The SB6C's predecessor was the SB66, a bike that wasn't long for this world before Yeti replaced it with the new machine reviewed here. Jared Graves then immediately took the 152mm travel SB6C out and won a handful of ridiculously hard enduro races on it, as well as the 2014 EWS overall title, which is pretty much a storybook debut for the company. Considering that he did a similar feat aboard the SB66 (minus the EWS overall), and that his speed might have little do to with how the majority of riders will be using the SB6C, I don't think we can put Graves' success solely down to Yeti's new design. Then again, it was Jared who penned the SB6C's geometry - the head angle is a full degree slacker, putting it in the mid 65° range, and it's also longer up front by half an inch compared to the SB66 - so saying that the SB6C is 'race inspired' isn't a stretch by any means.
Yeti SB6C Details
• Intended use: all-mountain / enduro
• Wheel size: 27.5''
• Rear wheel travel: 152mm
• Switch Infinity suspension
• Carbon fiber front and rear triangles
• Tapered head tube ((44/56mm)
• Internal dropper post routing
• Designed to accept Di2 batteries and cables
• ISCG 05 chain guide tabs
• Weight: 29lb 4oz
• MSRP: $7,399 USD
The redesign saw Yeti fit 27.5'' wheels, as expected, but the big thing here is a revised suspension design that doesn't look like anything out there right now. And while the two-rail Switch Infinity layout is very different from the bearing-in-a-bearing design of the older Switch system, it actually accomplishes a very similar thing. Why the change? There are completely unconfirmed rumors that the original Switch system infringed on another company's patent, but Yeti denies this, saying that the reason is three fold: it's much more impervious to the elements, it allows them to have more precise control over the suspension action, and it's around 100 grams lighter.
Our test bike is the 'X01' model that retails for $7,399 USD, and complete bikes start at a still pricey $6,499 USD with their 'Enduro' model. An SB6C frame with a FOX Float X CTD goes for $3,499 USD.Frame DetailsWe've had some pretty sharp looking bikes in for testing lately, but I think it's the SB6C that takes the cake. I don't even like the color green (
it also comes in black and turquoise) and I still think this thing is a stunner. Both the front and rear triangles are made from carbon fiber and sport some pretty curvy shaping, but it still manages to look more purposeful than artsy. And while it's not an uncomplicated bike, the Switch Infinity system sits low on the frame and nearly out of sight, while the carbon link that connects the two triangles together is tucked in between the two uprights and pretty much hidden from view. It gives the bike a super clean look, even if the cable routing does its best to upset that (
notice how it travels just below the FOX Float X CTD shock), and the frame's lines remind me of their old ARC hardtail. I doubt very much that this is a coincidence.
Appearance aside, Yeti has ticked all the usual boxes that need ticking when talking about a 152mm travel bike intended for enduro racing. There's a tapered head tube up front, of course, and a sturdy looking down tube guard that shares its mounting bolts with those that would hold a bottle cage on. And speaking of water, there's no place for a bottle inside the front triangle, so you better not mind riding with a backpack on. You can mount up a front derailleur on the swing arm's direct mount, while a set of ISCG 05 chain guide tabs have been moulded into the frame around the PF92 bottom bracket, should you want to run some proper protection and/or chain retention. Are you the kind of rider who likes to use the big meat? Do a lot of bike park riding? The chain and seat stays offer room for a massive 2.5'' tire, so you won't have any issues there.
The SB6c's Suspension ExplainedYeti's Switch Infinity design uses a
bearing carrier that travels vertically on two Kashima coated tubes from FOX, with the setup controlling the bike's wheel path: initially, as the bike goes through its travel, the carrier moves upwards to provide a rearward axle path for improved pedalling. As the rear wheel goes deeper into its travel, the mechanism moves downwards, reducing the amount of chain tension for better big hit performance. Why the switch from the original eccentric bearing design?
