Review: Yeti Goes Long With the Ultra-Adjustable LT

By MTBSA contributor

Yeti is often associated with their race bikes, and for good reason. The SB160 might be the most successful single model of enduro race bike to date, with a dominant pedigree preceding it. In keeping with that heritage, the brand's new long-travel chassis aims to stay quick between the tape, but add some latitude for a wider range of setup options.

The LT is a huge step for Yeti on a few fronts. Not only is it the most adjustable production bike they've made to date, but it features geometry you'd hardly expect from a traditionally conservative brand, and even marks the departure from their synonymous Switch Infinity suspension layout.

Yeti LT Details

• Travel: 160mm / 170mm fork

• 29" or MX wheels

• Carbon fibre frame

• 63.5-64° head angle, 77-77.5° seat angle

• 435-510mm reach, 620-650mm stack

• 439-475mm chainstay length

• Price: $8,400 - $10,200 USD

• Actual weight: 36.6lb (16.6 kg) / 16.6kg (XL, stock X0 build)

• yeticycles.com

I owned an SB160 for a couple years, and recently spend a lot of time on the Bosch-powered LTe. Both are obvious precedents for this bike, and represent two very impressive takes on their respective genres. As a result, I came into the LT test with very high expectations and excitement. Many of those expectations were met, but some remained elusive - dig in to learn more about the many faces of the LT.

MTBSA's Take

| A bike this adjustable can be hard to pin down, but the LT's core trait shines through just about every permutation. Speed and stability are the primary goals, achieved through some very progressive geometry and a uniquely supportive suspension platform. It may not be the comfiest way down the hill, but it's certainly one of the quickest, and may just be one of the best-cornering XL frames I've ridden to date.— MTBSA contributor

Frame Details

As you might expect, the LT is a fancy carbon machine, with some well-considered details and clean lines. Hiding within that polish is a massive amount of adjustment, but I'll touch on those elements more in the geometry and suspension details. Rear wheel size can be altered without affecting either of those elements, thanks to a flip chip at the seatstay / rocker link intersection. That said, there is a special third option in that adjustment, but more on that later.

Yeti implemented their easy internal routing on the LT, with guided tubes running your brake, dropper, and shift lines all through the frame, with clamps at entry and exit to keep things quiet. Within the downtube armour, there's a small hatch to help route the dropper post, as well as a clever little stash spot for a Tile or Airtag, should you want to keep track of your hefty investment.

In keeping with Yeti's precedent over the past few generations of bikes, the frame alignment is top notch, with easy access to all pivot hardware to keep things in check. Despite a massive volume of riding so far, the pivots on my LT have stayed impressively secure, with only one torque check required after the initial break-in.

New to Yeti is the inclusion of in-frame storage, which they're referring to as the Cavity. It features a very nice molded door with a roller cam mechanism to tighten the hatch, keeping things secure and quiet even with a full bottle on top. For the traditionalists out there, there's an accessory mount on the underside of the top tube.

Where Yeti tends to offer their bikes in either a standard carbon layup or a lighter, more expensive to manufacture Turq layup, the LT will only be available with the latter build quality. The difference here comes down to weight, with the Turq frames offering the same stiffness and durability as a standard layup, but with a more efficient structure. To improve durability in high-impact areas, the frame features plies of Vectran, a high strength liquid-crystal polymer that can withstand more blunt force than carbon.

Geometry

Looking at Yeti's SB-series bikes from the past few years, their approach to geometry has typically fallen into the appropriate but conservative category. Most of the dimensions revolved around the middle of the size range, with chainstay length, stack, and headtube length all scaling slightly as you moved up or down in the size range. Coming into the LT review, I half expected the same approach, but was pleasantly surprised when I was met with one of the most progressive carbon frames I've ridden to date.

Like so many elements of the LT, there are many adjustments to be made here, so I'll try to touch on each option as we go through the geo chart. First off, the simple things: 64° head angle in 29" and MX modes, 63.5° in MX Slack mode. The seat tube angle follows suit, at 77.5° in the standard wheel size settings, and 77° in Slack. The other key change with that setting is the bottom bracket height (and resultant stack change), with the MX Slack position dropping the BB from 350mm to 344mm.

Though the seat tube angles might not seem to be the steepest on paper, the high anti-squat pedaling platform keeps you quite high in travel, yielding a steeper-feeling seated position than you might expect. The actual seat tube angles also get steeper as the sizes get larger, so those with a mile of seatpost are better positioned.

