Yeti Cycles SB5 Carbon SLX/Reynolds Complete Mountain Bike 2016

You've read the reviews, seen the promotional videos, and basked in the glowing hype surrounding Yeti Cycles' SB5 frame. As impressive as all that spilled ink is, the only way to really understand is to experience it on the trail. With the SB5 Carbon SLXReynolds Complete Mountain Bike, we've custom spec'd Yeti's oft feted trail sled with some of our favorite gear from the past year, including an all new Shimano SLX M7000 drivetrain and Reynolds' 27. 5 AM carbon wheels. The result is a bike whose only real limits are yours. So get to overcoming. As pleased as we are with the build kit, the SB5 frame remains the real star. This is largely because of Yeti's Switch Infinity slider, which is similar to its predecessor, Switch Link, in that it travels upward while the SB5 settles into its sag point. As the rear end compresses deeper, the direction changes, and the slider travels down toward the bottom bracket shell. Deep in the stroke, it works in conjunction with the upper pivot to produce a vertical wheel path that effortlessly flattens big, square edged impacts. Think of it as everything that has earned the Switch Link such high praise, except that it rides smoother and is easier to maintain than the previous eccentric pivot. Undoubtedly, there will be those who balk at the idea of having a seemingly complicated pivot, but in reality, it's lighter and more user friendly than the Switch Link pivot that it replaces. The lightness can be attributed to the Kashima coated mini stanchions and feathery forged shuttle, which were co developed with FOX Racing Shox. Ease of use comes courtesy of the easily accessible grease ports, which do away with the need for time consuming rebuilds. Not that you'll need to worry about rebuilds, as FOX has successfully tested production units to well over a million compression cycles while completely submerged in mud. But the SB5 is a bike, not just a little doodad, and if Switch Infinity is its heart then Yeti's proven carbon fiber ch...