Yeti Cycles

Yeti Cycles is an American bicycle manufacturer located in Golden, Colorado.

Early history

Yeti Cycles was founded in 1985 by John Parker in California, when mountain biking was gaining in popularity. Parker was a welder who built movie sets in Hollywood and later became a mountain bike designer and racer. Becoming one of the sport’s guardians, he was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1997, and a trustee of NORBA Board of Directors for five years.

The first mountain bike World Championships took place in Durango, Colorado in 1990 and the next year Parker moved the Yeti Cycles factory from California to Durango to be closer to the action. The company made a range of mountain bikes but was best known at the time for its iconic turquoise-colored FRO (For Racing Only) models.

Early sponsored riders included John Tomac, and Juli Furtado.

In 1995, Schwinn bought Yeti Cycles company and later sold it to ski company Volant in 1999 (now part of Amer Sports).

Revival

In 2001, two Yeti employees, Steve Hoogendoorn and Chris Conroy, bought the company."From The Top: Yeti Cycles' President Chris Conroy"
May 2014, Mike Kazimer, pinkbike.com Conroy is currently the president, and Hoogendoorn is the vice president. Yeti Cycles' headquarters is now located in Golden, Colorado.

Yeti Cycles competed in downhill mountain bike racing with the successful Lawwill DH-9 full-suspension downhill bike, developed by former motorcycle champion, Mert Lawwill. Yeti has a patented suspension system that they call ZeroLoss Technology or linear guide technology. The suspension system consists of two gliding pivots. The wheel path follows the direction of the impact so it transfers directly into the mountain bike suspension system and goes into the shock rather than flexing the frame.

More recently, Yeti has patented a new suspension design called Switch Technology. This is basically a dual-link design that utilizes an eccentric mechanism that switches direction as the bike moves through its travel. This type of suspension is found on their 2012-2014 era mountain bikes, the SB-66, SB-75, and SB-95.

In 2014, Yeti introduced a refinement to the Switch Technology, dubbed Switch Infinity. This patented design was developed along with Fox Racing Shox and involves a 'translating pivot', which is said to improve the bike's rearward axle path. This rear suspension design change has been used on Yeti dual-suspension models, including the SB5, SB4.5, SB6, SB5.5, SB100, SB115, SB120, SB130, SB135, SB140, SB150, SB160 and SB165. The latest XC bike the ASR has continued with a 'Flex' stay design. The first Yeti-made e-bike, the SB160e, opted for the 'Sixfinity' 6-Bar suspension system. The 2024 variant of the SB165 now brings a mixed 'mullet' wheel option into the stable (29" & 27.5").

Women-specific bikes were introduced in 2015. Yeti 'Beti' caters to women with smaller sized frames and lower standover height. These models have since been discontinued after the 2019 season.

Current Yeti/FOX Factory riders include Richie Rude and Slawek Lukasik. Current Yeti/Shimano riders include Mick (Sick Mick) Hannah and Ryan (Hoon) Gilchrist. Yeti is also represented by a number of athletes and ambassadors throughout the world.
Australian, Jared Graves has had a long and successful career with Yeti as a rider and now heads up the racing team as a performance coach.

References

External links

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{{Sports equipment brands

Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1985
Cycle manufacturers of the United States
1985 establishments in Colorado
Mountain bike manufacturers