was bowled over by it's confident look and stature in comparison to my trusted Cube LTD Pro.

Ian is a big advocate of natural off-road riding as opposed to groomed trail centers, so we headed towards Dalby Forest, stopping short at a car park overlooking the rolling Moors. It only took a few minutes to get used to the Yeti, which is testament to it's pedaling efficiency in my opinion. I was soon pinning it down hills and catching air off any bump I could find.

One of the highlights of the bike was the Fox 32 Talas 150mm Kashima forks. Without shadow of a doubt, these are the smoothest forks I have seen. On one occasion, they did dive causing a sketchy moment, but I'm told it's a characteristic I'm going to have to get used to on a long travel bike. The real party trick though, is the Talas feature. The SB-66 was no slouch on the climbs (I was, but that's another story!) but to provide even more of an advantage, a quick turn of the right hand Talas dial on the forks will drop them to 120mm. It effectively steepens the head angle by lowering the front of the bike, allowing for improved pedaling on climbs. When you're ready to descend, turn the dial back again and the forks gently rise back to their 150mm configuration. Very, very slick!

My major concern when moving from a hardtail to a long travel bike has been pedal bob. Through some miracle of engineering, at no point did I feel my energy was being sapped through the rear shock. There was no bob but by keeping an eye on the rather hypnotic rear shock, it was clear that the rear of the bike continued to react to the terrain, keeping traction at all times.

As mentioned, this was not the type of terrain my friends and I generally ride, but I know my Cube so well, I know exactly what it would feel like, so I my thoughts are in comparison to that. On a couple of descents, my head was telling me to pick my way through because my hardtail would kick like a mule, but then came the advice from Ian - "When we reach the next corner, fingers off the brake levers and let the bike go". I'm quite good at mind over matter (or talking myself into dangerous situations if you prefer), so I did as instructed and WOW! what a revelation! The Yeti soaked up all the roughness which allowed me to stay on track at hair raising speeds, but ensuring enough confidence that I was trying jumps en route. It was so poised, and never twitchy. When I've read that this bike or that bike will give you confidence, I always assumed it was over a matter of weeks as you get used to it, but it was instant. Seriously impressive stuff!

A benefit I hadn't considered was the lack of pain in my backside at the end of the ride. It was so much more comfortable, so I'm guessing long rides (5-6 hours) would be much more enjoyable.

When trying the scientific weight test (one bike in each hand), I believe my Cube and the Yeti weight almost exactly the same. That's some feat of engineering!

The drive train was XT throughout and I have to say, the gear changes was phenomenal! Maybe it was just that my own setup is getting tired, but the XT was very good. So much so, that I got Big Bear Bikes to give the Cube a full overhaul when we got back!

It wouldn't be fair to write all this up and not give a shout out to the lads at Big Bear Bikes. Their knowledge and willingness to help is unsurpassed. They opted to take us for a guided ride instead of giving us the bike for the day and not making the most of it. In addition, they brought along a Trek Rumblefish 29er to compare against. I was quite excited to try the 29er, but really didn't like it when I was actually on it.

Following the service of my Cube, my buddy and I headed over to Dalby Forest to hit the skills area and first couple of sections of the Black trail. After a few attempts we were clearing the table tops in the freeride section, and believe me when I say these things are BIG! Okay, maybe not Brandon Semenuk big, but big enough for us. It's such a buzz when you take off and make the perfect landing on the down slope instead of catching a wheel on the top.

What a day! And next week, I'm testing the Santa Cruz Nomad C - I can't wait!

Size to choose: Large

Rising from the Ashes of Cracked Dreams

I choose my words carefully when I say I love the Yeti SB-66c. It's not just a crush, but a full on infatuation so it is with a very heavy heart that I say the Yeti build is no more!!! Let me explain...

As you may have read, I was recently on a skills course with the guys from Pro Ride Guides. They do a lot of product reviews for the likes of MBUK including the review of the SB-66. They ride Santa Cruz Nomads themselves and were of the opinion that the SB-66 was more of a trail bike that wouldn't be capable of big hits like other similarly priced options. Believe me when I say I was crying on the way home...I wished I hadn't asked!

