Race Bike: Sandy Plenty’s Yeti SB66 Carbon custom build

We’ve got a bit of a thing for Yeti bikes here at ChopMTB and the 6in-travel SB66 Carbon is a stunning machine out of the box. This one’s a bit special, though – it belongs to UK gravity enduro/DH racer and Yetifan regular Sandy Plenty, and really stands out with its colour matched fork and turquoise anodised bits. Head down the page to find out more about the bike from the man himself…

All pictures by Stu Gwynn

ChopMTB: So, Sandy, how long have you been waiting for this frame?

SP: Once I’d decided on the carbon frame, I gave Richie at Silverfish [Yeti's UK distributors] a call and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I waited four days in total! I was lucky that they had a couple sitting on the shelf and had fulfilled all of their back orders. I know some patient people have waited months.

As soon as you saw the bike, did you know you were going to order one?

Yeah man, we built one up in the shop [Leisure Lakes, where Sandy is manager] for a regular and it really did catch my eye. I’ve been so happy with my alu SB66 that I didn’t ever imagine changing it. Yeti have always been kind to me, and Silverfish were no exception, so I changed.

How does it compare to your alloy SB66? 

I rode it last week at Hopton Woods, Shropshire and the bike felt so surefooted and planted. The super-stiff chassis offers incredible grip and zero flex. All of the bumps get directed to the suspension via the mega-stiff frame. It really did feel super-plush. I know some of this is the fact that it’s a new frame, but without a doubt the refinements shone through. I need to ride it more, but first impressions are mega.

Will you be racing this machine? If so, where?

I’m racing the BDS [Halo British Downhill Series] this year on my 303, in the old man Masters category, so I’m kind of committed to that. However, I do plan to race the UK Gravity Enduro series next year on the SB66. I’d really like to get it down a hill against the clock this year, though. We’ll see… Riding with some of the jockeys round here feels like being in a race anyway. Does Strava count?

How much lighter is it than the alloy bike?

Time to get techy – the carbon weighs in at 6lb versus the alu at 7.5lb, so it’s a fair bit lighter. But it’s the stiffness that you notice. The alu climbed so well, but the carbon improves your power-to-weight ratio, plus the increased stifness can only help too.

Tell us a bit about the build – what’s it set up for?

I’ve built it around a Fox F150 and a Float CTD rear shock. The setup suits me – it’s light and slim (skinny), like the rider! It’s a mix of XT/XTR with Renthal finishing kit and a Fox DOSS post. Chris King headset, BB and hubs keep things smooth. A perfect build for climbing up easily but capable of literally anything on the way down.

Do you have any odd personal settings?

A few. I run my brake lever reach very close, so that they touch the bar when on full. Also, I run a very low front end – I just love the direct feel – and Renthal help finish this off with some super-low 7mm-rise proto bars. They’re cut to 760mm, with a 50m stem. My only other thing is tyres – I run a Schwalbe Fat Albert DD 2.25 rear and a Muddy Mary 2.35 on the front, offering mega grip all year round.

What’s your favourite bit of the build?

Haha, well it’s one of two – either the ano turquoise ISCG mount (simple things) or my turquoise Chris King hubs that a good friend and previous turquoise ambassador gave me. Both make me smile!

Thanks for reading. I hope I didn’t bore anyone too much! Geek-o-rama…