Santa Cruz v. Yeti

Hi all,
Anyone have an opinion on a Santa Cruz Blur, XC, 2009 (way cheaper than the usual hefty SC price tag, and aluminum not carbon) or a Yeti 575?

I looked at the new Yeti 5 when searching for my new bike as they're a well respected bike brand and have a big following down where I live. I would have purchased it but it has too much travel. I ended up ordering a Titus Racer X.

Have you looked at the reviews on the mtbr site? www.mtbr.com

Looking at the geometry charts, it seems like they're two pretty different bikes. The Blur XC seems like it has a much tighter geometry (74 STA, 71 HTA) than the slacker Yeti (71.5 STA, 68 HTA). The Blur is designed for a 100mm fork vs. the 150 mm fork for the 575. Similar differences in rear wheel travel as well...

Like CrazyCanuck said, the 575 would be way too much travel in my area, unless I drove up to the mountains. Do you need a XC bike or a trail bike?

IMO, they're both really nice bikes, and it should come down to which meets your needs better. Do you have the opportunity to test ride them?

It's for my partner, who to complicate matters had three vertebrae in his back fused and an artificial disc put in above that. And we live on a mountain, so travel gets used and may be beneficial. Though we also climb up said mountain so the xc is pretty nice too (I have a xc bike). The Yeti is proving really hard to find so far!
Thanks guys, anyone else have an opionion?

I can see how the back situation would make things more complicated...

What about something in between? There's a lot of really nice ~5" travel bikes out there... Maybe a Sata Cruz Blur LT or a Yeti ASR 5?

Yeti, no contest.

Even my ASR (only 4 inches of travel) is better at soaking up bumps than the 5 inch bikes I tried (including some from Santa Cruz).

The Yeti 575 is hands down the better bike if you want something that can climb but that will soak up the bumps well for a bad back (or any other reason).

I can't believe how much better and more confident my Yeti has made me in just a year. Goes where I point it and keeps me upright.

If you can justify the drive Yeti will happily let him ride one in Golden, CO (their headquarters), or you could call them and see if the demo truck will be near you sometime soon.

If he can, yes, try out a ASR5 as well, but I don't think the 575 will cause any issues climbing (depending of course on setup). It's not a race bike, but it's made to climb efficiently.

+1 for the Yeti over the SC. Yeti FS design is a bit better, I have ridden the ASR rear and prefer it over the Blur. Our riding here doesn't require huge travel but the overall ride/sus of the Yeti design is very nice and works super.

I rode/raced a Blur for 7 years. The geometry is more racey than the Yeti.

You may have to replace the bearings more frequently but I didn't find it to be a problem.