Spotted: Jared Graves' Yeti SB6c Prototype

Yeti Cycles recently released their SB5c trail bike, but many riders were left wondering where a longer travel, SB66 replacement was. The answer? It's coming. Jared Graves will be racing a stealth looking 27.5" wheeled prototype at the fifth stop of the Enduro World Series this weekend in Winter Park, Colorado, not far from Yeti's headquarters. The new bike's suspension configuration is the same as that found on the SB5c, using the Switch Infinity system for its 157mm of travel.

In case you missed it in our review of the SB5c, here's the rundown of how the bike's rear suspension works: The suspension design relies on two Kashima coated rails to control the bike's wheel path, and initially, as the bike goes through its travel the carrier moves upwards, giving the bike a rearward axle path for improved pedaling and small bump absorption. As the rear wheel goes deeper into its travel the mechanism moves downwards, reducing the amount of chain tension for better big hit performance. The size of the Switch Infinity system on the bike Graves will be riding is exactly the same as what's on the SB5c, but the amount the mechanism travels is slightly different, with about .5mm more upwards and 1.5mm more downwards movement according to Yeti's design engineer Peter Zawistowski. The top tube on Graves' prototype has a more pronounced downward slope than what's found on the SB5 for better standover clearance and maneuverability, and is lacking the carbon brace that runs between the seat and top tube on the shorter travel bike. The rear swingarm looks to be beefier than that of the SB5c in order to deal with the warp speeds that riders like Graves will be trying to achieve aboard the bike. Yeti hasn't officially released any geometry numbers, but it'd be reasonable to expect that the head tube angle is in the 65-66° range with a 160mm fork.

A closer look at the heart of the Switch Infinity system.

The unique look of the Switch Infinity system has been causing quite a stir, with much of the commotion being raised by riders who apparently spend the majority of their riding time slogging through mud that has the consistency of a fresh batch of concrete. The truth is, very little maintenance is necessary to keep the system running smoothly, and a hose down and a squirt of grease every once in a while is all that's required for trouble free performance. Since the carrier only needs to move 4 or so millimeters in either direction, the chainstays provide plenty of leverage to overcome any amount of slop that makes its way in. Yeti did test different covers during the development of the system, but found that they tended to trap the mud and grit rather than allowing it to pass through, which is why they ended up leaving it open on both sides.



Component Check
Graves has his bike set up with Fox's new 36 FLOAT in the front, and a FLOAT X handles the rear suspension duties. The Winter Park course is fast and hardpacked, so a Maxxis Minion DHR II front tire has been paired up with a low profile Ikon in the rear. Although 11 speed Shimano XTR drivetrains are slowly trickling out, Graves is still on a 10 speed set up, with an e*thirteen LG1 chainguide in place for extra security. XTR brake levers and Saint calipers are mounted on a Renthal carbon bar, and should provide plenty of stopping power if Graves decides to use them, but with only a 30 point lead above Damien Oton for the overall in the Enduro World Series you can bet he'll be grabbing them as little as possible.