Jared's Yeti SB140 Bike Check [Video]

Jared is a man who loves to ride his bike on all sorts of trails across the globe, and his latest Yeti SB140 is just the tool for the job. From mellow local loops to shredding park laps and everything in between, this bike is ready for it all. 

Jared's Yeti SB140

Suspension

There are so many excellent suspension products on the market these days you could pick a fork and shock blind and would have something that would work well on the trail. Thankfully we don't live in a mysterious dystopian tyrannical MTB society, so I equipped this bike with a 160mm Fox Factory 36 with the GripX damper paired to a Fox Factory Float X Rear Shock. For the way I use this bike and for the area we live, I feel as though this setup is the best compromise that keeps more mellow trails fun and allows me to enjoy the gnarlier ones if I so choose.

I'm a fan of the climb switch/compression adjustment on the GripX damper as well as on the Float X shock since they help create a more versatile setup that suits a dynamic riding environment. If I had gnarlier enduro or DH style trails right out my back door, I'd probably go for a longer travel bike or a more gravity oriented, burlier suspension setup. For now this works well and also works well in a lot of the places I like to travel to. I typically would prefer to be underbiked than overbiked, and while I love longer travel bikes, heavy tires and coil suspension and whatnot, it's easy to get caught up in upgrading parts instead of just riding your bike and enjoying it how it is.

Wheels & Tires

Depending on your preferences, this bike can utilize a plethora of wheels and tires all the way from the weight weenie end of the spectrum to full on DH wheels and tires and everything in between. Personally, I only have one set of wheels at the moment in the RaceFace ERA Carbon Wheels, and like to change my tires here and there if I plan on riding a certain type of terrain for the foreseeable future. At the moment, I'm running a Maxxis Assegai in the front in the MaxxGrip/EXO+ flavor paired to a MaxxTerra Double Down Minion DHRII in the rear since I've been enjoying some more enduro oriented terrain as of late.

I wouldn't exactly recommend running anything from either far end of the wheel and tire spectrum as an everyday setup on this bike, but it would work for short spurts of time based on your needs like a trip to the bike park or mellow XC rides where you want to have a more appropriate setup. For me, the ERA Carbon wheels have split the difference very nicely in that they are relatively lightweight yet quite durable and can perform on either end of the spectrum as well. I've been running them for almost a year now and haven't been exactly kind to them - incredibly I haven't even had to tighten a spoke. I do like to run the new Maxxis Forekaster if I am planning on doing some training rides in mellower areas near my home and am after a slightly faster rolling but still somewhat grippy setup, and I have a set of Continental Kryptotal in the DH casing if things get serious. This is my version of a compromise... and not having 3 bikes. We're trying here.

Drivetrain & Brakes

Similar to the suspension front, drivetrains have become extremely optimized for modern mountain bikes as of late. While you can have unfathomable levels of technology and bling, I opted for a simpler mechanical setup so that I could just check my tires and ride. My last bike had SRAM Transmission and while I loved the shifting performance and strong derailleur clutch, with this build I opted for the tried and true SRAM X01 Eagle mechanical shifter and derailleur so I could do my best to grab my bike, disconnect from technology and ride.

I have been running this very same set of 170mm RaceFace ERA Cranks on my last few bikes including my Mondraker Raze and Why Cycles El Jefe and they have stood the test of time quite well for a carbon crank. The only thing I would maybe do is get a 165mm pair because I've been a fan of shorter cranks lately. Wear and tear has been average around areas where rocks would fly up and hit the arms, yet the stainless wear plate has does its job commendably. Mounted to those cranks is a RF ERA Carbon chainring that utilizes an aluminum carrier where it attaches to the crank, a carbon spider, and stainless teeth, all built using the same technology as modern skis. It was designed with these three different materials to have a low overall weight, but with the durability of a stainless chainring. Touché RaceFace. I wouldn't have thought of that. This all spins inside a Cane Creek Hellbender bottom bracket, and driving this bike forward is a SRAM XX1 Black chain that is wrapped around a SRAM X01 cassette in the rear.

