YETI 160E T1

Five years in the making, will Yeti's e-bike debut delight disappoint its dedicated fans?

- Danny Milner

£11,899 / 29in / silverfish-uk.com

NEED TO KNOW

• Yeti's first e-bike gets 160mm travel, 29in wheels, a Shimano EP8 motor and 630Wh battery
• Sixfinity six-bar suspension design manipulates the virtual pivot point through the travel to tune anti-squat characteristics
• Adjustable leverage rate, via three mounting points on the bottom shock mount
• Two build options: the T1 here, and C1 for £9,499: both use the same Turq series full carbon frame

Yeti has never had to worry about making an undesirable bike - every model in its back catalogue has been lusted after since the very first FRO- and yet its marketing is among the most compelling in the world. Visit the Yeti website and I challenge you not to be nodding your head in approval, dribbling onto your keyboard and reaching for your credit card.

Yet I suspect the Colorado brand must have had a crisis of confidence during the development of its very first e-bike, since it has taken a lengthy five years to get from drawing board to showroom floor. Watch the slick video charting the development process and scroll down the product page and you'll come away with the impression that Yeti didn't want to release the 160E until it was just right. Perfect, even. But since product perfection is pure folly, and development is a continual process (you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a 160E V2 in a few years time), my hunch is that it wanted to see the (mostly North American) market soften in its opinion of e-bikes before entering the lion's den. Once Santa Cruz had taken that flak, and people actually started questioning the lack of a Yeti e-bike, the time was right.