Quantcast

yeti sb66?

ALEXIS_DH

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,151
798
Lima, Peru, Peru
so.... am thinking about a new bike.

seeing as current upper-mid level bikes go for 4-5 grand; im thinking about getting a used 26er.

what i currently ride? a carbon 2013 180mm genius lt20.
what i dont like about it? the suspension isnt really good (the dt swiss if finnicky and the lyrik isnt an amazing performer either); the rear end if flexy and it feels really nervous at speed (specially for such a long travel bike).
what i like about it? its light.
i can lock the suspension (or swtich to 110mm); and dust my buddies on the small uphills.

so, i´ve been offered a 2014 sb66 for a decent price (pretty much, my bike plus 500 bucks)
it comes with xt brakes (would be replaced for zees), X0 drivetrain, reverb (as my scott), dt wheels and fox kashima ctd shock/34mm fork (which i think are the best upgrade over my current bike).

would it be an upgrade worth the $500-$700 i would have to cough up on top of the price i get for my genius?
should I drop $1500 more for a brand new barebones 27.5 devinci spartan with deore bits? or a carbine 29 (no reverb)?
or drop $2000 more on top of what i get for my bike for a tracer 275 foundation with an db inline-/reverb?
or go balls out and cough up $3000-$3500 more for a top of the line yt+bos bits?

why shouldnt i get a sb66?
i hear they crack a lot, and the bearings dont last much and are expensive...
anyone with real world experience with them?
 
stevew

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
41,056
10,002
3000-3500

for that money....buy a motorcycle.

seriously.
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,752
5,554
Ottawa, Canada
2014 OEM 34 is not an upgrade over your Lyrik. Given where and what you ride, I would advise against it. (the fork, not the bike).

edited to add: while I can't comment on longevity/durability of the Yeti's, to me they seem complicated. Personally, I would look at the Spartan or the Capra. If I were to go for a Capra, it would be the Al1 version. I'm on a crabon bike now, and I'm not entirely convinced of the benefits. I'd rather have high-performance suspension than a crabon frame (yeah, I know RS has some QC issues, but their stuff generally works well, and there is aftermarket support in most places). The base model Spartan seems decent too. Plus it's DW designed!
 
Last edited:
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,752
5,554
Ottawa, Canada
jonKranked said:
in another thread someone was saying that zee's are essentially deore level.

that, and i know people who have dh'd on XT brakes.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but my understanding is the only thing XT has over Deore is more adjustability at the lever and reservoir body... and maybe a bit of weight savings, but functionally, it's the same thing.

Zee is a 4-piston caliper, while XT is two. While that may not in and of itself provide better heat management, wouldn't it provide more power, even when heated?
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,752
5,554
Ottawa, Canada
exactly! Moar pot is always the answer!

Though I think in Peru they have a different kind of shed... it used to be the main ingredient in that soda pop with the red and white branding...
 
Blown240

Blown240

Monkey
Nov 19, 2013
443
290
My wives uncle has an SB66C. I got to ride it at Bootleg Canyon once, and well, its amazing. Im a Yeti guy though, so I may be a bit biased.

GET THE YETI!
 
ALEXIS_DH

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,151
798
Lima, Peru, Peru
jonKranked said:
why?
Click to expand...
When you come rolling down a mountain for 40 straight minutes; brakes tend to overheat.

Moar pistons, moar volumen in caliper, moar surface in pads and moar oil in caliper means better ability to take heat.

Had slx before the zees (arent they watered down xts?); and they dont cut it....
Most important requirement i have for brakes, is "do not fade". Number 2 is "power"... Arm pump is a killer on long ass downhills.

Elixirs are a joke for big mountain riding.... Avid trail, guides, zees and saints are what most people run around here...
Even codes used to boil, unless perfectly purged.

Any ways..... The 4k spartan is a boat anchor at 15kg....

It seems am down to carbine 29er, or carbine 275....
 