Moving to the back of the bike, and that's where things get really exciting. The LT's chainstays grow significantly with each size, ranging from 439 to 465mm across the range. Beyond that, every bike ships with a +10mm bolt-on dropout, that can take you even further if desired. Compared to the SB160's 2mm change per size, this is a stark difference, and should actually provide a balanced feel for the full range of sizes.

On top of all the baked-in adjustments, the LT also utilizes a ZS44/56 headset to allow for some aftermarket adjustment of head angle and/or reach.

With the relatively high bottom bracket, the LT's stack heights are a bit lower than other contemporary bikes in the 160-170mm range. Headtubes are fairly short, so plan on a stack of spacers or higher rise bars to bring that front end up if that's your preference. Ultimately, the bottom bracket height is the better means to control this fit, so dropping the bike in the MX Slack mode will be your best bet if a roomier standing position is the desired outcome.

Suspension Design

The headline here is Yeti's move away from their Switch Infinity layout, which has been a core element to their pedal bikes for a few generations now. The LT adopts the Sixfinity six-bar design, utilized on Yeti's eMTB models for some time now. They initially implemented the Sixfinity layout due to the packaging constraints a motor and battery bring about, but quickly found that they could achieve some desirable outputs with that more complex linkage. With the development of their Special Projects DH bike, the concept was pushed even further, leading to the implementation you see here.

As is clearly a theme with this bike, the suspension features a 3-way leverage adjustment, similar to that seen on their MTe and LTe e-bikes. A set of interchangeable chips at the lower shock mount allow you to set the bike in 15, 20, or 25% progression modes, with a setup calculator to help find a happy starting place in each position. Worth noting, there isn't a setup recommendation for volume spacers in the shock, so you'll want to sort through that on your own to find the sweet spot.

Yeti did build upon their previous designs to arrive at the LT's suspension outputs, but the bike is very much a beast of its own when it comes to the little details. When compared to the LTe - a bike that we lauded for its incredible suspension performance - the LT has much higher anti-squat, and lower leverage across the three options, crossing over at the 25% mark.

To cut back on that anti-squat's impact on suspension feel while descending, the LT does ship with the DT Swiss Degrees of Freedom rear hub, which allows the user to adjust the deadband between 0°, 10°, and 20° options. 10° felt like a nice do-all position, with less of a detrimental impact on climbing, and a quieter feel on the descents.

The SB160 sets the precedent for much of the LT's performance, with 17% progression, a similar starting leverage to the LT's 20% position, and fairly high anti-squat as well. The LT differs both in adjustability and when it comes to anti-rise, where Yeti chose to stick to a lower value throughout travel, freeing up the suspension under braking and reducing any squat that may occur.

Beyond the kinematic goals, durability was a driving factor for the move to the six-bar layout. Though there are more bearings throughout the linkage, the bracing and load distribution between each of those pivot points is greatly reduced, hopefully yielding longer lifespans for those constituent parts. According to Yeti, this has been the case with the utilization on their eMTB and DH platforms, dating back to the 160e release in 2021.

One final suspension detail to touch on is the fork compatibility. Yeti is on board for dual-crown forks aboard the LT, all the way up to 190mm. As someone who can't leave well enough alone, I gave it a try just to see how things went. As you'd probably expect, the front end of the bike was very comfy, but felt a bit at odds with the 160mm of frame travel. Even at the lowest insertion point, the dual crown does rake out the head angle a fair bit as well, so expect a higher bottom bracket and head angle in the 62-63° range. For those looking for something a bit less extreme, you can run the LT with single crown forks from 170mm up to 190mm.

Specifications

Release Date | 2026 |

Price | $10200 |

Travel | 160mm |

Rear Shock | Fox Factory Float X2 |

Fork | Fox Factory 38 Grip X2 170mm |

Headset | Cane Creek 40 |

Cassette | SRAM X0 T-Type |

Crankarms | SRAM X0 T-Type |

Chainguide | MRP AMG SL |

Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB |

Rear Derailleur | SRAM X0 T-Type |

Chain | SRAM X0 T-Type |

Shifter Pods | SRAM AXS Pod |

Handlebar | Yeti Carbon 35x780mm 35mm Rise |

Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK4 35x42.5mm |

Grips | ODI Reflex |

Brakes | SRAM Maven Silver |

Wheelset | DT Swiss EXC1700 EVO DEG DF |

Hubs | DT Swiss DEG DF |

Tyres | Schwalbe Gravity Pro Albert Soft / Schwalbe Trail Pro Magic Mary Ultra Soft |

Seat | WTB Solano Chromoly |

Seatpost | Fox Transfer 31.6mm |

Test Bike Setup

Beyond the wide range of adjustments baked into the LT's frame, there are still the ubiquitous adjustments you can make to any bike to better tailor things to your specific use case. Though the stock build kit is quite good, I did make a couple tweaks to dial in my preferences.

