Dammit! I demoed a Yeti SB5.5c today Anyone else see unicorns?

[UGASkiDawg]

Rode it again this morning with shock pressure reduced by about 20 lbs and fork pressure down 10. Much plusher on the small hits but still firm for pedaling. I was so impressed by this bike I took it on the paved bike up a steep climb in the open shock position and just stood and hammered on it. Just barely get some pedal Bob but really just an awesome ride. Changed it to trail position and you can barely tell it's a full squish. The bike in their 5 star build is heavy. Just at 29.5-30lbs based on my bathroom scale. The SC Tallboy was 27-28. Not sure you could get the Mayhem below 27 without going full weight weenie. Not sure it matters that much. I'm going to call the Spot guys and see what an xtr with 1500-1600 gram carbon wheels comes out at. I don't think it matters but being a roadie at heart I just want to less than 28lbs.

 

[Ron]

I agree, my sb5 weighs 27.6 with the dhf. why xtr and not xo1 eagle?

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Like the fact you can shift up on Shimano by pulling or pushing. So much smoother and easier to tune than sram. I wish it came with a 50 tooth but the 30 front ring and 50 tooth on the Mayhem was pretty much overkill. I run out of lung before the gear too hard to push. I think a 30 front 46 rear is going to be fine. If I was going sram I'd go 32 front. I will never use the 10 tooth cog. I'm lazy....I'll just coast.

 

[Ron]

Gotcha I have only used the 50 for a short 14% section which was nice but my legs are not in shape yet. It is light and shifts very well. Th guide Rs brakes have been great. Surprised at the modulation and feel. I think the sram spacing is better than the shim 11-46.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Gotcha I have only used the 50 for a short 14% section which was nice but my legs are not in shape yet. It is light and shifts very well. Th guide Rs brakes have been great. Surprised at the modulation and feel. I think the sram spacing is better than the shim 11-46.

I coud live with sram but the having to push only instead of pull or push to upshift is the one thing that really bugs me.

 

[Ron]

I get ya'

 

[Ron]

btw- blistergear just released the trail bike reviews; first was 27.5, now 29'r http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/29er-trail-bikes-a-guide-comparisons

2016 Yeti SB5.5c

RT: 140 mm | FT: 160 mm | R: 421 mm | HA: 66.5° | CS: 437 mm

Yeti’s SB5.5c is perhaps the best bike on this list when truly pushed hard. It’s not as cushy as the WFO, or even some of the shorter-travel bikes like the Smuggler. But at race pace, its suspension does what it needs to do and nothing more — it absorbs bumps and maintains traction, but isn’t so active that it feels sluggish. And the bike’s geometry follows this trend; it’s less playful than the WFO or the Following, and it doesn’t devour truly rough terrain quite as well as the Enduro 29. But even though it’s slightly slacker and longer than the Enduro 29, it still feels a bit more maneuverable in tight situations, likely due to it’s shorter travel, and less active suspension. Going uphill, the SB5.5c does surprisingly well — you’re not going to win the race to the top, but good geometry, decent pedaling efficiency, and a relatively light weight mean that it actually climbs better than some shorter-travel bikes like the Evil Following. And the SB5.5c may well be the fastest bike I’ve ever ridden when it comes to descending — the Enduro 29 wins in a straight line down truly rough stuff, but the SB5.5c corners better and feels more efficient on everything that isn’t pointed down the fall line. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the most fun, nor is it the ideal bike for every conceivable situation. But if I’m looking for a 29er enduro race bike, this one probably tops the list.

 

[AmyPJ]

Didn't even get on a Trek ^^ That's too bad.
I'm getting mine dialed in and I am LOVING it. I wonder if I'll always prefer a bit more of a "charging" bike vs. a nimble one since that's kind of what I started on, and what I've continued to ride. Not sure I want to find out

 

[Ron]

im not sure the fuels are technically trail bikes. not sure they rated all bikes tested.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Yeti SB5 today...what a fricking bike! Much more playful than the 2 29ers I've been on. It was set up with 2.4 ardent rear and 2.3 high roller front. 2lbs less than the Spot Mayhem just at 27.5. I'm going to demo the SB5+ next week as I've never been on a plus bike. I think I want to try a Devinci Django and then narrow my choice down to 27.5 or 29 and go from there.

