First Ride: Yeti's 2021 ARC Hardtail

Aug 4, 2020
by Daniel Sapp  
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The ARC is a bike that has been iconic in Yeti's line for years. First making its debut in 1991 as a collaboration with Easton, the bike was half the weight of its competitors. Thanks to the use of ProTaper tubing the frame weighed a then-scant 3.2 pounds. The ARC, along with the ARC AS and ARC AS LT made up a very successful platform in the young years of mountain biking, ridden to many victories under Juli Furtado, Missy Giove, John Tomac, and other legends of the glory days.

A couple weeks ago, we saw Yeti bring back the ARC as a limited anniversary edition hardtail. Only 100 of the uniquely painted bikes were available. The bike, however, was an entirely new frame, modernized from the last iteration with aggressive geometry and a build kit more suited to take on long backcountry rides, or a weekend of bikepacking, than it was to toe up to the starting line of a cross-country race. Unsurprisingly, the ARC is now going to be a production bike for Yeti, available in a number of builds on one TURQ frame.


bigquotesIt should come as no surprise that we’d launch the ARC. It was probably the worst kept secret in the bike industry over the last two weeks. We’ve been so focused on full suspension bikes for the past five years we forgot how fun a hardtail could be.Chris Conroy - President, Yeti Cycles

Yeti ARC

2020 2021 Hardtail Check Out
2020 2021 Hardtail Check Out
Smooth lines and cool colors, the anniversary edition combines classic Yeti colors with modern carbon technology.

The ARC frame is Yeti's only hardtail, with a carbon frame that's designed around a 130mm fork. That gives it a 67° head angle, 76° seat tube angle, 433mm chainstays, and a 445mm reach in size the size medium. The Turq carbon frame weighs 2.82 lbs.

Builds range in price from $3,500 USD for the C1 up to $9,900 for the "Anniversary Edition" that's sure to put a cavity in your wallet. The TURQ frame alone sells $1,900 USD. The complete bike, in size medium, with the T2 build I've been riding weighs 24.5 lbs and sells for $5,600 USD. All frames are covered by Yeti's no-B.S. lifetime warranty. More info on the bike and warranty can be found, here.




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When I first saw the 35th Anniversary edition of the ARC I thought, "Well, that's cool, but there's no way in hell it makes sense to pay that much for a hardtail that's likely to be a second bike for many to a full-suspension trail bike." A few days later when I found out I had an inline model of the bike en route, I was pleased to learn that it was a much more reasonable $5,600, which is still really damn expensive considering you can get a really good full-suspension bike for under $3,000, and that there were even more reasonably priced options. Now, I'm not calling it cheap or affordable...but I also don't say that about the Tesla Model 3 as I drive past the dealership and think how it's nice to see there's something more reasonable than the pricier cars on the lot.

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Ride Impressions

For that $5,600 you get a 24.5lb hardtail that's pretty dialed right from the start. A Fox Factory 34 fork, DT wheels, and a SRAM X01 drivetrain, along with a 175mm Fox Transfer seatpost. I only have a few rides on the ARC at this point so these impressions are just that, impressions. In no way does this constitute a full review of the bike. Then again, this is a hardtail and there's not all that much going on, so it's pretty easy to quickly get a feel for things.

Pedaling and climbing, the bike's 76° seat tube angle puts me, with my long legs and 73.5cm saddle height, in a comfortable-yet-aggressive position headed uphill. This is a bit steeper than many other hardtails I've ridden as of late and many hardtails currently available. The Santa Cruz Chameleon sits at 72.8° and the Specialized Fuse 29 at 74°, for comparison.

Descending, the ARC is balanced and easy to ride on a variety of terrain. Flowy trails were, of course, its specialty, but more rugged and technical terrain was surprisingly easy to negotiate. The wide and aggressive 2.6" tread no doubt played a large role in this and the bike, as a complete package it's clearly well thought out.

There were even a couple hours clocked with the bike loaded down with a bag full of beverages and snacks and it proved to be an excellent tool in carrying supplies down some pretty technical trails and into the woods for an afternoon of swimming and souvenir sunburns.

So far, the ARC is shaping up to be a jack of many trades and one of the more versatile and enjoyable bikes I've ridden lately.

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Author Info:
danielsapp avatar