Yeti's vice president, Steve Hoogendoorn, explained the difference: ''With the older eccentric we essentially have a really, really short link - something that's less than 15mm, whereas the mechanical analogy for the rail is the exact opposite. Instead of creating a short link, we're creating what's essentially a link that's an infinite length long. We're able to tune wheel path and anti-squat extremely precisely and accurately, which we couldn't do as easily with the Switch.'' It's also claimed to be 100 grams lighter than the original Switch design, and Yeti says that testing has shown it to be very impervious to any elements that a mountain biker would ride through.
While it may be obvious to some, it's important to note that the two Kashima coated tubes and the carrier do not act as a damper or spring in any way, but rather are solely used to determine the axle path of the rear wheel. Grease ports allow the lubrication for each tube to be purged and replaced with a fresh dose, and Yeti recommends a 40 hour service interval between re-greasing, as well as not to go overboard when doing so.
The bearing carrier, which is also home to the main pivot, that moves vertically on two Kashima coated tubes. This allows Yeti to dial in the exact wheel path they're looking for.
Specifications
|
Release Date
|
2015 |
|
Price
|
$7399 |
|
Travel |
152 |
|
Rear Shock |
FOX FLOAT X CTD w/Trail Adjust |
|
Fork |
FOX FLOAT 36 160 FACTORY |
|
Headset |
CANE CREEK 40 |
|
Cassette |
SRAM 11 SPD |
|
Crankarms |
SRAM X1 1400 32T |
|
Rear Derailleur |
SRAM X01 11SPD |
|
Chain |
SRAM |
|
Shifter Pods |
SRAM X01 11SPD |
|
Handlebar |
EASTON HAVOC 35 CARBON |
|
Stem |
EASTON HAVOC 35 |
|
Grips |
YETI LOCK-ON |
|
Brakes |
SHIMANO XT |
|
Wheelset |
DT 350 W/EX 471 RIM |
|
Tires |
Maxxis Highroller II |
|
Seat |
YETI WTB VOLT CUSTOM |
|
Seatpost |
THOMSON COVERT |
|
| |
ClimbingThe on-power expectations for a bike of the SB6C's travel would have been pretty low only a few short years ago. Making it slack and making it ''plush'' seemed to sit at the top of every engineer's list of needs and wants, which is likely where term ''mini-DH bike'' came from: as in, it sucked at absolutely everything except going down a hill because that's all we could make it be good at with 160mm of travel. The SB6C makes those days feel like they were a lot longer ago than just a few short years behind us, with Yeti building-in an impressive pedalling ability to the green machine that allows it to be impossibly efficient relative to its intentions. I put in a handful of five-hour days in on the Yeti and, save for a single long and boring gravel road climb, I left the bike's Float X shock fully open nearly the entire time I was on it.
Sure, you can throw your weight around and get the Yeti to roll through its travel, especially due to how supple both ends of the bike are, but it just always felt more coiled and ready to jump forward than most other bikes of similar travel. This works for a more set-and-forget approach to riding, which is not common with this type of bike, as so many ask that you push levers or fiddle with switches to keep them from acting like they're sucking your soul out through your quads. Take into account the roomy front-end on our large-sized test bike that only made things more comfortable during massive, grind 'em out days on the bike, and the SB6C is on a pretty short list of big-travel rigs that I'd happily pedal around for long periods of time.
Tricky, complex climbs are where reality hits you upside the head, though, and it's here that the SB6C is more true to its colors. It's a big, slack bike that's meant to be ridden like a downhill rig on rowdy trails, and the tradeoff is that it meets expectations on technical, rocky and root covered singletrack climbs. The steering on steep climbs is more akin to pushing an overcooked spaghetti noodle around your plate from behind, and it takes some real technique to get the bike up and around tight switchbacks in closed quarters. A bit harsh? Maybe, but it's not an easy bike to ride on challenging climbs, even compared to other machines in the same class. The Canyon Strive is a good example of a bike that surprised in such settings, although the German bike can't come close to matching the SB6C's pedalling prowess. It's almost like the Strive and the SB6C need to go for a romantic dinner together at Red Lobster before consummating the relationship and delivering their offspring, a mid-travel bike that would slay all climbs without being a bore on the way back down.