The stock tyre setup (Trail Radial Magic Mary, Gravity Radial Albert) is fine, but felt undergunned for the bike's potential. For me, the Trail casing is far too squirmy for use on a long-travel bike that can transfer so much force to the front wheel. I bumped up to a Gravity casing Mary up front, and swapped in a Gravity casing Tacky Chan out back for better braking and cornering performance. Beyond that, a slightly higher-rise handlebar (40mm) and a bigger chainring (32t) was all it took to get things feeling right.

MTBSA contributor

Location: Bellingham, WA, USA

Height: 6'3" / 191cm

Inseam: 34" / 86cm

Weight: 185 lbs (83.9 kg) / 84 kg

Industry affiliations / sponsors: None

Instagram: @danger_dario

A note on Yeti's setup calculator: it's quite good. I found the shock pressures to be a great starting point, and only deviated from their damper settings a little bit. I tended to run a more open LSR adjustment, and was within 1 or 2 clicks on HSR, LSC, and HSC. Despite the many adjustments on tap, I often found myself close to the middle of the adjustment range, with room to play.

Testing Info

The LT saw a huge range of terrain, joining me on a roadtrip through the BC interior and Sea to Sky corridor. From a few big days at the Sun Peaks bike park to some big laps in Whistler and Pemberton, it wasn't wanting for variety. Beyond that, the majority of miles were racked up at home in Bellingham, on jump trails, steep lines, and plenty of fast singletrack.

For those jonesing for every last bit of tech chat, this video is for you. I run through a variety of setup parameters, my thoughts on how they differ, and a few tweaks I've made along the way to get the LT running just right.

Climbing

Yetis are often associated with a supportive and intuitive climbing feel, and that holds true on the LT. Despite a very large footprint and fairly heavy build weight, the big rig feels even keeled under heavy efforts and spinning alike, efficiently using only as much travel as need be to keep your efforts translating forward. Despite having a firm feel and very high anti-squat, the rear wheel maintains surprisingly good grip, preventing burnouts or sketchy moments when trying to clean tech climbs. That could partly be due to the radial tyres, which do an impressive job of conforming to tricky terrain, but regardless it performs well.

With a relatively high bottom bracket and 165mm cranks, pedal strikes aren't much of a concern on the LT. Add to that the supportive suspension, and you can spin through some pretty junky terrain without much worry. That should suit most riders, especially those who don't want to have to make powerful moves through tricky sections to avoid placing a pedal wrong - something more often required on lower-slung bikes.

Though the seat tube angle might not seem like the steepest on paper, I found the LT to be very comfortable for seated climbing, both on lower-angle climb trails and heinously steep pitches alike. The latter is helped by the long rear centre, which reduces your need to shift weight over the front of the bike to keep the wheel pinned down. Again, the high anti-squat plays a role here, keeping your weight higher in travel and reducing unwanted sag over the rear axle.

From a race perspective, I think the LT does a good enough job of staving off too much fatigue over the course of a long day of pedaling. After racking up plenty of average 3-to-4,000-foot (1,219 m) climbing days, and one particularly spirited 8,000-foot (2,438 m) day, I can attest to its efficiency, despite weighing north of 37 pounds as I have it built. Sprinting efforts are surprisingly well-rewarded, with a snappy return of energy that you don't always get on a bike in this travel range.

Descending

Surprise, surprise, the big long Yeti is quite fast. That attribute shouldn't be too much of a shock to people, given Yeti's focus on speed between the tape and results on the world stage. That said, the LT doesn't necessarily feel like a race bike first and foremost. Yes, it can comfortably carry as much speed as you're willing to tolerate, but the adjustability, body position, and overall stoutness of the bike feel more multifaceted than something like the SB160. The common thread is there, but each setting does alter things pretty significantly.

I'll start with geometry. This might just be the best-cornering XL I've ridden to date, thanks in no small part to the long chainstays. Even in the short mode, the XL's 465mm stays never leave you wanting for front wheel grip, regardless of the geo flip chip position. In the MX Slack mode, the longer 475mm stays give you a massive wheelbase, and a stability on high-speed trails that few single crown bikes I've ridden can match. That MX Slack mode ended up being my overall preference, thanks primarily to the lower bottom bracket position and resultant bump in stack height.

