Wildly Light, Fast, and Expensive: Yeti ASR T5 Ultimate XX SL Transmission Review

Yeti Cycles is a brand with a rich and storied racing history. Surprisingly, Yeti hasn’t had a full-blown cross-country race bike in its lineup since it stopped making the ASR in 2018 — until it launched the all-new ASR in March 2024.

Yeti went all-in to make the new ASR a thoroughbred MTB XC race machine capable of going toe-to-toe with the fastest bikes on the market. With a superlight frame, progressive XC geometry, 115 mm of rear wheel travel, and numerous well-spec’d builds, this is a modern XC race weapon.

Last spring, I had the chance to test the top-of-the-line ASR T5 Ultimate XX SL Transmission ($13,900) build for several weeks before its launch for a first-look review that was published on our sister site, Bikerumor.com. The folks at Yeti were kind enough to let me keep it for a few more months to continue putting it through its paces. My test period culminated with 2 days of intense racing at the Downieville Classic.

In short: The new ASR marks Yeti’s triumphant return to the pointy end of the cross-country race bike market. This is the lightest and fastest mountain bike I’ve ever ridden, elevating my performance to a whole new level. The build I tested is wildly expensive. But it includes all of the latest tech and there are several other less expensive options to choose from. Whichever version you choose, the Yeti ASR is a proper race bike, but it can do more than just race.

Yeti ASR T5 Ultimate XX SL Transmission Review

As a full-time product reviewer and editor, I’m privileged to try things that I’d never be able to afford. Sure, I’ve tested a couple of S-Works Turbo Levos in my life that flirted with the $15,000 mark. But until I swung a leg over the ASR, I’d never ridden a nonelectric mountain bike that cost more than $10,000. 

Even then, I usually don’t get to hang on to them for more than a month or two. It was a real treat to be able to ride such an incredible bike for 5 months or so. It also gave me the chance to go well beyond my first impressions. I got to see how the ASR performed long-term with a proper amount of thrashing and in an actual race. 

In my launch article on Bikerumor, I covered the ASR’s frame design, geometry, suspension, and build options in great detail. In case you missed it, I’ll revisit those details before diving into my long-term review.

Yeti ASR Frame and Suspension Design

One of the reasons that Yeti didn’t have a proper XC race bike for years was that the brand was hanging its hat on its Switch Infinity suspension design. While it works amazingly well, the added parts and complexity of the Switch Infinity system added weight. Even Yeti’s shorter travel bikes — like the SB100, SB115, and SB120 — were just a bit too heavy to be viable XC race bikes.

When creating the new ASR, Yeti went back to the drawing board. It settled on the tried, tested, proven, and lightweight single-pivot with flex stays design. This controls the bike’s 115 mm of rear wheel travel with a near-linear leverage rate with 10% progression. The 40mm stroke shock is custom-tuned and intended to be ridden at 30% sag. That’s been paired with a 120mm travel fork.

The carbon frames were designed to maintain strength and specific ride characteristics while being as light as possible. After testing 36 different layups during development, they settled on a final one. Each frame size has its own specific carbon layup to maintain desired characteristics across all sizes. 

The result is a frame that’s impressively lightweight. The T-Series Wireless frame I tested comes in at a claimed 1,448 g. The T-Series Wired frame weighs a claimed 1,552 g due to the addition of more cable routing ports. The lower-tier carbon of the C-Series frame brings the weight up to a claimed 1,727 g (all size medium with no shock).

Other frame details include mounts for two water bottles in the front triangle and internal routing for rear suspension lockouts. The frame has clearance for tires up to 2.4 inches, chainrings up to 36T, and can accept a custom chain guide. For ease of maintenance, the ASR has a threaded bottom bracket and does not have through-headset cable routing.

Yeti ASR Geometry

Cross-country racing is evolving, and the geometry of XC race bikes is following suit. The ASR is a prime example. It has up-to-date geometry that’s ready to take on the most challenging cross-country race courses. Not surprisingly, it’s strikingly similar in many ways to what you’ll find on many other bikes in the same category. However, it has some subtle differences.

First, the ASR comes in five frame sizes between XS and XL. Yeti claims this fits riders between 4’10” and 6’7″. Some of the more standard measurements include numbers like the 66.5-degree head tube angle, 75.5-degree effective seat tube angle, and 610mm stack (size large). Reach increases by 20 to 25 mm per size, with 465 mm on the size large.

