Bike Check: Kasper Woolley's Yeti SB150 - Crankworx Summer Series 2020

Jul 31, 2020
by Aidan Oliver  
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Kasper Woolley came into the Crankworx Summer Series Downhill with two sprained ankles. One of the only riders racing on an Enduro bike, he still pulled off a second place finish. Woolley was just 0.9 seconds off World Cup stalwart Finn Iles and fended off big names such as Mark Wallace. Safe to say he's one to watch so we took a look at his Yeti SB150 race bike.



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Rider Name: Kasper Woolley
Age: 20
Height: 172 cm/6'0"
Weight: 140lbs
Hometown: Squamish, Canada
Instagram: @kasper_woolley

Yeti SB150
Frame: Yeti SB150, Medium
Fork: Fox 36, 63.5 psi, HSC full open, LSC 5 clicks from open, HSR 3 clicks from open, LSR 4 clicks from open
Shock: Fox Float X2, 161 psi, HSC 2 clicks from open, LSC 2 clicks from open, HSR 3 clicks from open, LSR 3 clicks from open
Wheels: DT Swiss EX 511 rims on Chris King Hubs
Seatpost: OneUp Dropper 210mm
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF front and rear. 23 front psi, 27 rear, DH casing, Cush Core XC
Saddle: WTB Team High Tail
Cranks: Shimano XTR 170mm
Bars: OneUp Carbon Bar 750mm, 35mm rise
Stem: OneUp Stem 35mm
Brakes: Shimano XTR 4 piston, 200mm rotors
Drivetrain: Shimano XTR 12 Speed, 32t chainring, short cage cassette, 10-45
Pedals: Time
Spares: OneUp Pump and EDC tool



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This is Kasper's first year on 29" wheels and after an initial breaking-in period, he said he is now loving it.

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Battling against 200mm travel DH bikes, the SB150's 150mm of rear travel was enough for Kasper to pilot his way to second place.


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Going against the trend, Kasper prefers running a 10-45 tooth cassette over the wide range 52.


bigquotesI don't like the range because it's pretty hard on the climbs, but the short derailleur stays more out of the way and is harder to break.Kasper Woolley


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Kasper was running the same suspension settings as he was in the Enduro on his 36 and Float X2 shock. Minimal compression for max grip.


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Coming from a BMX background, Kasper runs Time pedals and prefers an older broken-in pair over freshies.


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OneUp are Kasper's major sponsor and he runs the full cockpit including EDC tool.


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The OneUp cockpit is paired with a 210mm OneUp dropper to keep the seat slammed and out of the way.


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Kasper went full Enduro and was racing with a spare tube and water bottle.


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DT Swiss EX511 rims laced to Chris King hubs. Kasper is quite particular about running 28 spoke rims as he likes to have some flex in the rear end.


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Plenty of chain slap on the SilverStar DH track.


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Extra Kashima on the Switch Infinity link.


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Shimano XTR 4 piston brakes.


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Being a fairly light rider, Kasper runs a Cush Core XC insert over the heavier duty version and only in the rear.

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A fast-rolling combo of Maxxis DHF front and rear.





Author Info:
aidanoliver avatar

Member since Jun 10, 2006
63 articles

125 Comments
  • 72 1
 Mr Woolley setting the PB world on fire with a small cassette, flexy wheels and an air shock on an Enduro bike. And coming very close to Finn Iles on it. What could happen if he had a comment section approved setup?
  • 4 1
 @Muckal This is comment gold lol Beer
  • 2 1
 "What could happen if he had a comment section approved setup?" is code for a YT.
  • 73 4
 Hopefully the angry mob of anti-yeti PB users are spared for this article as it details a really nice bike ridden by a kid who’s life has been focussed on racing - ski and bike!
  • 10 1
 That is a nice bike, and impressive results!
  • 88 18
 We’re not a mob, but a “tribe”.
  • 44 108
flag Shred-BC (Jul 31, 2020 at 18:18) (Below Threshold)
 @paulskiboard: Section 23; B(II) -- 1H: The term, "tribe" is now illegal for use in all forms of marketing and, in common speech, as clearly outlined in the American Constitution under amendment Q73 of the anti-racism and equality act. Unless, you are: A - the president, B - a white supremacist, C - a racist, or D - all of the above.
  • 19 21
 @Shred-BC:freedom of speech is a thing and a right
  • 6 1
 @Shred-BC: euro nitwit here.. is that true? Why?
  • 21 0
 @StiT25: Freedom of speech is the freedom to not be prosecuted by a government entity for that speech. Has nothing to do with what private platforms allow.
  • 14 3
 @paulskiboard: you racist, “mob” has negative undertones for Italian Americans.