Member since Jan 18, 2007
476 articles

250 Comments
  • 165 6
 It’s probably gonna get a bit of a traditional bashing here but I think it’s beautiful and If I had the money I’d be all over it.
  • 20 0
 That C1 build seems more than reasonable. Trying really hard to not talk myself into one.
  • 18 0
 @Unrealityshow: Whilst I agree, the C1 is a tidy build, can we talk about the $300 bump just for GX on the C2!? Should get the SLX in a bag on the handlebars as well, for that...
  • 7 0
 It does look beautiful. Really clean lines and subtle curves in all the right places. Geo suggests a great all-rounder with a slight bias towards peddling with that HTA (but could be tweaked with angle set and/or 140mm fork potentially). Nice one Yeti.
  • 10 23
flag boozed (Aug 4, 2020 at 4:35) (Below Threshold)
 If it were a car, it would be a Porsche Cayenne.
  • 9 0
 @Caza1232: Right you are here! The SLX may be the sleeper components for a well performing budget build. Hopefully more companies start throwing the SLX out there as an option to sram.
  • 4 0
 @Unrealityshow: I hear ya... Would love to be able to give the sb130 a sibling... Sadly, i think it will remain an only child for quite sometime..
  • 4 5
 For real, I thought the Tesla/Used Car Analogy was spot on. Won't stop the mouth breathers from coming here to flame Yeti, the known dentist brand, for being expensive.
  • 3 6
 @Unrealityshow: Pull some of your own teeth out then you won't understand what you're saying.
  • 17 1
 She's a looker, but I really miss the hoop style rear end from the original design. Definitely a missed opportunity for a bit of retro inspired design.
  • 6 7
 @bohns1: You could expand your practice..?
  • 48 0
 SB 0
  • 17 19
 @blum585: I know this is a super unpopular opinion, but I'd take GX over SLX or even XT. I have had XT and SLX on my 2020 Oiz and it's caused me nothing but issues.
  • 2 0
 it’s a stunner , i love the simple straight lines , absolutely gorgeous !!
  • 2 0
 Neh, the utter beauty of this beast makes us forget the beast is a yeti.
  • 1 0
 @DarrellW: It would be really hard to understand what someone is saying if they just pulled some of their own teeth out. You are right about that.
  • 2 0
 @Rokthewok: That's interesting to know! I have heard that the Sram Cassettes last a lot longer than Shimano, but haven't heard about other issues.
  • 5 0
 @Rokthewok: I'm really curious as to what issues you could be having from the new XT drivetrain?

I've moved my XT drivetrain on to two different bikes and it's been nothing less than glorious. I had AXS as well and that didn't shift as well as the XT. The AXS/Shimano mix that I'm running on another bike, however, is surprisingly awesome.
  • 1 0
 I agree, I think it's gorgeous. Would probably pick if I needed a HT right now.
  • 8 18
flag thenotoriousmic (Aug 4, 2020 at 10:09) (Below Threshold)
 @Rokthewok: It’s only an unpopular opinion among the noisy minority of deluded pinkbikers who have only really used shimano and don’t know how far behind they’ve fallen behind. In the real world you’l see nine GX mechs for every XT and GX costs more. Coincidence? I doubt it.
  • 6 1
 @scary1: You sir, win the Comment Section today! ; )
  • 4 0
 @Unrealityshow: The "Dental Assistant"" build.
  • 7 0
 @thenotoriousmic: you’re right, it’s not coincidence, it’s because sram came specced on almost every high-end bike within the last few years. Fwiw i happily ran gx eagle for a couple years before getting xt 12 and it’s not a crazy difference to me, but I do prefer the xt
  • 2 1
 @tremeer023: Bummer with the integrated headset, a regular anglest won't work. Your only option for making it slacker is 9point8's newly released slack-r
  • 3 2
 @leadsledpaintrain: fwiw is a new one to me what does it mean? Just a typo?

I’m only trolling the comments, I do t really care.
  • 1 0
 @thenotoriousmic: for what it’s worth... good song
  • 8 1
 Why is GX always being compared to XT? I thought XX1->XTR, X01->XT, GX->SLX. Am I missing something?
  • 1 0
 @hardtailparty: ah, integrated headset. Same reason I didn't buy a Santa Cruz Chameleon frame last year (which has similar HTA and geo to this).
  • 2 0
 @zarban: Tell me more about your AXS/Shimano mixed drivetrain! I've been thinking about doing this setup myself and haven't found much info on its performance. Are there any compatibility issues or does it all mesh pretty well together?
  • 3 0
 @reindeln: I absolutely love it. I was thinking that might be a great setup and then I read an article on Bike where Palmer built up a dream ride with that. Look at bike magazine and you'll find a couple articles on it. You won't be disappointed. When I go back to my full mechanical XT I really miss having the AXS/Shimano mix.

