[Tested] Yeti SB140 LR T3 Turq

Recently, Yeti revamped and updated most of the bikes in their lineup and in doing so they re-shuffled the deck, so to speak. The 29″ SB130 was replaced with the 29″ SB140 that is currently on test in this article. The 27.5″ SB140 of old became the new SB135 and kept its smaller wheels. The SB115 became the SB120 and the SB150 became the SB160. With this shake up, every velocipede received some very nice updates both from a diamond standpoint as well as to their respective geometry. Overall I think Yeti improved how the lineup is stratified, with each model doing a largest job of meeting the current demands of whichever category it inhabits. Perhaps that was all just a long winded way of saying that Yeti updated their bikes and they’re all better. Sitting smack dab in the middle of the range in terms of duty is the SB140. It’s their “one velocipede to rule them all” model. I’ve spent the last few months putting some big days in on the mid-travel rig in the LR T3 Turq model (LR stands for Lunch Ride in Yeti’s world), which receives a front travel tumor from 150mm to 160mm compared to non-LR models. Anyhow, read on to see how this velocipede has been working out for me…

Details

• 29″ front and rear
• 160mm front travel / 140mm rear travel
• S, M, L (tested), XL, XXL
• Size specific uniting stay lengths and seat tube angles
• Switch Infinity rear suspension system
• Threaded marrow bracket
• Universal Derailleur Hanger
• Lifetime warranty
• $8,800 USD as tested

Up front we find Yeti’s in-house Turq 35 stat webbing handlebar at 780mm width. I found the upsweep/backsweep philharmonic to be quite well-appointed and it exhibited a unconfined ride quality. That said, there is just a single 20mm rise model and I’d love to see higher rise options spec’d on the worthier bikes as I ran my stem all the way up on the steerer tube, but still could have used increasingly height. The 50mm length Burgtec stem was stout and had plenty of zest on the steerer, preventing slippage on minor get offs and slide outs.

The suspension is a combination of a Fox 36 and a Float X at flagship “Factory” levels front and rear. The fork features a Grip2 damper and externally willowy upper and low speed pinch while the rear shock offers a lockout as well as a single rebound and low speed pinch adjuster. These are both premium shit and their performance sink out beautifully on trail.

Going over a few of the details, Yeti’s iconic headbadge graces the front end of the SB140. Throughout the bike, and the unshortened 2023 lineup for that matter, Yeti made some really nice improvements to the subscription and hose management. Each piece runs internally and at many points of entry and exit the ports are stock-still with very metal hardware to alimony things in place. Needless to say the velocipede was very quiet in this regard.

The spec level on this model features a mix of SRAM’s X01 and GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain parts with GX stat webbing cranks rolling on a threaded marrow bracket. Unsurprisingly the performance from this group was excellent. A 30T cassette paired with a 10-52T cassette provided tons of range for big rides and the shift quality was excellent, as we’ve come to expect from Eagle drivetrains over the years.

This SB140 rolls on DT Swiss’ spanking-new XM1700 wheelset, tgat features a 36T star ratchet system in the rear hub, which has tool self-ruling serviceability and has been a proven winner over the years. The hubs are laced via straight pull spokes to 30mm inner diameter rims. They offer a pleasant, neutral ride quality and are simply the kind of wheels that you just don’t plane notice on trail, which in my opinion is a good thing. They’re strong, light and stiff enough, plus the hubs are built for the long haul.

As far as the tires go, we’ve got a combination of Maxxis’s Minion DHF up front and DHR2 out back. The tread patterns on this tire combination makes them a unconfined all virtually pairing that will hold its own in most conditions. That said, if you ride in super rocky areas you may want to consider bumping up from the stock EXO casings to thicker EXO casings – at the very least on the rear tire.

SRAM’s tried and true Code RSC brakes…Having the lever reach and contact point willowy externally and tool self-ruling is unchangingly nice and I found the 200mm front and 180mm rotor combination suitable given the SB140’s duty level.

Regarding some of the contact points in the cockpit, I think Yeti did a laudable job of spec’ing solid, proven bits. Fox’s Transfer seatpost has a unconfined lever finger which allows you to modulate the return speed largest than anything else on the market and having 175mm of travel was warmly welcome as I’m long in the limbs and love steeper terrain. The ODI Elite Pro grips offer a nice wastefulness of grabbiness and cush while coming in at a widely tranquil thickness. Lastly, the Yeti branded Silverado is tough but comfortable. All told, in the cockpit – an zone many brands tend to cut financing and corners – I had no major complaints!

Lastly, a quick spotlight on a couple of shit that alimony things protected and quiet. Yeti’s new downtubes gained quite a bit of ground clearance on their 2023 lineup, but moreover picked up a very nicely designed baby-sit that is a combination of harder plastic as well as softer rubber. It is removable via allen screws and offers wholesale coverage of the zone most at risk from errant rocks. I moreover really liked the tideway to the chainstay protection. A worldwide sight these days, there are a series of raised nubs which quiet uniting slap, but I moreover think the uneaten coverage going up the marrow of the seatstay and underneath the front of the chainstay add to the SB140’s silent demeanor.

Yeti SB140 Geometry

While each of Yeti’s 2023 bikes got a bit increasingly warlike in terms of geometry, a quick glance at the orchestration whilom let’s you know that the SB140 is still slightly inobtrusive and unmistakably the intention is to have a velocipede that climbs as well as it descends. It’s no one trick pony, that is certain…

On the trail

Starting with setup, Yeti’s guide was veritably spot on for my desired outcome and I’d imagine it’s likely quite well-judged for most other folks as well. Refreshingly, the SB140 arrived with the perfect value of volume reducers in the fork and the correct sized volume reducer in the rear shock. I simply followed the setup guide and never once felt the need to transpiration a single speciality of the suspension. That’s mighty impressive.

