The Takeaway: After a few years away from the segment, Yeti returns to cross country racing with the light (22.5 lb. to 26 lb.) and lithe ASR. The frame offers 115mm of rear travel, employing a weight-saving single-pivot system instead of Yeti’s signature Switch Infinity suspension system. The ASR’s geometry (66.5 degree head angle) is suited to today’s challenging cross country circuits. the bike provides the superb efficiency and excellent handling needed for race efforts while offering a playful and speedy ride for everyday riding. Those attributes, plus an easy-to-live-with frame—two bottles in the main triangle threaded BB, two-piece bar and stem, and standard cable routing—make the ASR attractive for racers and trail riders.
Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Cross country racer fit for the trail
- Fits two bottles
Cons
- No internal frame storage
Yeti Returns to Cross Country Racing
While Yeti’s modern image is deeply tied to gravity racing and trail riding, it doesn’t take much digging to uncover the brand’s rich history in cross country racing. Legendary racers like Juli Furtado and John Tomac raced cross country on Yeti bikes. For a time, the Yeti A.R.C. hardtail (with its innovative Easton ProGram aluminum tubing) was one of the most desirable XC racing bikes on the planet.
The XC-oriented ASR full suspension nameplate joined the Yeti line in 2000 as, in the style of the time, an aluminum frame with 26-inch wheels and rim brakes. For about 15 years this lightweight and XC race-focused bike was a feature of the Yeti product line. And along the way, adopting disc brakes, a carbon frame, and 29-inch wheels. But the ASR faded out of the lineup as Yeti focused on its Switch Infinity suspension system and longer travel bikes.
Yeti’s SB100 (2018) was a return to shorter travels, but not necessarily with a bike built for pure XC racing. The SB100 was too heavy and at the time looked too much like a trail bike to pique the interest of XC race enthusiasts. But today it seems like a forward-looking bike: A short travel and efficient climbing bike that absolutely railed downhills. It was, and still is, a blast to ride and remains one of my favorite Yeti models.
The SB100’s direct descendant, the SB115, got booted from Yeti’s line when the brand launched the SB120 in early 2023 and, once again, it seemed like Yeti was most interested in longer travel bikes. But behind the scenes, a new bike was already in the works—Something more appealing to the XC race crowd than the SB100. Something light and efficient, but capable of handling the technical and rowdy nature of today’s XC race circuits.
That bike is the reborn ASR.
Frame Features
The ASR’s most significant frame detail is one you cannot see. Yeti says the ASR represents “The most ambitious carbon project we’ve ever undertaken,” and required 36 iterations before the final layup was locked. The result is “The lightest full suspension bike in [Yeti] history.”
Building a light frame means less material and less material means (for the frame to remain adequately stiff and durable) greater care and precision with what material you use. Yeti states that its engineering team used new carbon-layup analysis software to help eliminate “redundant” carbon. And Yeti’s manufacturing partner employed a new, more precise, carbon-cutting table, and improved “draping” while laying the plies into the mold.
In its typical style, Yeti offers two carbon frame tiers: Turq (its best) and Carbon. Geometry, performance metrics, and features are the same, but the Turq uses more fancy (expensive-er) carbon making them about 175 grams lighter.
There are two frames within the Turq series: Wireless and “wired.” The Wireless frame can only fit a wireless drivetrain (which, for now, only SRAM offers), and has no provision for cable-actuated lockout. It has one clamping port on the non-drive side of the head tube, primarily for the rear brake hose, but it can also be fitted with a cable-actuated dropper.
The “wired” Turq frame has routing ports on both sides of the head tube. This allows compatibility with a mechanical shifting drivetrain, cable-actuated dropper post, and cable-actuated shock remote.
The Carbon frame is essentially the “wired” Turq frame rendered in lower-grade carbon. However, there is a noteworthy routing difference. The Carbon frame has full-length routing tubes for the rear brake, derailleur, dropper, and shock remote. The Turq frames do not have these tubes—a weight-saving decision. To keep the Turq frames quiet, the brake hose (and any cable housing) gets a foam sleeve to prevent rattle.
Continuing down the list of ASR’s features you will find, a threaded bottom bracket, integrated (and removable) upper chainguide, room for two bottles in the main triangle, clamping hose and housing ports, 2.4 inch/60mm (on 30mm internal width rim) rear tire clearance, and UDH.
The ASR also gets a suite of rubber frame protectors: Chainslap, downtube, and a small fender to keep grit from collecting around the main pivot. The downtube and fender are left off the T5 built to save grams but are included with the bike. None of the ASR frames employ routing through the upper headset bearing.
