Yeti SB66 vs. Whyte 146XI ?

halffattony

styxd wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Not quite 10 years but early Hecklers, Orange Patriot's & Specialized Enduro's can't be far off that (Enduro I think is actually 10 years old). They do the Megavalanche on them every year and ride the local DH trails every weekend riding blasting down then climbing back up, they were riding gravity enduro before it was invented.

Could be pure luck! The old Patriots and Enduro's had problems with cracking from what I remember.

But still ,I dont think they're in the same category of bike. Heavy old alloy frames compared to 150mm travel super bikes that weigh little more than an XC bike. Somethings gotta give?

I have a very light Mount Vision that i have been riding since 2004, I have had to replace parts due to wear but have never had to replace a broken part, I think if you maintain your bike, clean and lube after every ride then it will prelong the life of your bike and you with encounter less problems., broken parts can be be replace if the need arises anyway.

26isjustfine

I do not have a Whyte 146XI but a Marin Attack Trail 2010 which is almost the same but not in Carbon. I recently rode the SB 66 C and have to same these two bikes have essentially nothing in common. The Marin is hands down the better bike. I could not believe how the SB 66 lost traction on steep hills and how harsh the ride down was. If you like a bike that feels essentially a bit too "efficient" (like a hard tail) then go with the SB 66. If you actually like the idea of suspension that is active go with the Whyte 146XI and enjoy riding.

paulbox

halffattony wrote:

I am turning 50 soon and have decided to celebrate the occasion with the purchase of a new bike to replace my ageing Marin Mount Vision, I have short listed the Whyte 146XI and the Yeti SB66 or SB66 Carbon but have not reached a final decision on which to go for.

This will probably be the last bike I ever buy as although these are high end bikes, I do not earn much more than the minimum wage, so this will be a big purchase for me that I will expect to get at least 10 years use out of my final choice.

What do you think?

Try to arrange test rides of all the bikes that you are considering on terraine similar to what you enjoy riding.

I love my Yeti, and it's great for light DH duties and trail centres but my Anthem kicks it's @rse on a XC ride. The Carbon version might be better though.

As has also been mentioned, the Yeti is quite expensive to maintain, I had all bearings replaced in the pivots last week, the bearings alone cost £120. But I am a bit of a lump and have been giving it a hard time...

paulbox

26isjustfine wrote:

I do not have a Whyte 146XI but a Marin Attack Trail 2010 which is almost the same but not in Carbon. I recently rode the SB 66 C and have to same these two bikes have essentially nothing in common. The Marin is hands down the better bike. I could not believe how the SB 66 lost traction on steep hills and how harsh the ride down was. If you like a bike that feels essentially a bit too "efficient" (like a hard tail) then go with the SB 66. If you actually like the idea of suspension that is active go with the Whyte 146XI and enjoy riding.

Sounds to me like the SB wasn't set up for you correctly.