It is a breeze to set up, faster than setting up mechanical. You can find tune it with the micro adjust, easier than a barrel adjuster. Don't have to worry about stretched cables or anything...well, you do have a really expensive derailleur hanging off your bike so that's one thing to worry about. Anyways, I highly recommend it.
  • 2 0
 @DJ-24: Oral Hygienist build. Dental assistants are probably stuck in the used market.
  • 3 0
 @Hayek: I'm not 100% sure if this is the reason, but I've surmised that they are often compared due to the complete GX group being lighter than the XT group. Deore is lighter than NX, but then GX is lighter than both SLX and XT. X01 is much lighter than XT, and then X01, XX1 and XTR are fairly close in weight, with both X01 and XX1 edging out XTR.
  • 3 4
 @Hayek: GX is srams XT equivalent.
XX1 - no shimano equivalent
X01 - XTR
GX - XT
NX - SLX
SX - Deore.
  • 2 0
 @thenotoriousmic: according to what? I mean I could understand that there is no equivalent to AXS, not until Shimano has a wireless group, but what are the inherent differences between XX1 and X01, or XTR and XT that would indicate there is no Shimano equivalent? By contrast, what are the similarities between GX and SLX that make them equivalents but not XX1 and XTR?
  • 2 2
 @Hayek: according to price. They’re all priced the similarly X01 - XTR etc Shimano doesn’t make an alternative to XX1.
  • 74 3
 “Put a cavity in your wallet.” I see what you did there...
  • 48 0
 Yo! Yeti, build a new DJ for fARC sake.
  • 52 5
 "Open wide, say AAAAARC" #dentistjokes
  • 41 6
 “ that's sure to put a cavity in your wallet. “
Surely the only cavity the dentists buying the anniversary edition will have.
  • 38 3
 Dentists deserve something simple yet elegant! Imagine how mentally exhausting is to drive Tesla to work every f*nkg day, then mess with a full sus switch infinity on weekends.
  • 4 7
 @lkubica: Its actually the perfect Yeti for Dentist dirt roadies to try keep up with their buddies on gravel bikes
  • 8 3
 The dentists will just have to stay open to 5pm for a week or so to make up the extra £££. I feel awful for them.
  • 1 0
 @lkubica: Still waiting to mess with mine 1.5 years in.
  • 40 18
 as a dentist I don´t desire this bike at all and -jokes aside- most comments here about this are far from original or funny at all and have been here for ages, they are so old Steve Peat laughed about them before he was World Champ.
And personally I´m just weary of it. If you are so envious about it: why wouldn´t you just become a dentist, work 20h a week, drive your Tesla, swim in money and rip off your patients.

Rant over
  • 7 0
 @Germanmike: I think mostly they are funny to 5 or so PB users, who are probably under the age of 15.
  • 15 3
 @Germanmike: Success must be demonized. If they acknowledged that effort and sacrifice yield better results than smoking bongs and masturbating their entire entitled worldview would come crumbling down and they'd need more SSRIs than they're already on.
  • 7 0
 @Germanmike: It's not about envy or about dentists in general. It could be any profession that earns enough disposable income to buy Yeti each model or every couple of years. It's more a comment on the price of certain bicycles, or products.
  • 13 0
 @Session603: Whoa, whoa, whoa!!! Not all that smoke bongs and masturbate are aimless and envious.
  • 4 2
 @Germanmike: it’s the typical “trendy”, sheep following, can’t think for myself pink bike comment. Ripmo gx build = 5499 and Yeti SB130 gx build = 5399..
  • 5 5
 @Germanmike: You must be really fun at parties.
  • 2 0
 @foggnm: exactly.. Whats funny is these bikes are not that unattainable for most if one so desires.. Im a tradesman and bought an sb130 relatively easily..
  • 2 2
 @Germanmike: boohoo
  • 3 5
 @rnayel: well, the friends I bought with all my money laugh about my witty jokes

Point is: last trip we did out of 5 guys I was the only one riding an aluminum bike and it´s a Transition, not a Yeti. I´m just fed up with reading these jokes over litteraly every Yeti or other "expensive stuff" article. I´m fed up with being stereotyped because of my profession (not only happens here, I also seem to play golf, drive Porsche and go to Sylt four times a year).
It´s a rant, I stand up to that. Seems like a lot of people feel the same.
  • 4 2
 @Germanmike: Dude, get mad about something real... Saudi Arabia bombing Yemen, "the West" and their Middle East policy, global health and educational standards, the banking cartels... But please, get a grip man ffs. Beer
  • 3 2
 @Germanmike: Get over it. This will never end, it became a PB folklor now. If I were a dentist, I couldn't care less.
Dentists hate is funny, because this is against the essence of capitalism. Which is - rich people buy a lots of unnecessary stuff, which empowers the economy, so more people get rich an can buy stuff. Which is generally great, unless you start thinking about workers making those yeti frames in the far east for like 1% of the final cost. So much knowledge and care went to make a beautiful, overpriced item for somebody to have little fun. Quite a lot of resources was wasted for it, just for someone to emphasize his status.
  • 2 0
 @lkubica: If you're truly upset about capitalism, go talk to the Giant, Specialized, and Trek owners. Capitalism rants over amazing bikes on our amazing computers, doesn't make sense. Capitalism brings out passion, creativity, innovation, competition and some of the most amazing technological advances this world has seen. Without it, we're all equal and the reward to be great/advance is less enticing. Hate to break it to all the participation trophy winners, we're not equal. There are extremely talented people out there.. Can capitalism get ugly? Absolutely! Just like a beautiful movement to protect innocent lives can get ugly. There is a balance we all have to find ourselves in.
  • 2 2
 @utley06: While you're not necessarily wrong...can't we have the "competition and passion" of capitalism without the rampant exploitation, profit-at-all-costs traits of the mercenary capitalism that is currently in place? Capitalism is predicated on selling your widget for more then the cost it took you to build it. But if building it means perpetually looking for the next cheap labor force to exploit (be that inside or outside our own borders), that should be cause for introspection and modification of the system. Modifying capitalism does not equal socialism. It means removing the mechanisms in place that kept the benefits of the system available to fewer and fewer while neglecting the larger population it took to build it in the first place.