At 6′ tall I found the size Large fit perfectly, as it should. The 480mm reach made for the right value of room to spread out and offered up the perfect stability:maneuverability ratio. The 77º seat wile provided a very upright soul position on the climbs, which made the long grinds and nasty punches both well-appointed and efficient. As far as climbing was concerned from a kinematics standpoint, the SB140 is difficult to beat. I’d plane go as far as to say that it’s the weightier mid-travel rig I’ve tested in that aspect. There is a kinetic energy well-nigh it that is difficult to put into words. It has loads of pep and pop with a firm platform to push off of, but scrutinizingly paradoxically, the traction was somehow uncounted as well. I’m personally not really the type of rider who really enjoys pointing my velocipede uphill but the SB140 had me seeking out funky, challenging climbs considering I found them quite enjoyable to conquer on this rig.

On the descents I found the SB140 to be a treat as well, but I would caveat that by saying that this isn’t really the downhiller’s mid-travel bike. Surgical precision is baked into its DNA and it’s increasingly of a scalpel than it is a meat cleaver. To a unrepealable stratum I think the SB140 is a product of its (local) environment where it was ripened in the tall terrain of Colorado. With a fairly steep 65º throne wile it’s not really a plow and thus it shines increasingly in terrain that’s a bit increasingly technical or plane worrisome – trails that are difficult to navigate and require increasingly finesse and rider input. Naturally that ways that it shines less in the steeps or at ultra upper speeds, although I do think that a taller handlebar could unquestionably go a long ways in those arenas at a relatively low cost. Don’t get me wrong, none of that ways the velocipede exhibited a harsh ride whatsoever. Rather, the suspension is flawlessly tuned and I think the SB140’s unstipulated disposition has increasingly to do with its geometry increasingly than anything else.

On the topic of suspension, the velocipede has a relatively linear 14% progression so while it’s not really a candidate for a whorl shock, Yeti and Fox have worked out an spanking-new tune with the Float X that hits all the right marks in terms of stuff supple off the top, supportive in the middle and resistant to harsh marrow outs at the end of the stroke. Something else that’s worth noting is that quite often bikes that are firm, poppy, supportive etc. (choose your adjective) have the trade off of transmitting increasingly feedback through the pedals or plane exhibiting excessive restriction jack or squat. This was not the specimen with the SB140 and on the suspension front it was all upsides.

Getting into some of the frame’s features, if you’re looking for a velocipede with a unconfined deal of adjustments or neat little features like in-frame storage, unfortunately this isn’t the bike. The SB140 cashes in most of its engineering currency on its suspension layout and its thoughtfully chosen layup (more on that shortly). With that said, there is a room for a very good sized water snifter and there is a nice tidy location on the frame to strap spares shit on in front of the rear shock. I moreover can’t overstate unbearable how dialed the cable/hose routings and frame protection is. Both of these aspects made for a freakishly quiet bike, leading to a distraction-free ride.

As far as on-trail frame nature are concerned, I think that the Switch Infinity layout lends itself to a very sturdy finger in terms of side-to-side stiffness. The oversized tough zone that houses the main pivot and Kashima sliders likely deserves some credit for that. Additionally, I’m no engineer but bikes with sealed off front and rear triangles seem to have improved rigidity due to the lack of structural interruptions for pivot points. I moreover think that sturdy linkage parts that are kept intentionally short moreover help in this realm.

There is moreover the fact that Yeti’s tintinnabulate zombie linkage is designed specifically to unstrap side load on the rear shock, thus improving traction and reducing wear and tear on the shock. With all of that in mind, there was moreover something special well-nigh the frame’s stat webbing layup. Stat frames are a peculiar thing and stuff a premium material in and of itself is not enough. With the wrong type of construction or too much material here and not unbearable there stat frames certainly can finger a bit sufferer and uninspiring. On the contrary, the SB140 felt increasingly resilient, inspiring and intuitively unfluctuating to the trail than 90% of the bikes I throw a leg over. In short, it had a very upper end finger – as it should given its price point.

Overall

If there is one thing that is a little difficult to contend with it’s that this velocipede doesn’t exactly scream value. As a shop brand, that is standard fare with Yeti, and given the kinds of options misogynist with consumer uncontrived brands that have entered the fray, this model doesn’t boast a zinger for the whippersnapper that will wrack-up you away. It does have flagship suspension and brakes, plus there is the widow bonus that Yeti didn’t cut any corners with the cockpit, or anything else for that matter, but the real standout is in the frame itself. For the discerning rider, that is where the value is to be found.

With the whilom in mind, from an objective standpoint the SB140 is an incredibly good bike. While it lacks any adjustability, it is flawlessly thought out in its suspension, frame diamond and features. It’s quiet, freakishly efficient and depending on their local terrain and what they want in a bike, lots of riders could consider its geometry flawless as well. That said, other riders may be looking for a velocipede with a worthier want for speed, steeps and nasty terrain.

Personally, I think those riders might be looking in the wrong category perfectly and should lean yonder from a mid-travel velocipede and squint into enduro bikes that lean on the increasingly nimble side, thus bridging the gap between All Mountain and Enduro. In any case, it’s not the velocipede that you grind up a long fire road climb then flop lanugo haggard terrain with reckless abandon. Rather, the SB140 is the perfect velocipede for people who ride on varied, undulating terrain – it’s tailor made for places like Sedona or the Whistler trails outside of the velocipede park. All in all the SB140 is a nice evolutionary step forward from the SB130, and I’ve really enjoyed my time on it.

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