Ever had one of the those bikes that you just have to yell and scream with joy when you rode it? Say hello to the Yelli Screamy. With the shortest chainstays and the slackest headangle of any production frame 29er on the market, the Yelli Screamy makes for one heck of a time on two wheels as it’s the first 29er that handles like a nimble little 26" frame.
Strengths: Fun, flickable, easy to ride over trail obstacles. Excellent stand over height. All mountain geo makes it fun to ride. My previous bike was a Cannondale Rush, a nice bike, but this is much easier on the more technical trail, and I don't miss the rear suspension 98% of the time. I mostly ride XC trails and some techy stuff, around here Lynn Woods is THE place for AM/Free riding, but I rarely go there.
The color!! I picked the gloss orange, the anodized colors will last longer, but I love the orange!
Weaknesses: The chain ring/chain stay clearance is really tight, it's the price you pay for the geometry, tire clearance, and the all important short chain stays. Buy a chain guide right away, I did not and wish I had.
Bottom Line:
If you are willing to build a bike from the frame up, and you don't want/need the typical XC racer geometry, this is the bike! I've been riding for 2 decades and I had never built a bike from the frame up, the dollars add up fast! This geometry is becoming more common, but the Canfield Brothers are leaders with this bike and the Nimble 9.
I am finding that I have more confidence on the more intimidating trail sections, and I'm more able to clear sections that were tricky on my previous bike.
I may buy a full suspension bike someday, but for the riding I do most of the time, a hardtail 29'r is what I need.
Similar Products Used: None, previous bike was a Cannondale Rush 800, I test rode a Specialized carbon HT 29'r, and a few of Niner's HT models, but for typical demo rides.
Bike Setup: Dingle speed: Shimano XT front der. and shifter, SRAM X9 39/26 crank/BB
Origin 8 Spacebar2
Stan's Crest ZTR wheels
Surly 20t cog
WTB SST saddle
Niner rigid steel fork planning on getting a Manitou Tower Pro
Ritchey seat post
Truvativ Holzfeller 35 mm stem shortest stem I've ever had
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Submitted by
bikekayakhike
a Cross Country Rider
from Kalama, WA
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2012
Strengths: Corners like a dream, great tire clearance...descends like a 5 inch travel bike. Great standover height. I have two rides on the Yelli and I can't wait to ride it again. This is my new winter bike and will probably become my first jump/indoor park bike. This bike just makes me smile.
Weaknesses: Maybe clearance for larger chainrings, but, then the tire clearance would not be as good.
Similar Products Used: Sir9, One Ghost Ronin, but they are not very similar. Really in a class by itself
Bike Setup: Sram XO 2x10, Hope hubs with carbon 30mm rims. Reba 140 RLT Ti.
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Submitted by
jdusto
a Cross Country Rider
from Sammamish, WA
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2012
Strengths: Nimble, responsive, and a strong frame design giving you confidence to push it hard as a true all-mountain ride.
Weaknesses: Tight clearance issues with FD and rear tire. The mountings for the bottle holder on the seat tube interferes with the seatpost when you attempt to really lower the seat. Slack geometry makes climbing a bit of a challenge.
Bottom Line:
This bike rips like no other 29er I have tried. With the slacker geometry and low BB height (even with a 140mm fork), this bike craves around corners and attacks rock and gnarl. This is definitely a bike for those seeking a true all-mountain experience in riding up the hill and then flying back down.
Submitted by
jeffw-13
a Weekend Warrior
from Beaver Falls, PA
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2012
Strengths: Great handling, stiff, tough, easy to manual, climbs great, huge tire clearance. Awesome do-it-all bike. My go to bike for everything but racing.
Weaknesses: ISCG tabs would be nice, Ive heard people complain about front derailleur rubbing the tire. I run 1x9, no issues. The area between the chainstay & bottom bracket collects mud & ice in winter
Bottom Line:
Great do-it-all bike. 9 times out of 10 it's the bike I reach for whether riding buff single track or rocky technical rides. The bike handles great on the tight twisty trails common to Western PA (Brady's Run, Bavington) and also rides well in the rocky stuff a little further north (Moraine, West Branch). Somehow the front end is easy to manual over obstacles but I never have any issues keeping the front end planted on steep climbs. Down hill it just rips. Feather the brakes & let 'er rip. I absolutely love this bike. It dares me to go the hard way
Throw some big volume tires on it to soften up the ride. Its a burly stiff frame. Rides very comfortable with the 2.4 Purgatory's I have on it
Similar Products Used: None. Only AM 29er hardtail Ive owned
Bike Setup: XL frame, 140mm Marzocchi Bomber (No headset spacers & low rise bar to keep the front planted) Flows on Hope hubs, 2.4 Purgatory tires front & rear
Strengths: Descends, corners, and handles tech like a champ. Short stays and angles make it agile. For an aluminum hardtail, I don't find it overly harsh.
