2017 Yeti SB5 Beti

Build

The SB5 Beti TURQ is offered in Shimano XT, Sram X01 Eagle, and Sram XX1 Eagle build kits. All three builds come with Fox Factory Suspension, a Fox Transfer Dropper Post, and similar cockpit components. All of the major components are well chosen for an all-around trail bike that prioritizes weight and efficiency.

Yeti chose to equip the SB5 Beti with a Fox 34 Factory Fork (the lower-end Fox 34 Performance is stocked on the baseline carbon builds). At 150 mm of travel, it would be reasonable to have put a 36 on this bike, but the 34 helps to keep the weight down to maintain the bike’s climbing capabilities.

The brake/rotor combination of 180 / 160 mm (front / rear) is adequate for most descents. The 30-tooth chainring is great for steep climbs, although many riders will spin out on fast descents. The Maxxis Ardent tires (front and rear) are less aggressive than many people would expect for a bike sporting a 150mm-travel fork, but they roll nicely while going uphill. Finally, the 740 mm handlebar, which is stocked on all sizes of both the men’s and women’s TURQ SB5 bikes, is arguably a bit narrow. Plenty of people (myself included) normally run wider bars, so it’d be nice to see a wider bar in the stock spec, which could then be cut down if needed.

The SB5 Beti gets some female-specific components to make the bike better suited for women. The Fox Float Factory shock has a lighter tune for smaller riders, and while I wasn’t able to fully assess this given the limited ride time I had at Outerbike, shock tunes on unisex bikes with too much rebound damping have been a problem for me in the past, and I didn’t find that to be an issue on this bike. Given the intended audience for this bike, a lighter shock tune is always a welcome sight on a women’s-specific bike.

I really liked the WTB Deva saddle and smaller-diameter Yeti grips. However, stocking all sizes of the SB5 Beti with 170 mm crankarms is an odd choice. The men’s SB5 comes with 170 mm crankarms in the XS and S sizes, but jumps up to 175 mm for the M, L, and XL. At 5’2”, I always ride with 170 mm cranks, but I believe that women who fit a size Medium or Large frame may want 175 mm cranks.

Climbing

The SB5 Beti crushes climbs. In fact, it climbs even better than its weight would suggest. The bike handles tight switchbacks and awkward rock ledges with ease, and with stock components, it climbs very well compared to other short-travel trail bikes like the Transition Scout Carbon.

The Scout (like many other bikes in this travel category) is stocked with a few beefier components to enhance downhill performance, but the SB5 Beti blows the Scout away on the uphill.

Descending

Before diving into this section, I have one caveat. I had some issues setting up the suspension on just one ride to make the bike have small-bump compliance without bottoming out on small square-edged rocks. I ended up running the suspension stiffer at the beginning of the travel than I would normally. Once that is adjusted correctly, the bike would most likely be more planted and capable than what I experienced.

With this in mind, I found the SB5 Beti to be playful and poppy on descents. It was not, however, a bike that charges down technical trails with ease. The bike handled tight corners very well, and accelerated out of slow turns like it was even lighter than its 27.25 lbs.

The SB5 Beti rewards precise riding. It felt quite stable with the correct wheel placement, but I got thrown off line with any mistakes. I usually find that having a longer fork on a short- to mid-travel trail bike increases the margin for error of the bike, so I was surprised that the 150 mm fork didn’t seem to compensate for a shorter-travel rear end, although this observation could be due to suspension settings.

Compared to the size Small Transition Scout Carbon (140 mm travel front, 125 mm rear), the SB5 Beti is clearly better at climbing, but not as capable on descents. The Scout feels more at home hitting weird compressions and rocks at high speeds while still maintaining highly playful characteristics, but it does not accelerate out of corners as well.

Bottom Line

The Yeti SB5 Beti is fast and efficient and would be great as a trail bike for riders who spend time riding cross country trails, but who want a capable descender where it counts. The bike does not plow over rocks, but instead caters to nimble and precise riding. Although it’s longer and slacker than previous iterations, the 2017 SB5 Beti is still poppy, playful and turns on a dime. If you want a bike that climbs impressively well while still handling technical trails, the SB5 Beti is a good choice.