NATIONALS BIKE CHECK: Tom Locke's Yeti SB150

Photos: Georgina von Marburg

Tom has been wowing the local enduro scene recently and topped off a successful few months with a podium at the Crankworx Whip Off in Cairns.

There will be plenty of competition for Tom to contend with this weekend, with U21s being one of the most fiercely contended of the EWS qualifier categories.

“It’s the biggest enduro race in Australia. I’m here to also try to grab some EWS points because I want to race overseas next year. There’s a lot of fast guys here that we usually don’t get to race against because they’re from other states and you get to compare times and push yourself.”

Luckily he will have his trusty Yeti SB150 beneath him, including some handy additions we can all learn from!

The carbon Turq frame is designed around 29” wheels, of which Tom is running the alloy Raceface Turbine R with 120 points of engagement. Raceface also completes his cockpit, with Next R 20mm rise handlebars cut to 770mm and 40mm Turbine R stem. Tom would usually use a 35mm rise handlebar, but has opted for a 20mm rise to tackle some of the more pedally stages here in Red Hill.

Maxxis tyres are the team’s long-standing choice, and Tom uses an Assegai up front and a DHF on the rear. “DHRs are really good for heavy breaking but because the trails here are predominantly flat, the DHF will run a bit quicker especially with the wider 2.5” surface area. I’ve reused this tyre from Crankworx Cairns because I wanted it to be a little bit worn out to roll faster. There’s not need to brake super hard here.”

The WTB Volt saddle is a Yeti Edition, as are the ODI grips. Speaking of special edition, those gorgeous orange caps on the fork are straight from Fox along with the matching top cap.

The groupset is a complete Shimano XTR groupset with 203mm brake rotors front and rear. Tom runs a 10-51T cassette with a 34T chainring.

Fox suspension and Yeti are two peas in a pod, and this SB150 runs a full Factory getup. The 38 forks are 170mm with 2 tokens and 97psi, while the Fox Float X2 shock has 3 tokens are 200psi. “Yeti frames are really linear, and you need an air shock to match it. Yetis come from the factory a specially tuned Float X2 to match the kinematics of the frame.”

Interestingly, Tom runs an o-ring on each stanchion of the fork. This allows one ring to gauge the overall compression, while he can use the other for specific sections on a track. “Factory tings.”

But what makes this bike full enduro are the spares hidden away for emergency use. The cranks are stuffed with zip ties, while a spare hanger is zip-tied to the saddle rails. The Raceface Tool Wrap contains nothing but a spare tub, as the OneUp EDC pump houses tire levers, a multitool, and a plug and plyers kit. There’s also a quick-link taped neatly around the brake housing. 

But while it’s all business on the trails, Tom – like most riders here – is taking in everything the Mornington Peninsula has to offer.

“It’s the most beautiful place – it’s almost more tempting not to ride and just spend the day at the beach! I wish we weren’t here for a race because there’s a lot of nice wineries around,” he laughs.

“Red Hill itself is a lot of fun with a cool amount of variety. We’ve got pine trails, but then we’ve got exposed and sandy trails which remind me of images from Finale Ligure. This kind of variety really keeps you on your feet.”

“I’m looking forward to the Pro stage on Saturday the most. It’s pretty gnarly just bombing through this fast, rocky section between the trees. You’re just chasing yourself to the ocean, straight-lining to the beach.”