Yeti Cycles has unveiled its bike range for 2022. While there aren't any major updates to the standard lineup of frames, each model gets new built kits and color options.
The big news though is that Yeti has now entered the best electric mountain bike segment with an e-enduro bike. This is Yeti's first e-bike and features a brand new suspension system, but we will delve into the details further down.
To start things off, the biggest spec update for the Yeti ARC is that the hardtail will come with a 2022 Fox 34 fork. The premium builds will get the full Fox Factory treatment, while other builds will get the Performance line fork.
In addition, the ARC, which is the only hardtail in Yeti's lineup, is being offered in a new grey color. All build kits come with a dropper post as standard, with sizing and spec differences ranging from 175-210mm of seatpost travel.
The SB115 full-suspension cross-country mountain bike also gets the new Fox 34 fork, and Yeti has designed the build kits around downcountry riding. The 115 was arguably already a downcountry bike, but the brand is now fully playing into the trend. The builds feature four-piston brakes, 180mm rotors front and rear, as well as a Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in front tire.
The SB130 will come with a 2022 Fox Factory Float X shock on all T-Series models, and the shock is available on C-Series builds for an additional cost. (T-Series frames use a more premium carbon layup.)
The 130mm, 29er trail bike is also offered in 'lunch ride' builds, which use beefier components, such as a Maxxis Assegai front tire. The SB130 is offered in four different color options, ranging from a black 'raw carbon' look to a watermelon red.
Bumping up in travel, the SB140 comes in two different subsets of build kits. The standard 140 builds are lighter and focused on general trail mountain biking. Those ones come with a 150mm Fox 36 fork (Factory or Performance) as well as a 140mm Fox DPS shock. The lunch ride builds are beefier, featuring burlier wheels and tires as well as bigger rotors and stronger brakes.
Yeti's SB165 doesn't see as many changes for 2022, but Yeti is now offering the bike as a frameset that comes with a Fox Factory X2 shock. There are five build options, with options of Shimano or SRAM drivetrains and the T2 FLOAT X2 build which is equipped with a Fox Factory Float X2 rather the DHX2 that is equipped on the rest of the range.
Yeti becomes electrified
Yeti fans may be disappointed that the core range remains unchanged, however, the brand has not been resting on its laurels. After five years of development, Yeti has announced it's entering the best electric mountain bike market. The new 160E enduro e-MTB features an all-new six-bar suspension system which Yeti has dubbed Sixfinity which has been designed specifically for the kinematic demands of e-MTBs.
Despite all the extra engineering, the goal of Sixfinity is much the same as the brand's Switch Infinity link that has been used on all its analog bikes. Allowing riders to control the anti-squat and anti-rise as the bike compresses which should add up to a better and more tunable pedaling platform and improve suspension performance during braking. This is done through a small lower link which reverses its rotation as you cycle between the first and second half of the bike's travel and creating what Yeti calls the pedaling zone.
The leverage ratio is also controllable via a three-position flip-chip, allowing riders to choose the progressiveness of the shock without affecting the geometry, anti-squat and anti-rise characteristics. Setting offer 25, 30 and 35 per cent progressivity options depending on how supportive or lively you want your suspension to be.
Beyond the suspension, the carbon-framed 29er e-MTB features a 64.5-degree head angle, 78-degree seat angle and sports 170mm/160mm of front and rear travel. The bike is equipped with Shimano's best e-MTB motor, the EP8, and is powered by a 630Wh battery.
If you want one, you had better get saving as the 160E garners a hefty price tag. Prices start at eye-watering $10,100 / £9,499 for the base 160E C-Series but if you want the top-spec 160E T-Series bike, you will be writing out a cheque for $12,700 / £11,899. If you have nothing better to spend your money on, Yeti even gives you the option to upgrade to a DT Swiss EXC 1501 Carbon Wheelset for an additional $900.
