all-mountain, bike, bike shop, enduro, featured, gear, maintenance

New Bike Day – Yeti SB6 Turq 2018

rawepics

In the shadow of lofty Mount Timah…

 

… a new Yeti roams.
There’s a fresh bike in the house, built several ‘oldie but goodie’ components that survived the last iteration of the SB6 that I had been riding for more than 2 years. What lasts, lasts, – and stays on the bike, ‘a part of the family’. As for the new bits, they can be summed up with these thematic clues: better protection, wider, burlier, longer travel, Boost everything.
The Build
Frame: Yeti SB6 Turq (Size: Small)
Front suspension: DVO Diamond Boost
Rear suspension: DVO Topaz T3 Air
Handlebar: Renthal Fatbar Carbon Lite
Stem: Renthal Apex
Grips: Ergon GA2
Headset: Chris King
Saddle: Fizik Monte
Seatpost: Raceface Turbine Dropper
Brakes: Shimano Saint calipers + XTR Race levers
Brake rotors: Shimano Ice-Tech 180mm
Cranks: Shimano XTR
Pedals: Chromag Contacts
Chainring: One-Up
Bottom bracket: Praxis Works
Cassette: Shimano XTR 11sp, w/ One-Up 45T Sprocket
Shifter: Shimano 11sp
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT 11sp
Chain: KMC X11 Silver
Chainguide: One-Up Bash Guide
Rims: We Are One Composites Agent 27.5
Hubs: Nobl 6-bolt
Spokes: Wheelsmith double-butted w/ washers
Tires: Maxxis DHF 2.5” WT (front), Maxxis High Roller II 2.4 (rear)
Tubeless system: Tirecare sealant + CushCore
Other: Invisiframe (stock) and All Mountain Style & Shelter (custom cut) frame protection kit

 

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DVO’s 170mm-travel Diamond comes with a proprietary bolt-on mud-guard.
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Little touches: custom-cut frame protection stickers to keep out water and mud.
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Grip tape on shifter paddles: a ‘racer’s edge’ hack that gives that extra touch of confidence.
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It’s what’s inside that counts: CushCore foam inserts and Tirecare sealant are encased within each We Are One Composites rim.

 

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Battle scars: Chromag Contact pedals, transplanted and arguably the best upgrade made last year.
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The down-tube – the part of the frame most prone to rock strikes – gets the Shelter tape treatment.

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Turquoise on turquoise: subtle.

 

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Compared to its 2.3” smaller brother, the High Roller II 2.4” carcass has slightly taller centre knobs – great as a rear tire for sloppier and un-groomed conditions.
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Duct tape for repairs are wrapped where there’s space available – in this case, on the Raceface Turbine dropper seatpost.

 

For a bike with as storied a racing pedigree as the Yeti SB6, this particular build seems spot-on as an enduro sled, save for a somewhat draggy rear tire and the obvious lack of clip-in pedals. However, the main idea was to outfit a bike for backcountry exploration, with detailing that would stand the test of steep & remote riding locations, rough handling (think hike-a-bikes and transport in shuttle vehicles), and a gamut of adverse weather/trail conditions (think dry, fine dust; gritty, slimy mud; and sticky, slushy snow).
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New adventures are ahead with this bike, and now that this bike-check is done, I can’t wait to get going!
Thanks to Reza Yusof and Yeti Bukit Timah for the beautiful SB6 Turq frameset & sweet components, as well as ‘The Cave’s’ very own ‘Polar Bear’, Fabian Ong, for wrapping up this stellar build. Special mention to Dustin Adams of We Are One Composites for keeping the faith; and for Irvin Tan of Trail+ for building up the kick-ass wheelset (with a pair of amazing Agent 27.5 rims, courtesy of We Are One Composites). My thanks also to Ray Choi of Crankworkz (DVO Suspension), Zhang Zhiguang of Tirecare Singapore, and Kelvin Tan of Rodalink (All Mountain Style frame protection) for their dedication and support.