Yeti Cycles

SB100 Turq T2 X01 Eagle Mountain Bike

In the past few years we've been seeing consistent trends in the bike industry that reach into realms of deeper travel, slacker geometry, and longer wheelbases — and while these geometry tweaks all lend to capable steeds, we think its about time for the pendulum to swing back to the speedy race rocket. We suspect we're not the only ones who share this notion, as Yeti graced us with an all-new cross-country steed last year, built to soar up climbs, but not too racy to take queues from other steeds in Yeti's quiver in the capability department, and thus the SB100 Turq T2 X01 Eagle Mountain Bike was born. This year the faithful short-travel 29er is back again to take on race days and trail riding alike, but with a stealthy new paint job that forgoes most of the bold and flashy logos that adorned last year's model, opting for a much more sleek and understated aesthetic that lets the bike riding speak for itself. It still packs in the lively geometry figures that make it far more confident than its numbers would leave you suspecting, which we think is a testament to Yeti's cross-country prowess from its previous generations of steeds. It packs in a compact version of the brand's Switch Infinity suspension platform, with 100mm of efficient and playful travel that soars up climbs, huge distances, and multi-stage endurance races alike

We have a habit of mentally pigeonholing cross country bikes, and to be fair, many of them on the market only truly excel in the department of featherweight builds to soar through race day. But bikes tossed together with borderline anorexic components can feel twitchy and nerve wracking when you've got to push it through technical descents, and to truly transcend categories you need more stability. The SB100 calls on much of Yeti's heritage to draw inspiration from diverse rides capable of taking on much rougher and rowdier terain, and even though the geometry and suspension have cross-country riding and racing in their roots, and in their intended purpose, its hard not to notice the trail and enduro capabilities that seep over from Yeti's longer and slacker machines.

The brief exodus from the XC scene allowed for a few reboots and allowed Yeti to truly build a no-compromise bike that could climb and descend, not just one that was great at one and mediocre at the other. A 67.8-degree headtube angle might look more appropriate on a trail bike and on paper it would appear that it would detract from the nimble handling and quick steering XC bikes are known for. Yeti has a few tricks up its sleeve and spec'd a FOX 34 Step-Cast fork with a 44mm offset. After a bit of experimentation, Yeti found this reduction in fork rake improves your weight distribution on the bike, offering a bit more downhill stability without compromising its ability to clean tight switchbacks on climbs and negotiate around trail obstacles at slower speeds.

The 74 to 74.3-degree seat tube angle (depending on size) puts you on top and in control of your bike and offer maximum pedaling efficiency for marathon 24-hour stretches or for those lucky enough to have the time off work, a stage race. The wheelbase also walks the tightrope of being nimble and offering stability so you can blitz through the techy bits without wondering if you'll blow it through the berm on the next turn. A departure from the ASR, this rear end is updated with Boost spacing, which allows for wider hub flange spacing and better bracing angles to stiffen things up. It also allowed Yeti to hack off a little length on the chainstays and they now sit at 17.2-inches, so you have plenty of rear wheel traction for competent climbing while remaining agile through tight singletrack. Other notable frame features include internal tubed cable routing for silent operation and easy setup and an uninterrupted seat tube allowing for maximum dropper post compatibility.

The Switch Infinity platform, utilized on all Yetis all the way up to the EWS-winning SB6, has been redesigned specifically for 100mm of travel on this model. It’s light, and tucks behind the seat tube, sitting in its own compartment out of the way of wheel spray and errant trail debris. This design also allows the front triangle to accommodate a very large water bottle, the first we've seen from a Switch Infinity bike. We feel like this a move in the right direction even if it does come with a few added grams over the ASR's single pivot, as every Yeti we've ridden with Switch has impeccable climbing efficiency without infringing on its descending prowess. Yeti gets high marks for creating a very capable 100 millimeter travel bike, with a stiff and responsive ride that rarely feels out of place, short of trails where we'd don body armor and a full-face. Beefy pivots offer incredible lateral stiffness that tracks so confidently through blown out washboard trails and minefields that, in the back of our minds we have to remind ourselves that we are pointing and shooting on an XC bike. The Switch platform on this frameset operates in the same manner as on Yeti's other bikes—meaning supple off the top while transitioning into excellent mid-stroke support before ramping up as you test all 100 millimeters on offer. Pair this action with the silky-smooth FOX DPS Factory shock and you'll swear that the rear end is packing more travel.

This SB100 is built using Yeti's top-flight Turq carbon fiber construction. By using some of the finest and strongest raw materials available, Yeti is able to make its Turq frames extremely lightweight while maintaining outstanding impact resistance, exceptional stiffness, and just the right amount of properly tuned chassis flex to help the bike tame the trails without ricocheting off its line. Of course, balancing all these factors is extremely difficult if you lack mastery of carbon fiber, and the engineers at Yeti have proven that it can build lightweight frames that can handle the likes of Richie Rude and Enduro World Series stages, both forces to be reckoned with. What results is a frame that can endure years of hard riding and racing while delivering an unsurpassed ride quality that comes in at class-leading weights.

This XO1 Eagle Race build comes with carefully curated components chosen for a mix of cross-country racing and spirited trail riding. It's upgraded over the regular XO1 build with its DT Swiss XM 1501 Spline wheels, which provide optimal support for 2.2 to 2.4-inch tires with a 25-millimeter internal width and lightweight, yet rugged alloy construction. The proven DT Swiss 240 hubs are extremely reliable and engage relatively quickly, so you can get up and over trail features standing in your way. SRAM Level TLM hydraulic disc brakes provide high levels of modulation and consistent braking power, even on long descents over the course of thousands of vertical feet.

The suspension, both front and rear, as well as the Switch Infinity shuttles, come from FOX in the form of a Float Factory DPS shock and an all-new 120mm Step-Cast 34 Factory fork that pairs sculpted lowers with 34mm stanchions dropping grams without feeling twisty and flimsy under hard braking and cornering. Both dampers offer amazing suppleness and a buttery-smooth stroke, with compression and rebound adjustments allowing for easy tuning to your specific riding preferences and local terrain. SRAM's coveted X01 Eagle group offers plenty of range for taming the climbs on 5-digit elevation days while having a tall enough gear to link up the paved sections between the trail heads.