Last edited:
jackalope

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,685
6,083
in a single wide, cooking meth...
Here's what you do:

* Sell crappy Scott flex wagon
* Buy a Suntour Rux
* Milk a unicycle wheel in Rux (add shimz as needed)
* Affix trials saddle on steerer tube
* Profit (remaining funds can be used to buy 2 liter bottles of Pepsi)



No unrideable Cane Creek air spring or VPP wallow, well under 30 lbs, 200 mm of plush Suntour travel (I bet it even has mid-valves!!), and imminently enduroable. You can thank me later when you post up a 45 minute long descent (speaking of which, you may want to mount up a Magura Gustav to ensure you have all the necessary stopping power - I'd suggest mounting the lever under the saddle).
 
Full Trucker

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,002
8,532
Exit, CO
ALEXIS_DH said:
so.... am thinking about a new bike.

why shouldnt i get a sb66?
i hear they crack a lot, and the bearings dont last much and are expensive...
anyone with real world experience with them?
Click to expand...
I have real world experience with this bike you speak of.

I beat the piss out of a carbon one for 2 years, never cracked the frame and sold it with the bearings that came with it. I did sheer one of the pivot pins at some point while owning the bike, and one of the bonded-in sleeves the pivot pin threads in to came un-bonded from the frame. In two years and over 3,000 miles of pretty aggressive riding those were my issues. My experience getting these issues addressed was painless, but I live 4 miles from Yeti and have several friends / riding partners that work there. You can check the Yeti forum on MTBR and you'll see the entire range of warranty / crash replacement stories: from "Yeti suxorz ballz!!!!111! one" all the way up to "Yeti's service is amazing, they even gave me a blow job!" YMMV.

I'm not light, and I'm not the slowest guy going down the hill. I found the 2014 internals of the Fox 34 CTD were a big improvement over the 2013 version and while they were fine, that fork never was half as good as the 2015 Fox 36 I have on my bike now. A lot of folks complain about the CTD damper on the rear of the SB66 as well, but I found that setting the air to proper sag (25-30%) and then just sticking it in 'Trail 3' or 'Climb' all the time worked pretty well. But that's my style, I like some compression damping... felt like the 'Descend' mode on that rear shock was garbage for how I ride... felt like it wallowed everywhere and had no 'pop' to it. But I really liked how the bike climbed AND descended in the firmer settings.

Why shouldn't you get it? Well, I don't know how much you're getting for the Scott, but that could be a reason. I sold my SB66c for $3200 USD just a few short months ago, and was happy to get that for it. It's no secret the market is moving away from the 26" wheel REAL fast, so if / when you wanna get something new down the road it's gonna be even more difficult to sell it. Hell, new tire models coming out now aren't even offered in 26" versions... kind of crap there. If you can get tires / rims for the bike easily though, might be a reason to pick it up. It's an awesome bike. I've bled turquoise for a long time, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. However more than one person I know who are not Yeti fanbois have ridden that bike and also given it high praise.

And if the Yeti isn't carbon, forget it.

slyfink said:
IMO don't mess around with the in-between wheel size... go big or go home!
Click to expand...
IMO this is not the correct answer.
 
Full Trucker

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,002
8,532
Exit, CO
schwaaa31 said:
Care to elaborate? I picked up a 2014 aluminum with the carbon rear end. I'm loving it so far.
Click to expand...
In the case of the OP, my comment was based on him coming off a the crabon Scott... I wouldn't think an aluminum SB should cost $500 more than what he could get for the Scott. In more general terms, I found the aluminum version to be pretty darn awesome, but after riding then purchasing the crabon it was just lighter, stiffer, and quieter.
 
ALEXIS_DH

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,151
798
Lima, Peru, Peru
Full Trucker said:
In the case of the OP, my comment was based on him coming off a the crabon Scott... I wouldn't think an aluminum SB should cost $500 more than what he could get for the Scott. In more general terms, I found the aluminum version to be pretty darn awesome, but after riding then purchasing the crabon it was just lighter, stiffer, and quieter.
Click to expand...
It was a carbon bike. It sold for 2700 in a matter of hours. I was hoping to get 2200 for my carbon scott....