In the video, I'm running Magura MT7 brakes paired with SRAM HS2 rotors, although shortly after we filmed that I became fed up with that contaminated setup and decided to try out some Galfer Shark Rotors and Pro pads. Before the switch, I was on the verge of taking the leap and getting some SRAM Mavens since I got to really give them a go while testing the Crestline S180 and got along with them very well. I ultimately opted for the new pads and rotors, and I have been happy with them since. The bite and power on this setup is impressive, and brake fade is essentially non existent even on our longer DH trails. The only qualm I have with this setup is they aren't as quiet as the HS2s paired with the Mavens - the Galfers make an interesting sound... but they work well.

Cockpit & Contact Points

I've been a fan of 35mm rise bars for the last few years, and my go to has been the Trail One Crockett Carbon bar paired to the 32mm length Rockville stem - I usually cut my bars down to around 780mm or whatever is left after I cut it. Grip wise, I have a lot of different grips I own and enjoy and right now the flavor of the month is the ODI Elite Pro. For some odd reason I like the way these feel with my Magura MT7 brake levers, or maybe somewhat thinner grips feel good with these levers. Or maybe I have totally lost my marbles. Someone please help me.

My go-to saddle for years has been the Ergon SM Pro in the M/L size. It has a nice blend of form and function, if that matters to you. As far as mountain bikes go, saddles are like opinions... everyone's got one that they stick to. That saddle is mounted to my Fox Transfer dropper post in the 180mm length, which is paired to a classic Wolf Tooth ReMote. I've been tempted to try the pro version to see if I'm a fan of the increased leverage and lighter actuation, but not so tempted where I'd get rid of a perfectly good dropper lever to try a new one. 

Miscellaneous Odds & Ends

Attached to my bike are a few odds and ends and some solid mountain bike essentials. I RideWrapped the frame with a tailored kit, which I am very impressed by. I will likely be RideWrapping my frames from here on out, if I ever sell this one. It preserves the bike incredibly well and keeps it looking new. I've got a Wolf Tooth Ti Bottle Cage assisting with my hydration, with a Lezyne frame pump attached to that area as well. Containing my Crankbrothers Multi-Tool, Tubolito, spare master link and tire lever is the classic WC x Occam BOA frame strap. I've been stranded too many times and would prefer to not relive those moments so I like to be prepared with at least the bare essentials. Least but not last, I also mounted a Wolf Tooth chain guide to help a little with chain retention on super choppy chain tossing trails. Wow, say that five times fast.

If you are one strange human that would like to read a transcript of the video above, continue reading below!

The bike behind me is my first custom-built mountain bike that I have done in a few years, which is pretty awesome. It kind of holds a special place in my heart. That might sound kind of corny, it might sound kind of crazy, or it might resonate with a lot of people that are watching this right now. So today, we're going to talk all about all the little details, all the little parts on the bike, if I like them, why I put them on there, and more.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is my Yeti SB140. Like I said, this bike holds a special place in my heart. When we first went out to Yeti in Colorado, when these bikes were being released, this was actually the very same model that I got to test out. That was actually very special to me because I’m kind of a self-proclaimed Yeti fanboy, and I’ve had a couple of Yeti SB130s in the past. So this, to me, felt like the peak moment in my Yeti life, where I got to ride the SB140 before it came out. I actually love this color so much—this is the same color that I got to ride—and I was like, “You know what? I will have one of these bikes one day.” So I manifested it, and here it is.

Before we get into all of the details, we just want to do a quick thank you to Element, because these guys have been a channel sponsor for a little while now. We are super stoked on that because it is an electrolyte supplement that we actually like to use on our rides. It has stuff like magnesium, potassium, and sodium that refuels you when you sweat and deplete all of these essential minerals and elements. Oh, maybe that's why it's called Element. If you go to the link in the description, drinkelement.com/worldwidecyclery, and place an order with that special link, you’ll get a sample pack with all of the tasty flavors like watermelon salt, citrus salt, and mango chili—they are so good. Go to the link, drinkelement.com/worldwidecyclery, and check it out.

