The 29″ wheel’d Carbon Yeti 5.5C is the latest Yeti bike aimed at the gravity/enduro cyclist. We got a chance to check it out during Sea Otter and have some details on it for you all. The SB5.5C will begin shipping in mid-May with prices range from $5,699 to $10,599, depending on specification.

The SB5.5c is where the trail, all-mountain and gravity bike intersect. Tried and tested under the likes of EWS champion Richie Rude and our in-house test team, this lightweight bike eats up grueling technical climbs and hauls going downhill. Forget any preconceived notions about 29ers, thanks to an impeccable frame design, shortened chain stays and aggressive suspension spec, this bike is easy to maneuver and feels lively and quick on the descents. – Yeti Cycles

Yeti 5.5C Specs:

• Suspension: 5.5″ (140mm) of travel
• Sizing: Medium, Large, and XL.
• Color Options are silver or turquoise
• Frame Weight: 6.0 LBS (2.72 KG)
• Wheel size: 29”
• Rear Shock: FOX FLOAT X FACTORY DPS
• Bottom Bracket: PF92
• Rear Wheel spacing: 148MM X 12MM
• Front Derailleur: N/A
• Seatpost: 30.9MM
• Build Kits: GX, X01, XTR

Yeti was kind enough to let us a swing a leg over their 5.5C at Sea Otter so we took the opportunity to take it for a quick ride on some of the more aggressive terrain in the area where the Enduro race was held.

At the heart of the bike is their Switch Infinity Link that you’ve seen on some of their bikes like the Yeti SB5C and Yeti SB6C.  The Switch Infinity Link suspension is tuned for each bike but you can get a sense of all the pieces and how the system moves in the video below.

Yeti’s patented Switch Infinity suspension design features a translating pivot that changes direction as the rear wheel moves through its travel. This provides excellent anti-squat response for superior pedaling and a bottomless feel that responds well to large hits and high-frequency bumps, allowing any rider to push harder and ride faster whether going up or down. The SB5.5c is designed around Boost wheel and drivetrain specifications, with a wider bottom bracket stance, all of which give the SB5.5c greater stiffness and durability.

I’ve been lucky enough to swing a leg over the Yeti 5C, 6C, SB66, and plenty of other Yeti’s in the past as well in the past and the 5.5C is quite good for its intended purpose. The geometry felt good for aggressive riding and the 140mm of rear wheel travel felt like it had more travel than the numbers suggest. The FOX 36 and trim on the bike certainly lend itself well to descending rough terrain.  The 35mm Easton cockpit offered up plenty of stiffness and some wide handlebars.  There’s a few minor tweaks I’d make if this were my personal bike but they’ve done well with the part spec.

The initial portion of suspension on the 5.5C felt supple and was good at eating up the low-speed chatter. After the initial portion of suspension travel is used it felt like the remaining suspension added a bit more support in the mid and final portions of the travel that gave it good traction once things pointed downward or you became more aggressie on the bike. In summary, the bike felt more active in the initial stroke to soak up the small bumps but quickly morphed into a more efficient bike once things turned rough as it doesn’t blow through its travel too fast. Additionally the lockout was easy to access to make things a bit more efficient when climbing as well. The lock-out setting on the rear shock wasn’t set too firm and still allowed the suspensions some minor movement to still assist in traction while climbing.

Geometry:

The chainstays on this bike are 437mm. In comparison to the SB6C and SB5C (which are a 27.5″ bike) has 442mm chainstays. The shorter chainstays help the bike maneuver quickly and was fun in the technical as well as quick corners that are often prevalent on trails. Yeti seems to have a winning bike on their hands here for Enduro style riding.

Be sure to check out some of our additional 2016 Sea Otter Classic content.

Read more at http://www.yeticycles.com/bikes/sb55c