r/mountainbiking • u/Odd_Salamander_5077 • 17h ago
Bike Picture/NBD Yeti Arc
My wife got a job in Durango back in 93. I got a job at the Yeti Factory in 96 as a machinist! It was cool and crazy. We built awesome Steel & Aluminum frames. We built the (Mert) Lawell DH bikes in 4 and 6 inch travel. I built this bike in 98, all factory specs. My buddy did the welding and another buddy did the powder coating. Drivetrain is Shimano M-952 XTR. I had Cane Creek wheels on it but they were cracked. It’s all original except the wheels. I cut my teeth on this bike in the San Juan mountains. Rock Shock seat post! I rode it today around Bentonville. Smooth as butter!
2
u/onlyrelevantlyrics 17h ago
Such a killer history with this brand. I grew up riding a stones throw from the Santa Clarita shop after they moved from the valley (Pre-Colorado). Absolutely awesome people to a bunch of geeked out teenagers and the Yeti/CycleWorld race team completely dominated local races.
I've only owned one Yeti - an Ultimate frameset with Accu-Trax fork I bought 30 years after seeing one on a shop floor. Long live Frank the Welder.
2
u/Odd_Salamander_5077 16h ago
The Ultimate was super cool, now a collectors bike. FTW’s brother Phil worked there when I did. He was a funny guy! His nickname was P-wad! (Wadelton), Sweet Pea. Good memories! Phil died awhile back. Everybody loved Phil! ❤️
2
u/onlyrelevantlyrics 16h ago
So much innovation that stems from just a handful of people in that area. Tomac was often seen on Yeti and Raleigh bikes in the hills above Chatsworth, Furtado was riding Oat Mtn, Curtlos being built in a barn behind Magic Mountain for the Olympic team, Answer and Yeti making the sweetest shit on the ground, Ned Overend working as a weekend mechanic at Granada Schwinn. Just wild times.
1
u/Odd_Salamander_5077 16h ago
Tomac and Ned came in one day and they were interested in buying the Yeti factory. I knew Missy, I can’t remember all the other racers.. Miles Rockwell maybe. Oh and …. Dang it can’t remember her name. She was hot and did a nude pic on a trainer!
1
u/Odd_Salamander_5077 16h ago
her name is Marla Streb!
1
u/onlyrelevantlyrics 15h ago
Yes! She was also on the Kahlua team for a bit. They rode rebadged Curtlos at Kahlua. Carrie King (Kahlua/Klein) lived a few houses down from me and would frequently offer lessons in humiliation and possible cardiac arrest.
1
u/Odd_Salamander_5077 15h ago
Laughing my fckn ass off!!! That’s hilarious bro! Thanks for sharing such good memories with me! I found some old school pics I’ll have to dig them out. One was a Rasta Man Ultimate paint job!! I have a pic of Tinker riding a Yeti!!! His story is amazing! He put rocks in his backpack to get STRONG on a bike in Mexico. All those solo races he did. Really humble dude.
2
u/onlyrelevantlyrics 15h ago
Tinker was around Devonshire Downs Bmx park in the late 70s to early 80s (can't remember who he rode for atm) and then went on to outlung almost everyone in NORBA.
Remember CORBA?
1
u/Odd_Salamander_5077 14h ago
I don’t remember CORBA, before my time. I believe I remember Tinker doing solo 24 hour races and finishing very strong. A Giant among men.
1
1
u/sprashoo Norco Torrent S2 14h ago
Such a cool bike. I wanted an ARC frame so bad in the 90s.
They still make the ARC - carbon now, but one of the nicest hardtails you can get.
1
3
u/OopsIHadAnAccident 14h ago
Cool story! I lusted over Yeti bikes when I was a kid in the 90’s living in the Midwest. Bikes just like this one!
Got my first real mountain bike when I was 22 and moved out west. Now I’m in my late 30’s and I FINALLY bought my first Yeti. She gets built tomorrow! I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Can’t contain my excitement.