Fast forward a few weeks and the seed of doubt had been sewn, so I took the pragmatic approach and emailed Yeti with my concerns including whether the frame could cope with big hits and spills. As you would expect, their response was quick and encouraging. Then this happened...a forum post about the frames cracking and a number of people claiming "me too".

I do not have thousands of pounds to spend on a frame every month and the idea of a frame cracking whilst out in the middle of nowhere does not appeal. So, I've heeded the advice of people far more in the know than me, and arranged a test ride on a Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon.

The proposed spec is similar to the SB-66c with changes here and there (headset, longer travel seatpost, front mech, and bar grips!)

• Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon
• Fox 34 TALAS 160 FIT CTD w/Trail Adjust
• Industry Nine All Mountain (Black Stan Flow Rim, Black spokes, Gold Hub)
• KS LEV 430mm Adjustable Seatpost
• Hope M4 Evo Brakes
• Shimano XTR M985 Shadow+ 10sp Rear Mech
• Shimano XTR M985 Top Swing 2x10 Front Mech (Low Clamp, 34.9mm)
• Shimano XTR Shifters 10sp Direct Attach M980
• Shimano XT M771 10 Speed Cassette
• Shimano M810 Saint Bottom Bracket (73mm)
• Shimano SLX M665 Double Chainset (175mm - 36.22t - 68/73mm)
• Cane Creek 110 Upper Assemblies Separates  ZS49/28.6 8mm SH 1.5-1 1/8 inch Conversion, Zerostack, Short
• Cane Creek 110 Lower Assemblies Separates  EC49/40 SH 12mm 1.5 inch steerer, External, 49mm headtube bore
• SRAM PC1091 10 Speed Hollow Pin Chain
• Fizik Gobi XM MTB Saddle 2012
• Point 1 Split Second 50 (in black of course)
• ODI Rogue MTB Lock-On Bonus Pack
• 2 x Continental Mountain Queen Protection Folding MTB Tyre - 26 x 2.4

Obligatory Introduction

Let me get the major bit of news out of the way first - I am planning to build a Yeti SB-66c super bike. There, I said it! So now for a bit of background...

I've been riding proper trails and single track for a few years now having bought my hardtail Cube LTD Pro on my workplace's Cycle To Work scheme. As my riding has progressed, I found myself adding more and more upgraded components and still envy the full sus crew that I ride with. I'm not an exceptional rider and I doubt I ever will be, but I do have a motto that I live by with every sport I practice; Buy The Very Best You Can Afford. Why? Well, I watch those YouTube videos with the likes of Brendan Semenuk doing tail whips at 1000fps and the like and I do not like the thought that the equipment I use is the excuse that I'm not reaching my potential. That's how I justify it to myself, but there's also an element that I just love riding nice bikes!

The other point is I don't have loads of disposable cash either (3 kids will do that to you) so I certainly won't be buying all the parts in one go. My plan is to purchase the frame this year, and complete the parts in January / February 2013. That way, it should be ready to ride for next season...how exciting!!!

So, why the Yeti SB-66c then? Well, I've ridden other people's full sus bikes and one of the characteristics I really like is maintaining the pedalling efficiency but without sacrificing ride quality. One in particular was the Specialised S-Works (can't remember which one). It felt like a hardtail until you hit something then the plush suspension kicked in, but it felt like there would be no advantage on climbs. On my much lighter and shorter friend's Trek Fuel 8, I felt like all my energy was being sapped when pedalling. What I wanted is something that could react to the terrain without reacting to my pedalling force...enter Yeti's SWITCH Technology. Their eccentric pivot is designed to do exactly that. I was researching components and build kits etc. when I saw the Fox CTD (Climb, Trail, Descend) adverts, and there was the most stunning bike I've ever seen. My mind was made up.

So there it is...I'll be documenting the build but don't expect posts every day and I'm sure I'll post something about the local trails and trail building we'll be undertaking.

Wish me luck!