Yeti Cycles

SB100 Beti GX Eagle Complete Mountain Bike

Faithful Yeti riders know that a short-travel 29er isn't unprecedented in their line, seeing the previous ASR Beti occupied this same genre, offering cross-country racers the efficiency to blow the doors off the competition, but with a rowdy alter ego that made it far more capable than its limited travel figures would suggest. As such, you'll find Yeti created the SB100 Beti to fill the void left by the previous ASR Beti, but with updated geometry figures to make it far more confident over technical sections of trail, plus a compact version of their Switch Infinity suspension platform packing 100 millimeters of efficient travel that excels on climbs and across long distances seen in multi-stage adventure races. Additionally, you'll find some women's specific adjustments, namely a custom-tuned FOX shock, shorter crank arm length, and a customized WTB saddle.

We typically think of cross-country bikes as one-trick ponies that barely trouble the scale which makes going uphill less of a chore but the sometimes anorexic build can be slightly unnerving and requires a good test of faith when pushed through its paces on technical descents. With the SB100, it has some pretty good lineage to draw inspiration from and even though the geometry and suspension have cross country riding and racing on its mind as the intended purpose, it's hard not to notice the trail and enduro highlights that bled over from Yeti's longer travel offerings.

The Switch Infinity platform, utilized on all Yetis all the way up to the EWS-winning SB150, has been redesigned specifically for 100mm of travel on this model. It’s light, and tucks behind the seat tube, sitting in its own compartment out of the way of wheel spray and errant trail debris. This design also allows the front triangle to accommodate a very large water bottle, the first we've seen from a Switch Infinity bike. We feel like this a move in the right direction even if it does come with a few added grams over the ASR's single pivot, as every Yeti we've ridden with Switch has awesome climbing efficiency without infringing on its descending prowess. Yeti gets high marks for creating a very capable 100-millimeter travel bike, with a stiff and responsive ride that rarely feels out of place, short of trails where we'd don body armor and a full-face. Beefy pivots offer incredible lateral stiffness that tracks so confidently through blown out washboard trails and minefields that, in the back of our minds we have to remind ourselves that we are pointing and shooting on an XC bike. The Switch platform on this frameset operates in the same manner as on Yeti's other bikes—meaning supple off the top while transitioning into excellent mid-stroke support before ramping up as you test all 100 millimeters on offer. Pair this action with the silky-smooth FOX DPS Performance shock and you'll swear that the rear end is packing more travel.

The brief exodus from the XC scene allowed for a few reboots and allowed Yeti to truly build a no-compromise bike that could climb and descend, not just one that was great at one and mediocre at the other. A 67.8-degree headtube angle might look more appropriate on a trail bike and on paper it would appear that it would detract from the nimble handling and quick steering XC bikes are known for. Yeti has a few tricks up its sleeve and spec'd a FOX 34 Step-Cast fork with a 44mm offset. After a bit of experimentation, Yeti found this reduction in fork rake improves your weight distribution on the bike, offering a bit more downhill stability without compromising its ability to clean tight switchbacks on climbs and negotiate around trail obstacles at slower speeds.

The 74 to 74.3-degree seat tube angle (depending on size) puts you on top and in control of your bike and offer maximum pedaling efficiency for marathon 24-hour stretches or for those lucky enough to have the time off work, a stage race. The wheelbase also walks the tightrope of being nimble and offering stability so you can blitz through the techy bits without wondering if you'll blow it through the berm on the next turn. A departure from the ASR, this rear end is updated with Boost spacing, which allows for wider hub flange spacing and better bracing angles to stiffen things up. It also allowed Yeti to hack off a little length on the chainstays and they now sit at 17.2-inches, so you have plenty of rear-wheel traction for competent climbing while remaining agile through tight singletrack. Other notable frame features include internal tubed cable routing for silent operation and easy setup and an uninterrupted seat tube allowing for maximum dropper post compatibility.

This SB100 is built using Yeti's lower-spec carbon, which offers nearly the same stiffness and strength as their top-flight TURQ carbon. The main difference between the two frame materials lies in its slightly heavier weight, with this particular SB100 Beti frame weighing about 7.2 ounces more (that's approximately 205 grams) than TURQ carbon frames. The payoff is a significantly cheaper price point, which helps you save funds for bike upgrades down the road, trips to iconic trail systems, or even fees to enter that multi-stage race you've been dreaming about for the past few years.

Besides the bright coral colorway typical of Yeti Beti bikes, Yeti chose to retain all the characteristics that make the regular SB100 such an outstanding choice for XC and trail riders, including the same geometry specs, proper 760-millimeter bars for aggressive riding, Fox 34 Step-Cast Fork for a supportive feel over bigger obstacles, and beefier 2.3-inch tires for plentiful traction on the trail. However, this SB100 Beti does have a custom shock tune, which makes the rear end of the bike all the more sensitive for lighter female riders pummeling over rocks and roots on the trail.

This GX Eagle Comp build comes with carefully curated components chosen for a mix of cross-country racing and spirited trail riding. SRAM's workhorse GX Eagle groupset offers plenty of range for taming the climbs on 5-digit elevation days while having a tall enough gear to link up the paved sections between the trailheads. It's finished with a dependably strong DT Swiss M1900 wheelset with 25-millimeter internal width, as well as SRAM Guide R brakes for powerful stopping force and controllable modulation.