Yeti Cycles

ASR Carbon X01 Complete Mountain Bike - 2015

We continue to be amazed by the sheer breadth of talent that so many new bikes these days bring to the table, and the 2015 Yeti ASR Carbon X01 Complete Mountain Bike is a fine example of this. Cross-country climbing capability? Marathon-worthy comfort? Big-bike-like confidence and control on descents? Check, check, check, and then some.

It's true that Yeti's most current reputation has been forged in the world of all-mountain big rigs and gravity riding, but be not misled. Yeti's heritage is deeply rooted in bikes that climb, too. Back in the day — and even not so far back — cross-country legends like John Tomac and Paul Rowney were practically yawning their way around rivals aboard bikes like the original Yeti ARC Hardtail, which was so light, stiff, and fast it was almost unfair. The ASR Carbon frameset proudly continues this tradition, and pulls both new and old tricks out of its hat to put on an amazing show of technical prowess.

For starters, carbon reigns supreme here. Yeti's been poking and prodding its blend of high-modulus fibers for years, and in the case of the ASR Carbon, it takes the form of an extremely stiff but light frame (4.2 lbs) that utilizes a single-pivot linkage system. Where you won't find a fancy multi-link suspension platform, you find good reason. The single-pivot design saves major weight, and the rate-modifying link that guides the carbon "Loopstays" rear swing-arm teams up with a FOX FLOAT CTD rear shock on which Yeti worked obsessively with FOX to dial in the proper tune. Efficiency on the climbs and confidence on the descents is yours, as the linkage/shock combo make for a highly controlled but also reactive platform that feels bigger than it is. Throw a relatively low bottom bracket and a somewhat slack head tube angle into the mix with that efficiency — nods to Yeti's downhill expertise — and you have a machine that can do damn near anything, and feels comfortable doing it, all day or night. Designed around a 120mm fork foremost, the frame will also happily accept a 100mm fork for a slightly lower, quicker feel.

Beautiful bones aside, this bike's build kit is impressive not only for its parts but for the relative value those parts represent. The SRAM X01 single-ring drivetrain delivers the ultimate transmission experience, utilizing a huge-ratio cassette for range and SRAM's excellent X-SYNC chainring design. The FOX FLOAT 32 120mm Factory fork does squish duty up front in conjunction the aforementioned matching rear shock. Shimano's excellent XT hydraulic disc brakes are called to action, and the Thomson seatpost and stem hold up a custom WTB Volt saddle and Easton Haven carbon handlebar, respectively. We dig the Cane Creek 40 headset, too. And where the bike meets the earth, you find Maxxis Ikon tires — the same ones you see on our employees' race bikes — wrapped around a Stan's NoTube's Crest wheelset, a seriously fast and tough pair from the pioneer in tubeless wheels.

The 2015 Yeti ASR Carbon X01 Complete Mountain Bike comes in the colors Raw Carbon and Turquoise and in five sizes from X-Small to X-Large. The two smallest sizes come with 27.5-inch wheels, while the three larger ones are built around 29-inch wheels.