| Sure, you can throw your weight around and get the Yeti to roll through its travel, especially due to how supple both ends of the bike are, but it just always felt more coiled and ready to jump forward than most other bikes of similar travel. |
Descending and SuspensionPast reviews have seen me blather on about the class of bike that the SB6C slots into actually being split between two different species of bikes, regardless of travel figures, and I'm going down the road yet again to help explain the SB6C. There are mid-travel bikes that have me questioning why anyone would need a real downhill bike but are clumsy on difficult climbs - the GT's Sanction, Santa Cruz's Nomad, and Trek's Slash being the most obvious examples - while similar travel bikes such as the new HD3 from Ibis, Cannondale's Jekyll, and Norco's Range do provide some concession for those who have to get up the mountain on a regular basis. The first group of bikes are basically pure enduro race bikes, while the latter are still very capable but lean more towards all around, aggressive riding. And where does Yeti's new SB6C fit into that picture? Unquestionably in that first category. Despite its outstandingly efficient pedalling, this is bike that feels very much like a near purebred descender when you get into that mindset where nothing matters other than getting down the hill quickly, and it's a confidence inspiring ride when doing exactly that.
The SB6C was affectionately referred to as 'The Hulk' by any tester who rode it due to how its slack angles and seemingly invincible FOX 36 fork allowed it to punch through anything on the trail, and the answer to any and all doubt is to simply let off the brakes when on the big Yeti. It simply just goes through chunky ground like only a few other bikes can, but it can also corner like a slot car when at the same sort of speeds. This is a fast bike that needs to be ridden fast, though, because it doesn't have the playful, nimble attitude of an HD3 or Canyon Strive, regardless of what geometry charts will tell you. The tighter the terrain, the less The Hulk seemed to fit between slabs of rock and tight sections, but it always seemed worthwhile as soon as things opened up again and the green bike could breath a little. This isn't really a surprise given that the SB6C has been penned to be an enduro race bike, not a rig to slowly poke along some trail that could be ridden on a cross-country bike without feeling tested, so it's obvious that the steering will suffer when you don't have the space to let it run out. The one caveat to my issue with the SB6C at slow speed is how well it can be pedalled out of a corner - this bike accelerates quicker than it has any business doing. This was especially noticeable on flatter, less technical trails that you could still get going at a proper clip on, with there being a surprising amount of gas in the SB6C's tank on such ground.
| Despite its outstandingly efficient pedalling, this is a bike that feels very much like a near purebred descender when you get into that mindset where nothing matters other than getting down the hill quickly, and it's a confidence inspiring ride when doing exactly that. |
Our SB6C test bike came spec'd with a 36 Float Factory up front and a Float X CTD out back, both of which are FOX's top tier offerings at this travel bracket. The fork in particular was stunning compared to how the older 36 platform performed, and it absolutely annihilates nearly anything that you point it at. Tuneable bottom-out via volume spacers means that you can control the end of the stroke, while the opposite end is supple enough to take in the slightest of impacts. How FOX is able to balance the low-speed control to keep the fork from diving excessively while still having it be so forgiving in the top third of its travel is a mystery to me, but FOX's Race Program Manager, Mark Fitzsimmons, did divulge some details when I questioned him about the new 36 at an earlier date: ''
It now has less compression through the entire velocity range, but we focused more on lightening it in the low- to mid-speed velocities. We also changed how the shims opened by reducing the amount of preload on the piston face shim.''
It might have been because the front of the bike is just so damn impressive, but the SB6C's rear-end felt great everywhere with one exception: high-speed, sharp impacts felt like they transferred more energy through the bike compared to other rigs of the same travel on the same section of trail. The difference is subtle, yet it was also noticeable enough for more than just me to notice it, with a few other testers having the same unprovoked comments. Other than that, the back of the bike was nearly invisible - supple and active, enough ramp-up to keep one from slamming into the end of the stroke, and the bike never felt like it was wallowing down into its travel.