It was a pretty good deal...

Now the drama continues.... 13.9kg aluminum yt capra for 3300, or low 13s kg intense carbine 29 for 3800??
 
Full Trucker

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
11,002
8,532
Exit, CO
jonKranked said:
yes, please. this bike is on my short list, considering getting one before 26" goes the way of the dodo. would be looking at the alu version over the carbon version for sheer longevity.
Click to expand...
Like I said above, the main reason I said that was because the OP was coming off a carbon bike, and I was hoping he wasn't paying more for an alloy. I've never owned an alloy 66, but I've ridden a couple and they're really nice. The carbon version is just quieter, lighter, and stiffer. I had very few issues with my carbon frame, and I rode it a lot. Sloppily and with reckless abandon. I even threw it down large expanses of rocks in Moab on multiple occasions and had no issues.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,144
26,483
media blackout
Full Trucker said:
Like I said above, the main reason I said that was because the OP was coming off a carbon bike, and I was hoping he wasn't paying more for an alloy. I've never owned an alloy 66, but I've ridden a couple and they're really nice. The carbon version is just quieter, lighter, and stiffer. I had very few issues with my carbon frame, and I rode it a lot. Sloppily and with reckless abandon. I even threw it down large expanses of rocks in Moab on multiple occasions and had no issues.
Click to expand...
oh you were just going after an apples to apples comparison moreso. i got it now.
 
profro

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
I live in muddy conditions and have gone through 2 sets of bearings in my 66 in about a year and half. But I don't stop riding when it gets wet or wet and cold. The Switch mechanism is fragile and needs regular maintenance if riding outside of the dry American West ;) The carbon has a different pin mech. It uses a collet design whereas the AL uses a traditional pinch bolt. I think the collet design is better and probably keeps the bearings preloaded correctly, longer.

I have started getting the bearings directly from Enduro. The kit is cheaper than Yeti's, but doesn't include the quad seals that the Yeti kit does.

All that being said I still would get another. I did crack a AL swingarm but Yeti warrantied. It seems some are built better than others. My second has considerably more weld in the area than the original.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,770
14,856
Portland, OR
Didn't Stoney have a few of these? I like it, I would totally rock one, especially if I could find one for a grand. Aluminum of course, my Yeti like riding style makes carbon nervous. :rofl:
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,770
14,856
Portland, OR
Nick said:
Stoney has one and as I recall loves it.
He's threatened to ride it again once this Ironman training/racing thing is done for the year.
Click to expand...
Stoney also rolls an XL. He and I seem to be of similar build, but I've never rocked an XL in any frame. I do tend to like a smaller bike to toss around.

$3600 @ 26lbs. I can't even imagine what it feels like on 26lbs, I've been rolling my 42lbs RM7 for about 4 years now. :rofl:
 
Last edited:
big-ted

big-ted

Danced with A, attacked by C, fired by D.
Sep 27, 2005
1,400
47
Vancouver, BC
My sb-66c is now 14 months old and has been absolutely beat on through the Vancouver Winter and beyond. I'm a pretty big guy and don't hang around, so feel I can make a pretty good judgement of the bike.

Mine has held up great. I'd heard the horror stories of bearings falling apart so I've tended to keep a close eye on them. In the time I've had it I've torn it down twice, popped the seals off the bearings and packed fresh grease in. Even so, my bearings are starting to look a little rusty, and will be replaced soon. I stress that this doesn't affect the ride of the bike at all. It's just something I notice when I strip it down and would rather do for peace of mind.

I've had no issues with breaking pivot bolts etc.

Ride-wise, it's awesome. It's truly a bike I can pedal all day and then, when the trail tends downwards, drop the seat and get rowdy on. I have a Vorsprung Corset on mine and it has made a world of difference, mainly on the descents as it's now more supple and poppy in the rough stuff.

I'll loathingly admit that part of me does feel like I'm missing out on something by not having 650beez, particularly as it seems most shops are already limiting their stock of 26" 'Enduro' tyres, but for the price I paid for it I'm a very happy man.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom