Yeti Cycles

SB5 T-Series X01 Eagle Complete Mountain Bike - 2018

Big backcountry rides are our idea of a fun day out on a bike. Key to your amount of enjoyment on that ride, is the kind of bike you're on. No need to lug a heavy inefficient bike up long climbs but we also want a bike that lets us rip on the way back down. Of all the bikes we have in our lineup,  Yeti's SB5 T-Series X01 Eagle Complete Mountain Bike is one of our favorite tools for the job. It's an in-house build we've put together with SRAM's precise XO1 Eagle drivetrain, Yeti's lightweight TURQ carbon frame and Switch Infinity suspension design, and Fox Factory suspension with Kashima-coated stanchions. The result is a bike that's ready to tackle technical terrain with speed and precision, without holding you back on the climbs.

The SB5 is the mountain biker's mountain bike. Known for its versatility, the bike can handle a wide variety of trails and rarely would you ever have a bike capable enough to tackle both an enduro and an XC race. Not only does it do both quite well, it even excels better then some machines built specifically for each discipline. The 66.5-degrees headtube angle lets you pick a line for the steep stuff going down and will confidently guide you through some things you would second guess on other bikes. Climbing up rocky, ledge trails isn't a task, it's a treat. Put the power down and let the excellent suspension claw its way up while your buddies are off their bikes and walking. The 73.6-degrees seat tube angle encourages a powerful pedaling position for cleaning impossible lines and puts your weight right where it needs to be. When all you have is a horizon line on the trail, drop the seatpost and trust this Yeti to get you out of the tightest of situations.

Boost spacing helps stiffen up the rear end so the suspension is better able to do its job and no power is lost to a flexy rear end. It also allows the chainstays to be placed a little further apart so additional room for bigger tires and mud is available. Stays can be chopped to shorten lengths with the new found space and in combination with the longer reach and wheelbase, you get a bike that can handle high-speed chunder and still thread the needle through a grove of aspens. Balance and versatility defined.

The only thing we can fault about Switch Infinity is that since Yeti owns the patent, no one else gets to use it. It utilizes a translating pivot that automatically switches direction as the bike moves through its travel. This provides excellent anti-squat characteristics for superior pedaling performance and ideal suspension characteristics as it gets deeper into the travel. Inside are a pair of greased bushings that slide up and down on two Kashima coated rails offering a more linear leverage ratio. Simply put the suspension provides plenty of support for efficient pedaling and climbing, but maintains a bottomless feel as you get deeper into the travel. Here again is that versatility and balance.

The SB5 was retooled to use a FOX DPS metric shock featuring an exclusive air volume configuration and tune. Working perfectly with Switch Infinity, this results in better mid-stroke compression and small bump sensitivity providing a wider range of riders with a custom feel. A FOX Factory 36 offers 160mm of plush travel and stays on track through the roughest lines. SRAM's XO1 drivetrain is precise and durable and has plenty of range for long days. Guide RSC brakes are quick to check your speed, offering tons of modulation and stopping power. The Maxxis Minion tires are some of the best all-condition tires we've run. A deep-digging 2.4in DHR II rear pairs with the wider 2.5in DHF up front for maximum traction and cornering confidence.

This frame is constructed from Yeti's TURQ carbon fiber which offers the same durability and stiffness as the standard carbon but sheds about 3/4 of a pound for climbing efficiency. The lay-up techniques of bonding around a mold while curing with minimal resin pooling reduces weight and increases strength in joints without excess material being added. The TURQ carbon frame is the best frame Yeti knows how to construct and it encourages us to push it a little harder knowing that.