SB130 Custom Build by BikeCo
So, a handful of things all came together and I decided it was time for a new bike. Hopefully you’ve seen the FIRST RIDE REVIEW on the SB130 as well as the EXTENDED RIDE REVIEW. It was all I could do not to simply buy that bike… But in the long run I’m glad I didn’t because I ended up with this new Yeti SB130 Custom Build by BikeCo!
Well, at least a bunch of parts are new. Let me go over the why’s and how’s on this build.
Generally I try to sell my bikes as completes. That said, I ended up selling my previous bike as essentially a frame kit as after a wash I noted a rear wheel that was cracked. (not bad for a light-ish wheel from 2016). Anyhow, I looked at the bike in terms of what was salvageable for the new bike, what level of budget I wanted to work with and what levels of vanity I had to allow myself.
SB130 Custom Build by BikeCo
For years I’ve told clients that I build my bikes from frame, suspension, wheels and then fill in the blanks based on budget.
This bike fits that model – with a bit of added vanity I suppose.
Frame:
As a larger rider at 240lbs (give or take these days) I liked the idea of the SB130 Turq series chassis. The SB130 has a stout frame design without being so stiff it won’t stick to the trails. The Turq series is the upper tier carbon layout which I feel has a bit more crispness and resilience compared to the Carbon series, albeit the Carbon series is nothing to shake a stick at.
I decided to produce custom graphics to shift the colorway and modify the art layout a bit on the frame. Building a custom with BikeCo and interested in this? Let us know – we can price you per project.
Suspension:
Ok, some vanity here. Since I was building off many previous components, and I wanted handbuilt wheels on this bike, I built a custom spec. That allowed me to order a 160mm 36 Fox Float Grip2 Performance Elite fork – in my favorite color… With the savings from the Performance Elite fork I justified ordering the black shock shaft and air can for the Factory DPX2. During the BikeCo Pro Tune our suspension tech’s swapped the bits for me and now I essentially have a Performance Elite DPX2 metric shock – again in my favorite color.
Both the fork and rear shock have BikeCo Pro Tunes on them. I can’t say enough good things about our suspension tuning.
Wheels:
It’s been about 10 years since I’ve ridden Chris King hubs. That’s too long. 10 years ago I had incredible red Chris King hubs laced up by BikeCo master mechanic Tracy Sledge. Well, this week I had another set of red Chris King hubs laced to WTB Asym i29 rims by the same Tracy Sledge.
A Maxxis Minion 2.5″ front tire pairs with an Aggressor 2.5″ rear. Both are Exo casing.
Drivetrain:
When my previous 11sp X01 drivetrain finally gave up the ghost I decided to go to SRAM GX Eagle 12sp. That moved over from the previous build as well as the Race Face Turbine cranks.
To accommodate the 30mm spindle a Hope BB92 option was installed after facing the bottom bracket area for the best fit and longevity.
A Wolf Tooth upper guide helps keep the chain in place in the rough stuff – and looks pretty Enduro I suppose.
Cockpit:
I needed a new stem as the SB130 is longer than my previous bike so a Race Face Turbine R 40mm went on. I’m interested if I will end up even shorter after a couple of rides or if the 40mm will be perfect.
40mm rise Renthal carbon bars moved over from the last build along with my super favorite brakes, the Magura MT5s. In fact this is the fifth bike this set of MT5’s has been on. I promised the guys I would retire them after this one – we’ll see when that is though!
I updated to a Wolf Tooth light action remote. Easy to install, great ergonomics, top tier production. Good stuff.
I went with a Chris King Dropset headset. Anytime you can run King it’s going to make your life better, longer. The only thing is the slightly taller King upper bearing, when compared to a Cane Creek, gives a slight gap between the headset bearing cover and the frame. Hardly noticeable and to me, not even worth thinking about! If it bothered you you could get a rubber o-ring or something to take up the tiny gap.
Seating:
Stayed with a 150mm KS LEV and the Ergon saddle from my last build. No reason to fix things that aren’t broken there!
So what would I call this build? Well it’s kind of a custom GX bike in many ways.
Upgraded to Magura MT5 brakes, although they price out very, very competitive with some of the more entry level brakes you see on a standard GX build.
Upgraded with carbon bars – I’m a big beliver in the carbon handlebars as they dampen a lot of trail input. I have really bad hands so this dampening effect is greatly appreciated! If I ride aluminum bars I often find my hands falling to sleep mid descent. Not fun.
Upgraded to King wheels. You know, a ton of your bike’s personality is locked up in the wheelset. I love King products as they last forever and work great along the way.
Whether you’re in the market for a custom complete, factory build, partial build or a frame swap the expert staff at BikeCo.com is here to help you.
Chat with our sales team to define which bike is best for your riding style, aspirations and budgets. At BikeCo we carry the best brands and offer clients the best prices in MTB every day.
Take it from me – you can build a banger that you’re going to be super stoked on without breaking the bank…
Check out a ride review 150 vs. 160mm FORK ON YETI SB130 then go down the geometry rabbit hole with 150 vs. 160 FORK HEADTUBE, TRAIL & FLOP