Field Test: 2023 Yeti SB140 - The Traction Finder
PINKBIKE FIELD TEST
Yeti SB140
Words by Mike Kazimer; photography by Satchel Cronk
Yeti SB140
Words by Mike Kazimer; photography by Satchel Cronk
The new SB140 is the middle child in Yeti's 2023 lineup, sandwiched between the SB120 on one side and the SB160 on the other. It's essentially the evolution of the SB130, the most popular model in Yeti's lineup for the last few years.
The bike's 140mm of rear travel is paired with either a 150 or 160mm fork depending on the build kit – models with the Lunch Ride designation get the longer travel fork, along with more powerful brakes and Fox's Float X piggyback shock instead of the inline DPS shock found on the 'regular' version.
When it comes to geometry, the SB140's head angle sits at 65-degrees, the reach is 480mm, and the seat angle is 77-degrees, numbers that aren't too far off from SB130 it replaces. That bike's numbers were on the cutting edge when it was launched in 2018, and there's a reason Yeti didn't need to change things too drastically for this iteration.
The bike's 140mm of rear travel is paired with either a 150 or 160mm fork depending on the build kit – models with the Lunch Ride designation get the longer travel fork, along with more powerful brakes and Fox's Float X piggyback shock instead of the inline DPS shock found on the 'regular' version.
When it comes to geometry, the SB140's head angle sits at 65-degrees, the reach is 480mm, and the seat angle is 77-degrees, numbers that aren't too far off from SB130 it replaces. That bike's numbers were on the cutting edge when it was launched in 2018, and there's a reason Yeti didn't need to change things too drastically for this iteration.
Yeti SB140 Details
• Travel: 140mm / 160mm fork
• Carbon frame
• Wheel size: 29”
• 65-degree head angle
• 77-degree seat angle
• 440 chainstays
• Reach: 480mm (L)
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Weight: 32.7 lb / 14.8 kg
• Price: $10,200 USD
• More info: yeticycles.com
• Travel: 140mm / 160mm fork
• Carbon frame
• Wheel size: 29”
• 65-degree head angle
• 77-degree seat angle
• 440 chainstays
• Reach: 480mm (L)
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Weight: 32.7 lb / 14.8 kg
• Price: $10,200 USD
• More info: yeticycles.com
One number that has increased by a noticeable amount is the chainstay length – it now varies depending on the frame size, starting at 436mm for a small and increasing in 2mm per size, all the way up to 444mm for an XXL.
Along with a few small geometry tweaks and a little more travel, the SB140 also received a new downtube shape that provides more clearance – when the frame alone costs $4,500 the last thing you want to do is ruin it by smashing it into a rock. The Switch Infinity suspension system (the two Kashima coated rails located above the bottom bracket) has also been revised, with updated bearings and seals on the higher end Turq frames.
Speaking of high end, our test bike isn't the top-of-the-line model, but it's not far off. The SB140 LR T3 is priced at $10,200, which gets you a SRAM AXS wireless drivetrain, Fox Factory 36 fork and Float X shock, Code RSC brakes, and aluminum DT Swiss XM 1700 wheels. All of that adds up to a total weight of 32.7 lb, or 14.8 kg.
Climbing
The SB140 is an impressive climber, due in large part to how much grip is available at the rear wheel. It's not quite as supportive as the Santa Cruz Hightower under hard pedaling, but it tracks the ground very well, and the slightly softer feel of the whole package makes for a very comfortable ride. And when I say 'softer' I don't mean over-active and mushy – far from it. The SB140 does a great job of delivering traction while also remaining calm, even during those out-of-the-saddle moments.
Somewhat surprisingly, in the efficiency test it ended up putting down the slowest time, although it doesn't feel that way on the trail. Despite what the clock said, the SB140's handling makes it a good option for riders who regularly find themselves faced with tricky, technical climbs. The head angle is a little steeper than some of the other bikes we had in this test, which speeds up the handling a touch, and makes it easier to tip the bike around corners and pull off slower speed maneuvers.
It's worth noting that the head tube is fairly short, resulting in a low stack height. Even with the 160mm fork I found myself wishing for a higher rise bar, and a shorter stem to improve the fit. Of course, that's a matter of personal preference to some extent, and some riders will get along just fine with the slightly more stretched out climbing position.
Descending
The SB140's easygoing nature carries over onto the descents. It's not a brute of a bike, something that demands an aggressive rider to get it to come alive. Instead, it's a bike that can easily change directions and find the right line with minimal coaxing, all while making the most of the 140mm of rear travel.
However, even with the 160mm fork up front there were times that the SB140 lost some of its poise, typically on steeper, rougher trails. The quick handling that makes it a great climber and an entertaining ride on slightly mellower terrain isn't as beneficial when a trail points straight down the fall line. Compared to a bike like the Scott Genius, which has a 1-degree slacker head angle, the Yeti didn't feel as composed on those rowdier trails. It's not that it can't handle them, it's just that going fast and dropping into those trickier moves requires more concentration; you can't just hold on and plow through whatever's in the way.
