Fans of Yeti Cycles are as one-eyed as they come, getting as excited about a 1971 Chrysler auto color called Desert Turquoise as Bianchi fans do about Celeste. With good reason, too. Yeti’s reputation for reliability and well-designed innovation has been a mainstay of their business since its inception during the early 80s. One model that enjoyed only a fleeting appearance in the range was their cyclocross frame, the ARC-X. A very talented Sydney photographer, Matthew Mead, managed to procure one of the rare frames, built it up and shot it ‘on location’ in the warm Australian bush.
We’ve enjoyed Matthew’s photography on The Spoken previously — have a look at the beautiful snaps he took of his Salsa Fargo. A passionate off-road cyclist, Matt always wanted a cyclocross bike to connect some of the dirt trails around his area with sealed road sections. When he encountered a Yeti ARC-X hanging on the wall of a mate’s house sporting a pair of Zipp wheels, he made an offer for it that was flatly rejected until another mate offered to buy the wheel set. That offer was accepted on the proviso that Matt buy everything else. Done deal. The Yeti was promptly built up with MTB gear ratios that would tackle both the steep climbs and the descents.
As mentioned, Matt is a talented photographer, although his subjects are more likely to be happy couples on their wedding day — his captures will make you feel like falling in love all over again. He’s available for both local and international bookings and you can check out his portfolio here. If you’re already married, keep an eye on his personal blog.
