Yeti Ultimate 19" with FRESH POWDERCOAT - RAL 5018

I think you may be right about that, but I'm going to let it run its course. If nothing else, whether it sells or not, this listing will be a data point for all regarding market value. I based this price on the fact that I bid $1551.01 on the '89 Ultimate Ultimate,

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=134569

and I owned it for about 4 or 5 blissful seconds, :D :lol: (I need an emoticon for "Woo-hoo!"), only to lose it to the high bidder ($1576.01) with 3 seconds to go before the end of the auction......like it was snatched from my hands. :( :cry:

Since I can't seem to find a Yeti Ultimate (in my size) to save my life, I figured someone might want to snatch this one up at the first opportunity.

8 1/2 days to go with two dozen watchers so far, so we'll see.
 
Sorry to snatch that one from your hands. ;). I got emotionally involved and set a very high snipe on it. You'll be happy to know it's in good hands now.:) Just curious, if you bid on the one that I won (which is also a 19" frame), why are you selling this one? What size are you looking for?
 
Wow! That was you! I should have recognized the avatar. :oops:

I was emotionally involved as well during the final moments of that auction, as were a few people I think. That was one heck of a rollercoaster ride!

What you've done with that frame so far is tremendous. I can tell that bike is in excellent hands, but sadly, not my own. By the way, is it my imagination, or did your "ultimate Ultimate" posting used to say '89 (vice '90)?

As for the frame I'm selling, it's definitely too tall. Center of BB to center of top tube along the seat tube is 19", but just last night someone told me that it's actually a 20" frame, so if that's true, I'll have to edit the listing. Perhaps anyone else reading this has an opinion as to the size?

I know that all e-stay bikes from the different manufacturers have slightly different geometry and different ways to define the size, so to me, the number of the size (19") has little meaning when comparing bikes from different manufacturers. Attached is a screenshot showing sizing geometry from a Yeti catalog (1993?). The difference in size along the top tube (Dimension "A" in that diagram) between a 19" and a 20" is just a quarter inch (23" vice 23.25"), and on mine, "A" is actually just under 23", so I don't know what to think.

My personal rule-of-thumb is that if there's more than an inch of head tube length between the top tube and the down tube, then it's too tall for me. On my '89 Alien, I can fit one finger in the back of the head tube (between the top and down tubes), whereas on the bike I'm selling, I can fit 3 fingers. Using that rule, your bike looks to be my size.

I think the best way to size a bike would be the standover height. Motorcycle manufacturers include that dimension in their spec sheets. The difference between the standover height and your inseam measurement is the difference between baritone and soprano, if you know what I mean. I could stand over the bike I'm selling, but only if I stand on my toes.

btw, did your seller tell you exactly what color (RAL #) that he used for the powdercoat? I used RAL 5018 because that was the number that I kept finding on the web whenever someone posted an inquiry regarding Yeti Ultmate color, but 5018 looks a little greener and darker than the color on your bike. Maybe it's due to the lighting when photographed, but I like the color of yours better than mine. It looks like the color of modern Yetis.

On a positive note, there is a guy I've been talking to about his Ultimate, and it looks like I can buy it as soon as I can afford it, so I'm hoping this one sells soon. In that regard, I guess I really CAN find one to save my life, but I had to go through some channels to find it, i.e., it wasn't posted for sale anywhere.

If I can't sell this one as is, I know I can sell the forks, stem, and even the front pulley separately because I've received a few offers for them this week. I'd like to keep it together as one bike, but I'd like the money even more so I can buy one that fits me.
 

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Hi -- yes, it used to say " '89", but after consulting with a Yeti expert, he said the frame was more likely produced in '90 based on the serial number and the output (about 25 frames per month, starting in Aug. '89). So I amended the thread.

Looking at your frame, I'd say it's definitely larger than mine, so it's probably a 20". My headtube measures 110mm, but yours looks more like 140mm. The seat tube looks longer, too. Looks a lot like this one: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39765.

Sorry, the seller didn't tell me with RAL he used. I can try contacting him if you want me to find out.

Good to hear that you found another Ultimate! Hopefully that one fits you better. If you need me to take any measurements from mine (like standover height), just let me know.
 
5018 is very close, but its not perfect. There's no way you could tell by looking at a photo on the internet. Color resolution between monitors would skew it. You'd have to hold it up to an original to show the small difference...

but even then, I have two Durango built and painted frames from the same era - one is identical to 5018, the other is off. The best I can tell, the paint changed slightly darker from the 80s to the 90s.
 
mfh126,

Thanks for the info about the frame size. I'll have to remove the "19" from the listing. Thanks also for the offer to measure yours for me, but no need; the guy who's buying my GreaseGuard hubs has 3 of them (19") and he's already started sending me info. As for the RAL color number of your bike, yes, I'd definitely be interested.

ameybrook,

Thanks for the info about the color. I think the best I can do is try to get some color samples from my local powdercoater and always have them with me in my truck. That way I can compare them to an actual bike if I ever get to see one up close.
 
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