Keep in mind that we were testing on trails that, while certainly appropriate for a bike in this travel bracket, are also likely a little rougher and rowdier than what many riders have in their backyards. For areas with slightly mellower terrain the SB140 could be a great all-rounder, a bike that can comfortably cover a bunch of ground while delivering excellent suspension performance on the climbs and descents.
I do want to mention just how satisfyingly quiet the SB140 was - Yeti's chainslap protection and cable routing does a great job of keeping the noise levels down to a minimum.
Pros
+ Well rounded, capable in most terrain
+ Great technical climber, with plenty of traction
+ Comfortable overall feel
Cons
- Not as surefooted in the steeps compared to some of the other bikes on test
- Some riders may want higher rise bars, especially considering the short headtube & low stack
The 2022 Fall Field Test is presented G-Form
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This way I can sort through the BS. It is fun reading the comments though lol.
I can’t afford a porsche 911 but I enjoy watching reviews of them.
PB generally gives high praise to Orbed (obvious as a sponsor), Santa Cruz, and Trek (why tho?). Just like GMBN thinks Nuke Proof is the jam.
P.S. That being said I owned two Spesh bikes and they are amazing. Not better than others or anything like that... but they ride good, very solid quality and took more beating then others I know before breaking something.
I'm 62 years old and yes, at this point, I can afford $10K bikes. I build top-of-the-line, frame-up, custom builds and I replace them every 3 years.
I just sold my 3 year old dentist build Ripmo for $6K.
Wrong. Did you bother to validate that by doing even 2 minutes of googling?
43% put down household income over $100k, 12% were over $200k... There was another 14% with prefer not to say, and at a guess I'd suggest at lease a few % are in those higher brackets.
While it isn't the majority, almost half of PB readers appear to be effing loaded, and spend that cash on bikes.
You want shit bike reviews? go check the Walmart brochure, maybe they got a good review there for you all on a sweet huffy.
On a serious note. I'm not interested in cheap bike reviews. I break cheap bikes and cheap parts pretty fast and prefer to not be fixing or replacing shit continously. I learned this a while ago. Cheap rims die, cheap shocks dont work, cheap forks go theough all their travel cheap derailleurs bend, cheap chauns stretch and lets not forget if they dont break then youll wear them out. Also cheap shits heavy.I'd rather grab a ex demo or some rich old guys bike then get a new cheap bike.
My sb150 costed me near the same as my friends Norco Range after he swapped to Fox factory suspension. The only difference is he's got new bike, while mine rear triangle has been used a season.
You sell that optic yet?
All bikes from a brand have a particular flavour lets say, you can feel it in the advertising, the colours, the component spec, and the ride charter of the bikes. We all have a preferred flavour, be it vanilla (Giant), strawberry (Spesh), or double chocolate espresso caramel (Nicolai). Those flavours correspond to where we ride, what we ride, and so on.
You can see why the guys in the PNW might gravitate toward a bike that performs better in, I dont know, the PNW?
Just food for thought
Maybe we need a PB bingo of users that make the same silly comments, or have bruised feelings that you haven’t directly mirrored their experiences, or my personal fav, “please review this bike that I already own so I can validate my feelings to my wife and buddies”
My bad, I’ll edit my post immediately
It isn't difficult to find an enduro bike under 15kgs for less than ten grand man, come on
So the question is whether the price is fair. It's almost as if there are massive diminishing returns on bikes at this kind of price.
I know it's almost fashionable to moan about these halo bike prices, but I really think PB and other media outlets need to take a firmer line with bike companies and insist on reviewing the models riders are going to buy.
It won't be the 10 grand ones.
Coil, 36, enduro 305 wheels, super gravity tyres, mt7 with big rotors and it’s 15.4kg
It is worth it, climbs amazingly good and descends better than my previous enduro 29 from specialized
What were they thinking when they pressed the big green button on that design?
LOL.
But it's subjective, and I'm driven by pragmatism and would always favour Japanese engineering instead of German–at least in autos.
I know we're supposed to hate Yeti for being too expensive, but that purple is beautiful. don't care if it's an "elitist" color.
color selection is not a reason to complain about yeti
Value aside, I don't see why you guys didn't just install a shorter stem and higher rise bar for the test. As a tall guy I appreciate you highlighting the low front, and I understand you're trying to test the bikes as they come stock, but most people dropping 5-10k on a bike are going to change the cockpit anyways. It seems like the bulk of this review is whining about the long low cockpit, IMO 10mm of stem length and/or 20mm of bar rise affect handling more than 0.5 degrees of HA.
Very expensive bikes don't mean the reasonably priced ones stop existing and its a non essential luxury item - for those that can afford a Yeti and are happy to spend the money, good for them.
