Best Climbing Long Travel Bike of 2021

The Yeti SB150 always impresses with its climbing ability and an easy selection as the Best Climbing Long Travel Bike of 2021. Without going overboard on the modern geometry side of things, Yeti has produced a competent climber that is still really aggressive on the downhills. The Infinity Switch system even got an upgrade making the bike more robust. The added suspension makes the bike really playful in the rough and rowdy sections of trails and it has just become a really good all-arounder.

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See Our Best Long Travel Mountain Bike Review 2021 Article HERE!

When a company calls its product “race-bred,” it’s easy to figure out what the main purpose of the product is. For Yeti, it was getting the SB150 to go fast both up and down the hill. The SB150 has won a lot of races around the world in a variety of racing styles, which helps to show that it is quite a bike. With Yeti’s Switch Infinity system, the uphill pedaling is snappy and powerful while still being a downhill monster. There’s a lot to like about the SB150 and the climbing prowess has made it our Best Climbing Long Travel Bike of 2021.

The Bike

Built around Yeti’s trademark Infinity Switch platform the SB150 seems to know bumps and drops are coming before they arrive. This not only helps while pedaling but also keeps the wheels planted when you want them and in the air when the time is right. The numbers are modern with a 77-degree seat tube angle, 64.5-degree head tube angle and short 433mm chainstays. You can also store a water bottle in the front triangle so that’s a win.

There is a small fender for the Infinity Switch and a large downtube guard to keep the bike looking mint. The chainstay also has a small guard but it could be a little burlier to keep the noise down. As for cable routing there is a small compartment on the downtube for easy access and cable management, the cables are free to rattle around however and that could have been prevented with some rubber entry points.

Climbing

Yeti is known as a brand that makes good pedallers. The SB 150 is no different. The anti-squat created by the Switch Infinity keeps the bike moving and rolling without getting stuck up on roots or rock edges. The chainstay is 433mm across sizes, with a fairly long reach of 480mm on a large frame. The reach isn’t as bad with the 77-degree seat tube angle to keep the rider centered and able to keep the front wheel down.

Downhill

The bike itself has been tested to suit DH standards for the frame. They even created a thicker head tube for more durability. The bike also has taken the “longer, lower, slacker” mantra of newer bikes fairly seriously. With a head tube angle of 64.5-degrees, it’s slack—really slack. The fork has some extra travel as well that will keep everything buttery while smashing rock gardens and zipping around berms.

This bike is great for building confidence on fast and choppy downhill trails. It keeps the rider in a low but controlled position, and the wheelbase is long enough for solid stability at speed. As mentioned earlier, it has been used in a lot of enduro-style races and has won a lot of those races on the Enduro World Series circuit, which is nothing to shake a stick at. For a weekend warrior rider, it still is an excellent bike that will handle pretty much anything thrown at it on the descents.

Build Options

The three TURQ series carbon cost between $7,400 and $9,400. The most expensive option comes with the SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain but not much else differs across the builds, which is cool to see. Usually, there is often quite a difference in components across price brackets, but not so much with the SB150. One area of improvement we have seen from various reviewers is that the wheels could be burlier for the style of riding that the bike will provide.

The Bottom Line

Yeti has again improved a bike to become more versatile without compromising the original bike’s climbing prowess. They did the same with the Yeti SB115, and as a result, Yeti remains one of the best climbing bikes on the market. All of this helped it become our Best Climbing Long Travel Bike of 2021.

The slacker geo has also allowed the bike to become more stable and sporting on the downs, especially in the rough stuff. While this bike has been developed to tear up the enduro world, it would still make for a solid one quiver bike if your local trails are a bit rowdy and rocky. It is always great to see Yeti producing such excellent bikes with excellent pedaling, proving that you can have your cake and eat it too, even if the cake has a 170mm fork.

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