Yeti SB140 LR T2 TURQ Review

Should I Buy This Bike?

Yeti calls it Any Trail, Any Time geometry, but is it for any rider? If you appreciate the nuances of finely tuned suspension, don't mind paying for a premium product, and aren't concerned with the latest fads in trail bike tech, absolutely. The ride quality and suspension performance are sublime and amongst the best we've ever tested. Yeti nailed the design and engineering of this bike; we found it comfortable, efficient, and confidence inspiring. Riding this bike on trails feels more reactive; it rewards your focus and finesse. The Yeti never felt like too much bike, never giving up its athletic stance to rely on its size or headtube angle. Big hits and deep stroke impacts aren't where this bike excels, but it doesn't disappoint in those areas.

There are some great bikes in this category, and features like frame storage and adjustable geometry are becoming more common. Why do you need to adjust the geometry if it's perfect? Maybe you don't, but the feature's versatility is hard to refute. If you're a trail rider who thinks about your bike's kinematics, you geek out over suspension setup, or you want to treat yourself, spend more than a few minutes aboard the SB140; the bike is superb!

This bike is incredibly stable at speed; modern, longer wheelbases challenge our ideas about how fast you can ride a trail bike. The bike climbs like it has a flexible tank track for a rear wheel, and while the suspension is incredibly active during the ascent, it never feels inefficient. The pedal platform feels high and supportive, while the shock seems to react to the ground, not the rider. Yeti's Switch Infinity suspension utilizes a pair of Kashima-coated sliders to create a modified single-pivot design. This enhances the bike's anti-squat properties and provides deeper isolation for the drivetrain during travel. The bike also has an increased leverage ratio, which helps initiate the shock's movement.

The 34.9-seat tube is a touch shorter on this model, giving riders more dropper room, but it still seems longer than needed. Our 5'10" lead tester was able to use the 200mm dropper in our Large test bike, but just barely. Our test bike ran DT Swiss XM1700 wheels and Fox Factory suspension. The 35.0 carbon bar is 780mm wide, and the Burgtec stem puts them 45mm ahead of the steerer. Wheel upgrades are available with each of the Yeti build kits.

This bike shares many similarities with other modern trail bikes, but let's look at where Yeti dared to be different. Adjustable geometry would be the elephant in the room, but Yeti says the bike is perfect as is. To be fair, the ride quality is spectacular; why would you change it? Maybe you'd like to take that trail bike to the bike park or maybe saddle up for a huge distance event. The appeal of adjustable geometry is undeniable, but is it necessary? It's a similar story with the frame storage; anyone using it on a modern trail bike has experienced a ride with less stuff hanging on their waist, but is it really needed? We have no shortage of other ways to carry tools and water. Riding with fewer things strapped to your body is certainly nice, not a deal breaker. Should you sacrifice the adjustable geometry and frame storage to make the SB140 your new trail bike, you're in for a real treat.

Frame Design

When Yeti replaced the SB5.5 with the SB130 in 2018, mountain bikers took notice. Yeti has a history of great riding bikes, but the SB130 was special; it's celebrated as one of the best riding trail bikes of the era. Updating that bike was a serious and daunting task, but the folks at Yeti nailed its replacement. SB140, as the name would imply, gets an extra 10mm of travel and a slightly increased leverage ratio.

The Switch Infinity system has been bulked up on the TURQ models with new bearings and seals, which will extend its service life. Also, bearings have been repositioned from the carbon frame parts into the aluminum linkages, where servicing is much easier. New for this model are a threaded bottom bracket and Universal Derailleur Hanger, the former making bb service much easier while the ladder was necessary for use with SRAM Transmission. The shock runs from the middle of the top tube to the seat tube and rear end via a two-piece wishbone shock extender. The wishbone pushes the shock further forward than it normally sits, opening up space for other shock options and allowing easy access to its mounting bolts.

In a nod to how dialed the SB130 geometry was the SB140 geometry is only slightly tweaked. The new head tube is 0.1-degree slacker, the reach is 4.4mm longer, and the seat tube is .5 degrees steeper. The chain stays grew by 7mm, giving us a wheelbase that is 12.6mm longer. Stack has increased by 7mm, and the seat tube has been trimmed by a scant 10mm, which is nice but just barely gave your tester the room needed for the 200mm dropper.

Our size Large has 485mm of reach and a 65-degree head tube angle, which feels middle of the road for trail bike geometry in 2023. The effective seat tube angle is 77 degrees, which also feels middle of the road. Head and seat tube angles on non-Lunch Ride models are 65.4 and 77.5, respectively. Yeti specs the bike with size-specific chainstays starting at 436mm for small frames and topping out at 444mm for XXL; the stays on our Large measure 440mm. Cable routing has been improved with terminals that stop the cables from rattling, and the downtube has been contoured to provide 34mm of additional ground clearance, a welcome change for technical riders.