Weaknesses: Not a weakness per se, but I came off an 80mm fork and steeper angled geo, and it took me some time to adjust. Rewards standing and mashing climbing moreso that sit and spinning. Rewards a more active, agressive riding style.
Bottom Line:
Top notch ripper. Climbs and descends tech well, and great at both slow and fast speeds. Lots o' room for wider tires. Slow tech climbing is great, but the slacker angles and longer fork means longer, steeper climbs take adjustments. Riders who do long climbs might consider a travel adjusting fork. Perfect shorter rides with lots of steep ups and downs.
Bike Setup: Reba Team @ 120mm. Wide Salsa bars & 70mm stem. Hope/Flows with wide tires. 1x9.
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Submitted by
gregcan
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria BC CAN
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2011
Strengths: Superior geometry; short stays, slack HT, low standover, low BB.
Weaknesses: Hardtail?
Bottom Line:
The Yelli Screamy is the best cornering, descending, most composed 29er I have ridden. If like me, you never felt steep, long, XC hardtails suited your riding style or area, buy one of these! The hype seems true; somehow the rear end harshness fades the more you ride it. All I need now is a tire that is as good as the bike is:)
Submitted by
hrdude
a Cross Country Rider
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2011
Strengths: Technical riding and climbing. Slow speed chunk. Railing smoother descents & switchbacks. Great trailbike.
Weaknesses: Water bottle bosses on seat tube limit post drop. Due to hardtail, maybe not the best choice for wide open super fast & rough trails.
Bottom Line:
This my first 29er and first time riding a hardtail in many years. The bike is great for my style of riding and local trails (lots of steep up/down and technical).
I am finding the bike to be better at everything than my 5" fs 26er. I am cleaning more sections, climbing easier and riding noticeably faster. If you have steep ups/downs and tight technical terrain or smooth fast terrain, this bike is for you. The geometry is dialed. Thank you Canfield Bro's!
Bike Setup: Fox Talas 29, Shimano XT 10 spd 2x, Easton Haven carbon wheels.
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Submitted by
whydomylegshurt?
a Cross Country Rider
from Redondo Beach
Date Reviewed: June 28, 2011
Strengths: Fun bike to ride, that is it's best strength
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks, it is my go to ride. It is a stable climber, great in tight tech, and super fun on downhill runs. In the first month of owning this bike I cleaned a technical climbing trail section out in Kernville that I had been working on for years, I was really surprised by how well it did. The downhill performance was no surprise as the geometery is dialed for that.
If you are looking for a fun 29er hardtail this is the bike to get.
Similar Products Used: SIR 9, AIR 9, GT Peace 9er, Black Cat custom 9er,
Bike Setup: 120mm FOX FIT, Stans Flow rims on ZTR hubs
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Submitted by
GPRider08
a Weekend Warrior
from Kansas City, MO
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2011
Strengths: Very stable and lacks twitch of a XC rig, comfortable, you sit in and not on the bike, very responsive handling, tons of tire clearance, and can handle some pretty big forks. Oh, and the frame looks pretty nice, and the anodized finish ensures it will stay that way for awhile!
Weaknesses: Climbing is a little less efficient than I'm used to. The chainstays limit your choice of front chainrings.
Bottom Line:
Demo is for the 2010 Canfield Yelli Screamy frame. A great alternative to the classic XC hardtail. Other than a few FS demos (also XC oriented), I only rode hardtails or rigids, all of which had the classic XC design; long TT, long stays, steep HT angle, and low BB. And none had travel of more than 100mm. So, trying out this bike was a real eye opener. I liked it so much, when the option to buy the one I tried was put up for sale by the owner, I was all over it! First, this bike is so smooth. I wasn't as stretched out as on my old bikes. It took a little getting used to, but once I did, I felt like I could ride all day. Obviously, the 29er wheels rolled over a lot. But, with the stability offered by this bike's design, I had the confidence to take on just about anything. The ability to slap on a 120mm fork just makes it even better. The handling was surprisingly quick, and I was able to flick it around some pretty tight corners. The climbing was OK but not as great as I'm used to. But overall, this bike rocks, especially if you're looking for a great, comfortable, all-around bike, this is the ticket.