Suspension Details
While Yeti’s Switch Infinity dual-link suspension system is superb, it didn’t make the cut for the ASR. It’s simply too heavy in its current form for a bike as weight-focused as the ASR. Instead, Yeti turned to a system familiar to everyone who has paid attention to short travel and lightweight suspension frames: Single pivot with a swing link and flex stays. It’s also familiar to Yeti; the brand first employed the system on the 2003 ASR.
While there isn’t as much of a tech story to the ASR’s suspension compared to Switch Infinity, there remain a few details of interest. One of the challenges of this style of suspension coupled with a lightweight shock is travel quality. often, it’s challenging to create a ride that offers suppleness and support and effective use of all the bike’s travel.
Yeti feels it hit a sweet spot by settling on a “nearly linear leverage rate” with 10 percent progression, and the work of their in-house suspension department to create custom damper and spring tunes.
Yeti also cites the decision to go with a shorter stroke shock as one of the keys to the ASR’s suspension performance. It states that a longer stroke shock has a higher air spring compression ratio which “can prevent the rider from using full travel”. In contrast, the 40mm stroke shock used by the ASR, “optimizes compression ratio to reduce end of stroke harshness inherent in small volume shocks.”
The ARS’s anti-squat is a bit over 100 percent at sag with the stock 32-tooth ring and in the 52-tooth cog. Yeti states that XC racers’ preference for larger rings (which reduce anti-squat; the ASR fits up to a 36 38 tooth ring, frame size dependant) was considered when drawing up the ASR’s kinematics.
The ASR is the first Yeti in over a decade to get kitted with RockShox suspension exclusively. There are no Fox suspension options (though that may change with future Fox product introductions). All models get RockShox SID shocks and forks with three-position dampers. T-series models get TwistLoc remote lockout or (on the highest-end build) Flight Attendant. C-Series builds do not have remote lockouts as stock, but a remote is offered as an upgrade.
The ASR’s geometry was designed with a 120mm fork in mind. However, Yeti states that the fork is tested and approved for fork travel up to 140mm.
Frame and Bike Weights
And now, the part you’ve been waiting for—frame and bike weights.
Frame weights (claimed):
Turq Wireless: 1,448g (no shock), 1,813g (with shock)
Turq: 1,552g (no shock), 1,830g (with shock)
Carbon: 1,727g (no shock), 1,985g (with shock)
Complete bike weights (claimed):
T5 XX SL Ultimate ($13,900): 23 lb.
T4 XX1 with carbon wheel upgrade ($9,900): 22.5 lb.
T4 XX1 ($7,900): 23.6 lb.
T3 X0 T-Type with carbon wheel upgrade ($10,600): 22.9 lb.
T3 X0 T-Type ($8,600): 24.3 lb.
T2 X01 Eagle: with carbon wheel upgrade ($9,200): 22.7 lb.
T2 X01 Eagle ($7,200): 24 lb.
C3 ($6,600): 26 lb.
C2 ($5,600): 25.8 lb.
Notice the interesting juxtaposition of prices and weights. A bigger number in Yeti’s usual model designations means a more expensive and lighter-weight build. But SRAM’s parts offerings turn that on its head a bit.
Consequently, the T4 which features a mechanical SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain, mechanical suspension lockout, cable-actuated dropper post, and upgraded with the optional carbon wheels, is the lightest bike in the line. It is lighter than the T5 (SRAM AXS Transmission, Reverb AXS dropper, Flight Attendant suspension) and cheaper than the T3 with its SRAM X0 AXS Transmission. The second lightest bike is the T2—SRAM X0 Eagle mechanical drivetrain—with a carbon wheel upgrade.
The T4 and T2 don’t have the nearly flawless shifting of SRAM’s AXS Transmission, nor the automatic suspension wizardry of Flight Attendant. But they also don’t have any batteries to keep them charged.
ASR Geometry
As we’ve seen from other recently launched race bikes—like the new Specialized Epic which has very similar geometry to this ASR—the ASR’s geometry is more descending-friendly than previous generations of cross-country machines. That’s manifested primarily by the 66.5-degree head angle. But also a longer wheelbase.
Seat tube angle is pegged at 75.5 across the board, though that’s measured to a typical saddle height for each frame size. Every size gets a unique chain stay length, though it is adjusted by shifting the position of the bottom bracket and not by using a unique rear triangle per size.
Yeti ASR Versus Specialized Epic 8
While riding the Yeti, I also had the new Specialized Epic 8 in-house for testing. So I can offer some comparison between two very similar bikes.
Big picture: They’re both great bikes—I don’t think they have any significant enough differences that would cause a rider to win, or lose, a race if they rode one and not the other. The only big difference is the Epic 8 has internal frame storage and a flip chip (to slightly alter the geometry).
