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The Rangefinder is Salsa’s entry-level hardtail mountain bike that launched last year amidst supply chain shortages and a boom in bicycle sales. It’s hard to know when supplies will return at a normal capacity or if your local dealer will even get any of these in but we still wanted to tip our cap to Salsa’s graphics department that did a great job on these new colors for 2022. See more at Salsa where you can see the build specs for Deore and Advent kits in 29 or 27.5+ platforms.
This week’s Readers’ Rides is Christopher‘s Salsa Fargo all loaded down for the North Central Washington 250. Check out all the frame specs and some of Christopher’s photos below!
Cumberland, British Columbia (“Dodge City” to some) has dirt under its nails. Meet the movers and shakers of this special mountain bike community in the first episode of Salsa’s For The Love Of Dirt film series.
The Salsa Vaya is a crowd favorite and today’s Readers’ Rides comes from Ryan who presents his 650b converted Vaya 3. Read on below for more words and photos of this sweet bike!
Cutthroat C AXS Build shown here $7,199 USD.
The Cutthroat is a favorite amongst Tour Divide aficionados and weekend warriors alike. Back in 2015, when it was announced, the Cutthroat got tested out on the Tour Divide course and it remains a fan favorite today. While the frame hasn’t changed since our Review of the 2020 model last year, it does come in four new build specs, plus as a frameset. Head to Salsa to read all about the 2021 Cutthroat builds.
Salsa has launched a sub-site called Gravel and Gratitude and this morning, the first of three videos launched, featuring Krystal Salvent:
“During my time as a fitness professional teaching cycling classes in New York City, my best friend encouraged me to take the “spinning” thing outside. At that moment I thought, “I don’t know how to ride a bike but it can’t be too difficult, right? I teach on a stationary bike multiple times a week. The transition should be easy.” So I signed up for America’s Most Beautiful Ride, a 100-mile charity ride that helps fund leukemia and lymphoma research. With some hope, a commitment to learning something new, and a three-month deadline to figure it all out, my journey into riding was born.”
Head to Gravel and Gratitude to read the full story!
Salsa’s flagship gravel bikes are back this year with new paint and new specs. The all-carbon Warbird still fits a 700c x 45 mm or 650b x 2.0″ with a racey geometry. New for 2021, the Warbird comes laced with AXS wide ($6,999) at the top end or Apex 1 ($2,799).
The aluminum Stormchaser can cram a little bigger tires at 700c x 50 mm or 650b x 50 mm, yet is designed to be raced in muddy conditions with a 42mm tire for ample mud clearance. The Stormchaser also has a slacker head angle to battle the muck. The Stormchaser comes built as shown as a singlespeed ($1599) or as a frameset with a geared or singlespeed option ($1199).
See more at Salsa.
The Salsa Timberjack has been a staple option for those looking for a capable hardtail. This morning, Salsa announced the new 2021 model with a few key updates including top tube mounts for bags, the downtube received Three-Pack mounts, an upgrade to Alternator 2.0 dropouts, improved cable routing, and integrated chainstay protection.
The biggest change is the switch from a 130mm to a 150mm fork and an updated geometry, which you can see above. You can still run a 29er or 27.5+ wheelset on the Timberjack as well. Build kits range from a Ti Timberjack frame for $2,699, GX Eagle 29er for $2,499, SLX complete for $1,799, and the frameset runs $599. Check out more information at Salsa.
2021 brings a lot of uncertainty as companies scramble to make the best of supply chain shortcomings due to Covid-19. While bikes are sold out across the globe, Salsa is pleased to announce their new 2021 steel model year lineup including the Vaya, Marrakesh, and Fargo. Each of these bikes received new colors and updated component kits. The Fargo, the drop bar MTB, has an Apex1 build kit ($2,399), as well as a titanium ($2,999) or steel ($1,099) frameset. The Vaya, their light tourer/gravel bike comes stock with GRX 600 ($2,499). Last but not least is the OG touring bike, the Marrakesh which is built with Alivio and is the most budget-minded steel complete bike in Salsa’s catalog at $1,799, including racks as pictured.
Head to Salsa to check out the full breakdown.
For its latest release, Salsa took the accessible platform of the Journeyman gravel bike and scaled it down to a 24″ chassis, suitable for younger riders looking to get their feet dirty off-road. The 24″ Journeyman’s aluminum frame has a 455mm effective top tube length and 350mm seat tube length to suit smaller riders and a refined geometry suitable for not only the smaller, 24″ wheels but also the shortened standover and overall dimensions. A 1×9 drivetrain propels the 24 x 1.85″ wheels, opening up a wild variety of terrain options…
See more at Salsa!
