John Parker's forehead was covered in sweat at the 1990 World Championships. He became more nervous with every lap, squeezed the blood from his thumbs and couldn't even manage to take a sip from his Coke. Parker, the bike god, the founder of Yeti-Cycles, saw his skins swim away. His racehorse, Julie Furtado, did what she was best at: riding the competition into the ground. But today her opponent was not the entire women's elite, but the bike she was riding - her Yeti "C 26". A bike that was supposed to be ahead of its time. But the plastic bike with the three carbon tubes was like a disposable bike - once used, it belonged on the scrap heap. It was like playing Russian roulette between recklessness and stability. And more often than not, recklessness won out and the "C 26" came loose at the glued lugs. Furtado was unimpressed and went on to win the last unofficial world championships in Durango. Parker's heart sank. On the way home, he thanked God and knew that something had to change. That was the starting signal for the "A.R.C.", the first aluminium series mountain bike.
This is what lies behind the Yeti A.R.C. designation.
The abbreviation "A.R.C." sounds like a vitamin drink to mere mortals. But for large sections of the bike community, it is a shrine to the bike religion. As usual with Yeti, the abbreviation stands for a simple description - "Alloy Racing Composite". Yeti had already landed one big hit after another in previous years. The "F.R.O." ("For Racing Only"), the "Ultimate" or the "C 26" were each a jewel in their own right. Almost as if Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche came from the same factory floor. Yeti invented itself again and again, but always remained true to itself. But the most famous mountain bike, the Yeti A.R.C., was created after a major dispute.
The creation of the first Yeti A.R.C. mountain bike
In 1990, Parker made a big announcement that Yeti would never build aluminium frames. Shortly afterwards, Chuck Teixeira from Easton came to Yeti to present an aluminium tube set. Parker was reluctant. His welder Frank "the Welder", on the other hand, could already see the welding honeycomb covering the tubes. Frank wanted the new material - he had to weld a frame with this tube set. While the Yeti boss drove to the race in Mammoth, he secretly got to work. But Parker's wife Linda squealed on the phone. Parker was boiling with rage and advised his mate Frank to make himself scarce on his return. Frank packed his bags and fled. Fortunately, BIKE USA boss Zapata Espinoza came along and settled the dispute. He was enthusiastic about the light alloy, took photos and appeased Parker. Shortly afterwards, Yeti had aluminium giant Easton design its own tube set, the Easton "7005 Series ProGram Varilite". The man behind the tubes, Teixeira, still has every single dimension of the Yeti A.R.C. frame in his head. He takes great pleasure in stoically reciting the individual wall thicknesses, tensile loads and weights to anyone who asks.
The first MTB successes on the Yeti A.R.C.
A breach of trust revolutionised the mountain bike. The "A.R.C." became the winning machine. After taking first place on the plastic bike, Furtado won the first official UCI World Championship title on a Yeti A.R.C. in 1991. In 1992, the bike won more Norba, Grundig and World Cup races than all other teams combined. John Tomac, Myles Rockwell, Jimmy Deaton, Missy Giove and Juli Furtado sat on it and won. The "A.R.C." has been in production for over 15 years. A lot has changed, but everyone still has the same old glamour. Parker, Frank "the Welder" and Teixeira have created a rolling monument to themselves with the Yeti A.R.C..
You can find more stylish Yeti Classic mountain bikes here >> In the realm of Yeti mountain bikes: Yeti Classic Collection de luxe
