Limited-edition Yeti 35th anniversary ARC is the stuff of childhood dreams
If you were new to mountain biking in the early 1990s like me, those times were riddled with images of heroes like Missy Giove, Juli Furtado, and Jimmy Deaton racing on iconic yellow-and-turquoise machines from iconic brand Yeti Cycles. To celebrate its 35th anniversary, the Colorado company is clearly tugging on some heartstrings with the release of a limited-edition Yeti ARC hardtail, but aside from the nostalgic two-tone finish, there’s nothing throwback about it.
Whereas the original ARC was a purebred cross-country racer made of TIG-welded Easton butted aluminum tubing and rolling on 26-inch wheels, this new version is more of a general-purpose carbon fiber 29er trail bike with thoroughly modern geometry that includes a 67-degree head tube angle, a 76-degree seat tube angle, 130 millimeters of fork travel, and generous reach dimensions across the four-size range.
“The ARC defined Yeti back in the day,” said Yeti president Chris Conroy via press release. “Our latest version pays homage to the past, but is rooted in the present. The ARC has always been known for pushing the envelope. Our latest version shows how versatile a hardtail can be with the right geometry, materials, and a little more travel up front.”
Too much yellow and turquoise? Never.
Yeti is fully playing up the yellow-and-turquoise theme here, with a smattering of custom finishes on the single ultra-high-end build kit. The Fox 34 fork features a yellow crown and turquoise lower legs, there’s a turquoise-anodized chainring on the SRAM XX1 Eagle crankset and a turquoise-painted inner pulley cage plate on the matching rear derailleur, and the SRAM Level Ultimate disc-brake calipers are slathered with a few coats of turquoise paint as well.
Further continuing the theme are the turquoise-anodized Race Face Turbine R stem, turquoise-anodized Chris King headset and hubs (the latter with special laser etching as well), turquoise ODI grips, and yellow-and-turquoise accents on the Yeti-branded carbon rims, Yeti carbon bar, and special WTB Silverado saddle.
Claimed weight is 11.15 kg (24.58 lb), and retail price is a healthy US$9,900. International prices are to be confirmed, but either way, interested parties should act quickly as Yeti only plans on producing 100 of these in total, each with individual number plates.
It’s almost too pretty ride, but it’d also be a shame not to.
Nearly every component on this limited-edition Yeti ARC features some sort of custom touch.
Note the custom turquoise finish on the thru-axle, derailleur mounting bolt, and inner pulley cage plate.
Yep, special laser etching, too.
Yes, even the dropper post lever gets finished to match.
And the thru-axles, too? Of course.
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