 

[Ron]

the sb5+ runs with 2.8 rekons iirc, and the rear stays were modified. honesty, get the sb5, run 2.6's. --- fwiw, there are plenty of folks running 2.8's on their 2017 sb5;s.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

What's the point of demoing if I just buy the first or second or third bike that impresses me? The odds of me buying a bike in prime biking season are low. I'll try out bikes that I've researched and then in October when things go on sale I may buy....we'll see. I ain't paying $3 grand for a frame that's for sure.

 

[Ron]

im not saying to necessarily buy the sb5, i am saying the plus version isnt really a great option since the sb5 regular can run the same tires.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

I'm just saying I'm going to demo the SB5 plus. I've never ridden any plus size bike/tires so that's the one I'm going to demo to see what plus size is all about.

 

[Monique]

What's the point of demoing if I just buy the first or second or third bike that impresses me? The odds of me buying a bike in prime biking season are low. I'll try out bikes that I've researched and then in October when things go on sale I may buy....we'll see. I ain't paying $3 grand for a frame that's for sure.

I did that, but I find demoing a pain and just want to get on with life. I also had an arbitrary cutoff - I wanted a new bike before I got to the clinic. I figure there are lots of good bikes out there, and I got one of them.

 

[Monique]

Also I did enjoy the mojo3 with plus tires, but the sqoosh factor going up non technical climbs was too tiring.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Don't get me wrong, I love the Yeti and will probably end up with one. Which Yeti (or Spot)and when is the question.

 

[Ron]

blister gear just reviewed the sb5. pretty good review - agree regarding tires and hbar.
http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/2017-yeti-sb5

 

[Monique]

blister gear just reviewed the sb5. pretty good review - agree regarding tires and hbar.
http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/2017-yeti-sb5

Thoughts after reading the article ...

First, the drivetrain comes with a 30-tooth chainring, which, when combined with the Eagle cassette, makes for an absurdly easy gear. Like, easy enough that I have trouble balancing on any climb where I’d use that gear because I’m going so slow.

I laughed at this. One man's absurdly low gear is this woman's saving grace. He just needs to develop better balance so he can ride that slow ... should try carrying an extra 40 pounds and see how he feels ;-)

I can see how one would want wider handlebars on the stock bike, since you can cut them down but can't grow them bigger. But I have to think you have a crazy big ape factor to want something bigger than 760 ... what do you prefer, Ron?

What I mean by “rewards rider input” is that the SB5 does what you want it to, when you want it to.

AND

I found that the SB5 was a very precise bike, and I could put the wheels exactly where I wanted to on the trail — the bike rewards picking a good line and sticking to it. But it also means that picking a bad line — or just getting a bit sloppy — was considerably less rewarding, and the bike wasn’t as forgiving of those sort of mistakes as other cushier rides.

Yes! I completely agree about rider input, although the rider input I'm thinking of is different than what he's talking about. And putting wheels exactly where I want. I'm sure he's right about forgiveness, but that forgiveness (IME) comes with a couch-y feeling that I don't like, even if I don't have mad skills to put the precision to work. That couch-y feeling is reassuring on my downhill bike, but meh for XC/trail.

But if you want something that can rally hard and you like the idea of a shorter-travel package that can still crank through corners and work the terrain, the SB5 might just be your turqouise-colored huckleberry.

It's funny, because I think on paper I should like the cushier ride and don't have the skills or climbing chops to work this bike the way it (apparently) wants to be worked. But despite my deficiencies, I like this type of bike - precise and responsive. I always wonder how relevant reviewer comments are to me, a tortoise-like climber who rides intermediate and advanced trails but walks the hard parts. It would be neat to do crowd sourced reviews for bikes the way we do skis here. I guess we have that, but in a more organized "by bike" format.

 

[Ron]

I went with Enve dh, 800 bars and cut-down to 780. for my 6' frame, this is perfect. i also went with a 55mm stem with 20mm of spacers under the stem

i also agree the bike is exacting, but with the i35 rims and 2.6' tires, i gained some cush as well as roll-over effect. i also set my shock at 30% and opened it up a few clicks (i think 7 clicks?) for my size and shape, i feel so well balanced on the frame. it turns so well on switchbacks, much more nimble than the Trance.

tire-wise, i like the Rekon on the back but with hardpack trails, i dont think the dhf is necessary. not sure what would be best; thinking of Forekaster or trying the rekon up front but the dhf cornering lugs bite so well.