While the effective seat tube angle is the same across all frame sizes, the actual seat tube angle steepens on larger sizes. This can help taller riders from feeling “off the back.” Additionally, chainstay length/rear center increases by 2 mm per size — 439 mm on size large — for better fore-aft weight balance across the size run.

The bottom bracket height is listed at 335 mm. But when settled into the recommended 30% sag on the rear shock, it’s a fair bit lower. Unlike some other bikes, the ASR does not have any geometry adjustments.

T5 Ultimate XX SL Transmission Build

I tested the top-tier T5 XX SL Transmission build, which retails for an eye-popping $13,900. Yeti drapes it with all of the latest and greatest bits of tech on the market. Believe it or not, that’s $600 less than the similarly equipped Specialized S-Works Epic 8. 

Yeti launched the ASR just a week after SRAM/RockShox debuted the new cross-country versions of its Flight Attendant suspension components. If you aren’t familiar, Flight Attendant is a system that can automatically adjust your suspension settings — or you can wirelessly control them — on the fly. The goal is maximizing efficiency and, therefore, speed.

As such, the T5 is built around the TURQ wireless frame and includes the full Flight Attendant package. This includes the SID Ultimate fork, SIDLuxe Ultimate shock, the AXS POD controller, and a Quarq power meter on the cranks.

Flight Attendant works as a system with other AXS components, and the T5 XX SL build includes a full XX SL AXS Transmission drivetrain along with a 170mm Reverb AXS dropper. The drop length varies by frame size. 

The rest of the build was carefully chosen for weight savings. The featherlight DT Swiss XRC 1200 carbon wheels weigh a scant 1,303 g and have a 30mm internal width. The 2.4” Maxxis Recon (front) and Recon Race (rear) tires prioritize rolling speed. A Bike Yoke BarKeeper stem clamps a lightweight 740mm Race Face Next SL handlebar with ESI Chunky grips. WTB’s comfortable new Solano saddle with Titanium rails rounds out the cockpit. 

My test bike came with SRAM Level Ultimate 2-piston brakes. But currently, the Yeti website lists the four-piston version, which would be a welcome upgrade.

It all weighs a shockingly low 23 pounds (measured) without pedals for a size large. This is even more astonishing, considering the 170mm Reverb AXS is one of the heaviest. Additionally, the Flight Attendant electronics and batteries add roughly 220 extra grams.

ASR Build Options

Yeti currently offers five complete builds, including the T5 XX SL described above, with options for wireless and wired drivetrains. It is also sold as a TURQ carbon frame and rear shock only for $4,000. 

The T3 XO Transmission ($8,600) comes with a SIDLuxe Ultimate 3P (three-position) shock with TwistLoc remote and a SID Ultimate 3P Remote fork. It has a full SRAM XO Transmission drivetrain and four-piston SRAM Level Silver Stealth brakes.

A Fox Transfer SL dropper gets the saddle low and out of the way. The wheels are alloy DT Swiss XM 1700. Yeti gives you the option to upgrade to the carbon XRC 1200 for a $2,000 fee and a weight savings of 1.28 pounds. The stock T3 XO Transmission build weighs a claimed 24.33 pounds in size medium.

If you prefer a wired drivetrain, the T2 build ($7,200) is nearly identical to the T3 XO described above but comes with a SRAM XO1 mechanical (cable-actuated) derailleur. It weighs a claimed 24.06 pounds in size medium.

Yeti also offers two builds using the lower-tier and slightly heavier C-Series carbon fiber. The C3 GX Transmission ($6,600) includes its namesake SRAM GX Transmission wireless drivetrain along with SRAM G2 R brakes. It comes with a RockShox SID Select fork and a SIDLuxe Select+ rear shock.

The suspension components are upgradeable to Ultimate level with the TwistLoc remote for $600 extra. It rolls on DT Swiss XM 1900 wheels and has an alloy Burgtec Enduro handlebar and stem. It weighs a claimed 26.09 pounds in size medium.

The C2 build ($5,600) is the least expensive. It mirrors the build of the C3 above but comes with a mechanical (cable-actuated) GX Eagle drivetrain. It weighs a claimed 25.87 pounds in medium.

