LUNCH RIDE
THE ORIGINS OF THE LUNCH RIDE ARE HAZY. RATHER THAN DISSECT WHAT HAPPENED OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO, WE’LL STICK TO WHAT THEY AGREE ON – WE BUILD BIKES WE WANT TO RIDE.
The origins of the Lunch Ride are hazy. Hoog’s recollection is different than Conroy’s and rather than dissect what happened over twenty years ago, we’ll stick to what they agree on… The Lunch Ride has been going on every day from 11:30am to 1 pm since 1999 and is core to our company. We get up from our desks, work benches, manufacturing stations, put on our riding clothes, and head out to ride. It is our chance to recharge and keeps us focused on what we do here – We Build Bikes We Want To Ride.
THE RIDING IN COLORADO’S FRONT RANGE ISN’T FOR THE MEEK AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHY WE’RE LOCATED IN GOLDEN.
The riding in Colorado’s Front Range isn’t for the meek and that’s exactly why we’re located in Golden. A mile or two from our front door we can ride Apex Park, Green Mountain, Mathew Winters Park, and Dakota Ridge. Our trails are characterized by chundery rock, loose dirt, and punchy climbs. Putting in 1200 feet of climbing at lunch is par for the course. Dakota is the first to clear after winter snow storms, and lucky for us, the most technical.
It’s fair to say we like to earn our descents, but the majority of us live for the downhill. It means our bikes need to do the same and we tweak our spec to meet the demands of our local trails. The SB130 Lunch Ride spec is born of these trails.
DAVE TRACE, AKA 'TREEZY' IS THE KING OF SPEC HERE. “WE ALL PERSONALIZE OUR BIKES TO SOME DEGREE, AND THE LR MODEL MAKES MOST OF THOSE CHANGES STOCK.”
Dave Trace, AKA “Treezy” is the king of spec here. He works closely with our engineering team, product manager, industry partners, and suppliers to line out every spec level for all of our bikes. He knows the intricate details of every wheel, drive train, and suspension set-up and is often the person many of us go to for spec advice.
“We all personalize our bikes to some degree,” says Treezy. “And the LR model makes most of those changes stock. The Code brakes and a little more travel with a FOX Grip 2 damper fork are key for me to ride my best down Apex and Dakota Ridge.”
JOSH IS A MEMBER OF OUR DEDICATED WAREHOUSE CREW AND PART TIME PRO ENDURO RACER. “THE BEST IS WHEN YOU CAN GET A CREW CHASING EACH OTHER DOWN THE HILL. IT’S PRETTY DAMN FUN.”
AMANDA BELL'S RAW TALENT WAS EVIDENT EARLY ON. SHE GRAVITATES TOWARDS BIG TRAILS AND NEEDS A BIKE TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS. “BEFORE WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BUILD OUT THE SB130 LUNCH RIDE KIT, I HAD ALREADY PUT THE 160 MM FORK ON MINE.”
Amanda Bell, known as “Rella” or “Mad Dog Manda” started riding just four years ago and when she started at Yeti in 2016 in international sales her raw talent was evident. Former pro downhiller and head of R&D here, Dave Ziegman aka “DZ” noticed her riding skill and their shared dry sense of humor made them quick friends.
“DZ is a bit of a suspension magician,” said Amanda. “Before we knew we were going to build out the SB130 Lunch Ride kit, I had already put the 160 mm fork on mine, and then DZ recommended over stroking the shock from 52.5 to 55 mm. That small change gives me 6 mm more rear-wheel travel than the regular shock. With the burlier brakes and rotors for park laps at Winter Park and Keystone, it quickly became apparent this was the shred sled for year-round trail debauchery - Lunch Rides, sandbag rides and park laps.”
THE LUNCH RIDE HAS UNWRITTEN RULES OF COMPETITION, PECKING ORDERS, SPECIFIC TRAIL ROUTES, APPROVED AND UNAPPROVED BREAKPOINTS, MORES AND VALUES ONLY KNOW TO THOSE THAT PARTICIPATE. HERE ARE A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE RIDE, AND YETI, BY THE NUMBERS.
1.5, 2.5 and 2.8 miles - The distance to Apex Park, Green Mountain and Matthew Winters Park from our front door.
6 pro riders – Currently we have 6 current or former professional athletes spanning downhill, enduro, XC and road. We’ll let you guess who the pro-roadie was.
1,343 feet - Number of feet climbed on our most iconic Lunch Ride on Apex to Enchanted Forest.
100 + Kegs of beer per year – We like a good beer. Any of-age employee can enjoy one after 4:30 p.m. We also have kombucha on tap. Why not?
7 to 15 miles - Average distance of any given Lunch Ride depending on the trail chosen.
765 pounds of coffee and 102 pounds of espresso per year - We like the buzz.
2 rattlesnake bite survivors - One warning dry bite, one full-blown envenomated bite requiring 12 vials of antivenin and three days in the hospital.
12 dogs - On any given day 12 to 15 dogs roam the halls of Yeti.
103 injuries on Lunch Ride - Okay we don’t really know, injuries in recently memory include a knee laceration requiring stitches (and the removal of a pebble), a broken ankle, collarbone, elbow, ribs and a wrist; and plenty of separated or dislocated shoulders. Yeah, we like to send it.
3.5 bikes per person – An “average” (although no one at Yeti is really average) Yeti employee owns 3.5 bikes.
WE CAN SIMPLY SAY, “LUNCH RIDE?” TO A COLLEAGUE AND IT’S OUR FORM OF AN INVITE. OUR DAILY ESCAPE TAKES US TO TRAILS THAT CHALLENGE PHYSICALLY AND GIVE US RESPITE.
Our daily Lunch Rides are so ingrained in our culture here at Yeti that industry partners know we can’t be reached from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. We can simply say, “Lunch Ride?” to a colleague and it’s our form of an invite in the spirit of comradery. Our daily escape takes us to trails that challenge us mentally and physically, and also give us respite overlooking Red Rocks Amphitheatre to the west and the city of Denver to the east. With the sun setting at high noon and the after-work crowd still at their desks, every Lunch Ride is Front Range riding at its best.
IN HONOR OF OUR DAILY RITUAL, WE CREATED A LUNCH RIDE (LR) KIT FOR THE SB130. THE KIT FEATURES PARTS THAT WE UPGRADE ON OUR PERSONAL BIKES, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO — A STAFF PICK OPTION YOU MIGHT SAY.
In honor of our daily ritual, we created a Lunch Ride (LR) kit for the SB130. The kit features parts that we upgrade on our personal bikes, so you don't have to — a staff pick option you might say. Key upgrades include a 160 mm FOX Factory Grip 2 fork, an over-stroked FOX Factory DPX2 shock with 136 mm of travel, and SRAM Code RSC brakes with a 200 mm rotor upfront. Check out the full SB130 LR spec.