We tested the LR T2 build (formerly T1 X0) with the TURQ carbon frame, which is about 225 grams lighter than Yeti's C series frames. Yeti says the weight savings in TURQ come from utilizing only the highest quality carbon fiber. The TURQ frame can be had ala carte for $4400 while the C series is only available as a complete bike and helps Yeti offer this design at a lower price point.

Design Highlights

• Comes in TURQ carbon fiber and standard carbon

• 29-inch wheels

• 150mm fork or 160mm (Lunch Ride) fork

• Size-specific chainstays

• Internal cable routing with secure terminals

• Threaded bottom bracket

• Available in 5 sizes (XXL)

• Universal Derailleur Hanger

• Excellent suspension setup guide using Yeti's website

Downhill Performance

This bike descends with confidence and poise, always feeling stable and balanced. The frame's new rear triangle and updated Switch Infinity track quite well, losing some of the wagging rear end of the SB130. While that feel has tightened up, the decoupling of drivetrain and suspension forces feels even more evident when putting down the power or under heavy braking. Traction is phenomenal on this platform; the bike felt sticky and perfectly dampened, giving predictably heroic cornering. The LR stands for Lunch Ride, and those bikes get the Fox Factory 160mm fork with a Grip2 damper instead of the standard 150mm with Fit4 damping. They also get the Fox Factory Float X shock instead of the Fox Factory DPS shock. The extra travel up front gives the bike a touch more confidence.

Sixty-five degrees doesn't feel so slack at 40 mph and requires a little faster reaction time than some slacker bikes we've been riding lately. We enjoyed all-day alpine epics on this bike; its mild manners make it an excellent choice for technical rides that give a bit of everything. The stack is still fairly low, and the headtube angle is conservative, so at higher speeds, the rider can't hide behind the front end or crush a poorly planned line. This bike rewards precision and performed flawlessly in all but the nastiest of our testing. Fox Factory suspension is a highlight, and nothing about this bike distracted from its trail bike capabilities. It's not our top choice for bike park laps or aggressive trail slashing.

Uphill Performance

This bike absolutely excels in technical climbing! If you like to claw away at challenging trail sections and ride the “impossible” climbs, this is your bike. From the pedaling platform to the bite of the tread in the soil, the whole bike comes together for propulsion. The anti-squat is supportive, but the shock remains ultra-sensitive even as your pedaling forces vary greatly. The seat tube is moderately steep in all but the sharpest pitches, while the headtube angle keeps the bike from wallowing on the climbs. The bike has a bit of forward bias, so your weight is upfront and engaged while climbing. Handlebars at 780mm feel appropriate and keep the cockpit tight. Perched on that 77-degree seat tube is an efficient spot for laying down the power, but don't let your form get lazy. Again, the bike rewards precision; we had to keep our weight low and forward to keep the magic alive in the steepest sections.

The pedaling platform shines when you get out of the saddle; the bike feels supportive but eager to climb. The bottom bracket height is refreshingly high (342mm) and helped us keep the pedals off the ground in the technical sections. Modern trail bikes tend to bury the bb as low as possible to enhance cornering capabilities, but it's detrimental to those who like to ride the hard scrambles.

Photo Tour

Value

For those of you paying attention, bike prices are falling from those meteoric pandemic highs; they're still quite expensive, but competition keeps prices in check. Yeti builds some very expensive bikes; some might even call them luxury items, but this build feels reasonably priced in today's market. Without adjustable geometry, you don't have many ways to change this bike's personality. Do the people buying adjustable geometry bikes utilize the adjustability? We can't be sure. Would we like this bike even more if it had a drop-in headset angle adjustment or some frame storage? Probably. While those features would help us feel we're getting a better value, the bike never felt like it needed a change.

Conclusion

For most trail conditions, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better riding bike. For technical trail riding, this bike is a precision instrument that finesses you through the woods. This bike doesn't pack that enduro bravado; it's a touch timid in the steepest drops but doesn't lose composure. Traction is this bike's real strong suit, and its ability to maintain grip inspires confidence, making you a better rider. If your budget has you considering the SB140, we recommend one of the kits using Sram Transmission. This test bike was not Transmission-equipped, but after testing multiple bikes with the drivetrain, it's clear there is a new era of drivetrains. Finally, if you've made it this far in the review, thank you; we recommend this bike!