The Ride: First Impressions

As mentioned previously, I rode the ASR for about a month before its official launch and my first-look review. During that time, I was blown away by numerous aspects of its performance. Among these were pedaling efficiency, speed, composure, shockingly low weight, and a surprising level of versatility. 

Just looking at the Yeti ASR gives the impression that it’s a really fast bike. That was backed up immediately by its ruthlessly efficient feel that was apparent from the first turn of the cranks. Compared to the mid-travel trail bikes that I typically ride, the ASR felt like cheating. I mean that in the best way possible.

Like similar bikes, it felt like it was urging me to stay on the gas and push the pace at all times. It was so much fun to ride that I had to consciously reel it in so I wasn’t red-lining all the time.

For context, my everyday ride is a 135mm rear/150mm front trail bike that weighs around 30 pounds. I’ve ridden a handful of modern cross-country bikes in recent years. But I can’t afford a quiver of bikes, so my personal ride is a do-it-all mid-travel rig. I’ve made it as light as I can while still being rugged enough to handle the rough, rocky terrain I ride most frequently. 

So, when I get on XC bikes, I’m always enamored by the climbing speed and general liveliness. But it usually takes a bit of time to get used to the reduced travel and sharper handling. This typically involves dialing back the speed and aggressiveness on descents. 

Sure, on the ASR, I had to adjust slightly to the racier geometry, most notably the lower stack and front end. But I was instantly taken aback by its stability, plushness, and traction. Despite its feathery weight, I felt just as comfortable pushing the pace on the descents as I did on the climbs. The ASR was begging me to ride it just as hard as my much burlier daily driver.

With the Flight Attendant suspension, that more forgiving downhill performance was balanced out by being in the most efficient suspension settings all the time. 

It immediately made me realize just how far cross-country bikes have come recently — even in the past couple of years. Gone was the twitchy, nervous feeling that I’ve long associated with XC race bikes. They were replaced by a calm, composed, wildly efficient, and surprisingly capable ride. Of course, it’s still a short-travel XC bike, so it does have limits. But they were much harder to reach than I expected.

Long-Term Testing

I fully expected to send the ASR back after I wrote my launch article. It floored me when Yeti said I could hang onto it for a while. I think they said something like, “You seem to be enjoying it. Why don’t you race it at Downieville and see how it goes.” As an aging racer — I’m 45 and can use every performance advantage I can get — this was music to my ears. And the perfect opportunity to see how this race bike does against the clock.

Some Minor Tweaks

I set my expectations high — I’m already competitive to a fault, but this unlocked a new level — and kept riding the ASR as if it were my own. For me, this meant making some minor component changes for comfort and performance.

Don’t get me wrong — the stock build of the T5 XX SL build is pretty much perfect and ideally suited to this bike’s intentions. A few tweaks made a world of difference for me in terms of fit and the conditions I was riding most frequently.

The stock cockpit setup of the ASR, a 740mm Race Face Next SL handlebar and ESI Chunky grips, was lightweight and very much appropriate for the bike. I have disproportionately long legs for my height. So, my saddle was really high, and the front end of the bike was a bit lower than I liked.

I’ve also got broad shoulders, so the 740mm width felt a touch narrow, too. Given that I’m not purely a racer, it made sense to add a little rise and width with a different handlebar. I switched to an ENVE M7 carbon bar with 25 mm of rise, cut to 760 mm wide. I put on some of Ergon’s new GE1 Evo grips, which I preferred over the silicone ESIs.

My test bike came with SRAM Level Ultimate two-piston brakes with organic pads. While these felt adequate most of the time, they felt a bit underpowered in some situations. Also, I quickly burned through the organic pads. I swapped these out for metallic pads, which notably increased stopping power and pad life. Yeti now lists four-piston brakes on the spec sheet, so this issue is hopefully resolved.

The conditions where I live and ride in the Lake Tahoe area are quite variable. They are most often dry, dusty, and loose, so I also switched up the tires. The Recon Race rear tire rolled plenty fast, but it didn’t provide the climbing traction or braking bite that I was looking for. I switched the grippier Recon to the rear. And I mounted a Minion DHF on the front, which dramatically improved performance in mixed and loose conditions.

These minor changes added a little bit of weight. But at 24 pounds with pedals and a bottle cage, it was still 6 pounds lighter than the bike I raced at Downieville the previous year. 