You're right...there are extremely talented people out there. Imagine how much farther along we might be if the system was able to recognize more of those people.

Mercenary Capitalism: National alligance doesn't mean shit when the profit margin is high enough.
  • 2 0
 @Dopepedaler: like I said it can get ugly. However let’s not overlook all the amazing companies out there providing jobs, donating, investing in communities and humanity: capitalism is not as evil as everyone makes it out to be.
  • 2 0
 @rnayel: I just F’ing spat out my beer ????

I’m not a dentist, and I’m reading this thread again as I’m hovering my trigger finger over an ARC C2 with AXS, and Fox Factory upgrade to share duties with my X01 Race Turq SB130
  • 22 2
 This is a pretty minor complaint of course. But why not on Hardtails throw in a second water bottle mount on the seat tube? You have the space. Can't add much to cost of building and worst case scenario you use it for tools and tube
  • 20 2
 I think in this case the reason would be interference between the seatpost and the bottle bolts
  • 8 0
 With carbon lay up could they shape it to prevent the interference?
  • 2 1
 or at least allow you to select between a dropper and a 2nd bottle.
  • 6 0
 That is my only complaint about my Honzo CR, wish it had a 2nd bottle mount but if I had to pick between that and fitting a dropper, it would be the dropper all the way.
  • 9 2
 @joshleb: sure, that'd be possible. But it's not reasonable expect that kind attention to detail and premium features from a mass-produced asian-made budget bike like a yeti.
  • 7 1
 @thegoodflow:
My specialized carbon fuse has two tiny "bumps" in the carbon for the bottle mounts. My suspicion is this is so the bolts don't go through into where the dropper is.
  • 4 0
 @thegoodflow: I have a hardtail with two bottle cages on it and a 150mm dropper. But alas it's made of metal so I'm a luddite so what do I know.
  • 2 2
 They’ve got the second water bottle mount under the down tube, unless your mission is to do a 4 hour no-dab ride, you can just swap the top bottle with bottle underneath once it’s empty.
  • 2 0
 @diegosk: Maybe. Often times what I like to do is do one bottle with drink mix and one straight water. So having both accesible is nice. Plus if you're doing a race (which I would claim these bike are perfectly good for) it's not great to have one under the downtube.
  • 1 0
 @bsavery: great point. Didn’t even think about racing. You have changed my mind
  • 20 0
 This bike is gonna look sick on the Kuat rack on my Subaru while I drive from Superior to ride the Dirty Bismark loop for the 383rd time.
  • 19 3
 Can't really picture myself on that "long backcountry ride or bikepacking trip" on a bike with 76º SA angle,with my weight over my arms all day.
A race hardtail would be the real hommage to the original ARC.
  • 3 2
 You get used to it, 76° builds core strength. 60 miles in it starts to get tedious.
  • 5 0
 @littleskull99: On a hardtail though? There's no sag in back, it only gets steeper when the fork sits into its travel
  • 3 3
 I've come to really enjoy 76-77* effective seat angles on my hardtails, especially as reach/ett has gotten longer lately. As long as this bike isn't overly-stiff, it could be a killer bikepacking or long backcountry solution.
  • 2 4
 @me2menow: yeah on a hardtail or any bike really, the further forward you can get - the better it climbs.
  • 8 0
 @littleskull99: Well then let me know when that 90 degree sta comes out
  • 1 0
 @me2menow: there's a new grim donut?
  • 2 1
 No way, my back hurts looking at a 74 sta anymore.
  • 1 0
 If this had a more reasonable STA for pedaling, I'd have already purchased it. Not knocking the steep STA because I'm sure others will get on with it, but it would be a nightmare for me.
  • 15 0
 The bike looks really cool. If I'm spending this kind of money on a hardtail I'd rather buy a titanium frame with sliding dropouts.
  • 12 0
 @Daniel Sapp "The ARC, along with the ARC AS and ARC AS LT made up a very successful platform in the young years of mountain biking, ridden to many victories under Juli Furtado, Missy Giove, John Tomac, and other legends of the glory days."

