Yeti ASR Review: The New Standard for XC Bikes?

Yeti Cycles has been at the forefront of innovation and speed in the mountain bike world. Their latest release, the Yeti Cycles ASR, proves why they continue to set the bar for race bikes. While the new Yeti ASR looks similar to other cross-country offerings on paper, it's a different story on the trails. When Yeti Cycles revived the ASR for 2024, their goal was to put the "X" back in XC. The ASR climbs like a mountain goat while still being able to descend like a proper full-suspension mountain bike. In this article, we are going to be covering my thoughts on this bike and why I feel like it outshined its competitor and eventually led me to purchase.

Background

The XC category has not interested me for quite some time. A few years back, I traded in my cross-country bike for a slightly longer travel "down-country" bike. While I still own that bike and love it, the new XC bikes are starting to shape a category of their own. As a mountain biker at heart, the only reason I'm going up the mountain is to descend it. That's the fun part, right? Descending is pretty important to me as a quality in any mountain bike. 

When I had the opportunity to demo some of the more popular cross-country bikes earlier this year, such as the Specialized Epic, Cannondale Scalpel, Trek Supercaliber, Pivot Mach 6, Santa Cruz Blur, Scott Spark, and the Yeti ASR, I started to notice a trend... XC bikes are becoming X again! (Or at least some of them) As the World Cup courses are getting gnarlier, bike manufacturers are having to make bikes that handle everything that they are getting thrown at them. Only one of these bikes stood out to me - the 2024 Yeti ASR.

Climbing Efficiency: Elevate Your Ride

When riding the ASR uphill, this bike begins to shine. This bike is designed with climbing efficiency in mind, and the difference is palpable. The geometry of the ASR creates an optimal position for power transfer, allowing you to scale even the most challenging ascents quickly and with ease. The front ends feel snappy, and the weight distribution feels easy to manage. The lightweight frame, the highly efficient suspension platform, and the remote lockout with three positions keep the pedal bob to a minimum, meaning more of your watts are directed toward the climb.

Some other models in its class feel sluggish and less capable when the trail starts to tilt upward. For comparison, the Scott Spark was noticeably heavier on the climbs and felt less efficient. The ASR wants to be pushed to limits, calling for out-of-the-saddle attacks and setting new PRs! The ASR’s ability to maintain traction and forward momentum sets it apart, ensuring you get to the top faster and with less fatigue. For context, the Spark weighed in at 26.6lbs. With the exact components and sized ASR, ours came in at 23.9 lbs, which is a noticeable difference when climbing.

The Ride Quality: Smoother, Faster, and More Responsive

Something you will always hear a true-bred XC guy say is the "XC feel," which essentially means a harsh and rigid mountain bike. While I agree an XC bike doesn't need to feel like a trampoline enduro bike, I don't want the bike beating me up on the descents. The ASR feels significantly more responsive and refined on technical trials. It still has that "XC feel," but giving you more confidence to push the descents. Thanks to its advanced carbon frame construction and relatively slack headtube angle,  this bike remains lightweight yet aggressive, giving you the confidence to tackle steep climbs and technical descents without feeling bogged down.

The ASR proved its worth on a particularly rocky trail by smoothing out the canvas that other bikes would struggle to handle. For comparison, a similar bike on paper, the Santa Cruz Blur, has a similar ride feel until you go down technical terrain. The Blur tends to have a twitchy front end that doesn't help carry you through challenging terrain. The rear suspension, equipped with Yeti's flex stay, is now the new norm for XC bikes, and it keeps you glued to the trail without losing speed or control. This results in an intuitive and agile ride that feels effortless, even when the terrain is less than forgiving.

Downhill Dominance: Confidence Redefined

If climbing efficiency is essential, the real magic happens when you're pointing downhill. The ASR feels stable and composed, even at high speeds or through gnarly descents. I've been taking this bike on terrain that would bleed into the trail/enduro category, and the bike is able to handle anything I throw at it. Line choice is still a significant variable. That's the case for any XC bike. The ASR can still go over the top of rocks and not around. The geometry is dialed for aggressive riding, offering an excellent balance of stability and maneuverability. The ASR makes it incredibly versatile, gracefully handling everything from tight switchbacks to wide-open flow trails.

Compared to the Trek, the ASR gives you extra security when charging down technical descents. The ASR checks both boxes where the Trek can climb a hill but needs to provide more confidence on the descents. The suspension feels more progressive, ramping up nicely to prevent harsh bottom-outs, and the bike's low center of gravity keeps you grounded. Running the bike at 30% sag ensures you're using every millimeter of suspension that 115/120 bike has to give!

Build Quality: Unique Components

The build really stood out to me when looking at the ASR. Yeti was spec'd this bike with components no other manufacturer used. These companies are trusted MTB brands I usually see on my trail bike. This was very inspiring, knowing that these components were bomb-proof. One of my highlights was the new WTB Solano Saddle, which felt very similar to my Specialized Mirror Power saddle, which I absolutely love. It is very comfortable and has a short nose, which is ideal for MTB. The Bike Yoke 55mm stem was also a nice touch, long enough to get into an optimal pedal position but not take away from the bike's handling. The 3-position remote lockout has been excellent. I hadn't had a remote lockout since 2017 on one of my bikes and didn't realize how much I missed it. It turns the bike into a missile on climbs. 

While, for the most part, I did love the overall build of the 2024 ASR, there were a few components that I wouldn't have chosen for my build. The SRAM Level brakes aren't the best; they offered something with more stopping power, like the Hayes or TRP equivalent. As with the Fox Transfer SL, this bike dropper is that weird one that only goes up or down. It's pretty touchy and not my favorite in its class; I prefer my OneUp dropper. Overall, it's a superb build kit, but there is room for improvement for years.

Final Thoughts: Yeti Cycles ASR Takes the Crown

The new Yeti Cycles ASR is a clear leader in its class. From its lightweight yet durable frame to its superior climbing efficiency and downhill stability, this bike offers an almost effortless ride experience. While Yeti offers many build options ranging in price, the T3 XO build stood out to me. It had a unique build with components from brands i've known to trust over the years. Compared to other XC bikes on the market, it's more responsive, handles terrain better, and delivers performance gains that are hard to match. And yes, I am aware that I am in baggies and t-shirt in all the photos talking about a XC race bike, we were working on shooting our new Steel is Real t-shirt while taking these photos, leave me alone. 

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