The biggest difference for me was the performance of the rear suspension. I preferred the tune of the Yeti’s rear suspension: I thought it was a smoother riding bike overall and the last third of the Yeti’s travel was more effective and useable than the Epic’s. Overall, although it has five millimeters less travel on paper, the Yeti felt and rode like it had more rear travel than the Epic.
There are a few little things I like about the Yeti as well. It doesn’t route the front brake through the headset bearing for one. I greatly preferred the adjustment offered by a two-piece cockpit over the one-piece cockpit on the Specialized. And I thought the Maxxis tires on the Yeti rolled just as well but were a little more surefooted, though that could be a region and condition-specific difference.
At $13,900 with an almost identical build, the Yeti ASR T5 XX SL Ultimate is $600 cheaper than the Specialized S-Works Epic 8. However, Specialized wins the weight war with its top-of-the-line build coming in—on my scale—at 22.4 pounds to the Yeti’s 23.2 lb.
Ride Impressions
I said this in my review of the Epic 8, and I’m saying it here: Today’s World Cup XCO racecourses have bred a better kind of race bike. In years past, XC race bikes were optimized for smoothish trails and climbing resulting in super stiff hardtails with minimal fork travel and sketchy handling.
But new-school course design demands a more well-rounded full suspension bike that climbs efficiently but can also proficiently navigate very challenging descents and technical trail features. The result is light and fast bikes more suitable for everyday trail riding.
So, while the new ASR is a bike made for XC racing at the highest level, it’s also a goddamn-fun little mountain bike to shred on. Riding one is also a welcome relief from the bloat that has afflicted longer-travel trail bikes.
However, be warned—If you step down from a bike with more travel and bigger tires, and onto an ASR—when you launch yourself into the rowdiest trails without thinking, you might, if you’re not careful, get over your proverbial ski tips. Picking good lines and riding smoothly is key, as is respecting the limits of the lightweight brakes and tires. But by applying extra brain power and precision—in contrast to how you can hold on and point a longer travel trail bike in the general direction you want to go—you’ll be surprised at just how capable this Yeti is, and how fast you can ride challenging trails.
Yeti supplied me with the top-of-the-line T4 (23.2 lbs., size medium) for this review. This model gets the new RockShox SID fork and shock with Flight Attendant. To a large degree, those parts define the ride of any bike they’re quipped on so I encourage you to read my review of the SID Flight Attendant parts here.
Because Flight Attendant is so defining, I rode the ASR with the automatic control turned off, flipping through the modes manually. While it’s not a big surprise, the ASR climbs superbly. In open mode, the pedaling response is, perhaps, slightly on the soft side of the spectrum for an XC bike. While it pedals efficiently, the anti-squat doesn’t feel super aggressive.
I prefer this tune, however, because the Yeti’s rear end is reactive and supple, it finds plenty of traction on slippery surfaces and yields slightly more when climbing tricky technical trails. Those traits are especially helpful when running a fast-rolling rear tire.
If you want the ARS to climb with more snap, bump the suspension into pedal or lock mode (or enable Flight Attendant’s auto mode) and the Yeti gets crisper and rides higher in its travel.
With the suspension locked, the Yeti’s frame feels, I’ll say, appropriately stiff when throwing down the watts. While it doesn’t feel like you’re stomping down on a concrete floor with each pedal stroke, I didn’t sense any wind-up or shivering in the frame even though I’m on the heavy side (about 180 pounds) compared to the high-level XC racer this bike is intended to satisfy.
The cockpit is comfortably roomy, and the seat angle is (blissfully) not too steep so I felt like I was properly positioned for tough extended climbing. Yeti provides a healthy head tube spacer stack on the bike for riders who like to be more upright. But after some experimentation, I was happiest with two millimeters of spacers under the stem. This gave me the weight I like on the front tire, powerful cornering, and balanced climbing. It didn’t give me any trouble on challenging descents because of the bike’s poised downhill mannerisms.
Yeti's ability to descend well is expected, and it has defined their XC bikes dating back to the ARC hardtail. So, I was not surprised at all when I found this ASR to be a phenomenal descending bike. The rear suspension tune is masterful and makes what feels like comfortably more than the claimed 115mm of travel. I won’t say the ASR’s performance to millimeter ratio is as impressive as Evil’s Following. But the ASR’s ability to offer performance across the spectrum of bump sizes and speeds is (for this kind of bike with this style of suspension) notable.
