The Yeti SB115, a bike made for going fast uphill, that doesn’t suck going back downhill.

Why the Yeti SB115?

Not too long ago, Yeti launched the SB100. It was consequently raced to the top step of the podium at the BC Bike Race by Geoff Kabush. Geoff described the bike as “XC-ish.” Well, now it has an even more “Ish” big brother. And just so we are all on the same page, I’m stealing the term “XC-ish.” Think of the SB115 as the Lunch Ride version of an SB100. As of the launch, the SB115 is an addition to Yet’s lineup rather than an SB100 replacement. The new SB115 runs a little more travel, it’s a tiny bit slacker and a tiny bit longer due to a longer travel fork, rather than a longer reach number. Yeti didn’t go whole hog on the long, low and slack thing here. If you’re into that, check out their other bikes. If you place a big priority on climbing performance and an agile ride, stick around.

Yeti makes a Lunch Ride version of their SB130 that packs a little more travel and runs burlier components than the standard kit. The SB115 is kind of like that. It’s an XC-ish bike that doesn’t hold you back on the descents. It uses its 115mm of rear travel very efficiently and effectively. It’s paired to a 130mm Fox 34 on all builds with Turq builds getting the Factory version and Carbon builds using Performance level suspension. All of the high-end build kits come with Sram drivetrains with some Shimano XT and SLX mixed in at the lower price points. As of launch the SB115 comes in five builds ranging from $4,700 to $9,900 with all the upgrades.

The SB115 runs on Yeti’s Switch Infinity suspension platform — those two rails you see near the cranks on all of Yeti’s bikes. It allows for them to dial in the ride characteristics of the bike. As the rear wheel cycles through its travel, the main pivot slides up and down on those rails. Switch Infinity has been one of our favorite suspension platforms at the shop. It’s very efficient, supportive and great for providing traction. It usually doesn’t give the most plush ride quality — it’s not harsh, just firm and supportive. If you prefer to go fast, you’re going to love it.

Who is The Yeti SB115 for?

We’ve been seeing a lot of this type of bike announced recently — the Revel Ranger, Transition Spur and now the SB115. It’s a really cool category for our area. They are efficient climbers, capable descenders and cover a wide variety of terrain. If you place an emphasis on uphill performance, but don’t want to sacrifice comfort and confidence, the SB115 is an excellent option, as long as you don’t have delusions of grandeur about riding Red Bull Rampage on your XC bike. With the right components and tires you can build this bike up as a light XC bike with a little extra travel, or go burlier and run it as your trail bike — it’s super versatile in that regard. I have two defining trails in mind when it comes to how versatile a bike is. Would it be good for cranking out a fast lap on the Crest? Would I ride Moab’s Captain Ahab on it? I can say yes to both of those about the SB115.

Stay tuned for a full first ride review. We have SB115s in stock and our demo fleet is on the way.