Hold Up...The SB6C is an impressive bike in nearly every way that you'd expect it to be and then some. Not only does it feel extremely efficient, it also hauls ass on a rowdy trail with very little effort, which makes it one of the few bikes of this travel bracket that I'd ride all day, every day. What I don't like, though, is broken frames, which is exactly what happened to the SB6C. A slow speed and awkward tip over at a near standstill saw the swingarm's left-side dropout area come down directly on a rock. The rock won, with a spiderweb of fractures spreading across the impact area and a rear disc that rubbed the brake pads enough to be annoying. Talking to a few peers at other media outlets revealed that we weren't the only ones who managed to go through a swing arm, and Yeti later revealed that we were given a pre-production SB6C frame, which is something that we were definitely not aware of when we took delivery.
Here's what Chris Conroy, Yeti Cycles President and Co-Owner, had to say about the cracked swing arm:
| We design our bikes to be durable, even when wrecked, and this frame didn't perform to our standards. Nobody likes a broken frame... Nobody likes excuses, either, so we're not making any. We'll give you and your readers a little insight into what happened and let them decide for themselves. The frame you tested came out of an original ''press'' run of twenty frames. We were able to pull other frames from that initial run and, after measuring wall thickness and then burning down other frames to confirm the lay-up, we discovered that it was not made to our specifications. This resulted in the wall thickness being thinner and could explain why it didn't handle the impact as well as we would have liked. We have updated our process controls with the vendor to ensure our production parts meet our specifications. Additionally, we added material to our seat and chain stays for better impact resistance. This increased the weight of the rear triangle by 45 grams. All production parts have this updated process/layup.
The SB6C was tested to our gravity standard, so impact aside, it is the strongest frame we've made to date. Jared Graves and Richie Rude have recently demonstrated the frame's strength in DH racing by taking wins in the Oceanias and Toowoomba national round in Australia. We stand behind every frame we make, so if a customer ever had a problem, we'd make it right. |
Technical Report• Water Bottle Mount: I know that suspension design trumps water bottle placement, but I can't get over how the only place to carry a bottle on the SB6C is on the underside of the down tube. It takes all of ten minutes for the bottle to be coated in dust, dirt or mud, and having had giardia three times already, I try to avoid ingesting anything that might give it to me a fourth time. Great way to lose some weight, though.
• Thomson Covert Seat Post: I'm a big fan on the Covert dropper, enough so that I went out and bought one for my personal bike after using the one spec'd on the SB6C. It's relatively light compared to some, it's opposing-bolt head is always silent while holding the seat at whatever angle you put it at, and the tiny remote works well with my left hand and handlebar setup. I did find myself wishing that it would make a louder top-out noise when it reached full extension - ours was pretty much quiet - and I'm still not a fan of the nearly microscopic set-screw that holds the cable in place at the actuation arm.
• Easton Cockpit: I don't think that 35mm diameter handlebars and the stems they require are really worth upgrading to if you have a perfectly fine 31.8mm combo, but the Easton Havoc setup on the Yeti sure does look nice. It also feels just fine and is relatively light, so there you go.
• DT Swiss EX471 Rims: The 500 gram aluminum rims didn't require any straightening, nor did they suffer from any rock-shaped dents. There was also no burping of the Maxxis Highroller II tires that were mounted to them, despite running pressures around the very low 20psi mark, and these exact rims were on Graves' SB6C race bike last season... what more do you need from a set of wheels?
• Shimano XT Brakes: These stoppers never, ever lack power, and they have a firm feel at the lever that everyone seems to like. I did find that the initial grab onto the rotors was pretty abrupt when combined with Sedona's super dry and dusty ground that's always looking for any reason to cause your tires to slide, but it's hard to ignore the XT brakes' reliability and power.
