Test Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Suggested Retail Price: $5000.00 CAD

Country Of Origin: Hand made in Golden, Colorado, U.S.A

Weight: 27 lbs.

Description Of The Product: The Yeit 575 is a full suspension mountain bike that is designed to perform in a variety of mountain biking conditions.  This bike is an efficient all mountain/trail bike with 5.75 inches of travel. The front triangle of the frame is made out of hydroformed aluminum, combined with a carbon fibre rear swing arm making it a stiff and responsive bike. There are five size options; x-small, small, medium, large, and x-large in four different colour options. The bike is available in three different build options; Enduro, Race, Pro XTR, all of which come with the Fox RP23 rear suspension.

Our Thoughts:  Here at mtbiking.ca we were very excited to test out the Yeti 575 mountain bike. It seemed as though this bike was designed for the kind of riding that we do on a regular basis so we were ready to put it though it's paces. In general we do a lot of trail riding with the occasional longer back country excursion, as well as the odd lift assisted downhill day. From what we could understand, the 575 was built with this type of riding in mind. The Yeti 575 is capable of doing anything on the trail and could even be used for racing. While out on a ride we ran into a fellow rider who was on a Yeti 575 who was telling us how he races his 575 in cross-country races at the elite level and performs very well. No matter what type of mountain bike you ride, setting up both the front and the rear suspensions properly before you go out on your first ride is probably the most important thing you can do. The technology that is available to us these days in terms of suspension performance is useless unless you take a few minutes to properly set up your suspensions according to what the manufacturer suggests for your weight. It is important to note that even though two different bikes might have identical suspension components, they do no necessarily have the same type of set up.

For this test we have a Yeti 575 size small with the race build, Chris King headset ($150.00 upgrade,) sporting the Yeit team turquoise colour. We found the 575 is sized quite large, and we were surprised to find out that a small was equivalent to what many manufacturers consider a medium. This is especially important information to know ahead of time prior to you buying a bike, especially if you are going to buy from an online bike shop. The hydroformed front triangle combined with the carbon fibre rear triangle make the frame very stiff and responsive. When you look at the massive top tube you can tell that this is a stiff bike that will really hold a line.

Once the bike was all together, we could not get over the quality of the build kit on the Yeti 575. Not one of the components was a no-name component. Many bike manufacturers try to cut corners by putting lower end components on the bike to save costs, but the overall quality of the bike suffers as a result. The Yeti 575 is one of the best put together bikes that we have seen in a long time. It is a fast bike so it was great having the Shimano XT brakes on it to slow it down. They are a great brake set and require very little maintenance. Another noteworthy component on the 575 is the Shimano XTR shadow deraileur. This deraileur is designed with a low profile which keeps the deraileur out of the the way from obstacles that might smash a deraileur. This low profile deraileur more than saved us a few times on the trail. We were impressed to see some premium equipment such as the Thompson X4 stem, Thompson Elite seat post and the Easton Monkey Lite carbon fibre handle bar as stock equipment on the Yeti. The Fox Float RLC 140mm fork is probably one of the best forks out there. It is very adjustable and the lockout feature is very nice as well. The Fox RP23 rear suspension perfectly complements the Fox Float RLC. It is very easy to set this shock up and has a handy propedal switch which is great to turn on when you are on long climbs. Listed below is a list of the components that came stock on the Yeti 575. The only complaint that we had with the build options on the 575, were the Maxxis tires which we changed to our personal favourite the Kenda Nevegal. This is not a major complaint because tire choice has a lot to do with the type of riding you do, along with the type of conditions that you ride in.

How does the Yeit 575 ride? The 575 exceeded our expectations here at mtbiking.ca. From the first moment we set out on the trail, you could feel that this bike was built and designed to perform. The Yeti accelerated easily without too much suspension bob and was very comfortable in a variety of trail conditions. Sitting aboard the 575, you get an impression that you can conquor all that the trail has to throw at you. It is amazing how well the bike climbs considering that it has almost 6 inches of rear travel on it. Our test bike was equipped with a Fox Float RLC with 140mm of travel, so on very steep climbs you had to weigh down the front wheel a little bit, but nothing to complain about. In many situations it climbed better than some cross-country race bikes. The only difficult part about climbing with the Yeti 575 was the anxiety that would build up waiting for the down hills. The Yeti 575 climbs as well as many race bikes but it blasts past them the first moment the trail points downhill. The Yeti 575 shines on the descents and this is where you remember that it was built in the mountains of Colorado. It climbs like a racing bike but descends like a world cup down hill racer. You feel very confident descending on the 575, and a lot of that has to do with the beautiful suspension pairing of the Fox Float RLC at the Fox RP23. The main reason why it goes downhill so well is the lateral stiffness of the frame. The hydroformed front triangle and the carbon fibre rear make the bike very stiff on lateral loads which makes it very responsive. This bike honestly makes you a better mountain biker! Sections of trail that may have been challenging to you in the past are easily cleared with confidence aboard the Yeti 575. This bike excels in every situation of mountain biking. It handles extremely well in slow technical situations such at winding switchbacks and climbs, and equally excels on fast down hills. The Yeti 575 is a bike that gets noticed on and off the trail. Once on the highway a car load of riders pointed at the bike and gave us a thumbs up! How many other bikes get noticed speeding down the highway? If you are looking for a do-it-all trail bike that is light, nimble, and just plain fun to ride, you have to go with the Yeti 575.

Suspension Front: Fox Float RLC 140mm:
Suspension Rear: Fox RP23
Hubs: DT Swiss 570
Rims: DT Swiss E540
Crankset: Shimano XT
Brakes: Shimano XT 160mm rotors
Shifters:Shimano XT
Front Der.: Shimano XT
Rear Der.: Shimano XTR
Handle Bar: Easton Monkey Lite Carbon
Stem: Thompson X4
Seat Post: Thompson Elite
Headset :Cane Creek S-3 or upgrade to Chris King For $150.00
Saddle: Yeti
Tires: Maxxis H. Roller/ Larsen TT
Grips: Yeti