575

The 575 has been one of our most popular bikes for years. It's extremely versatile - it can be ridden as a lightweight all-mountain bike with lighter wheels, a triple chainring crank and narrower tires. Or it can be more gravity-inclined by switching the spec to a single chainring up front, a chain guide, longer travel fork, burlier wheels and fat tires.

Back in 2011, we made a lot of refinements - we added a tapered head tube to increase front-end stiffness, added ISCG mounts, and completely redesigned the main pivot (double row bearings for increased stiffness and durability) and main pivot junction (hydro-formed design that increases strength, stiffness and mud clearance). We also added cable stops for dropper seat posts and made the fame compatible with a direct mount front derailleur.

For 2012, many people have asked weather the 575 will stay in our lineup now that the SB-66 has been released. The short answer is "yes". The longer answer is that we see the 575 and SB as two completely different animals. The 575 offers a more comfortable, plush ride that gobbles up bumps and makes for a more muted feel on the trail. It will also be offered at a lower price point. To that end, we will have completely redesigned the rear seat stays. Gone are the svelte carbon seat stays - these have been replaced by robust alloy seat stays that offer more abuse resistance at no weight penalty and a lower price. Not only are they extremely durable, they look good too.

Our Yeti chip system is still available out back, so you can run a 12mm x 142mm QR through axle or standard QR. The oversized alloy chain stays remain intact, as does the aggressive trail bike geometry.

The 575 has long set the bar for the all-mountain performance and now it has even more flexibility. You can still build it up light weight, but you can also build it to tackle ridiculous terrain. It keeps getting better...