Racing the Yeti ASR

The Downieville Classic is one of my favorite races. It’s a unique mountain bike event that takes place in one of my favorite places to ride, the iconic mountain bike destination of Downieville, Calif. The 26th anniversary of this legendary event occurred in 2024, and it was my sixth time racing in the Downieville All-Mountain since 2016. The race was on hiatus for 4 years due to Covid and other circumstances. 

If you aren’t familiar, the Downieville Classic is essentially a weekend-long mountain bike festival and fundraising event for the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS). It includes 2 days of racing with a unique format. Racers can sign up for the cross-country race on day 1 or can enter the All-Mountain, which includes a “downhill” race on day 2.

It draws an impressive field of amateur and professional racers alike, with some of the nation’s best riders coming out. Legends like Geoff Kabush and Katerina Nash are multitime champions. Keegan Swenson has won the men’s pro race the past 2 years. 

On its own, the point-to-point cross-country race is incredibly grueling. It is 26.5 miles long and has 4,500 feet of climbing and 5,700 feet of descent. It starts with a relentless 3,000-foot climb on a very steep dirt road before linking into miles of very rough and rocky singletrack back into town.

For those racing in the All-Mountain, the downhill race is on day two. This involves 5,000 feet of descending over 15 miles with some punchy climbs and flat sections. The DH is run in a time-trial format, with racers staggered every minute or 30 seconds, depending on your category. 

The two-day All-Mountain race is particularly tricky because racers are required to race the same bike on both days. Race officials weigh bikes before the start to confirm. The combined results from both days are used to crown the “All-Mountain World Champion.” Choosing the right bike and, perhaps more importantly, the right tires to tackle both an XC race and a super-fast and rough downhill is a unique challenge.

This would be my first time racing Downieville on a proper cross-country bike. The biggest question for me was how much of a difference it would make. In 2023, I managed to have my fastest race ever, with personal best times on both days.

Would this super-light and super-fast bike propel me to new PRs, or would it falter on the notorious rugged trails? If I did PR, by how much? Based on my experience riding the ASR, I had a feeling it would be a major benefit. But the true test remained.

Since I turned 40, my main goal with racing has been continuous improvement. If I can snag an age group podium in the process, that’s great. Any hopes of being competitive in the Pro field are long gone. So, I set my sights on getting new PRs on both days. With the ASR under me, this seemed like a completely realistic objective — as long as I could keep the air in my tires. 

I had raced and done well in two 100-mile gravel races that were 2 and 4 weeks prior. I was in prime fitness but potentially starting to come down from my peak. On the XC day, I got excited off the line, tried to hang with the real Pros, blew up a little bit, and then settled into my own pace — fairly standard for me.

I let Flight Attendant do its thing. It adjusted settings a lot. Along with the bike’s low weight, it made the climb feel easier than riding my 30-pound rig from the year before.  

On the singletrack, it was readily apparent that my cockpit tweaks and tire changes were more comfortable and better suited to the conditions and rugged terrain of the Downieville XC race. I felt just as fast and confident on the descents as I have on my trail bike but was moving faster through the flat sections and up the punchy climbs. Miraculously, I didn’t flat the Maxxis Recon EXO tire in the rear. In hindsight, I’d run a tire insert next time for peace of mind. 

I was absolutely shattered when I crossed the line, but I’ve felt much worse in previous years. It felt like a good ride, and the clock confirmed what I was feeling on the trail. I ended up with a new PR. I was 4 minutes and 30 seconds faster than in 2023, finishing 19th out of 47 in the Pro field. This was five spots better than the previous year. 

Day 2’s DH race is always tougher than it sounds. It’s much shorter, but riders are already fatigued. Yes, it’s mostly downhill with 5K of descent over 15 miles, but that also means it’s not that steep. It is very fast and very rough in spots, so good descending skills are a must.

But fitness is arguably the biggest factor at play. With roughly 600 feet of climbing and quite a few flat pedal-y sections, it’s just as much about hammering as it is about staying off the brakes and not getting any flats.

When I say these trails are rough, I mean they are really, really rough. Over the years, I’ve wondered how other people were managing to ride XC bikes on this terrain. I figured it was mostly because they were better riders than me. While that may certainly be part of it, I also realized that modern cross-country bikes are far more capable than I gave them credit for. 

Still, with less travel, you can’t just plow through rock gardens with reckless abandon. Good line choice is more necessary than on longer travel or heavier bikes. I found that it forced me to ride more smoothly and with a bit more precision. But that didn’t mean that I was going any slower, particularly when any pedaling was involved. 

