Bike Scene

A frank admission: I swore off mountain bikes years ago.

That may seem a tad severe, but I’ve had my heart broken, you see. I’ve spent a ton of money on mountain bikes, only to have them ganked or crippled (2.5 of them, so far) way before their time. And to be perfectly frank, we were never a good match. While I loved gliding over narrow singletrack with the forest whizzing past only inches away, every root and stump and rut seemed to leave me on my back, looking up at the canopy and wondering if I had finally managed to break something. Bunny hops, j-hops, wheelies, nose grabs, tyre spins and all other manner of dangerous sounding maneuvers perpetually eluded me on the trail (the common endo excluded). I looked absolutely ridiculous in the wild, and absolutely overdone in the city.

After my Gary Fisher’s fork was stolen — in broad daylight, no less — I promised myself that I would never go through the heartbreak again. Yeti’s AS-R Alloy proves just how easily we forget.

[More pics after the jump]

Featuring a carbon swingarm, a Fox F100RLC fork and 3.7″ of travel, the Yeti AS-R (Active Suspension – Racing) may just give me the tools to survive those Cedar Falls potholes and Sugar Bottom ruts; the refined 7005 aluminum tube set and the efficient rear suspension design gives it enough stiffness for quick jaunts around town (along with a few Kryptonite New York locks). Shimano XT/XTR componentry (depending on the kit you select) and Mavic Crossride rims with Maxxis tubeless tyres round out the package, and ensure that I won’t get laughed off the course when I finally work up the courage to give the singletrack another try.

Buy why buy Yeti when you can get your hands on a 2009 Trek Top Fuel 8 for $2469? Well, when you buy from this company, you’re supporting the little guy and you’re buying American, two admirable activities. According to a 2005 Mountain Bike review of an earlier AS-R iteration:

“Yeti churns out about 2,500 frames a year from its Golden, Colorado facility. (To get an idea of how small Yeti is: Cannondale churns out 300,000 frames a year in its Bedford, Pennsylvania factory.)”

Note that Cannondale has since moved a great chunk of its production to Asia, so Lord only knows how many frames they’re spitting out now. Double note: Golden, Colorado is the home of Coors, which I am told is the “Banquet Beer,” so that’s gotta count for something.

But enough talk; where’s the money shots?

If you’re anything like me, the frame choice is obvious. Now excuse me while I head to the bank to cash out $3,440 worth of saving bonds from my grandparents, since this will obviously not be of interest to any IC bike thieves.

[Yeti Cycles]