Don’t worry this is only a joke for those of you that can’t understand sarcasm.
  • 1 8
flag jorgeposada (Aug 1, 2020 at 8:18) (Below Threshold)
 That track was weak, have a 2:46 track out my back door better than that.
  • 6 3
 @paulskiboard: isn’t tribe just another name for a mob of people with similar hopes and dreams sharing what life sends their way?
  • 15 1
 The very obvious sarcasm was missed on all fronts for this group.
  • 1 1
 @Shred-BC: pay no attention to the question marks, emoji's converted to question marks. Couldn't stop laughing at your definition.
  • 4 3
 @jayacheess: that moment when a Canadian understands the US constitution better than the American...
  • 2 1
 @DrPete: To be fair, my partner is American, so we talk about this stuff a lot.
  • 6 1
 @jorgeposada: so for these guys it'd be about a 1 min track.
  • 1 8
flag jorgeposada (Aug 2, 2020 at 6:46) (Below Threshold)
 @LaXcarp: I know your trying to be funny but a comic your not..
  • 66 0
 Killing it Kasper. Stoked to see those Squamish skills on the world stage.
  • 26 0
 how is this dude 6 foot 140 lb
  • 37 0
 i think he's 172 cm (5'7) and the conversion is a typo -- the medium frame makes more sense that way
  • 15 0
 how is 6 feet equal to 172 cm is what I was wondering... either way, he is fast! exciting to see fresh faces showing this much talent!
  • 2 0
 @BroDeals: 6 ft = 182 cm. Maybe a typo.
  • 11 1
 @olslash: 210mm dropper for a 5'7 rider? Wtf!
  • 3 0
 @ybsurf: this is mostly what i am wondering about... couldn't seem to fit a 210mm on to a large Bronson and I'm 5'11" (180cm) with a pretty normal inseam
  • 8 0
 @connorjuliusjohnson: that’s just bad design by Santa Cruz.
  • 16 0
 @BroDeals: 5' 8" is 6ft on tinder.... so?
  • 6 4
 Lots of pro riders are now rejecting the bigger is better bike size trend and are now sizing down their frames instead of sizing up. Alot of people don't realize that Yeti's medium frames are bigger than a lot of other companies large sizes.
  • 4 0
 @bansheeridermike: Do you have any examples? I couldn’t find any, and I looked at Santa Cruz, Pivot, Giant, Transition, Banshee, YT (equal reach, but not smaller), Evil... not to mention Pole, Nicolai....
Perhaps you are measuring size in a way that’s different than current convention (top tube, reach)?
I am only looking into this because what you said sounds wrong. Certainly looking like it is. If you had said that for Pole or Nicolai, I would have believed you, but Yeti?
  • 4 0
 @erikkellison: yeah I think that its an outdated thought on Yeti's reach. They used to be a bit bigger, pretty par for the course now I'd say.
  • 2 0
 @bansheeridermike Yeti’s sizing is pretty in line with other companies these days... but I do agree with you on the sizing down part. Ritchie Rude is 6’ tall and also rides a medium sb150
  • 1 0
 @erikkellison: Rocky Mountain is one example. Look at the Instinct.
  • 25 3
 He might be fast as fuck, but he counts his suspension clicks wrong.
  • 8 6
 He's doing it right, your doing it wrong
  • 3 0
 Good to see he sets it up open and fast!
  • 10 0
 Fast suspension for a fast ride. Yeti's suspension setup tool is almost the opposite of fox's recommendations and Yeti has it right on. fox's is way too slow.
  • 8 4
 @friendlyfoe: you count from open for 3 resons. 1: you set sag with compression and rebound open, so it is the logical place to count click from as you set your settings right after you check your sag.

