we`ll take you there mexico`s motherlode step aside

WE'LL TAKE YOU THERE
MEXICO’S MOTHERLODE
SURF ’N’ TURF EN EL SUR
number 41
$8.95 US $9.95 CAN
www.mountainflyer.com
STEP ASIDE, BOYS
WHY WOMEN’S RACING RULES
REMOTE, RAW, OTHER WORLDLY
HOW ICELAND WILL CHANGE YOU
THE UNGLAMOROUS LIFE
Display until April 10
OF TODD INGERMANSON
_mf tested
yeti
_asrc
Weight: 22.8
Price: $5,799
www.yeticycles.com
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Photos by Devon Balet
WHEN I GET STRESSED
ABOUT WRITING, I GO
RIDING. WRITER’S
BLOCK ALWAYS
seems to hit as I sit down to stitch together
a review. I take it pretty seriously; like any
artist or creative type, I put too much of
myself into it. That can be good, but as
framebuilder Todd Ingermanson will tell
you, artists are too sensitive. So to sweep out
the emotional cobwebs, I ride. It’s the best
part of a review, and nothing beats sneaking
away from the icy, snow-packed trails of the
western Rockies than a mid-winter jaunt to
the Fruita, Colo., desert.
On such mind-clearing rides I need a
bike that doesn’t require a lot from me—a
lightweight, stable climber; a forgiving and
fun descender; a nimble bike to lay down
some rugged cross country miles without
doubting skill or sacrificing comfort. The
Yeti ASRc is that bike.
It’s been several years since Yeti had
paid attention to its cross country-oriented
ASR. The company re-released the hardtail
ARC two years ago in carbon and with larger
wheels but hadn’t made any upgrades to
its ASR. First launched in 2001, the ASR
was a 3.7-inch-travel bike with a 69-degree
head tube angle, which was unheard of on a
cross country bike at that time. Everything
else in the category had about 2.7 inches of
travel and very traditional geometries with
71 degree head and 73 degree seat angles.
Rumor has it that Yeti didn’t release the HT
angle figure, concerned that cross country
racers wouldn’t give it a second glance. But the
bike was well-liked by the press and racers. “We have been out of the cross-country
market for several years, so it was important
that we nailed the form, fit and function of
the ASRc,” says Yeti President and co-owner
Chris Conroy. “The ASR has been a storied
bike in our line, and we raced cross country
for nearly 20 years and have produced some
greats in the sport. XC racing is in our DNA,
and we’re excited to reintroduce people to
our heritage with a bike that sports Yeti’s
progressive geometry.”
Yeti unveiled its Switch Infinity
suspension last summer on the SB5 and SB6
to rave reviews, but sticking with a single
pivot on the ASRc was a weight-savings
decision. That makes a lot of sense for an
XC race bike, and we approve. The frame
and swingarm are made of a high modulus
carbon and weighs 4.2 pounds. Our size
small built up without pedals weighed in at
22.8 pounds. (You can get an even lighter
ASRc in the XX1 Pro build with an XX1
drivetrain and Enve M50 wheels.) The light
weight was noticeable right away on climbs
and appreciated toward the end of long rides
when miles seem to shapeshift.
The frame is designed using a carbon
“dogbone” link to add stiffness to the
chassis. Integrated into the dogbone linkage
and the swingarm is the 4-inch FOX Float
CTD Boost Valve shock with trail adjust and
Kashima coat. The suspension is more than
ample for this bike’s intent. The bike remains
supple and tracks well in choppy descents. It
plays nice.
Affecting the plushness of the ride are
Yeti’s signature “loopstays,” a design that has
evolved from the first race-bred ARC. The old
ASR used a small flexible piece at the dropout,
but the built-in flex of the new bowed
seatstays helps absorb some of the chatter and
eliminates the need for a rear pivot.
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Finally, the 27.5-inch wheels (on the
smalls and extra smalls; 29-inch for the M,
L, XL) add to the bump absorption qualities.
Yeti made this move with wheel sizes a few
years back with its hardtail ARC, and it’s
a good philosophy. For Yeti designers, it
made sense to build the proportions around
rider/frame size. For a 5-foot, 2-inch rider
like myself, the smaller bikes just wouldn’t
have the same nimbleness with 29-inch
wheels. That’s what keeps this bike fun and
manageable.