Pinkbike's Take: | The broken frame is a worrying thing, isn't it? I can't say that our SB6C, which was said to be a pre-production version, is recommendable given that it failed during testing. But, if Yeti has in fact made the required updates to the effected area and the issue is remedied, which they say is true on both accounts, then it might be a different story. If so, I'd say that the SB6C is a bike for someone who rides fast, takes chances, and doesn't think much of poking around on a tricky climb. This is a bike for a rider who's a descender at heart, which is exactly what Yeti was going for, and I'd go so far as to say that you probably won't be doing the bike any justice if that doesn't sound like you. - Mike Levy |
Visit the high-res gallery for more images from this review
About the ReviewerStats: Age: 34 • Height: 5'10” • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 165lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None Mike Levy spent most of the 90s and early 2000s racing downhill bikes and building ill-considered jumps in the woods of British Columbia before realizing that bikes could also be pedalled for hours on end to get to some pretty cool places. These days he spends most of his time doing exactly that, preferring to ride test bikes way out in the local hills rather than any bike park. Over ten years as a professional mechanic before making the move to Pinkbike means that his enthusiasm for two wheels extends beyond simply riding on them, and his appreciation for all things technical is an attribute that meshes nicely with his role of Technical Editor at Pinkbike.
I would really hope, that with what can quickly become a companies reputation in these reviews, they would really thoroughly test, cut up, and destroy their first batch of frames before sending ANYTHING out for review with the media. Calling them pre-production frames in hindsight just sounds like; Weeeell, we Thought these were going to be our production frames, but then this happened, so we went back and changed it. Now This is our real production frame, and what you had was a pre-production frame...
I wish I could have done that with some of my college exams after they had been corrected and graded; Nonono wait, I really meant to write This answer instead! See, now I have a better grade! lol
At the end of the day, that's the frame they sent out for review, and that's the one that was reviewed, and that's the one that has been breaking when/where/how it should not be breaking.
If, as you say, it was the whole batch of 30 bikes, then that's absolutely not true. Like zephxii said: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_article_inspection. You order a couple extra parts from the lot for destructive testing so you can catch the problem BEFORE assembly and shipping. That way you avoid the whole ordeal of assembly, shipping, warranty, etc.... and two disastrous product reviews. It's a pretty standard practice at any company that takes quality control seriously.
Plus, if PB and BR hadn't caught this problem it's doubtful that this would have been a "pre production" issue (if you even believe that). They would have shipped a bunch of these things, and all those customers would have shattered their frames and been off the bike, possibly for months, waiting for replacements.
It doesn't surprise me a small tip-over broke the swing arm, my frame cracked upon landing a small drop. Maybe my frame wasn't made to their specifications? They provided me with several "reasons" as to why my frame broke but none of them were their fault.
Make a quality product and have some respect for your customers. Without them you wouldn't be in business.
I'm sure the testers are pushing it to the limits and crashing crashes. Not enough info to say that this was a design error.
Or ,maybe it's not just bad luck - a long history of releasing products with issues and needing to redesign them points to issues with design and quality control.
Yeti continue to push themselves upmarket ($500 more expensive than a Nomad frame), but not sorting out their quality issues is going to hurt them.
As much as this bike appeals to the heart, my head would never allow me to buy one.
That being said, I read this review as: Sexy enduro sled, one trick pony, very expensive, and failed during testing.
I had the same problem with a US "boutique" bike brand frame a few years back. After the 3rd warranty claim, each taking months to fix, I got my 4th new frame and sold it outright, and put the money into a mass market "big brand" frame with a lifetime warranty and solid warranty support through a widespread dealer network
The bike was produced, right? Then it was a production bike, Yeti.
Regular use, right under the rear brake housing on the seat stay. No damage to brake housing so that did not take the hit. Great bike when it works.
@b45her
The original 66 triangle was breaking at the bend near bottom bracket, at a weld. They got rid of that weld there and breaks stopped from what I understand.
.
