Even some of the most ardent full-suspension fans like to ride a hardtail from time to time, and a lot of riders have noticed that the best 29er hardtails are easier to ride than the best 26ers. Yeti’s Big Top turned out to be one of the very best 29ers we’ve tested.
Its bump-eating efficiency, amazing stability and easy rolling rhythm instil confidence that can be translated into extra speed. Handling is constantly superb and dead neutral in all the best possible ways. The very best 29ers, and this is certainly among them, forgive rider error far more readily than 26ers, which is very appealing.
Its bump-eating efficiency, amazing stability and easy rolling rhythm instil confidence that can be translated into extra speed. Handling is constantly superb and dead neutral in all the best possible ways. The very best 29ers, and this is certainly among them, forgive rider error far more readily than 26ers, which is very appealing.
The feel: Displays superbly practical trail manners
We went for a frame rather than a full build so that we could use the Big Top as a rack for different forks and bits. It felt at its best with a 100mm-travel fork, although a 120mm-travel fork set soft maintained the neutral handling feel.
We were also amazed how forgiving the Yeti felt with a rigid fork; we tried it with Salsa’s £70 Cromoto fork and big profile tyres. The 12in bottom bracket height is a limiting factor, causing occasional pedal strikes on technical terrain, but we quickly got used to that and the low centre of gravity boosts stability.
The biggest compliment paid to the Yeti was by a tester who hadn’t realized it was a big wheeler. He asked: “What is it that makes it roll so well?” That’s the essence of the best 29ers. Initially, the bigger gear ratios and smoother roll on rough ground often make you feel as if you’re slower than you would be on a 26er.
But on a bike like the Big Top you soon realise you’re carrying speed better over rough ground, and braking less through the corners, to a point where you can leave other riders behind on sections of trail where you used to struggle.
Frame: Oozes must-have status and desirability
A tapered head tube and removable ISCG mount on the bottom bracket imply that the Big Top is meant for more than just gentle cross-country use. Despite the carbon composite rear triangle and custom butted aluminium tubes, including a scandium down tube, our frame weighed a sensibly middleweight 1986g (4.4lb).
It’s obviously designed to bolster Yeti’s reputation for building perfect tools for the job, with future proofing in mind. The reinforced head tube is embellished with the classy Yeti badge and our frame came with Chris King’s reducer lower headset race so we could plug in a 1.125in fork.
Yeti ‘chip’ dropouts are offered in standard 135mm, 142mm (for a 12mm through-axle) or adjustable singlespeed compatible versions. The front mech is direct mount only, with a tidy cover plate to blank it if you run a single ring. Bolt-on guides take winter- proof full outer cabling to the gears and there are two sets of bottle cage bosses.
Article: http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/big-top-29er-frame-11-42655
Jo no sé com Yeti fa una bike com aquesta, tipus bike de grans fàbriques.
ResponEliminaVull dir sense entrar al detall de si va bé o no és la consolidació de Yeti com a marca popular, que funciona, no diré que no, però en cap cas elitista.
Dit això qui la veia i qui la veu a Yeti, el sr. Chris Conroy en sap quelcom d'això de fer d'empresari.
Mtb, mtb, mtB.
La gran "cagada" de Yeti y pitjor entrada d´una marca en el món de les 29er. Una cuadro d´alumini amb vaines de carbono, una cosa fins al moment mai vista en la marca.
ResponEliminaHauria estat millor un cuadro fabricat integrament en alumini o posats, un cuadro 100% de carbono.
Yeti any rere any...pitjor!
Ho veig així com esmentes, cal dir però que Yeti amb el seu president ha creat un valor de marca que abans de l'arribada del Chris Conroy no tenia.
ResponEliminaBikes que funcionin, garanties en marxa, no va ser el meu cas, però és veritat que sé d'altres casos que sí els hi ha funcionat la garantia, una logística de distribució per a mi impecable, fins i tot formal, i estem parlant de Catalunya, Maresme, Mataró, és molt lluny de USA el que indica que el model d'organització és notable.
Dic tot això perquè Yeti ha deixat de ser artesà per passar a ser una empresa amb cara i ulls. Una producció artesanal pot ser una empresa, però com Moots per posar un exemple, normalment són una colla d'arreplegats fent bikes, tot i que em consta que Moots podria seguir el camí de Yeti, però Yeti ara ja fa uns vuit-deu anys que ha virat cap al model d'empresa que és avui, fa cinc anys el seu punt de mira era Santa Cruz, avui ja no, ara consolidaran i el proper pas serà fixar un punt de mira que avui a les 9 del matí no veig, a la tarda després de pensar-hi unes hores segur que sí.
Ara Yeti és una marca no una bike, el nom fa que vengui, el producte sí, és important certament però això, que les bikes funcionin és el que la mitja de bones empreses ja tenen, el client dona per sentat que la bike funcionarà, i vol quelcom més, la diferènciació, avui Yeti és diferenciació, res més.
Mtb, mtb, mtB.