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

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