The balance between snappiness and
stability is perfect. Stack comes in at 23.22
inches and reach is 15.04 inches and the
ASRc has little bit longer chainstays, 17.3
inches, and a long top tube, 22.7 inches,
so it’s a stable, comfortable bike. On the
flip side, it has that reliable, confidenceinspiring, trademark Yeti handling on the
descents. That’s a mouthful, but seriously,
Yeti makes bikes that really do the downhills
well. What went into the ASRc to keep that
feel but not take away from the climbing
capabilities of the bike? It’s long, slack and
low geometry.
People trying to categorize mountain
bikes may have a little trouble labeling the
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ASRc. Cross country, trail, cross country
with enduro leanings … blah blah blah. It
doesn’t matter. What is your favorite trail?
What kind of terrain do you like to ride? You
can get up and down anything on any bike
if you have the skills, but what type of bike
will be best suited for what you ride most?
I’m a cross country rider at heart, and
I love the fast, steppy descents and short
technical climbs, like those found in the
Kokopelli trail system near Fruita. If I were
to say I need help in one area, it would be
descending, so a bike like the ASR works in
my favor. It’s designed with a 68 degree head
tube angle and BB height of 13.04 inches,
helping keep you balanced and weighted
correctly as you drop down a moderate series
of rocky steps or push out of corners. With
lower bottom brackets, pedal strikes can be
an issue, but I didn’t find it a problem on the
ASRc. My favorite thing about this bike is
that it is nimble and handles exceptionally
well on the descents.
Helping with this up front is the Fox 32
Float CTD 120 mm fork with Kashima coat.
I didn’t ever feel the urge to change it out,
but the ASRc will also take a 140 mm travel
fork, which will give it a slacker head angle
and a higher bottom bracket, if you want
more out of the front end.
The ASRc is most well-suited to gradual
climbs versus steep technical stuff. It really
shines on routes where you can keep your
pedaling momentum strong, whether it be
the tacky ascents through the evergreen
forests of a favorite ski hill or something
like Swiss Cheese Ridge of Slickrock. That’s
not to say this bike doesn’t want to see your
aggressive side. In fact, I’d say the ASRc is
not a lazy climber’s bike on the super steep
stuff. If you’ve never been an out-of-thesaddle climber, you may pop the front wheel
on steeps if you don’t shift your balance
properly over the bottom bracket. Do it, and
the ASR will reward you.
The other factors going into this bike’s
ability to pedal long and hard are the SRAM
XO1 11-speed drivetrain, Stan’s ZTR Crest
wheels, and Maxxis Ikon rubber. The rest of
the spec is also spot on: It has a SRAM X1
1400 32T crankset; Shimano XT brakes and
Shimano Ice rotors (160 front, 160 rear),
Thomson Elite stem and seatpost, Cane
Creek 40 headset, Easton Haven Carbon 740
mm bar (which I cut down by one inch), and
the Yeti WTB Volt custom saddle. Some will
criticize this bike as being too expensive,
but I think you get a lot of value for your
money, notably because you are also buying
a lightweight bike that holds true to Yeti’s
descending heritage. The ASR is sold in four
builds: the highest-end XX1 spec; the XO1
(tested); the Race; and the Enduro; or as a
frame only.
The ASRc also features two water bottle
mounts on the top and underside of the
downtube. That’s a plus for small-sized,
full-suspension frames that often can’t even
fit a 20-ounce bottle. There is a custom
downtube guard and custom chainslap guard
for extra protection on those higher-risk
portions of the frame.
All that and it’s a good-looking bike, too.
Super clean lines and just looks right to the
eye. It has internal cable routing for a stealth
dropper; Yeti will ship with the Thomson
Covert dropper for an additional $350. Color
options are black or turquoise (which we
now just call “Yeti”).
The ASRc is a lightweight, quick bike
that will keep you comfortable throughout a
long day of cross country racing and riding.
The racer who wants a full-on cross country
bike but whose alter-ego still wants to rip the
descents will find the ASRc a good match.
–T. Ortega