2: In 99% of cases a riders set up will be closer to open than closed, so you save yourself time by counting from open. Very very very few ppl are running compression nearly closed and in that case they most likely need more air pressure, volume spacers or a damper re tune.

3: When you are re building suspension you move the adjusters to fully open as this opens the oil flow paths for bleeding the dampers. Again saves heaps of time and then you can set the clickers straight after your finished re building the shock without having to pointlessly move them all to closed.

But please explain why you count from closed?
  • 8 1
 @FinnCable123: you count from closed because there are often 'dead' clicks toward the open side of things that don't have any effect. You could save a few moments counting from open, but it won't necessarily be an accurate count.

Rebuilding suspension, of course you open things up all the way. But you always, always count from closed when you're done.
  • 7 1
 @FinnCable123: you count from close because that’s just the way to do it. It’s the only true real zero point.
  • 1 1
 @FinnCable123: what he said. And if any of that is confusing to you then it's because the fox manual says to count from closed.
  • 2 4
 @friendlyfoe @spaceofades @PuppyCat you guys are kidding right, so @friendlyfoe literally every other suspension manurfacturer tells you to do it from open, so both you and @PuppyCat are saying 'just cause - thats why' @PuppyCat what do you mean by zero point? because adjusters have set ranges controlled by detent balls and threads and circlips etc, the 'real zero' can be fully out or fully in. Does the same thing ...
@spaceofades by dead clicks are you refering to clicks that dont provide damping effect? e.g first 7 clicks on the grip 2 HSC? if so that has no accuracy on the accuracy of the clicks as the clicks are controlled by detent balls with set clicks, that can only be wound out so far. Counting from open will not yeild different results as counting from closed so not sure what your getting at there??
  • 4 0
 @FinnCable123: please, tell me which manufacturer tells you to count from open. Fox specifically says to count from closed, so does rockshox, so does shockwiz for that matter. Ask any professional in the industry and you'll get the same answer, COUNT FROM CLOSED
  • 1 0
 @FinnCable123: he actually gave you a pretty specific answer. If you don't understand it that's okay
  • 1 0
 @spaceofades @friendlyfoe
Boys it’s no use lol he will learn some day
  • 19 2
 At least on the Yeti he won't have any trouble getting the rear-end flex he wants.
  • 8 3
 SB150 is pretty flex on the rear, so really don't understand why he wants more with the 28-hole-wheels
  • 21 3
 People have been brainwashed to think stiff=fast (that's what she said) which is only the case on smooth buffed boring flow trails. And that may as well be road biking.