While this required a bit more focus, it was a really rewarding feeling to dance through technical sections rather than take the brute-force approach. Any time I lost being slightly more conservative in the rough stuff was quickly made up in the flats and the short but full-gas climbs. 

While I had initially assumed that the shorter travel ASR wouldn’t be quite as fast on the DH or that the light frame and components might not be up to handling my poor line choices, I learned that neither was true. In fact, I finished 9 seconds faster and five places higher than my previous best time from the year before. While not as dramatic of a difference as the XC result, it further solidified my opinion that the ASR was the fastest bike I’d ever ridden.

Flight Attendant

This review is already long enough. But I’ll give a quick rundown on my impressions of the RockShox Flight Attendant XC suspension. I’m keenly aware that it is very expensive. I’d never be able to afford it, but it was cool to get to ride it for an extended period and see how it actually performed.

At first, I was admittedly a little annoyed by it. It automatically adjusts all the time. It makes a little zzz noise every time it shifts, and I’m of the mind that mountain bikes don’t need electric components. There were seven total batteries on the ASR — four AXS batteries, two AXS POD batteries, and one in the Quarq power meter. That was a lot to keep track of, but thankfully, the AXS app helped with that.

What I initially liked the most about Flight Attendant was the ability to wirelessly control the suspension through the AXS Pod. I liked having control over the compression settings. All I had to do was push a button on the handlebar to change them — pretty slick. But with such fancy technology at my disposal, I eventually gave in and let Flight Attendant do its thing.

Flight Attendant suspension works as a system with other AXS components and the Quarq power meter. When paired together, it learns and adapts to your riding style while shifting between the suspension’s compression settings.

This ensures the bike is always in the most efficient mode based on factors like terrain or power going into the cranks. And it shifts a lot— far more than I ever would if I was flipping switches by hand or even if I had a wired handlebar remote.  

While I didn’t love the frequent shifting noise coming from the suspension, I can’t argue with the fact that it worked and worked very well. I’d also argue that cross-country is probably the best application for it. I can’t say with certainty if it made me appreciably faster — the ASR is a rocket ship regardless — but it certainly wasn’t slowing me down. 

Do I need it on my bike? It was definitely cool to have, but I think I’d be just as happy with wired remote suspension and less credit card debt. However, I can see it providing an advantage for racers seeking marginal performance gains if they can justify the expense.

What’s Not to Like?

I think SRAM’s AXS Transmission drivetrains work well and are undoubtedly cool. That said, I think the latest AXS Pod shifters have terrible ergonomics. Sure, I could still shift, but if I’m riding one of the most tricked-out superbikes that money can buy, there’s no reason that everything shouldn’t be perfect. I tried really hard on numerous occasions, but I simply couldn’t position them to my liking. If this were my bike, I would spring for the Rocker Paddle upgrade right away.

The price is also hard to overlook. Yes, this bike comes with everything that is absolutely top-of-the-line. And the price is in line with comparably equipped bikes from some other brands, but wow. It’s also true that this was the lightest and fastest bike that I’ve ever ridden. Still, I’m pretty sure you could build it up from the frame to be lighter, just as fast, and cost significantly less.

Yeti ASR: Final Thoughts

It’s been a few years since Yeti had a legitimate contender for the cross-country ring. The brand came out swinging and connected with the new ASR. The Yeti team clearly did their homework to deliver a top-shelf performer that stacks up against the fastest race bikes.

Cross-country race bikes are somewhat niche. But modern geometry trends and components are making them more capable and fun to ride outside of the race course. I think the Yeti ASR is a fine example of that. Not only did it help this aging racer continue my quest for continuous improvement, but I had a blast riding it everywhere. This was often well outside of its short-travel, race-oriented wheelhouse.

Of course, the price of the T5 Ultimate XX SL Transmission build likely puts it out of reach for most riders. But Yeti offers both wireless and mechanical drivetrain options — starting at $5,600 — to suit a wide range of budgets. Or better yet, build your own dream bike up from the frame.

If you’re looking for a new cross-country bike, you’ve got plenty of options. I think it’s great that Yeti is one of them once again. The new ASR brings some of that undeniable Yeti swagger back to the XC race course, and if you ask me, it looks as good as it rides.