sorry thats incorrect. Tomac rode for Raleigh in 91. he never rode a yeti arc. he rode a steel yeti fro & a steel/carbon C26
  • 13 0
 "Yeti's no BS lifetime warranty" - isn't that an oxymoron?
  • 18 0
 They won't BS you when they tell you that you have to pay out the nose for replacement parts/frames.
  • 9 0
 Maybe it is “no bs” in that they tell you “no” and then feed you some bs.
  • 4 0
 @Austink: Yetis? No, BS lifetime warranty!
  • 2 0
 @TheLoamDeranger: I love a lifetime warranty on BS!
  • 9 0
 People are starting to rediscover how great hardtails can be for most trails. Most people think of a full suspension as an "upgrade" over a harstail. In some instances it is, but in some cases it's not. It's like calling a jeep an "upgrade" from a two seater sports car. Both are great for different reasons to anyone reading this, if your only experience with hardtails was an old, out of date hardtail, or a low end spec one, you owe it to yourself to try a modern hardtail, especially something with a 65-66* head angle.
  • 6 0
 Yes, completely agree and also trying to spread that same understanding. Too many people relate their hardtail experiences to out dated wheel sizes, geometry, tires, etc....
  • 2 0
 @JDFF: Agree! I can't believe how much fun I have on my DV9 with 2.6's. For fun, I took my 1992 Trek 7000 out for a spin. My life flashed before my eyes. Amazing how much better the new hardtail is.
  • 11 0
 Does not have Loop Tail, is not an ARC, just another carbon hardtail that nobody will race.
  • 5 1
 @davidccoleman I think you nailed it. Without a nod to the classic loop tail or the oval / rectangle top tube this ARC has no signature or soul aside from the paint job.
  • 1 0
 Seriously. how could they not put a loop tail on this anniversary bike. I'd ride WH Bradford's homage bike over this any day of the week..
  • 8 1
 Dentist jokes and high price aside, I'm really digging this frame. I love the straight lines and the geometry looks good for the size I'd get (large). I also appreciate that Yeti didn't go overboard here with slapping a super slack head angle, super long reach, and a long travel fork on this bike. While they could've made the head angle a touch slacker, I think overall this would be a really fun trail bike that could still get after it a bit.
  • 11 0
 Why would you ever ride a HT that isnt steel?
  • 9 0
 TITANIUM!!!
  • 5 1
 Bamboo
  • 4 2
 I would like to see a bike test where steel, ti, alloy, and CF hardtails were comped. Trick would be to wrap the frames in tape or pipe insulation so the testers wouldn't know the material. Other than weight, I am not sure there is much difference in ride characteristics.
  • 4 0
 @Snowytrail: While all materials can be made to feel similar to each other, I guarantee riders would be able to feel a noticeable difference in a blind shootout with the following:
- carbon chameleon
- aluminum chameleon
- Canfield Nimble 9
- Commencal Meta HT AM
- Sage titanium powerline

There's so much more than material that goes into how a hardtail feels. I've ridden aluminum frames with more compliance than a steel frame, and carbon frames that were stiffer than aluminum, and vice-versa. While we love to lump things into nice, neat little categories, we simply can't infer ride quality based off frame material anymore.
  • 13 4
 It’s exactly like Transition Vanquish but with blue color and double the price.
  • 3 0
 Quite a bit of difference in geometry when you compare these two frames but yes, the Vanquish is a very cool frame and can be found for interesting prices nowadays.
  • 3 0
 Vanquish frame was $1700 MSRP in the US.
  • 4 2
 Transitions carbon hardtail frames were over 2k here, the yeti is 1.6k what are you talking about ?
  • 1 0
 @Varaxis: 200 more considering inflation over 5 years isn’t a huge price gap. This frame also has features the vanquish did not like a chainstay/bb protector. Absolutely love my throttle but I’d consider one of these if The throttle didn’t suit me better.
  • 1 0
 @bulletbassman: I also have a throttle and it's amazing, I think carbon makes sense for road bikes and hardtails, it's much more lively and comfortable than aluminium and lighter than steel/ti.

I think the point people are making on cost is that the transitions were heavily discounted for a few years - like half off - probably still are if you can find one.
  • 1 0
 @DutchmanPhotos:
I had 2 Transition Vanquish and another one with an angle set and 140 RS Pike up front. Geometry was spot on with these modifications and actually quite close to Yeti here.
  • 1 0
 @Altron5000: the frames sold for 1300 after they were discontinued.
  • 8 0
 Every time I read "All frames are covered by Yeti's no-B.S. lifetime warranty." I laugh my ass off. Although one part is true, B.S.
  • 9 0
 I say they do an aluminum version as a nod to the beginning
  • 9 0
 Can I put a dual crown on it?
  • 10 0
 Looks like a Kona Honzo
  • 8 0
 It's a a Honzo C from 4 years ago with Yeti Marketing.
  • 7 0
 1733 Big Macs in the US. 2250 Big Macs in New Zealand. Either way that's a lot of Big Macs.
  • 1 0
 Yeah, but our Big Mac's taste nicer...which in all fairness still isn't saying much....
  • 2 0
 That’s a lot of diarrhea
  • 5 1
 I think it's rad. Glad they kept the HA reasonable. Hardtails make sense for undulating, flowy terrain, so you don't need a 64 degree head angle. All it does is make the bike harder to turn on the stuff you'll actually be riding.
  • 1 0
 ...in Colorado (not PNW).
  • 2 2
 I disagree, but that's ok. I've really enjoyed a 65* hta on my hardtails, even on undulating, flowy terrain lately. Since there's no rear sag, the head angle gets steeper through its travel. So it'll be 67* static, but at full bottom out, it'll be 73.5*.
  • 7 2
 This would be great for me and my close group of family/kin that are organized into a small society where we share similar values and heritage. If only there was a good word for that.....
  • 4 0
 A horde?

No, maybe, a CLLCTV?

