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Until now, Yeti mountain bike customers had to choose between the SB115 race bike and the potent SB130 trail bike. Yeti is now launching a completely new frame platform for trail mountain bikers. Like the other new editions for 2023 - such as the briefly presented Yeti SB160 - the carbon frame of the SB120 rolls on large 29-inch wheels and has the same design language as its bigger brothers with more travel.
To maintain the proven Switch-Infinity rear suspension kinematics and to achieve more tyre clearance in the rear frame triangle, Yeti designed a completely new frame with an optimised carbon layup. The now straighter design and a new shock mount now offer more space for water bottles and more freedom of movement for bikers thanks to a lower standover height. A sleeker look and more rigidity in the upper pivot point are included thanks to the shortened mount. Wrenchers will also be pleased with the extra space, as the shock is now easier to install and remove.
All data on the Yeti SB120 at a glance
- Front suspension travel: 130 mm
- Rear suspension travel: 120 mm
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Steering angle: 66.5 degrees
- Seat angle: 76.5 degrees
- Frame sizes: XS-XXL
- Colours: Turquoise, Raw Carbon, Loch, Dust
- Two model variants initially available in Germany
- Price: 7890 Euro (C2) >> available here // 9490 Euro (T1) >> available here
Optimised carbon frame
The straight down tube of the new Yeti SB120 is less expansive and is therefore out of the line of fire in the event of high obstacles and flying stones. It is also protected by a new protector. With a full six frame sizes from XS to XXL, every biker should find a suitable size, especially as long telescopic seat posts also fit into the seat tube. Specifically, depending on the rider size, 150 millimetres of adjustment range should be possible in size S, while 175 millimetres should be possible in size M and 200 millimetres and more from size L upwards.
All frame bearings come from the specialist Enduro Bearings and are particularly well sealed for a long service life. A universal standard derailleur hanger (UDH) facilitates the supply of spare parts. Bolted cable entries guarantee low-noise internal cable routing. Mechanics should like the threaded bottom bracket, for which no pressing tools are required. The aluminium thread is not glued, but firmly connected to the carbon layers during frame construction.
The optimised rear suspension of the Yeti SB120 is said to offer a very linear progression of eleven percent over the 120 millimetres of suspension travel. As a result, the trail bike with the Switch-Infinity system should behave predictably and with good control in all riding situations. Yeti carries out the special damper setup in-house.
New geometry on the Yeti SB120 trail bike
Of course, the new carbon frame also comes with revised geometry. In order to offer all riders the same riding experience regardless of their height, Yeti has opted for size-specific chainstay lengths. The rear triangle length increases by two millimetres between the sizes, from 433 millimetres in size XS to 442 millimetres in size XXL. For a trail bike with 120/130 millimetres of travel, the reach values are generous (475 millimetres in size L) and the head angle is slack at 66.5 degrees.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
