Retro Rides: Myles Rockwell's 1993 Yeti Cycles Factory ARC AS LT

Just like a Lamborghini Countash or Samantha Fox (ask your dad) images of retro Yeti’s are true poster fodder and have been pinned to bedroom and garage walls around the world for decades.  Looped chainstays, turquoise paint and eye catching team colours have always kept the Colorado brand at the top of every rider’s wish list no matter their age.  We’re lucky enough to have an ever expanding collection of Yeti Cycles from over the years here at Silverfish so we thought we’d show you some of the collection.  

Founded in 1985, Yeti Cycles have produced some truly iconic machines but they have always stuck to their roots and remain to this day, a race driven brand providing superfast, cutting edge equipment to the fastest races of that era. 

The list of riders who have ridden for Yeti over the years is crazy. Everyone from Richie Rude, Jared Graves and Aaron Gwin have pulled on the Yeti Factory Team jersey right through to true legends of the sport such as Missy Giove, John Tomac and Jimmy Deaton have all raced for the factory team.  

Rockwell was reunited with his 1993 Factory race bike at Fort William where he signed the frame. 

One such name which sits head-and-shoulders above the others (not just because of his height) is American racer, Myles Rockwell.  The former World DH Champion rode for Yeti in 1993 when he won arguably one of the most talked about downhill event in MTB history, the ‘Reebox Dual Eliminator’ in Mammoth Mountain. Back then, mountain biking as a sport was just start hit a peak and big sponsorship deals were coming in and large worldwide TV coverage was putting riders on the map.

The Reebox Dual Eliminator was held at Mammouth Mountain and saw two riders go head-to-head in a knock out style race down the rocky tracks and fire roads in a sprint for the line.  The event was huge and pulled in a massive TV audience around the globe. 

That year, Myles Rockwell managed to beat a young and very talented privateer racer from the North of England called Jason McRoy (Hardisty Cycles) in the final.  Myles’s team mate Jimmy Deaton had qualified fastest that day but it was Rockwell who raced to the final and took the win from the then unknown Englishman by three-tenths of a second in one of the sport’s most epic battles. 

Leading the young English privateer Jason McRoy in the final. 

In 1993 racers didn’t have bikes dripping in carbon fibre and titanium and racers would regularly use the same bike for all competitions from XC through to DH making just a few changes between events.  Riders would hits speeds of 60mph plus on bikes with flat bars, skinny tyres and under 100mm of suspension travel in an era well before disc brakes where common place.

What you see here is the bike that won that race, yes, the bike that beat Mcroy and that Myles raced around Europe for the Yeti Cycles Factory team in 1993.     

Geek Stats  

The team edition ARC AS LS frames all featured a machined aluminium rear brake bridge and brake mount which was not available on production bikes. 

Each team frame was built to the riders height and all feature different upper shock mount plates with unique holes/machining to fit the front triangle size. No two were the same.  

Team bikes featured white decals on the left side of the top tube.

On race day in 1993 top qulaifier and team mate Jimmy Deaton was the fastest qualifier but he missed his start time after an issue with his wheel meant he left the gate well behind the other rider resulting in him being eliminated. 

Geometry 

Headtube length –                15.5cm / 6”

Top Tube –                            60cm / 23.5” (actual)

Top Tube –                            61cm / 24” (effective)

Reach –                                 47cm / 18.5”

Head Angle –                        72 degrees

Seat Angle –                         73 degree

Chainstay –                          45cm / 17.75”

Seat tube –                           52.5cm / 20.75” (centre to top)

BB Height –                          33cm / 13"

See the leatest range of Yeti Cycles here >>