After all their big talk about threaded bb's a couple of years ago not only have Yeti gone press fit, they've gone to the absolute worst press fit standard, all the creaking of the other version, but no scope for 30mm cranks or thread together semi-permanent bb systems, go home Yeti, you're drunk.
If you're going to cut corners, you should mention it to the reviewer beforehand that it's a preprod frame or actually wait to ship the final version.
I think the take home lesson is that innovation is great and it should be encouraged but if you cheap out on quality QC/testing, you're making everybody look bad. I understand that smaller brands probably don't have the same ressources the bigger players have but stuff like this tend to push people toward the bigger names and safer tech, which is a loss for the smaller brands and the consumers.
The fact that they shipped the test frames without making sure everything is alright beforehand makes it look like someone is cutting corners and wondering if they would have picked up the defects before sending them into production isn't far fetched.
I'm really not a yeti hater but if you're going to have such a high sticker price, people expect better.
I've also been told by factory workers in Taiwan that carbon is cheaper to produce than ally on a big production run.
You would think by now, with the huge, vast, wealth of experience they have had with broken alloy & carbon frames, they might be able to make something that doesn't go snappity snap.
The Yeti is sexier though...those curves.
as for the drivetrain, why would you want an XO1 mech when it is EXACTLY the same as an X1 just not carbon fiber? you'll be happy after you clip it off on a rock and have to buy another mech. and the shifter is X01 and thats the important thing. the cranks could be better, i'd probably put RF cranks. but thats just me
What is hard to rectify is the fact that this "pure breed descender" sucks over sharp high speed impacts. Say what?
Fair play for trying new things yeti, but after owning 1 snapped yeti 5c and a unreliable sb66c I'm glad I've saved myself a packet and bought a tranny patrol.
When making carbon versions of the AL bikes, please feel free to use more than 1.5mm of carbon. Stop testing the limits of the material, it is stronger when applied properly, not just paper thin and done. Yes, cabon fibre is times tougher than AL, but why do you have to insist to make a frame so light, when it will be prone to so much snapping? I say if it is around 300 grams lighter, done! Don't go overboard with it. I would much rather have a bike that is 500grams overall lighter but tough as nails than simply a lighter bike that can't take a bit of shenanigans on a Sunday ride with my best mates.
If I get to pick between a 25-27lbs paperthin bike or a 28lbs sturdy one, I'll take the 28lbs one any day. The problem is that it's really hard to tell for the consumer which is which.
First offs are for breaking/testing/abusing in house and never to see the light of day outside of the company. They should know that.
Especially when you have the momentum of race-season success, and rave reviews of the previous bike (SB66c) to carry you until you get the manufacturing nailed down on the new bike.
Baffling.
I'm sorry, but the pre-production excuse does not make your company look any better. Any rookie engineering team would have tested that batch of frames before letting anyone swing a leg over a bike. The fact that your team did not test that batch of frames is quite shocking. Engineering mistakes do happen. However, it is your job as professionals to have 110% certainty that your products meet your design standards before letting anyone outside the company ride your bike.
Better is always better than depends! Are you going to land on something or you are going to wander in Dependsland? I have landed but not on someone's sht
Stills sounds like BS, "I don't want to make excuses but…here's a list..."
Pre production blah blah…
45g of extra material (glue to stick it back together)
Maybe better luck next time Yeti?
www.pinkbike.com/u/mikelevy/album/Fizik-Gobi
If you can guess the bike?
still live yeti though
It's a shame that a bike with such a high price and awesome characteristics isn't given more QC on the finishing end, or a better line up of components.
The guys at Bike Mag broke two of these frames: www.bikemag.com/videos/yeti-sb6c-2015-bible-bike-tests-roundtable-reels.
That test was done over 4 months ago. Would you think the problem should be corrected by now? I find it very difficult to believe their "pre-production" excuse 4 month later to be plausible. Sounds to me as poorly designed frame, no matter how they try to spin it.
