Yeti Cycles

SB150 Turq T1 XT Mountain Bike

If you have a tendency to seek out the roughest and rowdiest trails you can find, you need a trustworthy steed that can help you navigate those trails with confidence. That's where the SB150 comes in. It's a race bred machine who's sole purpose is to get you down the mountain as fast as possible, having proven itself a winner at the highest levels of enduro racing. Equipped with 150mm of plush Switch Infinity rear travel, a 170mm Fox fork, progressive race geometry, and unstoppable 29-inch wheels, the SB150 makes quick work of steep descents while maintaining good pedaling characteristics for long days in the saddle that involve plenty of elevation gain. It's much more capable on gravity oriented trails than it's shorter travel sibling the SB130, and it does a better job carrying speed over roots and rocks than the longer travel SB165 thanks to its 29in wheels. So if going fast is your top priority and you want a capable machine that won't hold you back on any trail, the SB150 might just be the perfect bike for you.

At this point, it's hard to question the benefits of 29in wheels when riders are winning Enduro World Series races and World Cup Downhills on them. Shortly after the initial release, Yeti factory team rider Richie Rude piloted the SB150 to a stunning victory on the steep and loose stages of the EWS at Ainsa, immediately followed by another win at EWS Finale Ligure, solidifying the legitimacy of this new hard-hitter from Yeti and proving that the wagon wheels are here to stay. Since then, the SB150 has found itself atop countless podiums at local enduro series as well as the flagship EWS. The fact is, 29ers simply roll faster and don't get hung up as easily on obstacles, making them a stellar choice for covering ground quickly on rugged terrain. Of course, all of this was brought about by changes in modern geometry, boost spacing, better suspension, and refined frame materials—all things that Yeti took full advantage of with this new bike.

The unmistakable Yeti ride quality is attributed to their Switch Infinity suspension design. Honestly, Switch Infinity is one of the best designs we've ridden. It's plush throughout the 6-inches of rear travel, delivering a smooth ride quality that feels like you've got more travel than the numbers show, and it maintains impressive traction across chattery small bumps and larger square-edged hits alike. The key to its performance is the translating main pivot, aka the Switch Infinity link, which switches direction as the bike moves through its travel, providing excellent anti-squat characteristics for superior pedaling performance, and ideal suspension characteristics as it gets deeper into the travel. For the SB150, Yeti made the leverage ratio more progressive to provide greater compatibility with modern shocks and various rider weights and styles. The refined leverage ratio also gives the bike better small-bump compliance, quicker ramp-up in the midstroke for a more playful and supportive feel, and better bottom-out control while still allowing full travel usage. The refined suspension kinematics are attributable in part to the patent-pending wishbone shock extender, which also maximizes standover height and allows Yeti to fit a water bottle inside the front triangle—all while maintaining compatibility with a coil shock should you want to throw one on the bike later on.

On paper, the long, low, and slack geometry with plenty of suspension travel make the SB150 look like a wicked descender, and that it is. By using a 44mm shorter offset fork, Yeti was able to seriously slacken the real head angle for better stability on descents and high speeds, all while maintaining excellent steering precision. The longer reach, steeper seat tube angle, and short chainstays help move the rider forward on the bike, keeping weight on the front wheel for better traction on steep chutes and chunky downhills. Paired with a metric Float X2 rear shock, this bike absolutely rips on the descents.

These geometry benefits are not one-sided though, as the steeper seat angle, short-offset fork, and forward riding position help keep power to the pedals and the steering quick and nimble when climbing. Frankly, we were quite surprised with how well this bike goes uphill, clamoring up the loosest, steepest, and most ledgy terrain we could find with relative ease, enough to convince us the SB150 is worthy of being a one-bike quiver.

This model uses Yeti's TURQ Series carbon fiber, consisting of the highest quality materials Yeti can get their hands on, delivering a fine balance of strength, low weight, stiffness, and compliance. High-modulus carbon fiber is meticulously hand laid using carefully researched and tested carbon layup structures to reinforce critical tube junctions and high-stress areas without adding excess weight or bulk. The result is a frame that is roughly 220g lighter than the standard C-Series carbon, with the same levels of strength and stiffness. For the 2020 model year, Yeti refined the TURQ carbon layup even further to provide increased levels of stiffness and durability. The design is tested for durability by Yeti's hard-charging enduro bruiser Riche Rude, and Yeti is confident enough in the frame to include a lifetime warranty to the original owner against defects in materials or workmanship, which includes the Switch Infinity link as well. The frame comes with molded guards to protect the downtube and chainstay, and incorporates full-length cable tunnels to simplify maintenance since the housing slides easily through the frame and pops out in the same place every time. Lastly, it's worth mentioning that there's enough clearance in the rear triangle for up to 2.5in tires.

This SB150 comes equipped with Shimano's new XT 12-speed group, providing crisp, reliable shifting and the widest gear range available in a single-ring drivetrain. You'll also enjoy top-of-the-line suspension from Fox, including a Fox Factory 36 up front with the plush, supportive, and highly-tunable GRIP2 damper, paired with a Factory Float X2 shock that offers impressive small-bump compliance and consistent performance on long, technical descents. The shock comes with a 2-position lever that acts as a climb switch, letting you firm up the rear suspension to eliminate any bob on extended fire road climbs. XT 4-piston brakes with a 203mm rotor up front and 180mm in the rear offer impressive modulation and stopping power, working with the meaty Maxxis Minion EXO+ tires to effectively scrub speed before dropping in to a sketchy section of trail. Yeti rounds out the kit with their in-house carbon bars, a trusty Fox Transfer dropper post, and a custom WTB Volt saddle with turquoise accents that match the bike perfectly.