Sport And Biking Talk: Cody Kelley’s Yeti SB5.5 enduro bike

Monday, October 2, 2017

Cody Kelley’s Yeti SB5.5 enduro bike

Cody Kelley’s bike of choice is the SB5.5.

Cody Kelley may not be the best known name in enduro racing, but he might have the best hair. His flowing gold locks, killer style, and infectious good humor have made him a fan favorite on the EWS circuit.

Get a closer look at Richie Rude’s SB6 here.

His bike of choice is the Yeti SB5.5. With only 140mm of travel, this 29er is highly playful – which suits Kelley’s riding style just fine. For less aggressive tracks, he’ll sometimes switch to the SB5, a 127mm travel 27.5”. That’s a sharp contrast to teammate Richie Rude, who prefers the SB6.

Electrical tape wrapped around the cable housing keeps things tidy and quiet.

Cody and Richie both stash tools in their steer tubes with the One Up EDC tool. Full review here.

While the market may have moved to the 35mm standard, Cody and Richie are both running 31.8 stems. Another interesting fact? Both athletes are on 740mm wide bars. Their bar of choice, the Fatbar Lite, is only available in this configuration.

Cody runs a set of Ergon GE1 grips, which add a little extra width. We’re big fans of that oil slick colored lock on.

The EWS series has been unusually wet this year, which earned it the nickname “Enduro Wet Series.” To ensure grip in any conditions, Cody’s mechanic has placed a strip of grip tape across the shifter pad.

Like many EWS racers, Cody prefers to run his fork on the stiff side. The goal is to keep the fork from diving when tracks get steep and technical.

Marsh Guard.

With tools stored
neatly in his headtube, Cody relies on a Backcountry strap to secure a spare tube to his frame.

Of course it’s color matched and branded.

A Fox X2 provides rear squish.

One Up’s minimalist top guide keeps the chain mounted securely.

There’s also a bash guard, just in case.

Who doesn’t love Shimano pedals?

Both Cody and Richie run power meters.

SH Tuned.

Cody runs a Cush Core tire insert in the rear. It allows him to run lower tire pressure and improves sidewall support. In the event of a flat, it also holds the tire in place, allowing him to finish the stage.

This year, Cody’s been running Double Down casings front and rear. He usually runs around 24 PSI up front, 28.5 out back.

The drivetrain is a mixture of XT and XTR.

Like many athletes, he prefers the 11-46T XT cassette for the extra range.

One unique thing about Cody’s bike is how he runs his brake levers. He prefers his front brake lever to sit closer than his rear. He’s not sure why, but if he tries to run the levers with equal throw, he over brakes.