Hyperlite Mountain Gear wants to outfit your future ventures with this massive giveaway:
The chassis off this giveaway is the ever-capable, long-hauler Salsa Blackborow Fat Bike. For shelter, you can win a UltaMid 2 Pyramid Tent System and then Inflate your Alpacka Caribou Packraft and explore that lake you’re on with a Aqua-Bound Manta Ray Hybrid Paddle. Then pack everything into the 4400 Porter.
Head to Hyperlite Mountain Gear to sign up for this giveaway. All you’ve got to do is enter your email.
The Pandemic has left people with a lot of free time to pursue new hobbies. How many of your friends became sourdough bakers, xeriscapers, or home improvement gurus with all their newfound time at home? Eric Puckett is a long-time friend who always had sewing skills but once he was forced to work at home and couldn’t spend as much of his time outdoors, he began making bags for cycling, rock climbing, and more. Recently, he made this hobby into a side hustle called Farewell Bags. I caught up with Eric last week to shoot his new bags on his own Salsa Timberjack, so check out more below…
Taking versatility to a whole new level, the latest mountain bikes from Salsa Cycles feature a whole slew of new details. The Blackthorn is an all-mountain 29er with 140 mm rear and 160 mm front travel. While Cassidy is an enduro 29er running on 165 mm rear and 180 mm front suspension travel. What makes these bikes really unique is they share the same frame components, which can be altered via a series of small component swaps, all on board the Split Pivot suspension design.
Salsa dubs this the Split Pivot+ platform. By swapping to the appropriate links and suspension, you can swap Blackthorn’s 140 mm rear and 160 mm front travel to Cassidy’s 165 mm rear and 180 mm front travel.
Head over to Salsa to see more on the Blackthorn and Cassidy!
In 2016, Salsa launched its EXP Cradle and bag design, offering up production bags previously only offered through smaller shops and manufacturers. This was a huge step in progressing the availability of bikepacking and bicycle touring accessories. Four years later, they just announced a series of updates, with a top-loading dry bag design and a refreshed side-loading dry bag, both of which utilize a new purge valve and lash attachments. Included in this update is a robust EXP front pouch with zippered access which can also act as a stand-alone bag for your gravel or MTB.
The whole system can convert just about any bike to a more capable tourer and these updates come at a time when we’re all pining for some time away from home on our bikes. Check out the full range at Salsa today and head to your local dealer for ordering.
It’s a little early to think about snow but if the pandemic taught us anything about bikes and availability, the name of the game is planning ahead! That means if you have any snow or sand excursions and rides planned for this winter, get on it now. What better time for Salsa to update their fat bike line with new colors and specs for 2021, starting at $1599 for a complete Mukluk Deore 11 model which is a deal when you consider the $1999 price of a Mukluk Carbon frame alone. There’s literally something for everyone’s taste and budget so head to Salsa to see all the specs.
Last year’s Warroad brought endurance all-road performance to the Salsa catalog and this year, the brand revamped the new frame with some vibrant paint options and updated build kits. Due to the current pandemic, they’re even offering up consumer direct shipping via your local bike shop and Salsa’s Adventure At Your Doorstep program. Head on over to Salsa to drool over this AXS build at the high end and a Tiagra build for more budget-minded buyers.
Curious about what we thought about Warroad? Check out our review.
As you can imagine, the Mid South was intense this year. Between the Corona Virus pandemic and the weather, the team running the race had to scramble to adjust to the ever-changing circumstances. At the last minute, our coverage team decided to pull the plug, and we didn’t get a whole lot from the weekend, but luckily Jared Harber was able to shoot Matt Acker‘s winning Stormchaser. I wish we could have also shot Hannah Finchamp and Payson McElveen’s winning bikes, but as I said, it was a chaotic event!
This bike was just about the only thing Jared shot from the weekend and while we didn’t really get a lot of other coverage, we have a few things that we’ll be sharing shortly. I really wanted to share not only Jared’s amazing photos but Matt’s thoughtful insight into his build, which he rolled into 8th position, so read on below.
Available in April and launched today at the Mid South, the Stormchaser is Salsa’s new singlespeed gravel bike. This new bike is available at the moment only as an aluminum frame, with a carbon fork, and is inspired by the Warbird’s all-road, all-conditions, no-nonsense geometry.
Because gravel races often take place in inclement conditions, Salsa added abrasion plates on the fork, internal routing, and extra clearance for when the mud really gets caked on.
The all-new Alternator Flat Mount dropouts allow for single speed setups or 1x drivetrains with a geared dropout plate. This geometry is adapted so that wider bars can be run with it as well.
Complete builds are priced at $1,499 with the frameset coming in at $1,099. See more information at Salsa.
