2008 Yeti Sweetness- A Weak Sauce TR

[Tube Sag]

So I know this thread is just about useless without pictures, but we just got back from the 2008 Yeti Dealer Demo meeting at Sol Vista. If I wasn't so much of a chump I would have taken some pictures, but I was riding. So I didn't snap any pics. Anyway, almost the entire line has been reworked this year. They had some pics floating around on MTBR but I can't seem to find the link right now.
Big news is the release of the new SEVEN. 7" of rear travel, ONE yes one carbon non-drive side chainstay, custom valved position sensitive FOX DHX air and 36, ISCG tabs, 1.5 HT, hella light and all around pretty dope.

Also all carbon ASR, .8lbs lighter, 50% stiffer, integrated seat tube/mast, really really fast and dead sexy.

Redone 575. Hyrdroformed toptube, new dogbone, carbon rear end, Way stiffer, same weight.

ASX is done, and no more, if you want one, get one before they run out.

Plenty of other little tech changes too numerous to list, but a strong showing from the boys. Apologies for the lack of pics, but I am sure some will surface.

[Particle]

So, what exactly is the Seven intended for? Same level of abuse the AS-X or more of a long travel trailbike?

I like the idea of the split pivot stye rear to get rid of the nasty AS-X problem with stink bugging when braking...

Here are some sketches, I haven't found any real pics though:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=335524

new 575 looks tasty...

[fondigley]

575 Carbon:



ASX:



303:



and this is all I could find on the new seven but looks sweet:

[marshalolson]

the new 575 is much much stiffer. pretty impressed with how it rode after hating on the old 575 non-stop since its inception.

the 7 is a trail bike. 32lb type guy.

[Tap]

good for them, but jesus christ is everyone choking on the Nomad bent-tube cock?

[Squatch]

people on mtbr are stupid.

edit: I'm stupider.

[Particle]

the 7 is a trail bike. 32lb type guy.

BOOOO! I mean, sweet for what it is, but that just leaves the 303? WTF? (posts are reporting the ASX is done, but if it was at Eurobike maybe they'll keep it another season...?)

good to hear you liked the 575 marsha. I'd rock one.

[Rontele]

good for them, but jesus christ is everyone choking on the Nomad bent-tube cock?

Don't worry Tap, we don't notice the saliva on your chin from you and Arty deepthroating Turner.

[flowtron]

BOOOO! I mean, sweet for what it is, but that just leaves the 303? WTF? (posts are reporting the ASX is done, but if it was at Eurobike maybe they'll keep it another season...?)

good to hear you liked the 575 marsha. I'd rock one.

My addition to the weaksauce, as I was there but also took no pictures.

ASX is done in the USA, but will stay around in growing overseas markets.

The new 575 is PIMPsauce. I couldn't stop looking at it over the course of the day. And the 30% or so increase in stiffness was quite noticeable.

I had a religious experience on the 303...I'm pretty sure this is what I will be racing on next season. Eats up square edge hits, easy geometry adjustments, very very flickable, awesome in the air and the pedalling....oh the pedalling. Unreal. And its shedding a little weight for 08.

New CX bike is looking really good, and a decently priced $799 frame.

Fox 08 damping is the bees knees. Allowed for serious rallying of a pink ASR without fear of death...that was immpressive.

Particle, don't despair about the gap between the seven and the 303. Yeti guys were very clear that the pipeline is full of new stuff and ideas for the near future.

[Son1cdeth]

new575 looks sick, can't wait to check out the SEVEN as well. Thanks getting the photos.

[uncle crud]

Carbon frame bits + long-travel bikes = STUPID.

If you're sponsored by YETI and get replacements as needed, the Seven sounds like a good bike.

If you actually ride your bike on terrain that is suitable for 7" travel bikes, the Seven sounds dumb.

Just more proof that people think they need more than 4" to ride cross-country style on a FS bike. The long-travel "trail" bike is the SUV of MTBs. All pose. All the time.

people on mtbr are stupid.

Understatement of the year.

[Lonnie]

Just more proof that people think they need more than 4" to ride cross-country style on a FS bike. The long-travel "trail" bike is the SUV of MTBs. All pose. All the time.

HAHA!! Does that make the 4" bike the subaru outback of trail riding? (All you really need with no pose?)

[uncle crud]

HAHA!! Does that make the 4" bike the subaru outback of trail riding? (All you really need with no pose?)

Only if it has (1) manual transmission, (2) manual windows, (3) manual door locks, (4) no air-conditioning, (5) basic radio, (6) manual seat adjustment, (7) manual mirror adjustment, (8) no rear window defroster or wiper, (9) no fancy wheels or other exterior gew-gaws.

On the other hand, the new Yeti Seven should come with a $500 cell phone/bluetooth setup, and a Starbucks mug.

[frorider]

Carbon frame bits + long-travel bikes = STUPID.

:

get used to it. isn't the dogbone link in the new santa cruz v10 carbon? and some of the best DH/FR riders i've seen at the lifts are rocking carbon DH bars these days.

the problem with sweeping generalizations is that they are sweeping generalizations.

sure, as a crusty old engineer i admit to avoiding carbon fiber anywhere on my longer travel bikes, but i will try to be open-minded as CF engineering for more abusive bike applications continues to evolve.

