Yeti Cycles

SB5.5 Turq XT Complete Mountain Bike - 2017

Placing itself between the hard-charging SB6 and trail-oriented SB5, the Yeti SB5.5 Turq XT Complete Mountain Bike sits firmly within the aggressive all-mountain category with its 160/140-millimeters of front/rear Switch Infinity travel paired with the monster truck capabilities of 29-inch wheels. It's one of the top choices for enduro champion Richie Rude, proving its worth as a top contender for eating up miles of technical descent, then climbing back up to do it all again.

Although shorter in rear travel than its burlier SB6 sibling (only by 12 millimeters), the SB5.5 makes up for this lesser travel with 29-inch wheels, which give you a larger angle of attack for rolling over anything standing in your way. Its slack geometry features a 66.5 degree head tube angle, which inspires confidence on those steep descents where your skills are put to the absolute limit. However, just because it's slack doesn't mean it sacrifices much in the way of climbing prowess, so you can pilot it up steep sections with loose rocks standing in your way. We chalk this up to its longer reach and steep seat tube angle helping the front end stay weighted to the trail, which is a welcome remedy if you're used to shifting your weight forward on climbs. Further consider the 17.2-inch chainstays for a balanced feel that's stable at high speeds, yet eager to turn quickly around corners.

Looking to its suspension, you'll find Yeti's Switch Infinity provides an efficient pedaling platform on climbs, yet feels plush on demanding downhills with rugged terrain. Yeti achieves this balance through a patented translating pivot that switches direction as the bike progresses deeper through its travel, hence its Switch Infinity namesake. Yeti's engineers sought to achieve a suspension platform with distinctive anti-squat capabilities while pedaling and climbing, paired with bump-gobbling plushness that feels deeper than its travel suggests on the descent. Since the SB5.5 has 20 millimeters more travel up front (160 versus 140 millimeters), you'll find it's a bit more efficient and snappy on the rear end for climbing and pedaling, with more forgiveness up front that compensates for bad line choices and conquers technical descents.

This particular version of the SB5.5 benefits from its Turq carbon frame, which saves approximately eight ounces from Yeti's lower spec'd carbon. Yeti uses a higher modulus carbon for its Turq series, meaning you'll reap the benefits of lower weight, but without losing anything in the stiffness or strength departments. This is a great addition for the discerning rider seeking a lighter overall feel for increased uphill efficiency and nimble handling, but without forgoing the strength required for regular thrashings on the mountain.

This particular build enjoys the crisp shifts and large range of usable gears of its XT 11-speed drivetrain, complete with a 46-tooth cog for spinning up the steepest climbs. Yeti kitted out this SB5.5 Turq with a properly wide 800 millimeter bar that's ideally suited for slaying the wicked downhills and technical terrain the bike's meant to handle. Other notable tidbits include FOX's excellent 36 Factory fork with Kashima-coated stanchions for greater sensitivity, as well as Shimano XT brakes that set the benchmark for stopping power.