Yeti Cycles

{{Infobox company

| name = Yeti Cycles

| logo = Yeti cycles logo.png

| logo_size = 200

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| industry = Sports equipment

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| fate = Acquired by Schwinn in 1995; then by Volant (1999), Chris Conroy and Steve Hoogendoorn (2001)

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| foundation = {{start date and age|1985}}

| founder = John Parker

| defunct =

| location_city = Golden, CO

| location_country = United States

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| products = Bicycles

| brands = ZeroLoss Technology (patented); Switch Technology (patented)

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| homepage = {{URL|https://yeticycles.com/|yeticycles.com}}

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Yeti Cycles is an American bicycle manufacturer{{cite web

| url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-80014747.html

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181118043016/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-80014747.html

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = November 18, 2018

| title = Riders Set Out to Rescue Golden, Colo.-Based Yeti Cycles.

| work = The Denver Post

| author = Blevins, Jason

| date = November 12, 2001

| pages = E–01

| access-date = May 24, 2012

| quote = The purchase of Yeti calms industrywide fears that one of the nation's most storied top-shelf bike makers was heading toward collapse.

}} {{subscription required}}

{{cite journal

| url = http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-7924-yeti-cycles-announce-big-mountain-enduro-series.html

| title = Yeti Cycles announce Big Mountain Enduro Series

| date = March 9, 2012

| journal = Boulder Weekly

| access-date = May 24, 2012

}}{{cite web

|url = http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/article/inside-yeti-cycles-massive-photo-gallery-33589/

|title = Inside Yeti Cycles – Massive photo gallery

|author = Pacoch, Matt

|date = March 30, 2012

|work = BikeRadar.com

|location = Golden, Colorado

|publisher = Future plc

|access-date = May 26, 2012

}} located in Golden, Colorado.

{{cite web

| url = http://www.yeticycles.com/#/company

| title = Yeti Cycles / Company

| access-date = May 24, 2012

| publisher = yeticycles.com

}}

Early history

Yeti Cycles was founded in 1985 by John Parker in California, when mountain biking was gaining in popularity.[http://www.i-mtb.com/interview-john-parker-yeti-bikes/ "John Parker Founder of Yeti Bikes"], September 2012, i-mtb.com 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,{{Cite web|url=https://mmbhof.org/category/inductees/1997/|title=Category 1997 {{!}} Marin Museum of Bicycling and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame|website=mmbhof.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-29}} 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.[http://www.pinkbike.com/news/that-was-a-bike-1988-yeti-fro-reviewed-2014.html "THAT Was a Bike: 1988 Yeti FRO"], Mar 4, 2014, Richard Cunningham, pinkbike.com

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

File:Yeti Rowney.jpg riding for Yeti in 2010]]

In 2001, two Yeti employees, Steve Hoogendoorn and Chris Conroy, bought the company.{{cite news|last1=Blevins|first1=Jason|title=Golden's Yeti Cycles pedaling, peddling in high gear|url=http://www.denverpost.com/ci_20818234/goldens-yeti-cycles-pedaling-peddling-high-gear|access-date=7 May 2016|work=Denver Post|date=10 Jun 2012}}[http://www.pinkbike.com/news/from-the-top-yeti-cycles-president-chris-conroy-2014.html "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.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sHiJKQAS6MYC&q=mert+lawwill+mountain+bike&pg=PA48 |title=Outside Magazine's Urban Adventure, Denver/Boulder |author=Heller, Peter |year=2002 |access-date=2 January 2016 |isbn=9780393322842 }} 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.{{cite news|last1=Kazimer|first1=Mike|title=Yeti SB5c - Review|url=http://www.pinkbike.com/news/yeti-sb5c-exclusive-review-2014.html|access-date=7 May 2016|work=PinkBike.com|date=16 Jul 2014}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2015/06/22/yeti-launches-two-womens-bike-models|title=Yeti launches two women's bike models|website=Bicycle Retailer and Industry News|language=en|access-date=2019-08-03}} These models have since been discontinued after the 2019 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-news/yeti-replaces-the-sb5-with-the-new-sb140-27-5-trail-bike-discontinues-the-beti-bike-line/ | title=Yeti Replaces the SB5 with the New SB140 27.5" Trail Bike, Discontinues the Beti Bike Line | date=29 July 2019 }}

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.

{{cite web

|url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/66617104.html?dids=66617104:66617104&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+06%2C+1989&author=NANCY+RIVERA+BROOKS&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Customized+Bikes+on+High-Tech+Roll

|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130131172756/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/66617104.html?dids=66617104:66617104&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+06,+1989&author=NANCY+RIVERA+BROOKS&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Customized+Bikes+on+High-Tech+Roll

|url-status = dead

|archive-date = January 31, 2013

|title = Customized Bikes on High-Tech Roll

|author = Brooks, Nancy Rivera

|date = December 6, 1989

|work = Los Angeles Times

|access-date = May 26, 2012

}} {{subscription required}}{{cite web

|url = http://www.yetifan.com/the_history_of_yeti.html

|title = the history of yeti

|publisher = yetifan.com

|access-date = May 26, 2012