This bike is made in Taiwan at one of the best factories in the industry (but not saying this factory makes all yeti models). This factory also makes some of the other bikes mentioned in this thread as "worthy choices instead of the sb6c", and also some of the bikes mentioned in the review. Yeti is not "cutting corners" regarding cost, because Taiwan is expensive compared to China or Vietnam and - in general - these good factories are also relatively pricy.
Now, if it failed because there's not enough material, I'm sure it will get addressed. If it failed because there is a design issue, it will take a bit more to address.
Not going to comment any more - probably already said too much...
-it climbs WAAAAAY better than my SB66c did over any type of terrain. My experience hasn't been the same as the review stated about climbing. But I would say its a bike that has been designed to get to the top well to go downhill even better.
-it's very easy to clean the switch infinity and the switch infinity is well worth any extra time and maintenance in my book because it's an incredibly stable and efficient platform.
-it absolutely wants to be ridden hard and aggressive downhill. It chomps up everything I have thrown at it and does it well.
-I've ridden it hard for those 110 miles and the rear triangle's glue seems to be holding. I haven't crashed yet either. I am not worried about it because my LBS Reed Cycle in Eagle, ID is 2nd to none in customer service and so is Yeti in my experience.
So far so good! I agree with everything in the review except I would highly recommend the bike.
Sounds very impervious to anything a mountain biker can throw at it.
They can't. Neither can other outsourcing shops. Your life and limb depends on some minimaly paid asian lady doing fiber layup not having a brain fart.
For future reviews, ask the manufacturer BEFOREHAND whether the bike is a prototype/preproduction model. Make this question a standard procedure for every bike you get to review.
As it stands now, this is just another so called "review" claiming to be objective while still relying mostly on the manufacturers claims and information, even in hindsight to the test. We the readers can get absolutely no information out of this, because the reviewers didn´t do their job properly.
I´m not hating on PB, but it would really improve the quality of your reviews, because there would be no second guessing whether something like this is just an excuse or not.
Also would improve safety of your testers!
The SB6C is a cool bike, but broken swing arms at that price aren't exactly confidence inspiring. Sure, YT had a bit of a shaky release with the breaking rear mech hangers, but nothing of this level. I guess Yeti does't really care for the safety of the folks reviewing their bikes. Bunch of crash test dummies!
Anecdotes in forums and comment sections always portray a negative bias, because it's only the people with problems who speak up. I've been riding an SB66 since it was released in 2011. I had an alloy 66 for two seasons and I've had a carbon 66c for the past two. The carbon bike has been been through full blown DH runs on the pro line at my local lift, and I've crashed it hard enough to destroy 3 derailleurs now. The rear triangle has all kinds of chips and scars. The bike has been fully rag dolled down fall line trails at high speed.
I've never once had a crack, a squeaky bearing, or anything of the sort, and that goes for both bikes.
we don't.. and we wont
(this is with a little under 25% sag)
Another interesting point is many impact tests result in carbon bikes sustaining hits better than alloy. It's probably less likely to spec an alloy build with tubing that's too thin than it is to get a layup with a few thousandths less carbon than you asked for.
blah blah excuse crack blah enduro
So the Prez/co-owner states that NO production frames had/have this problem(thin swingarm/drop-out walls), yet CLEARLY they weren't 'aware' of the problem until PB brought the broken frame to Yeti's attention.
Taking this into account, that means that PB would've had to 'test'/crash this bike, and bring said broken frame to Yeti's attention BEFORE ANY PRODUCTION SB6C's were made.
I'm not wise to Yeti's productions schedule, but having dealt with the same kinda magazine 'testing' with motorcycles, I don't think I believe that.
"we discovered that it was not made to our specifications"
"We have updated our process controls with the vendor to ensure our production parts meet our specifications."
So obviously Yeti is blaming the 'vendor' here, but the next statement has me question the validity of this:
" Additionally, we added material to our seat and chain stays for better impact resistance. This increased the weight of the rear triangle by 45 grams. All production parts have this updated process/layup"
Why even mention that the frame gained weight?
