The Radavist

Two of our contributors, Spencer Harding and Jarrod Bunk, spent some time on the new Salsa Cycles Tributary gravel e-bike earlier this spring. Each used the bike to help transport themselves and camera gear while photographing various cycling events where a car would have otherwise been used. Today, we look at their first impressions and some details from Salsa‘s lineup of new 2024 e-bikes.

I doubt the readers of this website need an introduction to the brand Salsa Cycles, but what about the brand’s genesis? Today’s Vintage Bicycles bike features Ross Shafer, the founder of Salsa’s 1984 Custom. This bike, much like Salsa itself, is riddled with lore, so we pinged the lore meister himself, Tasshi Dennis, to dish out the goods. Grab a bowl of chips and a dish of salsa, and get yourself a big scoop below…

Today we’re continuing our week of Ruta Del Jefe stories with a story about new friends, bike events, and how John stays engaged with this job over the years… Oh yeah, there’s a sweet Ti Fargo awaiting you below!

Alrighty, y’all today we are talking about the Rustler from Salsa Cycles, their new “ultimate trail bike” with 130mm of split pivot rear travel and a 150mm Rock Shox Pike taking care of business out front. Now that’s about enough for numbers for awhile, I ain’t no nerd talking about leverage ratios at an Interbike booth ok? We’re gonna talk about feelings today; how was your ride yesterday? How are you doing today, like actually? Go ahead, tell me what’s good below.

I arrived with a crew from Salsa Cycles a few days before Grinduro Japan was set to go down.  With the impending storm putting a slight damper on the length and rideability of the course for the weekend, I started to look for some alternative riding in the immediate area around the mountain.  While the mountain offered plenty of dirt roads, they remained forested-in which didn’t do the Japanese landscape justice.  On the map, I noticed that the coast wasn’t too far away and would be a big ole descent for most of the way.  Once we secured some fellow folks to shuttle us back from the beach in our rental cars, I got to work cobbling together a GPS track for us to follow.  I connected the small bits of off-pavement and tried to string them together with bike paths as well as a visit to a city park that had a castle, duh. Lets go to the beach!

Joe’ DKXL Prototype Salsa Cycles Warbird Carbon
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk

Joe’s proto Warbird has taken what Salsa has learned from their athletes and staff to refine what was already a fast gravel bike and give it some new features. The fork/frame is all new but with added versatility like dynamo routing in the fork, fender mounts, and a much cleaner Di2 setup.

Joe has already raced the DKXL aboard the new bird, proof that the new bike is ready to rip some gravel. This bike doesn’t just look fast, it is, but stays comfy over the roughest of b-roads thanks to the 2nd generation updated vibration reduction system. Aside from the entire suite of SRAM parts, including Zipp wheels, and SRAM Drivetrain and Brakes, the left lever can operate his dropper mid-race if needed making this, the most capable Warbird yet.

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram.  and Salsa Cycles on Instagram

Jay Petervary’s Land Run 100 Salsa Cycles Warbird
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk

Jay Petervary’s Salsa Cycles Warbird was pretty dialed for Land Run this year. Those Salsa Cycles X Brooks England LTD frames are so good. Jay has been doing the whole gravel and adventure racing thing for close to 18 years now. Fresh off his win at the Iditarod Trail Invitational a few weeks prior, JayP was in town for Land Run.

You can learn a lot about what works, and what doesn’t just by looking at his bike. Aero bars, double wrapped tape, 32c tires, bombproof Industry 9 wheels, and not overpacked with water and food. The name of the game on Saturday was mud clearance. It worked out pretty well as I’m told that Jay was at the front most of the day and even finishing with a 3rd place on the hardest Land Run yet.

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram and Jay on Instagram.