Yeti Cycles give their venerable race rocket, the EWS-winning SB160, a full workover aimed at making it every bit the faster bicycle.
Yeti have left no stone unturned when it comes to updated their enduro sled, the SB160, with minor and many unseen improvements everywhere creating a very different beast altogether.
Key features:
- NEW Switch Infinity assembly on T-Series
- NEW Threaded bottom bracket
- NEW High-clearance downtube
- NEW Dual-density downtube protection
- Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH)
- Fully enclosed internal cable management
- Compatible with long dropper posts
- 100% standard sealed Enduro Max bearings
- Floating collet axle pivot design
- Compact-wishbone shock extender
- Downhill tested
- Yeti/Fox Factory team approved
- Boost spacing
The Yeti SB160 remains at the long travel end of the Yeti offering, with, funnily enough, 160mm rear wheel travel, designed around a 170mm fork. 29″ wheels only and the Turq series of bikes come with an updated version of the Switch Infinity system. Suspension wise, the leverage rates have been tweaked, and the SB160 sports 17% progressivity through its 160mm travel.
Across the board, the Yeti SB160 comes with size-specific seat tube angles, reach designed to centre the rider for even weight distribution, size specific chain stays and every bike running a longer fork, aimed at balancing the geometry.
The silhouette is definitely Yeti but the frame layout changes to more tightly package the linkages and Switch Infinity better. The new Switch Infinity has been reworked with better seals, bearings and hardware. Whether this tight packaging makes it harder to access for service and cleaning is anybody’s guess. The linkages do now come with standard size bearings throughout though.
With this change of the layout of the frame also comes a change in carbon layup with focus on more carbon for strength and stiffness where it’s needed and less where it isn’t.
Seat tubes have been clipped to the point where, depending on where you run your seat height, you can run a 150mm dropper on the size Small and 175mm droppers on the size medium.
Two models will be available in the UK, the SB160 T1 and the SB160 C2. The T1 comes in at £8,999.00 while the C2 will set you back £7,299.00
Geometry
The Yeti SB160 is available in Small, Medium, Large, XLarge and XXLarge.
Reach on the Medium is 465mm with a seat tube of 400mm. Head angle is 64 degrees combined with an effective seat tube angle of 77.5 degrees (actuals differ per size). Chainstay length is 439mm with a wheelbase of 1246mm.
Yeti SB160 models
Yeti SB160 T1
Key features:
- Fox 38 Factory 170mm fork
- Fox X2 Factory shock
- SRAM GX/XO1 Eagle 12-speed drive
- SRAM Code RSC brakes
- DT Swiss Custom EX1700 wheels
- Fox Transfer dropper
- £8,999.00 RRP
Yeti SB160 C2
Key features:
- Fox 38 Performance 170mm fork
- Fox Float X Performance shock
- SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drive
- SRAM Code R brakes
- DT Swiss E1900 wheels
- OneUp dropper
- £7,299.00