Oof
  • 1 0
 is it a common problem? My friend changed his upper bearings at the pivot links and it has massive play.
  • 4 0
 @ibishreddin: I agree that flex can be advantageous when tuned for a specific purpose, and I think most riders are aware of that. There's a big difference between designed flex and flex due to poor design...
  • 8 10
 @Hamburgi: a friend who runs a local bike shop with yeti bikes told me richie has to massively overtighten those bearings for races which in turn wrecks the threads which leads to him having to replace the rear triangle after races.
might be a pretty common issue if you ride hard even as an average joe?
  • 5 0
 @pkuyeti: He does only weigh 140lbs.
  • 1 0
 Really? That's disappointing. I thought one of the benefits of this suspension system was a stiffer rear end. Do you blame the Switch Infinity link for the flex?
  • 11 1
 @pkuyeti: Curious where you get your info about it being pretty flex in the rear? Is this from owning one and personal experience? I don't find my Yeti to be flexy in the rear end and I can also fit a 2.5 wt tire no problem. There is all kinds of misinformation on the net regarding Yetis. I think the kids results speak for themselves regarding how the bike works.
  • 10 0
 @bansheeridermike: ya but he knows a guy who knows a guy. Ya know?
  • 5 0
 please, we call it "compliance"
  • 1 0
 @CircusMaximus: cousins dog walkers friend friend, right? That MOFO owes me some money still.
  • 4 0
 @bansheeridermike: Personal experience here. Brand new demo bike. Perhaps the flex varies between bikes and has been solved recently, but the tail wag is/was no secret.
  • 8 2
 @Eatsdirt: I have about 2000km on my 2020 130LR and do not notice any unusual flex in the rear end at all, running Nobl TR38 wheels. I know Yeti has engineered a certain amount of flex into the rear end but I do not notice it when riding hard. I have owned many high end freeride, trail, enduro bikes over the years and the Yeti is by far the finest bike I have swung a leg over.
Another internet rumour regarding the 130 I came across when researching before I bought was that you could not run a 2.5 tire in the rear, it did not have enough clearance and would rub they said. This turned out to be false as I run 2.5WT DHF on my TR 38s and have plenty of clearance. It's worth noting that not everything we read on the net is true! lol
  • 2 0
 @bansheeridermike: Also ride a 2.5 DHF WT on the 2020 SB130 (stock DT Swiss M1700 wheelset) and have never had any rubbing. I'm in the front range of colorado so maybe clearance for mud could be more of an issue where it's not dry most the year?
  • 29 1
 @raozaki: please fact check your claims before posting. I have a very well calibrated torque wrench in my toolkit, tightening the bolts in his bikes only to recommended torque settings. No overtightened bearings, no damaged threads, and damn, i'm definitely not changing out his rear tri's after every race. Yes, Richie rides harder than most, but he definitely doesn't damage things like people think. It's my job to make sure his bike is always running 100%, so i will change bearings if they feel rough, but nothing more often than i would change the bearings in any riders bikes.
  • 3 0
 @shaun7005: I'll gladky stand corrected, thank you for clarifying.
Coming from a Yeti dealer I didn't further question it.
  • 1 0
 @bansheeridermike: Personal experience. I feel my SB150 (2019 ver) pretty flexy, compared to my other bikes owned before, including the SB5.5, SB95c and SB66. I have no issues fitting the 2.5 wt tire though. I am not saying that the bike was not working well or the flexibility is bad, but it is what it is.
  • 13 3
 Six foot and 140lbs! get that man a sandwich!
  • 5 2
 He is a world class rider, why the hell would he need a sandwich?
  • 9 3
 @PeaFunk: because he’s six foot and a hundred and forty pounds!
  • 2 0
 That’s like Chris Froome dimensions
  • 2 0
 @bridgermurray: except he isn't 6 foot Wink
  • 3 0
 First pro setup I could ride without arm pump, and like. Might even have to up the fork pressure. Smile

