After having all my bike stolen, I have limited apace to keep bikes and so my choice of bike goes down to one road bike and one mountain bike.
I like having different bikes for different uses but in this time of economic and space awareness, I must choose one bike to do it all.
The helicopter car wasn’t great. Sure it could drive, then fly…but it wasn’t a very good car, nor a good helicopter. So how do I find one bike that rides xc well, beating all my friends up the hills, but allows me to shred the down hills with prowess and commitment? One bike that lets me cycle with my girlfriend, but with the drop of the post, allows me that bug gap jump or drop off?
After much consideration, I phoned Mark at Evolution Imports and put my name down on a mighty fine looking Yeti SB-66.
The SB-66 is the result of two years secret testing by the Yeti team. A suspension design never tried in the high end MTB market before. A similar design exists with Decathlon, but it’s bulky and doesn’t work as well. Yeti has departed from it’s multiple pivot offering with this bike with a 3 year exclusive on the technology which is all down to a rather special pivot and called “switch technology”.
At first sight, the swingarm looks to be of a single pivot design. Indeed the swingarm is a single welded structure but works in a different way. The main pivot rotates in one direction at the beginning of its suspension stroke, but then “switches” direction and rotates in the opposite direction for the end of the stroke. This gives the 160mm travel design a bottomless feel, but completely isolates any pedal induced feedback making a tremendously efficient bike.
It weighs in at only 7lbs which confirms to me, this bike will pedal uphill with the rest of the cross country bike fleet, but given it’s burly design and long travel setup, will see to my downhill needs.
A price of ??1899 tells me it’s better value than similar competition and I’ve got to get it in Yeti turquoise!
I’ll be building the bike in a light weight fashion, maintaing the trail grin factor… What do you think about my planned build? Frame due in mid-July
Fork: 2012 Fox Float RC2 FIT taper 150mm
Wheels: Mavic Crossmax ST
Brakes: Shimano XTR trail discs
Shifters and mechs: Shimano XTR trail I-clic
Cranks: Middleburn x-type RS8 Duo 27/40t
Cassette: 12-36t XT (XTR is almost 4 times the price)
Seatpost: Rock Shox Drop Post
Stem: Thomson X4
Bars: Answer
Saddle: Brooks Swift Ti
Tyres: ??? Please help with your recommendations???
I’ve had to sack off this bike now. See my later blogs about the Rocky Mountain Slayer 70. Better value and I hope…a better ride.