A, um, er, oh damn...it's on the tip of my tongue...
  • 3 0
 @handynzl: FOR THE HORDE!
  • 2 0
 On the Stoakes-Whibley Natural Index of Supernatural Collective Nouns Under Wild-life at the bottom of the list, one can find the following:

"a flurry of Yeti"

So there you have it, a flurry.

P.S. For those of you who like yeti's brown American cousin, you'll be pleased to know a group of sasquatch is called a yearning.
tup
  • 4 0
 Put this bike next to the new chromoly Kona Honzo ESD and look how different two bike companies can be.

Kona has been pushing HT geos for years now with the Honzo line while keeping them affordable and offering Chromoly, Alloy and Carbon frames for experience guys to build up magic whips and Yeti apparently "forgot how fun a hardtail could be".
  • 7 1
 This (and every) hardtail needs TWO cage mounts INSIDE the front triangle. Sorry Yeti, but this is a Fail.
  • 8 0
 waitng for cascade link!
  • 7 0
 24.5lbs seems a little heavy for a $5600 hardtail build.
  • 5 0
 My 2010 Aluminum ARC is 22.8 with pedals.
  • 2 0
 @lodya: I built a full suspension Specialized Epic with the comp frame (heaviest frame at 5.5lbs) that weighed 25lbs. In retrospect, I should have just bought the lighter frame and made it around 24.5lbs. Lol.
  • 1 1
 The frame is 2.82 lbs, so you can still build one of these up crazy light. This is pretty close to how I'd build one up. Sure, you could go lighter, but most people will prefer the stock build.
  • 3 1
 My XL Honzo ST Single Speed is just under 27lbs , costs about 1/3 of this, has a 140 fork, and will go about three times as fast in the rocks.
  • 6 0
 It seems that Yeti insists in the PF BB...
  • 8 1
 I won't look at bike with PF BB. Vote with your wallet!
  • 1 1
 @unrooted: Why Would you discount a bike because of PF??? For many years, so many companies made there bikes with PF with no issues.
  • 1 0
 @RealSimpo: because there are plenty of GREAT bikes with threaded bikes shells... that cost much less.
  • 1 0
 @unrooted: Well, I understand that. Give examples. I bet they are nowhere near the quality of Yeti. Also, if you're looking at frame only options, look at Kona Honzo Carbon ($1599) and well, it's a Kona. For 200 dollars more you get beautifully R&D carbon, paint, customer service, Yeti Tribe and all that other BS. You make the call. You're gonna let a pesky PF BB stand in the way of greatness.
  • 1 0
 @RealSimpo: I know 2 riders, who only ride endurance xc, who broke their yeti’s down tube... is that what you consider “greatness”??? Yeti is overpriced garbage for people who want the Louis Vuitton version of a mountain bike. I don’t need to show off how dumb I am with money. But I’m sure your yeti looks dope on the top of your Tesla. (FYI: konas have of bb shells).
  • 3 0
 As I person who only rides hardtails, this is a really nice bike for my type of riding. That SLX C1 build is pretty good right out of the box. I wonder if 27.5+ tires would fit?....yeah I know plus is dead, but I like it.
  • 2 0
 I'm with ya, plus tires on a hardtail like this would be so much fun.
  • 3 0
 Not a weight weenie at all (my daily ride is ~35 lbs with 180/170mm suspension f/r) but in light of the recent full suspension XC/DC bikes on test, 25 lbs for a $5600 hard tail seems pretty chunky?
  • 3 1
 I think a lot of that is in the tires. Going to the XC/DC control tires(2.25 Ray and Ralph) they are using you'd save almost 700 grams. Also your user name is almost an anagram for mine, nice!
  • 1 0
 C1 or T1 ftw! Rare that Shimano build kits are cheaper than SRAM build kits or did I miss something?

