The first known use of “Yeti Betty” came from a Yeti freak in Keystone, CO. She was so attached to her bike that she referred to herself as a Yeti Betty. She'd encouraged her friends to join the Tribe and soon there were a slew of Bettys spreading the gospel. Shortly thereafter, Amy Thomas, who ran a team called the Betis, approached Yeti seeking support for the team. Naturally, they became the Yeti Betis and have been representing our brand ever since.

With the help of the Yeti Betis, we identified several components that would improve the ride experience for women. All “touch-points” on the bike were an obvious place to start, so we chose a WTB Diva saddle, smaller diameter grips, and narrower handlebars (though, in the spectrum of handlebar widths, they are still relatively wide at 720mm). This gives greater comfort and control. We also changed crank lengths from 175mm to 170mm. The benefit here is twofold: One, smaller cranks are easier to spin. Two, the smaller cranks give added clearance in technical sections. Less smashing the pedals on rocks.

The super lightweight (4.2lb. frame) and efficient suspension has been optimised for shorter travel with an updated and modified single pivot design. Yeti has worked closely with FOX to refine the suspension rate to give the AS-Rc a predictable feel that holds up while pedaling and retains composure when the trail begins to get rough. The new AS-R frame is designed using a carbon Dogbone link to add considerable stiffness to the chassis, and sports Yeti’s progressive geometry (69-degree head tube angle, long top tube, low bottom bracket) that has been borrowed from their experience in DH and Enduro. Wheel size on the AS-R is optimized on the AS-R with 27.5” wheels on the Extra Small and Small frames, and 29” wheels on Medium through Extra Large Frames.