All balled up on a Yeti 575

This rider is getting pitched over his bars. Is it the bike or the rider? I’m sure you can guess.

Lee,

Great site, I am very happy I stumbled upon it. There is a ton of information here and I can’t wait to get your book.

Maybe you can help me out with something.

I have had a large 575 for a year and a half, I am 6′ with a 34″ inseam and shorter than normal torso + arms. The honeymoon was great but then I found myself on the ground more during the past 18 months than the last 18 years combined. It usually goes like this: riding down some rocky front range trail (Dakota Ridge), and I get pitched over the bars. It feels like my arms are too short to get my weight far enough back. After experiencing this a couple of times I tried a few things: 0 setback seatpost, different saddle, shorter stems, higher rise bars and fork settings. It is really hard to get the fork sag correct (2008 Fox 32 RLC) without resorting to really low pressure for my weight (220). And with the air pressure that low there is not enough rebound damping, which I think has been the cause of a couple of get-offs.

Any ideas, sooner or later my cat-like reflexes might fail and I will loose some teeth. I think the frame might be too big, what do you think?

Thanks for the help.

— — —

Chris Conroy of Yeti Cycles rocks a 575 at Apex. I’ve yet to see this guy flop over his bars.

Hey,

You’ve opened quite the can of worms. Let’s start with equipment:

– Your frame is the right size. Since you have a shorter upper body, you definitely want a shorter stem. I sure do like a 50mm in all our Front Range rock gardens. BTW: The 575 was designed specifically for the trails around Golden — that’s where the Yeti guys do their lunchtime testing.

– Sounds like something is wrong with your fork or the way you measure the sag. 220 pounds is within the design envelope of the fork. According to the manual, you should be running about 115 psi. The rebound range should be adequate. ALSO: Measure the sag with all your weight on the pedals. That’ll balance your bike better than if you’re leaning on the bars.

Now for the real issue:

I guarantee you are too high and too far forward on your bike, especially while you’re on your brakes.

Lower your seat as far as you can. Balance on your feet. Keep your hands light.

Since you’re local, come up to Boulder for a skills clinic. I’ll show you how to wring that bike out!

— Lee