Pricier for a HT but still more “reasonable” for a Yeti and that frame does look like an Izzo without suspension aka it looks rly good.
  • 4 0
 I think I'm ready to quit Pinkbike. All these bike reviews, tests, and demos and still no Grim Donut Part 2
  • 2 0
 In the video and the first picture of the article they show it w/ a SID fork. I’m assuming that’s the 120 mm SID. Is this the bike that was used for testing? Would like to know the #’s with the SID build.
  • 5 0
 Like a short Honzo.
  • 3 0
 Why is the second water bottle on the bottom and not the seat tube? That was an epic fail on the SB4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6.
  • 2 0
 Because Yeti, and giardia, and some shit like that....
  • 2 0
 @handynzl: Because eating dirt is good for the immune system......
  • 2 1
 For bikepacking, that's the best place to carry heavy loads. I appreciate mounts under the downtube. Mounts on the seat tube would interfere with a dropper and/or ruin the aesthetic. People prefer aesthetics over useful features these days.
  • 5 1
 I am only here for the dentist comments
  • 4 0
 I was only here for the tr*be comments, but there don't seem to be any...
  • 4 0
 Why’d transition quit making the Vanquish?
  • 1 0
 I just build up a Throttle (27.5 version of the Vanquish). Super fun little hardtail. I am sure the Vanquish is just as much fun.
  • 1 1
 Hartail riders are obsessed with steel in uk so never gonna sell big here. And daft over forked, over slack geo and cruise ship long CS. Everyone buys a full suss. Shame as the vanquish is a cheaper to buy honzo clone. Love mine super fun trail ripper and long haul rides.
  • 3 0
 Someone may have beaten me to this, but shame they didn't include loop chainstays on this one.
  • 1 0
 As far as hardtails go this looks awesome, but I feel like they are missing out by not putting bosses onto the lower seat tube, it looks like a second bottle would fit on the larger frames.
  • 3 0
 This is a conspiracy project between Yeti and Dentists to rattle the fillings out of your teeth.
  • 2 2
 I just rode the Santa Cruz chameleon and I am now obsess with it-
I wonder how they compare- i don’t really need a FS bike for the trails I ride (flat and flow) and I really like riding hard tail
  • 1 1
 The chameleon is a fantastic bike (especially the aluminum one).
  • 1 0
 I saw your video review and that is what prompted me to try out the chameleon- I wish you had reviewed the Carbon Honzo for your thoughts @hardtailparty:
  • 2 1
 @Bottleride: unfortunately Kona doesn't send me bikes to review.
  • 4 0
 IBIS - $999.00
  • 2 1
 Well I wanted a "down country" hardtail....but because I DIDNT want to pay the boated prices of all the latest all carbon bikes in the XC/DC Field Test.
  • 2 0
 I agree they missed the boat with no loop seat/chain stay, its like making an OM Flyer with no loop.
  • 1 0
 @DanielSapp can you comment on the ride quality of the frame itself. Stiff, compliant, or ??? Compared to the other hardtails you have been on lately.
  • 2 0
 I think this actually looks really nice. Its like a YT Izzo without the rear shock.
  • 1 1
 For the cost the spec is almost as good too, without the rear shock...imagine if YT made a hardtail
  • 3 0
 and the frame is twice the cost of a DV9 frame.... because why?
  • 4 0
 No singlespeed option?
  • 3 0
 Spot Rocker: Hold my beer!
  • 2 0
 Accepts 2.6 in rubber. Badassery!
  • 3 1
 For that money, I’d just go buy a Spur
  • 4 2
 $1900 for a hardtail frame....?!
  • 16 0
 should look at what road bikes go for
  • 2 3
 @5afety3rd: Which are even more of a ripoff.
  • 1 1
 @smartyiak: that’s your opinion. Some are some aren’t. It’s definitely not easy to make a 15lb complete bike that can handle doing 50mph on a mountain pass with a 200lb rider on it and not kill the rider. Oh and actually ride good.
  • 3 5
 @5afety3rd: No kidding, most things on here are opinion. And, IN MY OPINION, a mass-produced road bike frame...with no suspension and no "cutting edge" technology should cost $6500 (Dogma F12). It is really just a nod to their LV customer base. (Not to mention, it's unlikely that a Dogma will ever see 15#...unless it's an XXS).
  • 1 0
 ...with only one water bottle boss inside the frame.
  • 2 0
 Should've made it a hardcore hardtail. Or an SB DJ.
  • 1 1
 Aluminium would have been nice. Then I would be tempted.
  • 8 6
 Price aside this bike is basically the perfect hard tail
  • 19 6
 Not really. For one, it's carbon...
  • 8 10
 made in china is it tailor made 10 year old geo
  • 1 3
 @booked-for-simulation: For two, it can't really be a Single-Speed. And those are the only hardtails that matter in 2020.
  • 2 0
 @5poundplumbbob: anything is ss with a tensioner
  • 5 4
 If money was truly no object, I'd be ordering one today. Unfortunately, I went to engineering school, not dentist school.
  • 2 3
 Not gonna lie, the seat tube top tube junction looks pretty generic for a company like Yeti. Honestly I see a lot of open mold / off the boat china here. Which is a bit of a let down for that price point.
  • 3 2
 Yeti could get bought by Apple at this rate - Expensive - Well-designed - So pretty
  • 2 0
 Well, they are expensive and pretty.
  • 2 0
 All Crested Butte stuff. Bike looks sick with no logos
  • 1 0
 If it had sliders on it Single Speeders would buy the hell out of this being that the Pivot Les is junk.
  • 1 0
 check out the brand new spot rocker that was just announced today. Bummer about the longer chainstays, but it should be a wicked fast ss.
  • 3 0
 @hardtailparty: ya.. That's what I'm talking about.. I'd say if you're going to build a highend hardtail, it better be able to be a Single Speed. Who else is buying expensive non-dualies? For the price of these plastic jobs, though.... just go a little farther though and make it Ti.
  • 2 0
 and to think i thought yeti was coming out with an Ebike this year lol
  • 2 1
 Now this is a fun looking hardtail!
  • 1 0
 Where is the dh bike??! Im ready to sell my car...and my plasma
  • 1 0
 thats a sick frame...love the geometry
  • 1 0
 Same price as the titanium Solaris MAX.
  • 1 0
 We want a new DJ! We want a New 303! Come on Yeti!
  • 1 0
 Just press your cranks into the frame and you are good to go!
  • 1 0
 first non-tribe member of the group?
  • 1 0
 Real similar geo to 2020 Big Honzo CR.
  • 3 1
 Nope!
  • 4 3
 Every brand out there should have a hardtail like this!
  • 27 5
 Like what, overpriced?
  • 2 2
 @commental: it's not too badly priced... the thing with Yeti is they know people will buy their bikes they are also made in smaller production numbers than other bikes (for every Yeti you see on a trail you'll probably see at least 5/6 Trek or Specialized) so the cost has to be higher for them to break even and make a profit.
  • 7 1
 @aaron-naismith: their overhead doesn't negate the excessive price.
  • 2 2
 @RonSauce: so your saying they should charge less than trek, giant etc? I'd think not... It's a high end brand with a strong heritage and following, Yeti bikes have an appeal to them. Like I said they are produced in smaller numbers this makes producing them more expensive.
  • 8 10
 Sure it’s nice but it doesn’t really matter how it rides though does it...? These are going to be ridden a couple of times and then consigned to the garage and only used as a talking point post ride.
  • 13 1
 Man you really have them smug Yeti owners nailed...
Good thing it’s not you with the problem.
  • 5 4
 @CircusMaximus: No problem here. If you can afford one of these then fair play. Go for it. It just feels like it’s more of a vanity exercise than anything else. If that’s what you are in to then that’s fine.
  • 4 1
 To me, it would be a winter bike. So it would be used 4 months a year with occasional outings the rest of the year...
  • 4 0
 @aaron-naismith: totally see the appeal of a winter hardtail for thrashing. But isn’t spending that sort of extra cash for the Yeti sort of missing the point...?
The C1 isn’t astronomical but you can get the same’ish spec for on something else for the cost of an overseas riding holiday.
I’m sure these will sell regardless of the price. People love the brand....and that’s completely fine.
  • 1 0
 @Mooweeman: Yeah it sorta does but I just find Yeti have an appeal about them, in reality though when it comes to buying a winter hardtail I'll probably buy an orange crush.

