Yeti Cycles

SB6 Enduro Complete Mountain Bike - 2016

The 2016 Yeti Cycles SB6 Enduro Complete Mountain Bike is bred for hard-charging, adrenaline-spiked enduro runs. Building on its top-tier sibling SB6c's lauded geometry, the Enduro features a modified carbon layup that adds a smidgeon of weight and moves it into a more wallet-friendly price range without sacrificing strength or stiffness. Kitted out with smooth FOX travel, SRAM's GX one-by 11-speed drivetrain, powerful Guide R hydraulic brakes, a dropper post, and Maxxis High Roller tires, this build is ready to hammer the burliest of lines.

The SB6 Enduro utilizes Yeti's Switch Infinity rear suspension, which is an evolution of the Switch Link used on the famous SB66, SB75, and a few other Yetis. Like 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 slider travels down toward the bottom bracket shell. 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. Think of it as everything that earned the Switch Link such high praise, except that it rides smoother and is easier to maintain than the previous eccentric pivot. And because it travels in a perfectly linear plane, instead of the tight arc that Switch Link produces, Switch Infinity allows Yeti to achieve a set of unique suspension characteristics.

The Switch Infinity suspension system is a big reason why the SB6 Enduro is so versatile. Switch Infinity originally replaced the Switch Link design, which experiences a momentary harshness when rapidly successive hits kept it hovering above the 30% stroke point. The new design has a more linear travel arc, so the eccentric link changes direction without getting caught in that minute dead spot. 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.

Undoubtedly, there will be those who balk at the idea of having a seemingly complicated suspension design, but in reality, it’s lighter and more user friendly than the Switch Link pivot that it replaces. The lightness can be attributed to the Kashima-coated mini-stanchions and feathery forged shuttle, which were co-developed with FOX Racing Shox. Ease of use comes courtesy of the easily-accessible grease ports, which do away with the need for time-consuming rebuilds. FOX has successfully tested production units to well over a million compression cycles while completely submerged in mud, proving the system's durability. Switch Infinity may look different, but it offers riders functional benefits that can’t be achieved with traditional pivots.

As incredible as it is, however, Switch Infinity would be of little use if it weren't paired with an equally overachieving platform. Yeti didn't simply bolt bigger suspension parts to its smaller trail machine, the SB5. The SB6 platform needed to stand alone, and its carbon construction and geometry representing complete revisions of what's come before. The ultra-stiff layups of the SB5 chassis were made even stiffer, the head tube was relaxed further for more aggressive descending, and the wheelbase was lengthened for more high-speed stability. Those changes and bumping up the front and rear travel to 160mm and 152mm, respectively, makes for a bike that can tackle almost any obstacle on any trail with ease.