When set in MX or 29" mode (yielding a 64° head angle) the LT's weight balance feels a bit more front-biased, making the long chainstay mode a bit less usable in steeper terrain. It still works, but you have to consciously shift your weight backwards, or risk overriding the fork and doing some emergency pushups. I could see folks racing the LT on flatter tracks preferring the 29" short position, as the rollover and pedal clearance make carrying speed on awkward trails a bit easier, but the tradeoff on steep pitches and big features left me wanting for that MX Slack body position.

Moving to the suspension performance, and you open up an entirely different can of worms. Where the geometry can lull you into a rewarding sense of security, the suspension feel keeps you honest and reminds you where you are on trail. It's not a punishing ride, but the LT does provide a fair bit of feedback through the feet on rougher sections, metering out travel efficiently to deal with the hits as they come, as opposed to erasing them entirely. I've come to like this sensation when I'm feeling fresh, as you get a good sense of what the bike is doing underneath you, but it isn't the numbing, sticky feel you get out of some long-travel enduro bikes.

My primary setting throughout testing has been the 20% progression mode, which felt like the best balance of small-bump erasure and big-hit support of the three options. With the stock shock tune, the 25% mode felt like it used too much travel too often, dipping through the fist half of travel quickly before catching you later in the stroke. I think some shock fiddling could pull more performance out of this setting, so I'll be spending more time on that front. On the other end of the range, the 15% mode has a surprisingly nice ride feel to it, offering a very consistent platform to push through, and still avoiding any harsh bottom-outs on jump trails and natural terrain. The dynamic body position does settle a bit higher there, adding to the already tall-feeling bottom bracket height in the stock geometry mode.

As it stands, if I had to choose one combination of all the LT's factors, it would be this: MX Slack geometry and wheelsize, +10mm chainstay position, 20% progression, 10° deadband. I'll be experimenting more over the rest of the summer, so we'll see if and how that changes.

MTBSA contributor's Ride Impressions

Height: 5'11" / 180cm

Weight: 165 lb (74.8 kg) / 74.8 kg

Size tested: Large

I tend to prefer mixed wheels on longer travel bikes - I like that wheel out of the way on the steeps, and I find the slightly smaller rear wheel to be a little easier to whip into a corner. That’s the configuration I focused on during my time on the LT: mixed wheels, and I worked my way through pretty much every single setup possibility. I only changed one parameter at a time in order to avoid getting too lost in the sauce. By the end I felt like I’d gone full circle and settled on the stock mixed wheel setting with the chainstays in the neutral setting.

Descending is clearly the LT’s focus, but the rear suspension performance while climbing is worthy of praise. The shock seems impressively immune to rider weight shifts while climbing - seated or standing, it just keeps doing its thing without any excessive wallowing, and while still providing enough traction to keep it tractoring up and over the rough stuff.

Even though it’s billed as an enduro race bike, the LT felt more like a bike park smasher, or something for riders that want maximum stability at speed. It’s a bike that requires strength and attention to really get the most out of it. That’s no problem for a brick of a human like Richie Rude, but for someone like me, who’s ever-so-slightly less jacked, the LT can feel like a lot of bike, and it’s not really what I’d grab for trying to speed through tight European switchbacks. I rode it on several trails in Whistler that have been used as Enduro World Series stages in the past, and while there was no shortage of straightline speed, I had to pay more attention than usual to ensure I was in the one in charge and not the bike. Tight corners are obviously still possible, but they do take more pre-planning; the LT prefers making fast, big arcs rather than quick and snappy turns.

I spent a bunch of time on the new Santa Cruz Nomad this year, and there’s a very noticeable difference going from that bike to the LT. The Nomad is a really easy bike to get along with, a slack, 170mm bike that still manages to remain maneuverable at slower speeds. With the LT, the sweet spot is a little harder to achieve, at least it was for me - I felt immediately comfortable with the Nomad, while there was more of a learning curve with the Yeti.

Mike's Notes:

It felt like I was hitting the rear derailleur way more than usual, even though the chainstays are just 5 millimeters longer than the aforementioned Raaw Madonna that I have a ton of time on. For whatever reason, the derailleur felt like it was exactly in the line of fire from every rock or stump that slightly stuck out into the trail.

The LT is impressively quiet. There was a moment on an especially rough trail in Whistler’s Creekside zone where I realised just how silent the bike was - other than the electronic “bzzt, bzzt” of the rear derailleur there really weren’t any other sounds.

How Does It Compare?

