Arguably the most boutique of boutique brands, there can’t be many of us who haven’t fanaticised about owning a Yeti at some point or other. The brand’s been doing things its own way in turquoise and making stunning bikes for decades; most recently using its signature Switch Infinity suspension on SB-labelled trail and enduro bikes of which this SB165 has the longest travel. Yeti SB165 need to know 165mm rear travel and a Fox coil shock make this the most DH-orientated bike in Yeti’s retail line up Full carbon Turq-series frame uses the brand’s best fibres and construction methods to save weight and build-in double crown fork compatibility Switch Infinity suspension has the most progressive leverage rate of any SB Yeti, with 22% average progressivity Latest model ditches dual 27.5in wheels in favour of an MX 29/27.5in set-up Kit list blends SRAM electronic T-Type drivetrain and brakes with Fox Factory suspension, dropper and some Yeti own brand parts Four frame sizes up to 505mm reach with chainstays growing from 433mm to 439mm depending on the size Since the rise of enduro, Yeti’s specialist machines have been the SB66 followed by the SB150 (that morphed into the Yeti SB160 we tested here) and, more recently, this SB165 that leans more towards freeride and DH playtime than the purer race pedigree of the other bikes. Which begs the question, can the SB165 follow its more illustrious stablemate – the SB160 – on to our rundown of the best enduro bikes on the market? I’ve always thought of the brand as pretty cutting-edge and up on all the latest trends, but what’s interesting is this latest SB165 is actually the first MX (mixed wheel) size bike Yeti has ever offered. Previous generation SB165s came with a 180mm fork and dual 27.5in wheels, which likely explained why it didn’t really make much of an impact on a public already sold on bigger wheels. Although it took plenty of impacts caused by some of its riders bolting on twin crown DH forks and chucking it off cliffs at Rampage. Yeti’s latest 165 incarnation comes with a shorter 170mm travel fork (now it has a bigger 29in front wheel), and a coil shock out back; in this case a Fox DHX2 with a DH-length stroke and 4-way adjustability. Four models are offered laid up in two tiers of carbon fibre frame with prices ranging from £6k to £9.5k. Our top-end Turq-series test bike here has all the drool factor you’d expect, as well as all the latest incremental frame updates carried over from the shorter travel SB bikes. Higher grade carbon fibre saves weight (around 225g) from the frame, as well as your wallet – this T3 model using SRAM’s latest T-Type electronic gears is the best part of ten grand. The beautiful SB165 frame comes in black, and there’s also another colour option called Spruce (a kind of metallic teal), but it’s a bit surprising to not see Yeti’s iconic turquoise colourway among the options. …Continue reading »

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