Started in 1985 by Hollywood set builder John Parker, a larger-than-life figure, Yeti was perfect for an era when fun and innovation went hand-in-hand. Yeti built aluminum bikes before it was cool, and were working out full-suspension kinks before most of their competitors were ready to squish. A small company with a huge racing pedigree, Yeti has won World Championships and World Cups in both cross-country and downhill. While Yeti is no longer managed by Parker, Yeti Cycles retains his spirit.
The Pro’s Closet has a wide range of used Yeti bikes for sale. Some current models, some discontinued. The great thing about the older models is that they were ahead of their time when released; the designs are still contemporary. It is seen with wheels; the models which go up and down have 29”, models dedicated to having fun on the descents come with 27.5”.
Yeti’s bikes fit across the spectrum; at least one will meet your desires. If you’re more interested in going up, going down, or balancing the two, there’s a ride that’s right. They’ve even just released an e-bike. All bikes are fabricated out of carbon fiber and come in one of two grades, Carbon or Turq, the latter being lighter and stiffer. All bikes come with Fox Factory forks and shocks.
The Yeti ARC started as the game-changing Alloy Racing Composite. The welded aluminum frame was light and stiff and showed that Yeti XC had the right stuff. If you can find an early Yeti ARC for sale, get it; the ride is still good. Time has moved on, so has Yeti. The ARC is now made of carbon fiber and is closer to a trail bike with racing manners. The current iteration is a hardtail with a 130mm travel fork; blending racing speed with trail comfort.
Yeti’s SB115 initially came out of their SB100 XC bike, with 100mm of travel. It actually is the same frame as the SB100, with a different upper link and shock, giving it 115mm rear travel. It’s still a race bike, retaining the agility and fun of the shorter-travel bike while giving more room to take on rougher terrain.
Travel is often shorthand for what we think a bike can do, and the Yeti SB130 might seem to be a trail bike. But it’s designed to handle more. Much more. The SB130 is practically an enduro bike that climbs like a cross-country ride. The SB130 is an evolution of Yeti’s popular SB4.5, which was a long and low trail bike.
The platform goes steeper and deeper with the Lunch Ride kit. With the LR, they’ve put together something that gets more frisky as the riding gets more risky with a longer travel fork and burlier build kit.
The 150 of the name refers to the rear travel. The SB150 is nominally Yeti’s enduro bike, but being Yeti, the bike can handle much more. This platform is very much an update of the Yeti SB5.5, receiving the longer, lower, slacker treatment. This is an enduro bike that climbs with the best. For the rear end, the success has to do with their Switch Infinity linkage, which, thanks to tweaking leverage ratios, rides like bikes with more travel. For the front, nimble steering is achieved with a 65° head angle, something that really comes in handy on grinding climbs.