I also run 28h rear, with 157*12 wide flange hub it seems to offer good strength/weight and some compliance. I weigh 75kg/165lbs for reference. 1 year in them now, 1740g 29" with DT XM421 on 350 SPs. Have dented the rim on some park runs but otherwise holding up surprisingly well.
  • 1 0
 Coil fork does the trick for me.
  • 2 0
 Interesting about going with 28 spoke wheels for flex. I’m on 28 spoke 27.5s (XM481/EX511) and have had no issues but thought I’d move up to 32h if/when I change to big wheels next year because of increased flex from the bigger wheel. Any input?
  • 2 0
 probably depends more on how much you weigh, and then riding style and ability i.e if you're a fatass like me then 32 is the only option because I suck at riding and always smash into things
  • 1 0
 Yeah true. Tall 80kg rider here and this kid isn’t much over 60kg. I don’t think I’d want to have any more flex than I currently do. Anyone have real world experience of how much more flexy a 29 wheel feels on the trail vs 27.5 given similar components?
  • 2 0
 I have just also got a pair of 28 spokes wheels on my 29er, to save some weight and give the bike a little more flex / agility
I think a good pair of rims is the most important , better have a good strong 28holes rim over a standard 32h one
Dt ex 471 / 511 look verry good for this kind of use
  • 7 0
 @StiT25: what are you talking about with your 'I suck at riding'? This is PinkBike where we are ALL as good as the pros!
  • 2 0
 I saw Kasper's shred vid on insta earlier this year. I think Yeti posted it, cuz I think he is sponsored by Yeti. Yeti, smart move. Kasper looked very fast. But it's a video, you know, not a race, and you can just walk back up and shoot it again and play with the camera angles and all that voodoo. Well, now I know he is as fast as he looked in the video. Way to show us it's for real, Kasper! Impressive!
  • 3 0
 63.5 psi in a 36 for a DH race ?! And 12 tokens or I missed something ?? Add counting from open, damn the bike world is a mystery...
  • 1 0
 yeah, i think they are missing the info regarding tokens. would love to know how many?!
  • 2 0
 I run 1 token and 76psi in my 36 for 25% sag and I weigh 190 with gear so the 63.5psi sounds reasonable for a 140 pounder.
  • 5 0
 Is he really 6ft? That medium looks huge next to him.
  • 9 0
 Conversion issue, 172cm is about 5'7.
  • 3 0
 my first thought was 'how does he ride a bike where the seat is up to his armpits??'
  • 5 0
 750mm bars AND he's super fast?! BLASPHEMY
  • 3 2
 Yea 6'0" and how many 5'2-5'4" riders do I see at the local trails with 780-800mm? Wayyyy too many haha.
  • 3 0
 Good old Time Z Controls. Mine are on their fifth bike since 03, my Kona Rove gravel bike.
  • 2 0
 1.72m is 5ft 8i for those whp looked at those numbers, confused. It's his real height and tinder height that they listed on the profile.
  • 2 0
 Not sure if the 172cm in stated rider hight relates to 6ft. Fuzzy math?
What size yeti is he on? And how tall is he really?
  • 3 0
 I used to really dislike the look of that bike. Now I really like it.
  • 2 1
 Nice bike, also nice results, however track not as rough as other dh courses, so it would expected that trail bike will be ok
  • 2 2
 Everyone should watch his last corner before he exited the woods in the dh race. It was like he grabbed a handful of throttle and just boosted out of the turn - unreal.
  • 11 0
 Watch where?
  • 1 0
 HSC full open, LSC 5 clicks from open? lsc without hsc has no support I heard I think.
  • 3 1
 Caption says is placed 2nd. But race results says is was 3rd.
  • 6 0
 2nd in Dh , 3rd in Air Dh
  • 1 0
 Using an Enduro bike for a DH race, what kind of abracadabra sorcery is this?!
  • 1 0
 Not to mention almost winning on a trail bike, he's really trying to mock the entire downhill industry with that seatpost
  • 2 0
 hell yea kasper!!
  • 1 1
 I'm stunned by the results, but more stunned by how sick that handlebar looks, gonna go ahead and recommend 760 tho
  • 5 4
 Waiting for the dentist comments...
  • 20 0
 ...he must have entered dental school at a tender age
  • 1 0
 What width of tire - I may have missed it?
  • 1 4
 It looks like the rim says 29. Cant really see the width though...
  • 1 0
 DHF's come in 2.5.
  • 1 0
 Thues Guy is just awesome! Thanks
  • 1 0
 So you're saying I can get a trail bike for the bike park, got it.
  • 1 0
 Kasper Bermblaster, love his style on the bike
  • 1 0
 Any tokens, bru?
  • 2 1
 someone sign this kid
  • 10 1
 I don't know if sponsors could provide a better rig
  • 3 1
 @Shred-BC: maybe yeti could?
  • 1 2
 What cassette is that?
  • 2 0
 XTR
  • 3 1
 10-45 xtr
I have the same on my enduro/park bike with the gs cage mech for the exact reason he mentioned.
Surprised to hear he doesnt like the range. I'm not putting down pro watts (by a very large margin) and it works fine for me in the mtns. Shorter cage means better shifting, better clearance and less weight.
  • 2 0
 @grabtindy: Yeah I was really excited when the 10-45 (or was it 11-45?) 11-spd cassette was initially announced. To bad it never came to be.
  • 1 1
 @grabtindy: he has a pretty big front chainring...34?
  • 2 0
 @pmhobson: the Garbaruk 10-45 11spd would work. I’ve been using an 11spd Saint derailleur with a 10-42 SRAM cassette.
  • 1 0
 @clink83: it says 32t.
  • 2 1
 @Swervsroundsquirrels: you can use a 9spd derailleur with an 11spd cassette, they have the same range, the difference is at the shifter. Buying an 11spd derailleur isn't necessary.
  • 3 0
 @landscapeben: Shhh! They'll start indexing the derailleurs to make sure we don't do that.
  • 3 0
 @grabtindy: Yes, 10-42 was satisfactory for many people, me included. Now suddenly 10-45 is "hardcore short range"... It's good to keep this on the catalog for the lighter weight and increased derailleur compatibility.
  • 1 0
 sorry accidental downvote...







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