Yeti introduces the SB135 - a 650b trail bike
Late last year Yeti overhauled a number of its bikes and now, the brand has brought all of those updates to an all-new model, the SB135. This new bike is designed to unlock the rider's creativity thanks to the fact it breaks current trends by employing a full 650b wheel set-up. Here's everything you need to know.
At first glance, the new SB135 from Yeti looks very much like the SB140. Like the SB140 it gets a refined new-school geometry that features size-specific seat tube angles and chainstays, and a reach that's been picked for agility and balanced vertical travel.
To put that all into numbers, a large-sized SB135 benefits from a 479mm reach, a 77-degree effective seat tube angle, and a 435mm chainstay. The head tube angle measures at a respectable 65.4 degrees.
Moving on and the SB135 gets a refined leverage rate with the new line of Switch Infinity tech. The progression rate on this bike sits at 14% with the aim of giving the bike a balanced but predictable ride. It also benefits from an in-house shock tune, so you can rest assured that the shock will work at its best for this particular bike.
Like the Yeti bikes that were released last year, this one's frame offers more ground clearance and the Switch Infinity linkage has been condensed into a smaller and more efficient package. But what's very interesting is that Yeti has designed an entirely different frame for the small and extra small sizing. So these frames get lower standovers and the most seat post insertion possible. The shock mount has been moved to the downtube and the linkage has been compacted even further and all while keeping space for a water bottle. The SB135 can fit riders down to 4'11".
The Switch Infinity kit has been tweaked with improved seals, bearings and hardware while the pivots use standard-sized cartridge bearings and machine-floating collet axles to boost longevity. Yeti's two-piece wishbone shock extender is found on the SB135 and it's said to ensure the best clamping, shock compatibility and ease of removal for when it comes time for upgrading or servicing.
As for the rest of the frame, it features full internal cable routing that's tubed for easy maintenance and there's a downtube protector that uses two layers of material with a soft rubber under guard and an external hard cap. The SB135 also uses the UDH standard, making replacement mech hangers readily available, and priming the bike for SRAM's latest T-Type drivetrains.
The Yeti SB135 comes in three main builds, one receiving Yeti's top-end Turq frame, another with a standard carbon frame, and a Lunch Ride kit that gets a longer travel, 160mm fork and a slightly more aggressive geometry as a result. As the bike's name suggests, there's 135mm of squish at the rear.
As for the SB135 LR's specs, you can expect a Fox Factory 36 fork, a Fox Float X shock, Maxxis Assegai 2.5in and DHR II 2.4 EXO+ tyres, and a Fox Transfer dropper. There are then DT Swiss Custom EX wheels and SRAM Code RSC four-pot brakes with 200mm rotors at both ends. This bike also features SRAM's XO Eagle Transmission.
The other two frame options get 150mm of front travel, Maxxis DHF 2.6in and Rekon 2.6in tyres with EXO casings and DT Swiss XM wheels. There are then 180mm rotors.