OTOH if i put my head in the sand then i don't have to think.

[Tap]

Don't worry Tap, we don't notice the saliva on your chin from you and Arty deepthroating Turner.

dude, it has nothing to do with Turner and everything to do with the faddish/group think designing of bent top tubes in the bike industry now. I don't know....is the bent TT providing all the stiffness? Cause that's what your mom told me last night.

I would expect you to know the difference, counselor.

[Lonnie]

Only if it has (1) manual transmission, (2) manual windows, (3) manual door locks, (4) no air-conditioning, (5) basic radio, (6) manual seat adjustment, (7) manual mirror adjustment, (8) no rear window defroster or wiper, (9) no fancy wheels or other exterior gew-gaws.

Oh, come on you hard ass. Your above description is for those that own unsuspended steel SS rigs....

[frorider]

dude, it has nothing to do with Turner and everything to do with the faddish/group think designing of bent top tubes in the bike industry now. I don't know....is the bent TT providing all the stiffness? Cause that's what your mom told me last night.

I would expect you to know the difference, counselor.

i'm not a big santa cruz fan but in the interest of fairness i have to point out that the nomad hump is there to enable the piggyback dhx-air fit. i.e. since the point of hydroforming the top tube was to have it heavily flare out (for a strong/stiff junction at the head tube, w/o gussets), the upward curve shape was the result. think through it w/ a piece of paper and pencil, and given these constraints (and the high-mount DHX constraint), you too would design in some sort of hump.

not that i think shaped tubes are the holy grail or anything. i dig the lines of my transition covert -- just straight-ass tubes, w/ super low standover height and a low-riding spot for the piggy back shock.

[uncle crud]

get used to it. isn't the dogbone link in the new santa cruz v10 carbon? and some of the best DH/FR riders i've seen at the lifts are rocking carbon DH bars these days.

the problem with sweeping generalizations is that they are sweeping generalizations.

sure, as a crusty old engineer i admit to avoiding carbon fiber anywhere on my longer travel bikes, but i will try to be open-minded as CF engineering for more abusive bike applications continues to evolve.

OTOH if i put my head in the sand then i don't have to think.

And if you make false equations you can pretend to think but not really do it.

The dogbone is hidden from contact.

A chainstay/seatstay piece is where the bike gets laid down.

Care to re-think, Mr Engineer?

Next time make sure you have something to be "superior" about!

[uncle crud]

Oh, come on you hard ass. Your above description is for those that own unsuspended steel SS rigs....

Exactly!

I could get into the macroeconomic/ecological wisdom of loading one's self up with pampering yuppie toys.

But I'll leave that as a mostly unspoken but clearly implied corollary to my observations.

HINT: check the economic indicators.

[frorider]

The dogbone is hidden from contact.

A chainstay/seatstay piece is where the bike gets laid down.

!

i'm a thousand miles ahead of you on that one, but never mind. i'm the guy whose uzzi chainstay got dented last week. which is example number 23532091 of why i'm nervous about CF on exposed portions of the bike and have avoided CF.

on the other hand, as i said already, guys are riding hard at some of my local mountains (e.g. N*) w/ CF bars that are seeing HARD impacts and still holding up. it's factual observations like this that are making me question my prejudices.

my posts tend to be long, so i consciously avoided pointing out the obvious fact that dogbone = hidden from most contact and handlebars = exposed.

what you're not getting here is that i'm a crusty old timer who can, and has, preached chapter and verse on the 'avoid CF' topic...but who also realizes that it is getting used more as the engineers get it figured out. how current are you on the lahar dh frames? BCD frames? there are some people out there who strongly believe that CF is the future of DH frames. I'm not in that camp, but i will be keeping an eye on this. the Lahar-koolaid-drinking types will tell you that their traditional aluminum DH frames were essentially disposable due to metal fatigue, but that the lahar CF DH frames can , and are, used indefinitely.

CNC swinglinks and rocker arms can, and have, cracked under hard use since they're exposed to leveraged forces, so it'll be interesting to see whether CF gets used more in those parts or not.

you and i will probably be the last guys on the planet to buy a long travel CF frame years from now...

[RootSkier]

Technology is stupid.

[Particle]

Oh hell I can't handle ANOTHER UC. I've slowly gotten to tolerate, even love the original a bit, but I cannot handle TWO cunting up every thread in here!

[Rontele]

Oh hell I can't handle ANOTHER UC. I've slowly gotten to tolerate, even love the original a bit, but I cannot handle TWO cunting up every thread in here!

I think the collective got together and determined that it is called uncle cruding or "I can't believe you uncle cruded that thread! What a douche!"

[flowtron]

Total fucking crudding.

I'm slightly skeptical of CF, but when the right stuff is laid up right it can take impacts better than alu.
I don't think the engineers that are designing and speccing CF stays and bars are overlooking the fact that those parts of the bike hit the ground.

[marshalolson]

by the way, the xt shadow rear derailleur is the PIMP shit. stoked on that.

i liked the 303 alot. it was super fun, i can definately see flowtron killing it softly on that thing next race season.