THERE ARE SO MANY KINDS OF BIKES BECAUSE WE like to ride in so many ways. And that specificity allows us to optimize the riding experience in ever-smaller slices. But there is still much to be praised about an excellent multipurpose bike.
Consider the trail bike, the closest we get to an all-arounder mountain bike today. These bikes climb and descend well and are competent in lower-angle topography, something capable in a wide range of terrains. Trail bikes get wedged between racing categories, with cross-country on one side and gravity (downhill and enduro) on the other.
While those bookends have somewhat clear and specific parameters required for elite-level performance, trail bikes get tasked with doing a bit of everything. It's hard enough to try and be one bike for everything, but mix in a literal planet's worth of terrain and riders, and it becomes clear why there are so many different answers to the question "What is the best trail bike?"
An answer from Yeti is the SB120. More accurately, the SB120 is one of three answers from Yeti: The others are the SB140 and SB140 LR. Any one of the three can be the correct answer, but the SB120 is the trio's most complex and interesting bike.
The new SB120-a 29-inch-wheeled trail bike with 120mm of rear travel and a 130mm fork-takes the place of the SB115 (115mm rear/130mm front) as Yeti's shortest-travel full-suspension offering. But the SB120 is more accurately the progeny of the 2015 Yeti SB4.5c, the brand's first 29er featuring its signature Switch Infinity link. The 4.5c had 114mm of rear travel paired with a 140mm fork and was a lively all-purpose trail bike.
This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats
Indoor cycling and virtual racing are booming, and so are the ranks of digital dopers abusing the platforms.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE
A lifelong roadie tries singletrack for the first time. It did not go as planned.
THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY
It was a sunny day in the summer of 2022. There were some things I had to move into the house, so I left the garage door open. I was gone less than 15 minutes.
YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way.
THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICEa-month cyclist.
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE
CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare.
BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE
LIFE'S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.
CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E
EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.
