The Radavist

Words by Morgan Taylor, photo by Scott Haraldson.

Last summer we hosted the guys from Salsa Cycles for a few days as they came through our neck of the woods in the BC mountains collecting images and stories for the launch of their new 27.5″ wheeled, 150mm trail bike, Redpoint. Over the past week, Salsa has slow-released a storysite – Have Dirt, Will Travel – a series of essays on mountain bike road trips with photos from that trip. I’ve got a gallery coming from that visit next week, but for now, check out the storysite and all the details on Redpoint here.

Photos by Scott Haraldson

Multi-day bikepacking trips through the Montana backcountry should be on everyone’s cycling bucket list. For these women, the Kootenai National Forest would be their home for four days as they covered 170 miles, with three fire lookouts as their destination each day. Travel to each of the lookouts was via Forest Service roads and singletrack, with some intermediary roads sprinkled in throughout. Each of these lookouts, for obvious reasons, were on the very tops of the peaks within the Purcell and Salish mountain ranges: Garver Mountain at 5,784 feet, Big Creek Baldy at 5,768, and McGuire Mountain at 6,970 feet.

Head over to Salsa to check out this awesome story and see more great photos below!

Ben Weaver‘s a unique individual and a perfect fit for Salsa Cycles…

For the next few days I’ll be riding sections of the Tour Divide with Salsa Cycles. Last night we flew into Missoula, drove the Whitefish and Stayed at the Whitefish Bike Retreat. This morning, we’re heading to Banff to meet some of the racers, pack our bikes up and depart in the morning…

Expect coverage to follow and don’t worry, there will be content flowing in while I’m out…

If you’ve been looking for the middle ground between the Salsa Woodchipper and Cowbell handlebars, today is your lucky day. Salsa just announced the birth of the Cowchipper bar, a cross-breed bar that, you guessed it, lands right in between the Woodchipper and Cowbell in terms of flare.

For those spec-obsessed, here ya go:
The Cowchipper has 24º of flare, 120mm center section, 79.2mm of reach, 129mm drop, in sizes 40cm – 44cm and available now through your local Salsa dealer.

At Frostbike this weekend, Salsa unveiled their Warbird Carbon, a gravel racing frame, designed for long days in the saddle on rough, washboarded roads. The Warbird Carbon utilizes Class 5 VRS™, or a vibration reduction system and shaped stays that increase compliance. If you still would like a smoother ride, the Warbird Carbon has space for a 44mm tire.

Check out more at Salsa.

The latest photo essay from Salsa Cycles takes place in what many Americans consider to be “fly over country.” The midwest is home to some beautiful landscapes, filled with rushing rivers and dense forests. A few guys from Minneapolis went out to Grand Marais and rode the Gunflint Trail on fatbikes, packing in everything they needed for a few day’s outing. The resulting photos and story are inspirational to say the least.

Head over to Salsa to read up!

One of the leading advocates of bikepacking explains their position on this off-road touring craze…

Nice!

“A short film from Salsa Cycles, Racing The Sun shares the story of Tim Ek’s 2013 Dirty Kanza 200 race, while relating it to his career helping troubled youth.”

Not too many people have ridden the Colorado Trail on a fat bike. But Jason Winkler has. Hailey Moore shares a Q&A with the maker behind Spruce Cycles and his race-spec 2016 Salsa Beargrease.

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Salsa Cycles just announced an all new color and build kit for its Tour Divide bike, Cutthroat. The Cutthroat C Apex AXS is the adventure bike brand’s drop-bar 29er mountain bike. Designed specifically for the Tour Divide, Cutthroat utilizes Salsa’s Class 5 VRS (vibration reduction system) for all-day comfort in the saddle. The SRAM Apex AXS Transmission drivetrain delivers precise shifts, and the 1 x 12 gearing gives you plenty of range to work with whether you’re grinding up a mountain pass or making up time with a tailwind. All in a new color that mimics the dirt found in the desert southwest and beyond. See more at Salsa.

We were the first online media outlet to get our hands on a Cutthroat and have a multitude of reviews of the platform, which you can see below. 

Sam from Aotearoa, New Zealand sent in this beauty of a Hunter Cycles Midtail hardtail cargo bike for this week’s Readers’ Rides. Let’s check it out!