So let’s get into the bike. First, we’ll start with the drivetrain. I’ve got a mix of SRAM X01 components. We’ve got a SRAM X01 shifter, SRAM X01 derailleur, and a SRAM X01 cassette paired with an XX1 chain in the black color that I’ve been waxing. That is mated to the RaceFace Era cranks in 170mm length. I’ve also got the RaceFace Era carbon chainring. It’s got an aluminum carrier, carbon spider, and stainless teeth, so it’s relatively lightweight and is supposed to last a lot longer than a standard aluminum chainring but at aluminum weight. That’s pretty cool. I like that. And I’ve got my trusty Mallet E Crank Brothers pedals here. I’ve been using these clipless pedals for almost 10 years now. I think they’ve been out since like 2015 or so—correct me if I’m wrong. They have been my go-to clipless pedal for all these years. They are the best, in my opinion. I love them. They’re my favorite.

Let’s talk about the wheels. I’ve got RaceFace Era carbon wheels. These have been absolutely amazing. Also, this might sound cliché, but they strike a nice balance of stiffness, precision, and comfort when you’re riding. It’s really nice. They’ve been super durable. I’ve been riding them in a bunch of rocky, chunky stuff. The rubber that we have around these wheels is some Maxxis rubber. We’ve got the EXO+ MaxxGrip Assegai in the front with a Double Down DHRII 3C MaxxTerra in the rear. I found that that is a really nice kind of do-it-all combination, so you can go and ride your local trails, do some gnarlier stuff—it kind of helps match the capability of the bike.

You could under-tire it a little bit, like I’ve put some Forekasters on here, which makes it really nice and fast-rolling. Or you could put some downhill tires, like some Continental Kryptotal DH tires I put on my last Yeti SB140. Yes, this is my second SB140. You can call me crazy—I’ll take it.

Let’s move to the cockpit. I’ve got the Trail One Crockett carbon handlebar with a 35mm rise. That is paired to the Trail One Rockville stem in 32mm length. I’m currently running some ODI Elite Pro grips. You might be saying, “Oh, Jared, why don’t you have Trail One grips on your bike? You’ve got everything else Trail One!” You know what? It’s because I like to play around with my grips. I probably have like 10 sets of grips in my garage right now, and I like to experiment a little bit. So back off. I’ve got some Trail One grips in there too, and I ride those. Just because they’re not on here right now doesn’t mean I don’t love them. I do love them, and you should check them out too.

I’ve got a Wolf Tooth ReMote here—the classic ReMote—paired to the Fox Transfer in 180mm length. On that dropper post is the Ergon SM Pro saddle. It’s my favorite saddle. I’ve been running it for years now. I like it because it’s comfortable, and I think it looks kind of cool.

Suspension-wise, we’ve got the 2025 Fox 36 with the GripX damper and 160mm of travel. I’m a big fan of this fork. We actually just did a long-term review on this fork, so you should check that video out as well. That fork pairs very nicely with my Float X shock. I can kind of firm them both up to cover a bunch of miles if I need to. It’s really quite nice. It’s kind of a perfect combination, if you ask me.

Braking-wise, I’ve got Magura MT7 brakes paired with a 200mm rotor in the front and 180mm in the back. I’m still experimenting with these brakes. It’s the first time I’ve ever run Magura brakes. I’ve typically run SRAM for the last few years—like Codes—and I am a fan of those. I’m getting along with these pretty well. I would like to try a different pad and rotor combination. I’m not 100% sold on the current setup, but it’s pretty good. It does the job well.

For the extras, I’ve got a titanium Wolf Tooth bottle cage, my trusty Worldwide Cyclery x Occam strap with a BOA, a Tubolito, tire lever, Crank Brothers multi-tool, and a master link. All of this keeps me dialed in, no matter what happens out on the trail.

How do I feel about this bike? Personally, I love it. I think this bike strikes the perfect balance of versatility, downhill performance, and all-around efficiency. It’s excellent for covering miles and tackling the good stuff without being overkill.

If you’ve got questions about my setup or think I should try a different bike, let me know in the comments. Thanks for watching—don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with your Yeti-loving friends!