New 303 World Cup downhill chassis and alloy 575, too
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Yeti has added a carbon fiber SB-66c trail bike to its range for 2012.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The thru-axle dropouts on Yeti's new 303 WC are extra stout.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The tapered head tube on Yeti's new SB-66c carbon trail bike uses internal bearing cups.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Yeti has wisely included ISCG tabs on its new SB-66c trail bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Rubber guards on the inside surfaces of the chain stay and seat stay of Yeti's new SB-66c guard against chain slap.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Yeti's Switch rear suspension technology uses an eccentric lower pivot that changes direction as the rear end moves through its travel.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The new Yeti SB-95 full-suspension 29er uses the company's interchangeable rear dropout system.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The thru-axle version of Yeti's new SB-95 uses a Shimano skewer.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Yeti's new SB-95 uses a similar Switch suspension design as on the SB-66 but with an inch less travel and geometry built around 29" wheels.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The short tapered head tube on the new Yeti SB-95 should help riders retain a usably low bar position.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Unlike the aluminum SB-66, the new carbon fiber Yeti SB-66c comes exclusively with 142x12mm rear thru-axle dropouts.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Yeti has added a down tube guard to its new SB-66c trail bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Flattened sections on the seat stays of Yeti's all-alloy 575 flex a bit as the rear end moves through its travel.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Yeti's new 303 WC was derived straight out of its World Cup racing program.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Integrated fork stops are located right behind the newly tapered head tube on Yeti's new 303 WC.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Yeti has gone with a tapered head tube and internal cups on its new 303 WC downhill bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The lower shock mount on Yeti's new 303 WC is turned ninety degrees and then a separate aluminum bit is bolted on from there.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The seat tube mounted stainless steel rail on the new Yeti 303 WC allows for a very precisely controlled wheel path.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Huge aluminum tubes mark the rear end of Yeti's new 303 WC.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The stainless steel rail on Yeti's new 303 WC is protected from rear wheel spray by the thin seat tube.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Yeti has added a new lower-cost full-aluminum 575 model for 2012.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The new all-aluminum rear end on Yeti's base 575 trail bike is heavier than the carbon version but it still includes the company's clever interchangeable dropout system.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Moving the front derailleur to the chain stay allowed Yeti to use twin uprights on the SB-95 rear end to help bolster the longer tubes relative to the SB-66.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Yeti has followed up the introduction of its new 6"-travel SB-66 trail bike with a new carbon fiber version that reportedly brings the chassis weight down to around 2.7kg (6.0lb) with rear shock. According to Yeti president Chris Conroy, front triangle stiffness gets a boost as well for better handling precision.
Other changes include a 142x12mm thru-axle rear end – the aluminum version can be converted between thru-axle and quick-release fitments – new collet-type pivot hardware for the carbon rear swingarm, and an additional frame protector on the underside of the down tube to go along with the ones on the driveside stays. Carrying over intact are the clever Switch rear suspension design, the low-and-slack geometry, and tapered head tube.
Conroy says final pricing is still to be determined but the SB-66c frame will likely sell for around US$3,000.
Yeti's "SB-66" nomenclature (one "6" designates the wheel size and the other the rear wheel travel) also foreshadowed its new big-wheeled cousin, the 5"-travel SB-95. Key features and design elements are mostly borrowed from the 26" variant, including the Switch rear suspension design, hydroformed aluminum tube shapes, tapered head tube, convertible rear dropouts, and low-slung geometry (adjusted for the bigger wheels, of course).
Yeti's new SB-95 uses a similar Switch suspension design as on the SB-66 but with an inch less travel and geometry built around 29in wheels
Yeti moved the front derailleur to a chain stay mount versus the SB-66's high direct mount, though, which left room for a second upright at the front of the stays to help stiffen up the longer rear end.
Claimed frame weight for the SB-95 is 3.4kg (7.5lb) with rear shock.
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Yeti's commitment to top-level downhill racing has bore additional new fruit for 2012 in the form of the new 303 World Cup chassis. A Yeti-exclusive sliding rail-and-car system on the seat tube lends a more linear rear wheel path – the current 303 RDH is a single-pivot design with a rail controlling the shock rate only – the head tube is now tapered with internal cups, and rubber stops are built into the sides of the top tube to prevent frame damage in a crash.
Yeti's new 303 WC was derived straight out of their World Cup racing program
Most impressively, though, Conroy says the thoroughly massaged aluminum frame tubes have shed nearly a full kilogram of excess mass. Claimed frame weight is now just 4,080g including the Fox Racing Shox DHX RC4 coil-over rear shock.
Finally, trail riders on a budget will get a lower-priced 575 model for 2012. The front end is shared with the current 575 but Yeti has given this more value-oriented edition a new all-aluminum rear end. Though heavier than the equivalent carbon piece, it still retains the interchangeable dropout 'chips' for either 142x12mm thru-axle or standard quick-release rear wheel fitments, sealed cartridge bearing pivots, and the same tuned flex-stay concept as on upper-end versions.
Complete bikes will start at US$2,750.
Yeti has added a new lower-cost full-aluminum 575 model for 2012
