SB6 Carbon GX Complete Mountain Bike - 2016
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Beginning with the final pressing of the venerable SB-66 a couple of years ago, Yeti has found itself in an unending refusal to settle for its current collection of BOTY accolades while playing to the fickle affections of the industry. The SB66 has the be-all, end-all of mountain bikes, and when Yeti scrapped it, we were in a state of enduro mourning right up until we threw a leg over the SB6. At that point, memories of the SB-66 faded into the all-mountain ether, and we were convinced we'd reached the terminal product of six-inch innovation. For 2016, though, the SB6 Carbon GX Complete Mountain Bike is back with another tweak: a 148mm Boost rear axle. This means that the rear end is even stiffer, so the bike's preternatural ability to descend like a DH rig but navigate backcountry treks like a trail bike becomes even more pronounced — the new SB6 is an even super-er super bike.
Despite the new axle standard, several key elements of Yeti's flagship bike return unchanged from the previous year. Not surprisingly, the Switch Infinity suspension system is one of them. The SB6's Switch Infinity originally replaced the Switch Link design, which experienced a momentary harshness when rapidly successive hits kept it hovering above the 30% stroke point.
Switch Infinity replaces the Link's sinuous travel arc with a linear plane of motion, so the eccentric link changes direction without getting caught in the minute dead spot that produces that harshness. Of course, 95% of all riders won't ever push the Switch Link hard enough to experience this dead spot, but Yeti (being Yeti) went ahead and fixed it anyway. For those of us who are our own mechanics, Yeti also simplified maintaining the Switch Infinity by including easily accessible grease ports, which do away with the need for time-consuming rebuilds.
Other than those two changes, the suspension systems are fairly similar. Like the Switch Link, the Switch Infinity slider travels upward under the first phase of compression, when the SB6 is settling into its sag point. As the rear end compresses deeper, the direction changes, and the DH-inspired slider travels down toward the bottom bracket shell to maintain a steady pedaling platform. This change of direction is smoother, without the above-mentioned dead space, but the effect is the same. Deep in the stroke, it works in conjunction with the upper pivot to produce a vertical wheel path that effortlessly flattens big, square-edged impacts.
The SB6's frame returns with minimal changes. There is, of course, the rear triangle, which bulks out to accommodate a Boost axle. The travel is also dictated by a FOX DPS shock instead of last year's CTD. The basic construction is the same, though, with Yeti maintaining a focus on raising efficiency and lowering weight while dialing the geometry to its signature enduro standards. The head tube angle is dropped to a slack 65.5 degrees — down a full degree-and-a-half from Yeti's more trail-minded SB5. That, combined with the long top tube, makes for a long, low ride that can handle steep, lumpy terrain with ease and speed.
- Frame Material
- carbon fiber
- Suspension
- Switch Infinity
- Rear Shock
- FOX Racing Shox Float X Factory DPS
- Rear Travel
- 152 mm
- Fork
- FOX Racing Shox 36 Float Factory
- Front Travel
- 160 mm
- Headset
- 44 x 56 mm Cane Creek 40
- Shifters
- SRAM GX
- Front Derailleur
- SRAM GX
- Rear Derailleur
- SRAM GX
- ISCG Tabs
- yes, ISCG 05
- Crankset
- 30 t SRAM S1000
- Bottom Bracket
- PressFit 92
- Cassette
- 10 - 42 t SRAM GX 1150
- Chain
- SRAM 1130
- Brakeset
- SRAM Guide R
- Brake Type
- hydraulic disc
- Rotors
- 180 / 180 mm SRAM Centerline
- Handlebar
- Race Face Respond
- Handlebar Width
- 785 mm
- Grips
- Yeti lock-on
- Stem
- Respond
- Stem Length
- 45 mm
- Saddle
- WTB Yeti
- Seatpost
- RockShox Reverb Stealth
- Wheelset
- DT Swiss E 1900
- Front Axle
- 15 x 100mm
- Rear Axle
- Boost 12 x 148mm
- Tires
- Maxxis High Roller II
- Tire Size
- 27.5 x 2.3 in
- Pedals
- not included
- Claimed Weight
- 29.2 lb
- Recommended Use
- mountain bike, enduro, all-mountain
- Manufacturer Warranty
- 5 years limited on frame
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