SB4.5 Turq Mountain Bike Frame - 2017
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Yeti Cycles is well known for its big hit, big travel enduro sleds, so it should be no surprise that its shorter travel bikes bring a bit of that heritage along for the ride. The 2017 SB4.5 Turq Mountain Bike Frame blends a focus on XC speed with geometry that pushes its capabilities into much larger terrain. This particular frame also carries the new Turq designation, which provides strength where you need it, and lightness where you don't. For the SB4.5 Turq, that means a more precise carbon layup, carefully molded to reinforce key stress points along the frame without adding bulk and claimed to reduce weight by 300g compared to the regular version.
Yeti claims that the SB4.5 has a stiffer pedaling platform than most of its other bikes. While we don't have numbers to verify this claim, it's definitely a responsive go-getter when the going gets mashy, and we think the inclusion of a Boost 148mm rear axle is at least partially responsible for the bike's eagerness on climbs. Coupled with the innate aggression of 29in wheels and the stiff, collet-style hardware, the boosted rear triangle certainly feels every bit as stiff as any of Yeti's other models.
The frame's aggressive speed is not to be outdone by its slack front end and surprisingly capable Switch Infinity suspension, though. Its 67.4-degree head tube is one of the slackest we've seen on an XC-leaning 29er, and it makes for a boost of confidence while picking lines across terrain that would make a more typical 70-71 degree head tube stumble. The Switch Infinity suspension is equally confidence-inspiring, and its linear travel hits the sweet spot of anti-squat to keep pedaling sharp across rocky climbs. It also erases the momentary harshness that its predecessor, the Switch Link design, would display when pushed to the absolute limit.
Of course, most riders will never experience that dead spot on the Switch Link, but the SB4.5 isn't for most riders. It's for the all-mountain racer who demands that their machine flattens big hits with the same tenacity that it cleans long climbs — a rare breed in the enduro scene as a whole, but common enough in Yeti's following of enduro, bikepacking, and XC rocket ship pilots. In our experience, the SB4.5's Switch Infinity suspension isn't quite as soft off the top as the 5.5 and it finds the bottom when we overshoot a landing. That said, the steeper head tube produces sharper handling and rewards technique while picking lines, making the SB4.5 more fun if you're into finesse over just bombing terrain with your eyes closed.
Details
- An XC machine that pushes the boundaries of 29in wheels
- 4.5in of smooth Switch Infinity suspension
- Geometry straddles the boundary of slack and moderate
- Steep angles (for Yeti) reward a surgical approach to terrain
- Turq carbon construction drops weight and bolsters stiffness
- Boost axle tracks transfers power more effeciently on climbs
- Built for one-by drivetrains only
- Item #YTI006U
- Frame Material
- Turq carbon fiber
- Suspension
- Switch Infinity
- Wheel Size
- 29in
- Rear Shock
- Fox Float Factory
- Rear Travel
- 114mm
- Head Tube Diameter
- 44/56mm tapered inset
- Headset Included
- no
- Bottom Bracket Type
- PF92
- Cable Routing
- internal
- Front Derailleur Mount
- n/a - one-by only
- Brake Type
- post-mount disc
- Seatpost Diameter
- 30.9mm
- Rear Axle
- 12 x 148mm Boost thru-axle
- Claimed Weight
- 5lb 4.5oz
- Recommended Use
- cross country
- Manufacturer Warranty
- 5 years limited
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