Furthermore, by saying this, it makes me seriously question the 'BLAME' Mr. Conroy clearly places squarely on the shoulder of said 'vendor', and I'll tell you why.
IF these so-called pre-production frames were light on the amount of material needed in the affected area, WHY didn't Yeti's quality control discover this little tid-bit 'O info before they turned these frames into complete bikes?
One would think an easy way to determine/confirm their frames have the proper amount of material used THROUGHOUT, would be to WEIGH them after they're built. Conroy seemingly went out of his way to bring up the weight these frames would gain in order to 'fix' the problem, and by doing so his [IMO] intention was to give [US] the reader(s) the impression that Yeti is ALL ABOUT paying attention to detail(s).
But by doing so, IMO he shot himself in the foot by creating the HUGE question of WHY then didn't they discover the missing material when they WEIGHED the frames at the end of the production run.
Obviously there is a problem with the swingarm's construction and/or design. Yeti have quite clearly pointed the finger at their manufacturer, yet have also said that they have revised the design, adding 45g (which is quite a lot) to the swingarm. If it was the manufacturer not adhering to the layup and construction spec, then why alter the laminate design? What I would do for a chance to get my hands on the offending swing arm and do an investigation of my own.
Now for my armchair composites engineer bit:
A burn off is rarely used just for finding out what the actual lay up is (especially for carbon), there are various NDT (non destructive testing) methods for that. Resin removal testing, whether chemical or via burn-off, is usually used for the investigation of the fibre volume fraction. A lower fibre volume fraction means a higher percentage of matrix (resin) and/or void content. With a higher matrix content, the composite could be more brittle and susceptible to impact damage. This is speculation, I may be very wrong however.
No matter if its a design problem or a manufacture problem, the buck stops with Yeti. After all, they do their own testing and inspection do they not? I know we are only talking about bikes here, but most other uses of composites for critical components employ NDT testing prior to use. If bike manufacturers don't NDT their frames before being sold, then really they have very little idea about what is actually going out to the customer.
Yeti's are great bikes, this article is pretty much an invite for all the PB users to shit on Yeti. You could have been mature and left that out but nah, let's just ruin a company's image on the internet. No wonder this f*cking website is so shit these days.
I wonder what shape his bike is in......
Sounds like a BS excuse to me.
www.ebay.com/itm/BETO-650ml-PP-Material-Cycling-Bike-Bicycle-Riding-Sports-Plastic-Water-Bottle-/381071600745?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58b9a32c69
If you're holding the thing its a simple thumb flip...takes no effort and no thinking (for most of us anyway).
www.pinkbike.com/news/CamelBak-FlashFlo-LR-Hip-Bag-Reviewed-2013.html
@brandaneisma haha at least you are honest with yourself. This guy just wont listen. We tell him to let the bag go so he can start bunnyhopping then he takes an attitude saying he can bunnyhop already and is not interested on doing it cuz bunnyhoping is for kids. It is just annoying.
My dream build would be to buy this bike, sell everything on it that it comes with stock. Get XX1 drivetrain. An Xfusion metric fork with the new bladder piston, XTR trail brakes, Ibis 40mm wide carbon rims, King hubs, Raceface Sixc s35 x 10mm rise bar and 35mm stem, rock shox 150mm stealth post, wtb high tail carbon saddle, maxxis minion DH Front tires for both front and back (best for wet loamy west coast riding as I ride), and canfield cramp on magnesium pedals. Oh, and a hope seat post clamp. And probably just use my camel pack and not use a water bottle because I drink more than 150 ml of water on a ride. I drink about a litre or more. But when you are as fast as I am, you would too.
Don't worry Yeti. Most of the people on here are broke, underage kids who can't afford to lube their chains, let alone buy your bikes!
Infinite length in a finite system. Spoken like a true suit wearer.
It's really not that complicated, even when you use dorky engineering words, dude. You're just splitting hairs to hear yourself talk.