I think there’s a bit more than suspension travel at play though. The ASR’s frame has a certain suppleness: I felt what I perceived as well-tuned elasticity in the right directions and in the right amounts to enhance this bike’s compliance and handling. Perhaps some riders who ride the ASR will interpret these sensations as softness in the frame. But I believe we’re long past the days where stiffer always equals better, and there’s a recognition that flex (when properly harnessed) can help elevate a bicycle’s performance.
And as far as the ASR’s handling goes, I think it balances many competing needs well. I found the steering sharp but nicely weighted, precise, and intuitive. This isn’t the darty XC bike of days gone by, but one that performs at medium to high speeds, and can dexterously slither down a tricky technical descent. Perhaps on the very steepest and tightest uphill switchbacks, this new-school geometry doesn’t work as well as old XC geometry, but compared to today’s trail bikes, it’s far more agile when navigating tight corners.
I also believe that, while 66.5° sounds slack for an XC bike, when you have that sort of head angle paired to a light bike and with light front-end components (wheel, tire, fork, bar, stem; all the stuff that turns when you steer a bike) it doesn’t feel as slow steering as a heavier bike with heavier front-end components. Lighter bikes are more reactive which makes slacker steering geometry feel less sluggish.
Yeti, overall, did an excellent job with this return to the short travel scene. The ASR is a fast bike that’s fun as hell to ride.
Models and Prices
The ASR arrives in six models priced from $5,600 (C2) to $13,900 (T5). The Turq “wired” frame is also offered for $4,000.
All bikes feature SRAM drivetrain and brakes (180mm front rotor, 160mm rear), RockShox suspension, DT Wheels with 30mm (internal width) rims, WTB saddle, and Maxxis tires (Rekon EXO 2.4 front, Rekon Race EXO 2.35 rear).
A couple of new parts debut on the ASR.
One is DT-Swiss’s new XRC 1200 wheelset. This wheelset is stock on the T5 and is offered as a $2,000 upgrade to other T-series bikes. The weight on this wheelset is impressive: 1,303 grams (597 front, 706 rear). And that’s with asymmetric 30mm internal width rims. The hubs are DT’s lightest—the 180 with ceramic bearings—laced with new Revolite spokes designed for this wheelset.
Also debuting is WTB’s Solano, a new short-nosed mountain bike saddle that I found very comfortable. That makes it the second, after the Gravelier, new WTB saddle I’ve really liked sitting upon. The Solano will, for now, only be found as OE equipment, but it will debut in the aftermarket later this year.
The C2 and C3 models have an optional upgrade to RockShox Ultimate suspension with TwistLoc remote for $600.
T5 XX SL Ultimate —$13,900
SRAM XX1 SL Eagle AXS T-Type drivetrain, with a power meter, SRAM Level Ultimate brakes, RockShox SID Ultimate fork and SidLuxe Ultimate shock with Flight Attendant, DT-Swiss XRC 1200 wheels, BikeYoke Barkeeper stem, RaceFace NEXT SL handlebar, RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post.
T4 XX1—$7,900
SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain, SRAM Level TLM brakes, RockShox SID Ultimate fork and SidLuxe Ultimate shock with TwistLoc remote, DT-Swiss XM 1700 wheels, BikeYoke Barkeeper stem, RaceFace NEXT SL handlebar, Fox Factory Transfer SL dropper post.
T3 X0 T-Type—$8,600
SRAM X01 Eagle AXS T-Type drivetrain, SRAM Level TLM brakes, RockShox SID Ultimate fork and SidLuxe Ultimate shock with TwistLoc remote, DT-Swiss XM 1700 wheels, BikeYoke Barkeeper stem, RaceFace NEXT SL handlebar, Fox Factory Transfer SL dropper post.
SHOP T3 X0 SHOP T3 X0 CARBON WHEELS
T2 X01 Eagle—$7,200
SRAM X01 Eagle drivetrain, SRAM Level TLM brakes, RockShox SID Ultimate fork and SidLuxe Ultimate shock with TwistLoc remote, DT-Swiss XM 1700 wheels, BikeYoke Barkeeper stem, RaceFace NEXT SL handlebar, Fox Performance Elite Transfer SL dropper post.
C3—$6,600
SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type drivetrain, SRAM Level TL brakes, RockShox SID Select fork and SidLuxe Select+ shock, DT-Swiss M 1900 wheels, Burgtec Enduro MK3 stem and Ride Wide Alloy Enduro handlebar, Fox Performance Elite Transfer SL dropper post.
C2—$5,600
SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, SRAM Level TL brakes, RockShox SID Select fork and SidLuxe Select+ shock, DT-Swiss M 1900 wheels, Burgtec Enduro MK3 stem, and Ride Wide Alloy Enduro handlebar, Fox Performance Elite Transfer SL dropper post.
A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.