Yea this thing is expensive - I think its frankly ridiculously expensive but Yeti must sell them or the brand wouldnt exist.
Getting mad because someone makes a very expensive thing is odd, unless you get mad about brands making other expensive things of course.
And anyway it doesn’t need to be any better to cost more - why do people buy luxury watches? Handbags that do the same thing made from the same materials?
The Yeti is expensive, so go and buy a bike just as good from elsewhere for half as much, upto you.
I sold my BMX bike (1978 Redline custom) to buy my first car, the bike sold for $400 new. To extrapolate, a mountain bike of the same caliber as my BMX bike would have been roughly three to four times as much, which could have easily cost as much as my first car.
So yeah, high end mountain bike can be as valuable as a use car, and always has been.
The point is that expensive things exist and sometimes they do nothing better than the cheap things do - you don’t need to buy them and they don’t mean that all things are expensive.
It matters not one single jot if the thing ‘holds value’, completely different argument.
My point is people need to stop saying biking is getting more expensive when it isn’t.
Go look at bikes from Norco, Kona, Propain etc - a Yeti is a luxury high end item - that doesn’t mean prices are going up, just yeti prices.
Within about 30 seconds I understood it was a test of very expensive top-end bikes. No one forced me to read any farther.
If you're not interested, click the "back" button.
A month back or so, PB did a whole series on affordable bikes.
Do you guys email complaints to Car and Driver for testing Ferraris because you can't afford them?
As far as the "bikes have gotten so expensive" thing, I call BS.
$3500 today buys a bike that is 10x more capable than a $3500 bike 10 years ago.
Because it is the only thing I can meassure?! :-))))
But: how is nobody the absence of headset cable routing?! Cheer up guys! : )
I have owned 2 Yetis and while they rode well and the switch infinity is cool...it drove me nuts with how often I had to maintain it. The 165 Especially, since you have to remove the rear swingarm to access the rear grease port on the switch infinity. Looks like this frame is the same.
That said, I know suspension bikes, not tractors.
I'm fine with PB reviewing high end bikes, but I do wish they'd review the lower-spec'ed ones. For example, review the Trek Fuel EX 9.8 XT. NOT the Trek Fuel EX 9.99 XXX1 +++ Flight Attendant Super Gold.
I know they do value bike field test - but just include these in the regular field tests.
In this case I guess you're stuck with all three.
.
Where people actually seem to be paying for the name is with all the very similar 4-bar bikes - if the suspension is largely the same, all you're really paying for is the name and maybe geo and components. Is there anything really that unique between the way a Specialized, Canyon, Commencal, YT, Orbea, etc. etc. etc. all ride? Not in my experience.
I've ridden bikes with low stack and ive hated every single one, even with high rise bars(They end up feeling flexy and vague as)
I wanted a Fuel ex - the new one, but its stack is to low. otherwise its a perfect bike for me
But, these newer longer reach bikes do work better with a more forward and aggressive position... too many spacers and shortening the reach too much can put you back a little too far and make it hard to weight the front of the bike. You might want to try and adjust before playing around too much.
Well done PinkBike!!
You look so squashed going into corners and on the downs when i watched the video. Knees close to bar and over the front too much on the downs. 3.50 just made me squirm.
It looked like you needed the size up which would give you a higher front end and longer reach.
On top everything I heard from the SB130 and SB150 line up in the past was, that on these bikes you have to overcome yourself to lean to the front to get everything out of it. Hence more bike for the Pros than for normal people. More or less the opposite to "over the front kind of a feeling" what was mentioned here. A 180 degree twist although geometry almost the same.
And when I hear, "I would prefer a higher stack", "shorter stem" and something into the direction of "head angle to steep" (=front hub not far enough in the front), why not taking a size bigger??? Stack goes up, front hub goes further out to the front and as compensation for this reach/length increase use a shorter stem. Front hub more to the front an stem shorter is a good combination to fight the "over the front kind of a feeling".
To make a long story short. Were all the weaknesses mentioned a result of a to small (short) bike???
How does it work? Any hints for the tune?
Not sure how brands are holding us captive, however. Especially since there are more choices than ever for high performance bikes.
Mountain biking has always been an expensive, gear intensive, sport.
-1.5 degree angle set
+10mm lower headset cup
A shit load of volume spacers and then some more to fix the 14% progression
Some of the most popular trail bikes offer less than 580 for a L size like the YT Izzo or the Orbea Occam.
Must be cuz the frames were all cracked, or the Bitch Infiniti was out for service.
On a side note, PB has really gotten carried away with the $8-12,000 bike reviews. Enough already. Levy and Kazimer need to have a, “if we can’t afford it on our ‘journalist’ income, we shouldn’t focus on reviewing it” standard.
The MTB industry has slipped too far down the millionaire slope. If they (PB and other industry folk) want this shit to last, try focusing on bikes that 90% of people can afford. Not the ten percent.
Isn’t riding bikes supposed to be inclusive?