mountainbike yeti Yeti SB165 C2 Bike

The Yeti SB165 C2 Bike is built around a straightforward premise: a 165mm long-travel mountain bike shouldn't make you choose between descending capability and the ability to pedal to where you need to go. Yeti designs the SB165 to do both without meaningful compromise — which is a harder engineering brief than it sounds when you're building around a coil shock and 170mm of front travel. The bike has been validated at the highest level of the sport, competing at Red Bull Rampage, and that pedigree runs through every part of the design. The C2 is the entry point into the SB165 lineup, built on the same C-Series carbon frame and Switch Infinity suspension as the higher-tier builds.

The suspension is the story. Switch Infinity is Yeti's patented translating-pivot design, in which the main pivot slides vertically in a channel rather than being fixed in place. That movement changes the suspension's kinematics dynamically as the shock moves through its travel — it's how Yeti achieves pedaling efficiency and progressivity in the same package that a conventional fixed-pivot design would struggle to deliver. On the SB165, Switch Infinity has been recalculated specifically around coil spring kinematics: the leverage rate curve is tuned for the Fox Factory DHX2 coil shock rather than adapted from an air shock platform. The result is 22% progressivity — the most in Yeti's lineup — which translates to early small-bump sensitivity and solid bottom-out resistance when the terrain demands it. A patented two-piece shock wishbone moves the shock forward in the frame to allow a wider range of shock compatibility, reduce stand-over height, and improve downtube clearance.

The frame uses C-Series carbon — Yeti's mid-tier layup, with their higher-grade Turq series reserved for the top builds in the lineup. More significant than the carbon grade is how Yeti handles size scaling: each frame size uses its own carbon layup, independently tuned to deliver consistent torsional stiffness from Small to XL. On a bike that sees the lateral loading of enduro riding, rear triangle flex would compromise suspension behavior, bearing life, and feedback to the rider. The Switch Infinity linkage sits in a compact housing that has been reduced in size on this generation for improved ground clearance and a lower center of mass. The bottom bracket shell is threaded aluminum with integrated ISCG-05 tabs — more durable and easier to service than press-fit. Internal cable routing runs through sealed entry and exit points, keeping lines protected from mud and debris and eliminating rattle regardless of drivetrain type.

The geometry is built around a deliberate mullet wheel setup — 29" front, 27.5" rear — not as a trend adoption but as a functional choice. The smaller rear wheel shortens the effective chainstay and shifts weight balance toward the rear, counteracting the front-heavy tendency of long-travel bikes on steep, technical features. Chainstays run from 433mm on the Small to 439mm on the XL — shorter than a full 29" setup would allow at this travel. The 63.5° head tube angle is consistent across all four sizes, giving confident steering on steep descents without inducing the vague, lazy feel that comes with ultra-slack geometry. The effective seat tube angle runs between 76.8° and 76.9°, keeping the rider centered over the pedals on long approaches. A 44mm fork offset on the Fox 38 reduces wheel flop when pedaling.

The C2 build pairs the SB165 frame with a Fox Performance 38 fork at 170mm of travel and the Fox Factory DHX2 coil shock. Drivetrain is SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed — a 30T chainring against a 10-52T cassette covers everything from steep approach climbs to descending. SRAM Code R four-piston brakes run 220mm front and 200mm rear SRAM Centerline rotors. Wheels are DT Swiss E1900 at 30mm internal width, wearing a Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5" up front and Maxxis Minion DHR II 27.5x2.4" in the rear. The cockpit is Burgtec throughout — Ride Wide Alloy Enduro bars at 780mm and an Enduro MK3 stem — with ODI Elite Pro grips. The OneUp dropper post runs 150mm on the Small, 180mm on the Medium, and 210mm on Large and XL. Available in Raw Gloss and Spruce, in sizes S through XL.