Yetis will always sell imo
  • 2 0
 Hey. . . This will be my only bike when it hits my garage. . . Not only will it be for the trails, but also to goof off around town. . . No talking pieces here.
  • 6 5
 so 10K made in china hardtail with mainstream china made components?
  • 1 0
 SB5 Betis were made in Vietnam Smile
  • 1 0
 Yeti, it's all about the Vibe.
  • 2 1
 Almost yeti, almost! A 66 or 65 ha would have made me buy..
  • 1 0
 Totally agree. Check out the Slack-r from 9point8, you could slacken this thing out to 65.2* (provided there's clearance in the head tube area).
  • 4 3
 4 out of 5 dentist recommend this
  • 2 0
 Nostalgia can be costly.
  • 1 0
 This is what the SB115's geometry should have been.
  • 1 0
 Sure doesn't get my blood pumping like the old Yeti's...yawn
  • 1 0
 Who in their right mind would pay 10k for a hard tail?
  • 2 0
 @aljoburr People with nothing but money... Plenty of em around.
  • 1 0
 No doubt a great bike, but you sure pay a premium for that Yeti trademark.
  • 1 0
 Noah is pissed! F#cking about with his ARC.
  • 1 1
 The color, Celeste is getting popular! What do you guys think about that?
  • 5 5
 its the saggy nappy (diaper for some) look...again
  • 2 0
 What's a saggy nappy look? Looks like a big tubed dirt jumper to me. One with its BB a lot lower than the axle and fat junctions at the seat tube. You talking about how the chainstay is angled up?
  • 3 3
 @Varaxis: reminds me of a baby wandering around with a baggy shit and piss filled nappy/diaper. Something about the saggy look of the whole thing around the middle. Lots of bikes have with the 29er rear and sloping rear chain stay, mixed with the rest of the angles I don't love it.
  • 4 1
 @danncam: It's not a good look. Chamois Hagar is the worst! Three days worth of baby shit in that nappy.
  • 7 8
 at least i dont see some male nudity here like with a custom bike somewhere.
  • 21 0
 check your inbox.
  • 4 0
 @RonSauce: upvoting tomasis to threshold, purely to make your post visible
  • 2 2
 just another SRAM bike.. whooopy shit
  • 1 1
 5600!! For a bike without a motor, what a POS
  • 4 7
 So this is the Yeti you buy after only a week into your career as a dentist or lawyer, gotcha
  • 7 2
 @Torxx Nah i get mine during an diesel tech apprenticeship as a 3rd year... Not that difficult..
  • 4 3
 @bohns1: Woooosh
  • 5 1
 @Torrrx: nothing woosh about it.. Same old tired tired jokes... Yes, im fun at parties..
  • 2 1
 @Torrrx: It's okay cause EI paid for this bike between apprenticeship levels. Non university life is glam apparently
  • 1 1
 @monkeybizz: u nailed it! All while eating tuna sandwiches.... Priorities
  • 3 6
 5600 DOLLAR EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHHEHEHHE ::d :d :d :d :d
  • 4 7
 i got it, e-mopeds and hardtalis is now pop like 5 years ago fat bikes
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