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The Bikes
PROTOTYPE
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The first frame
produced by Yeti using the Easton C9 tubes. This picture was
taken in the spring of 1989, likely to be included in the May 89 MBA
feature on the Yeti FRO. Note "C-26" decal had yet to be made.
This frame featured simplex dropouts, a chainstay bolt-actuated front
derailleur, and cable stop "pads" bonded to the carbon tube. |
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A close up of the headtube. Note the FTW prototype stem. |
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Now Russ
Worley's race bike, with red Easton decal and black Bullseye cranks. |
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In full flight during the MBA test. |
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B&W
scan from the MBA feature. "The bonding process enables the
frame to be taken apart, fixed, and reassembled if the tubes or lugs
happen to break." This would be
reassuring on a 50mph fireroad descent. It also happens to be
untrue. |
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Another B&W scan. At some point the Answer decal was
added to the top tube. This is the only picture I've seen of that
decal placement. Likely to promote Answer's Accu-Trax fork, the
design of which was purchased from Yeti. |
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The picture taken for the 1989 Yeti
Brochure. "Ride the bike of the future today." |
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What became of the prototype. Polished up with team and C-26 decals
and sent to interbike. This frame may or may not have failed,
but it was hacksawed up for safety reasons, and it lives in Chris
Herting's shop. Note the carbon Accutrax dropout. |
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JOEY ERWIN XC FRAME
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The finest living example of an early C-26. Bonded cable stops
remain, but front derailleur has been updated from the housing
actuated one on the prototype to the cable roller. Now with
standard Yeti dropouts |
JOEY ERWIN DH FRAME
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Now updated
with welded cable stops. Has front derailleur hanger, but no cable
roller. Belongs to Chris Herting, and hangs from the ceiling at
Yeti Cycles in Golden, CO. This frame has seen some miles, and you can
tell the seat tube has started to come apart from the bond at the
bottom bracket.. |
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TOMAC XC FRAME
TOMAC WORLDS DH FRAME
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Arguably the
most famous C-26 of them all. The geometry can be seen here with
the flat top tube and radically aggressive head and seat angles.
Also has 1" headtube and ground down chainstay gusset to accept bigger
chainrings. Both XC and DH race frames had a Motocross Action
decal. |
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Out of
control and on his way to 4th in the 1990 Worlds DH.
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Tomac's DH
Bike was given to MBA contributor Zapata Espinoza as a wedding gift.
He still owns it to this day, and it was the inspiration to the modern
Tomac / Manitou DB-10. |
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FURTADO XC FRAME
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The C-26
legacy lives with Juli Furtado's XC win in Durango. The only 16"
C-26 ever built. Feature proto Doug Bradbury Manitou forks and
an XT drivetrain (switched at the last minute from Campy). Sold in the
2002 JP ebay auction to an unknown German collector.
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MBA picture
from March 91 with full component spec. |
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Color scan
from the same MBA article |
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Earlier in
the 1990 race season. With full Campy components and Bradbury
Manitou. Pic courtesy Yeti Cycles |
MISCELLANEOUS
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Frame
formerly of Kokopelli Bike Shop in Cortez, Colorado. Clearly
built from a stolen tubeset. Note the machined dropouts and lack
of front derailleur pulley. C-26s were supposed to have machined
dropouts, but very few did. This is the most recent C-26 to have
appeared. |
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C-26 in
Germany assembled with rivets through the tubes and lugs.
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Close-up of
the rivet work |
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Scan from the
91 catalog. |
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Post-yeti
assembled frame formerly belonging to German collector. Sold in
2004. |
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^^ Now a
Tomac DH bike replica. Very cool restoration. More info at
www.mountainbikes.net |
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Very nice C-26 at the IFMA show in
Germany. |
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Home
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Links
Yetifan.com
Yeti Cycles
3D Racing
MTBR VRC
Retrobike
MTB-News.de |
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