PRESS RELEASE: Cascade ComponentsOur collection of Yeti linkages has been expanded to bring the proven benefits of our SB130 and SB150 links to those that prefer smaller wheels. We are proud to announce the Cascade Components link for the Yeti SB140. The link increases progression to 20% and bumps the travel to 145mm. This means it’s easier to balance bottom out resistance and small bump sensitivity instead of having to choose one or the other. Larger G-outs and cornering feel more composed as well, due to the added mid-stroke support. Additionally, the bike now laughs off the same roots and square edge trail features that it used to hang up on. When the trails get fast, let the Cascade Components link let you keep your fingers off the brakes with the additional stability gained by .5 degree slacker headtube and lower bottom bracket height.
The SB140 link is available in black, orange, and silver
The Cascade Components link is perfect for those who demand a bit more from the stock shock or who want to run a coil for the ultimate play bike. The Cascade Components link is not coil specific, however, and works equally well with air and coil shocks. Anyone who finds themselves adjusting their shock, whether it be damping or volume spacers, and worrying about unintended consequences of that adjustment will benefit from this link. No more having to worry about increased damping making small bumps get fed straight through to you or a spiky end of travel that can result from too many volume spacers.
Specs and Details:• 145 mm of travel
• Progression increased to 20% compared to 13% with stock link
• Sealed Enduro MAX bearings
• CNC’d from 6061-T6 in the USA
• Colors: Black, silver, orange
• Cost:
$269 USD.
For those of you curious about how the pedaling stacks up against the stock link, check out the plot in the SB140 photo album. Just be warned that the difference is small enough to not be noticeable. This link is not intended to improve pedaling at all.
For more information click
cascadecomponents.bike/collections/yeti-linkages/products/yeti-sb140-link.
To go with an 10-52 cassette.
There is no reason you couldn’t mount a 115 link and the proper stroke shock to the 100.
"This means it’s easier to balance bottom out resistance and small bump instead of having to choose on or the other. Larger G-outs and cornering feel more composed as well, since the bike is more due to the added mid-stroke support."
Without the link you still bottom out a tad too often for my liking.
With the CC I dont buttom out at all or dont feel it.
But my EXT for set up to work with the CC Link, not stock.
But keep in mind that Yeti/ Speci etc must design the bike around the average rider. They dont know about anti squat or progressivity etc. And most likely dont care too.
The CC is for bike nerds
That said. A friend of mine recently purchased an Audi R8 V10...immediately sent it out to get a twin-turbo modification (what is an other $80k, right?). This is in intune with "upgrading" a bike with this (or any other) link. "Better" is a very fickle word when it comes to rider (or driver) preception.
According to pinkbike’s competition riding doesn’t make you a pro either. Zing
I too have chased the dragon. I had a pike. Then I put a Lufftkape in. Then a fast suspension 3 way kit. THEN I put a coil conversion kit in. All in total I put more into internals than I had purchased the fork for.
Then I rode the new charger 2 damper and it felt way better. Then I rode a helm and that was even better.
I am merely recanting the tale of my misfortunes in hopes of someone else avoiding throwing good money at bad.
Piss away the cash you want on a hobby that makes you happy.
I just don’t think a warranty-voiding link that changes your suspension in a way that is imperceivable to most and putting your trust in a machine shop who has zero skin in the game is the BEST way to invest your moniez.
People too easily think that because something is aftermarket it is better or improved over what the OE could possibly come up with. I spent a decade riding with those people at a lot of these much revered brands and they all shred much harder than most. If they spent their time dialing in a bike, they did for them and it’s good enough for you.
Your comments are a refreshing reminder of why I don’t ride with groups or record things on Strava.
But if you don’t see the merit in what box or microshift is doing then you’ve fallen hard for the sram/shimano marketing.
I’m guessing that most people who buy this link have never ridden their bike with their shock settings in both extremes. Hell I’m guessing most ride them wide open. Hell I’d go so far as to say if most people watched this video, it would do more for their setup than buying that link
youtu.be/BiHQd4mzl3Y
I will challenge that most people wouldn’t be able to tell much of a difference between your link and a properly set up bike for them and their terrain and argue that adding your link isn’t a decidedly superior choice to their oe set up on a bike actually set up properly for them.
People have too much blind faith in a graph they don’t fully understand. If you, as a customer, can’t explain what everyone of those metrics means and means for your riding then you have no place buying links to alter it.
As a side zing, I won’t buy a Yeti because it takes them two more sliding friction surfaces to achieve what most can do with bearings. Plus pressfit bottom bracket and don’t even get me started on the horseshit disservice that has been to the industry.
Get your shit together Yeti. Trek went t47. TREK WENT T47. INTENSE IS OFFERING THREADED. Get your shit together guys. Turquoise isn’t enough. Turq isn’t either.
I digress. People, watch the rebound video I posted above. Buy a shockwiz if you have an air shock. Learn. Record. Improve. And most importantly understand. Then decide if you need a link to get to parameters you cannot achieve as stock.
Now I would agree that the links aren't for everyone one. They have to compliment your riding style. For example there is one youtube reviewer that believes 15% is the most progression you'd want out of a frame, so in that case our Patrol link wasn't a good fit for them. For those that ride in a way that the link suits them it without a doubt surpasses the stock link though.
On the note of rebound, more ramp through the linkage is definitely beneficial compared to ramp at the shock. When the shock is crammed full of volume spacers the pressure differential between top and bottom of travel is quite large so rebound speed varies widely depending on where you are in the travel. This often times leads to the rebound speed being too slow at the top of travel unless you set it to be very fast at the bottom of travel. That results in the shock not performing well over chatter since it will tend to sit high in its travel there and won't rebound fast enough. Running a little more pressure in the shock and having the ramp take place at the linkage allows for a more consistent rebound across all of your travel.
I switched from an x2 to an avy-tuned bomer-cr recently... unfortunately I got injured shortly after (while riding a different bike) before I was able to get it dialed in... but the 500lb coil I have is only giving me ~20% sag with no preload, yet I still noticed it bottom out a couple times, despite the avy progressive bottom-out bumper option and testing it on terrain that is milder than what I typically use this bike for. It might end up being fine, but I'm a little concerned. Maybe increasing comp damping, maybe adding preload (side note: avy recomends 1.5-4.5 turns, and claims that under 1.5turns will yield excessive bobbing and that having no preload effectively means too much rebound damping near topout) So, I'm concerned I might have to overspring it to avoid excessive bottomout, but only time will tell... I just need to heal up before I can find out.
I'm no kinematics expert, so perhaps I'm misinterpreting the data, but if you look at the leverage curve of the fugi, it seems that the shape of the curve is opposite of what would be ideal for a bike with its intention. It flattens out at the end, rather than ramping up. If I've done the math right, the overall progression is ~23%, which sounds like plenty, but I think the shape of the curve can be at least as important:
linkagedesign.blogspot.com/2018/03/knolly-fugitive-29-2019.html
Also, note that the curve in this graph stops at 120mm (st mode), so if you extrapolate the line out to 135mm (lt mode), it really does flatten out near full travel. Compare the shape to the nicolai, for example, which is generally considered to be a good coil performer.
I'm still optimistic, but I do think it's possible that the frame is not as well suited to coil as people have made it out to be, and that there is probably room for improvement, especially considering how capable the frame is and how some people are riding them.
Also, the V2 could be much more progressive. The coil works on them but could be way better. Maybe they can make a link for both models?
I roll the previous gen, so maybe more travel ????????????????