There aren't too many bikes that hit all the same notes as the LT, but there are a few in the ballpark that are worth touching on. Typically, the very long rear centre figures featured on the LT's larger sizes are more associated with smaller-scale boutique bikes (something like the Vessel Enduro), or a high-pivot bike that grows through travel (anything from Forbidden). The same goes for the level of adjustment baked into the LT - major manufacturers tend towards simplicity on most fronts, where smaller outfits will opt to pack more variables into a frame to widen its remit.

The LT's closest competitor in my orbit is the Frameworks Enduro, which has long been a personal favourite when it comes to steep trails, big hits, and rough descents. The two offer very different ride feels, particularly on the suspension front, with the Frameworks erring on a softer, more comfortable ride, and the Yeti giving more feedback and platform through the stroke. Both work quite well, but the feel will definitely suit different riders. Depending on the day, I fall into either camp - sometimes you want to push into the bike as hard as you can, sometimes you want to take a calmer approach and let the bike work for you.

My mind keeps going back to Yeti's LTe and its' remarkably even-keeled rear suspension, which set a very high bar for combining comfort, traction, and support for a single-crown bike. That character wasn't quite met on the LT, but the purview is different and the engine has proven a bit less powerful. Some souped-up version of the LT, with lower anti-squat and higher leverage, could potentially hit the same feel, but I can't speak to what I haven't ridden, and it could very well be the motor and battery weight that make the bigger difference.

The last note comes to the Orbea Rallon, another carbon superbike with some forward-thinking (albeit less so) geometry and a rich set of adjustment features. The Rallon's character is much less aggressive-feeling than the LT, with a softer suspension feel and the chassis flex to match it. For those looking for a more forgiving ride for freeride and big-mountain lines, the Rallon could be the easier bike to set up for the task.

MTBSA contributor's Comparisons

I kept mentally comparing the LT to the Raaw Madonna, since the Raaw is still my geometry benchmark for this category. The Madonna’s combination of a high stack, low bottom bracket, and long(ish) chainstays makes it perform very well on steep, rough trails. I’ve used the analogy before, but it feels like you’re piloting an off-road scooter due to the very upright position it creates.

On the Yeti LT the stack is 35mm lower, the chainstays are longer by 5 - 15mm, and the bottom bracket height is taller. Those create a ride feel that’s less similar to the Madonna than I expected. The LT is harder to get off the ground, and I never quite got that “in-bike” cornering sensation that makes the Madonna so fun to ride.

Technical Report

DT Swiss DEG DF Hubs: DT Swiss' anti-kickback hub is very simple, and makes it easy to bracket back and forth between the 0° setting and the 10/20° deadband options. This allows you to get a feel for whether the pedal slop is worth the descending benefits, or whether they even feel like benefits for your riding. Compared to the e*thirteen sidekick, the DEG DF feels a bit clunky, but it gets the job done without adding much complication. Compared to the DT Swiss hubs of old, their new DEG ratchets seem to have a far worse track record when it comes to durability, with more issues stripping or seizing than their legacy designs. The Yeti's haven't provided any issues, but it's worth keeping a spare set around if you're heading way out into the backcountry.

Schwalbe Gravity Pro Tyres: Schwalbe has been iterating on their radial casings since release, and the newest version is certainly the best yet. A bit sturdier than before, they balance the compliance and traction you get from a radial casing with a bit more stability and composure in corners and heavy compressions. I've been running an Ultra Soft Magic Mary up front (the new rubber is great) paired with a Soft Tacky Chan out back (the updated tread pattern is more predictable) and am loving both. There are a ton of great tyres out there right now, but this combo is currently a personal favourite.

Frame Hardware: After owning the SB160 for a couple years, the only real complaint I had about the longevity of that bike had to do with the Switch Infinity link. It didn't play nicely with the Northwest's wet and silty soil, and required more attention than I'd like. The bearings, on the other hand, were impressively robust through slop and dust alike. Luckily, the LT's linkage is just bearings, and has alignment and sturdiness that bode well for the bike's long-term ownership. After about 70,000 feet (21,336 m) of bike park descending and weeks' worth of pedaling, the bike is creak free and still nice and tight.

Pros

+ Progressive geometry with meaningful adjustment

+ Feels fast and supportive

+ Durable, quiet, easy to work on frame

Cons

- Suspension lacks comfort compared to other Yeti 6-bar bikes

- Stack height / BB drop could be pushed further

- Adjustment complication may overwhelm some

Action photos: Eric Mickelson

For South African readers

Overseas prices in this report are not confirmed South African retail prices. Check local availability, warranty support and the complete rand price with your retailer. No MTBSA test score has been assigned.