Description
2017 Yeti Cycles SB5.5 Carbon Eagle Complete Mountain Bike
If more than a few creaks, new dents, and a wandering eye throughout last season have signified the arrival of upgrade season for you, well done. You couldn’t have picked a better time. We’ve reached a point in mountain bike tech where compromise has become a nearly nonexistent concept, and nothing illustrates that better than the advent of the 2017 Yeti SB5.5 Carbon Eagle Complete Mountain Bike. In the yawning gap between nimble trail bike and DH bruiser that the SB5 and SB6 sat on either side of, Yeti created a new machine that took its siblings’ best characteristics and turned them into something original.
From the start, Yeti knew the SB5.5 needed rock-solid downhill stability, so it started with a slacked-out 66.5-degree head tube angle and went from there. Of course, it didn’t just want to release another unruly monster that riders wouldn’t be able to control on anything but wide open, straight-line descents. To avoid this, it pushed back against barreling 29er stereotypes and completely eliminated a front derailleur mount. This freed up enough space to shorten the chainstays into a compact, swooping design complete with responsive Boost spacing. The smooth curves of the rear triangle sit in direct contrast to the longer, straighter front end, and serve to temper the bike’s brutish nature on techier rock gardens and serpentine climbs.
When you don’t want to rein it in, of course, the FOX 36 fork—complete with 29er-appropriate 51mm offset—and a 140mm FOX Performance shock answer the call. Serving up 160mm of squish up front, the SB5.5 practically begs you to take the scarier line every time, not just because it wants to, but because it knows it can back you up. Send white-knuckle lines in the style of your favorite enduro heroes, and watch Yeti’s famed Switch Infinity suspension devour them in quick succession, never wallowing after deep rollovers or bottomless slickrock drops. And as much as this bike and its suspension love to descend, Yeti made sure that riders wouldn’t feel like they were pushing a pig on a climb. Leave the suspension open if you’re really feeling trusting; Switch Infinity’s responsive platform will keep you dancing over steep rollers easily to the fun on the other side.
Don’t just trust our pretty words though. Switch Infinity is indeed backed by solid tech. Just like its predecessor, the Switch Link, the Switch Infinity slider travels upward under the first phase of compression, when the SB5.5 is settling into its sag point. As the rear end compresses deeper, the direction changes, and the DH-inspired slider travels down toward the bottom bracket shell to maintain a steady pedaling platform.
This change of direction is smoother, without previously problematic dead space, but the effect is the same. Deep in the stroke, it works in conjunction with the upper pivot to produce a vertical wheel path that flattens big hits. You’ll be tempting faster, straighter lines across the chunky stuff, because the SB5.5 is just about the perfect trail buddy, effectively tidying up sloppy, questionable decisions and sweeping rider errors under the rug.
Yeti chooses to sculpt the SB5.5’s frame from carbon fiber, of course, taking full advantage of trickle-down technology in its choice to split its line into Carbon and Turq models for the first time this year. The caliber of carbon construction that the SB5.5 Carbon is built with was nonexistent just a few short years ago at this price point, and it’s a testament to just how much lighter and more durable carbon fiber has become in an incredibly short period of time.
And of course, the frame comes adorned with a full Eagle drivetrain. We can’t imagine a more fitting choice for this super bike than SRAM’s own super drivetrain. Eagle’s massive 12-speed cassette gleams hungrily from the side of the SB5.5, gleefully anticipating the mountains of trail it will devour with precision, ease, and the ultimate bailout gear. SRAM’s equally dependable Guide R hydraulic brakes, a Race Face Turbine dropper, and Boost spacing in the front and rear round out the build, completing the definition of a compromise-free experience on the trails. Upgrade season, indeed.
Ride without compromise on this do-it-all enduro bike
Attack bigger lines with 5.5in of Switch Infinity travel
Slack front end barrels through bumps with stability
Shortened rear triangle remains nimble in technical spots
Carbon fiber construction blends lightness and strength
Massive SRAM Eagle drivetrain has a gear for every climb
2017 Yeti Cycles SB5.5 Carbon Eagle Complete Mountain Bike
Frame Material:
carbon fiber
Suspension:
Switch Infinity
Rear Shock:
FOX FLOAT X Performance
Rear Travel:
140mm
Fork:
FOX 36 Performance
Front Travel:
160mm
Headset:
Cane Creek 40 Inset Taper
Shifters:
SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed
Rear Derailleur:
SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed
ISCG Tabs:
yes, ISCG 05
Crankset:
SRAM S1400 Eagle 12-speed
Bottom Bracket:
SRAM GXP BB92
Cassette:
10 – 50t SRAM 1295 Eagle 12-speed
Chain:
SRAM Eagle 12-speed
Brakeset:
SRAM Guide R
Brake Type:
hyraulic disc
Rotors:
[front/rear] 180 / 160mm SRAM Centerline
Handlebar:
Race Face Respond
Handlebar Width:
785mm
Grips:
Yeti lock-on
Stem:
Race Face Respond
Stem Length:
45 mm
Saddle:
Yeti/WTB Custom
Seatpost:
Race Face Turbine
Wheelset:
DT Swiss E1900 Boost
Hubs:
DT Swiss
Front Axle:
15 x 110mm Boost
Rear Axle:
12 x 148mm Boost
Tires:
[front] Maxxis Minion DHF EXO TR, [rear] Maxxis Aggressor EXO TR
Tire Size:
[front] 29 x 2.5in, [rear] 29 x 2.3in
Recommended Use:
all-mountain/enduro
Manufacturer Warranty:
5 years limited on frame
2017 Yeti Cycles SB5.5 Carbon Eagle Complete Mountain Bike
GEOMETRY CHART
SB5.5 | |||||||||||
160mm Travel Fork | |||||||||||
Seat Tube
(c-t) |
Effective Top Tube
(eTT) |
Stack
(S) |
Reach
(R) |
Stand Over | Head Tube
(HT) |
Head Tube Angle
(HTo) |
Seat Tube Angle
(STo) |
Bottom Bracket Height
(BBH) |
Chainstay
(CS) |
Wheelbase | |
M | 17.5in | 23.7in | 24in | 16.6in | 29.3in | 3.5in | 66.5o | 73.6o | 13.6in | 17.2in | 46in |
L | 19in | 24.6in | 24.6in | 17.4in | 29.7in | 4.1in | 66.5o | 73.6o | 13.6in | 17.2in | 47in |
XL | 20.5in | 25.7in | 25.2in | 18.2in | 30.2in | 4.8in | 66.5o | 73.6o | 13.6in | 17.2in | 48.1in |
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