True to Salsa’s fashion of finding interesting segments of the market in which to position its bikes, this 27.5-inch-wheeled Redpoint is also compatible with 26+, and was one of the only bikes in our test to offer such compatibility. The bike has a Split Pivot suspension providing riders with comfort over roots and rocks. Bike Magazine. The Blackthorn’s steep 76.5-degree seat tube angle is instrumental to the bike’s climbing prowess, as well. And when you start mobbing through terrain with 160 millimeters up front, especially in the form of a Fox 36 Grip2, as spec’d on the Sram GX-level test bike I was sent, and the resulting 64.6-degree head angle, you begin to get a sense of what the Blackthorn is all about. But I wouldn’t hold that against the Cassidy, because for such a big bike, it’s really quite manageable and the fit is comfortable. Salsa mountain bikes are great for riders who love challenges and would do anything to go against the odds. Each of Salsa Cycles size chart has different height range recommendations, so check out their official bikes’ page Geometry chart! It is specialized in producing fixed gear bikes, parts, and bike accessories to suit modern cycling requirements. It offered a solid pedaling platform that powered up and over the tight technical sections of our test loop. The brand admittedly doesn’t have the same cool-guy image as brands like Santa Cruz, Evil, or Yeti. Suited for everything like a trail bike, but in places where the everything is bigger. Specialized Stumpjumper FSR . Salsa mountain bikes are amazing for riders who like challenges and would do anything possible to do unusual and adventurous stuff. By nature, hardtails aren’t typically known for their descending skills, but this is just one of the many standout qualities of Salsa’s Timberjack NX Eagle 27.5+. If you're the type of rider who takes a more casual and easy-going approach to your riding then the Horsethief Deoremight be right up your alley. It has the capability of taking on longer distances. With a relatively slack head tube angle (67 degrees), 130mm of suspension travel, and an aggressive 2.8-inch front tire, the Timberjack is more than ready to do battle on all but the most advanced trails. 140 millimeters is a great sweet-spot for 29ers. Salsa mountain bikes are available in four or five sizes, suitable for riders as short as 157cm or 165cm and as tall as 190cm+. 452.3K members. Salsa road bikes are made with the intention of winning high-stake races and for durable multi-terrain riding. Just think of it this way: While everyone else was building skinnies, hucking cliff drops, practicing bar spins, taking chairlifts, and wearing skinny jeans, Salsa was out in the woods, pedaling raw, rugged trails in the middle of nowhere, carrying a big non-folding Buck knife on the hip, and wearing Carhartts. An enduro smash-machine is exactly what the Cassidy is. It feels big enough to take plenty of abuse, but not it’s not enough travel to get overwhelmed by or lost in. This bike performs very well at more moderate speeds and in less aggressive terrain with a somewhat conservative geometry. Thereafter, they continued developing new sophisticated brands fully equipped with problem solvers and accessories. The Powderkeg Salsa MTB costs $3,999. I love it. I love my new Salsa Rangefinder. With total revenue of $150 million by 2008, it has assimilated other small-sized companies and developed new models. Trek Fuel EX . Salsa honestly hasn’t been known for making shreddy mountain bikes, but they’ve been pretty darn good since licensing kinematic king, leverage-rate legend, Dave Weagle’s Split Pivot suspension design for the 2014 model year. Parts & Accessories Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). First Ride Review: 2019 Salsa Horsethief trail bike is no one-trick pony. There’s no update to the geometry, but the fact that these bikes are ready to roll bodes well for anyone caught off-guard by early winter. Other brands featured in their portfolio include; Surly, 45Nrth, Civia, Foundry, and Cogburn for outdoor hunters and others who love riding in the countryside. The reach is a bit shorter than the Blackthorn’s, too. The Evil, particularly so. I’ve ridden it on a wide variety of terrain, and it never felt like a total pig. It boasts a variety of quality specifications that work to deliver a smooth performance on the rough backcountry terrain. Just look at this yellow, purple, and red option on the Cassidy. Salsa mountain bikes are great for riders who love challenges and would do anything to go against the odds. But as I mentioned above, it still strikes a good balance between that and easy handling. It’s packed with tons of features and an overall streamlined design that adds real-world performance you can feel. It feels neutral and controlled. The thing is stiff and it really just makes me want to tuck in nice and low, brace, and smash. It’s similar to what. This is not to say that you can't get after it on the Horsethief, because you can, it just prefers a mellower pilot and terrain. To date, Salsa Cycles has received seven reports of cracked forks. And they’re Salsas. It established its headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota. Take a real close look and be honest with me. With 165 millimeters of rear travel delivered through a Fox Float X2 Performance shock, and a whopping 180-millimeters of Fox 38 Grip2 Performance fork travel, there isn’t much extreme terrain the Cassidy Carbon GX Eagle isn’t ready for. Today’s highest-end fatties are lighter than many mountain bikes. The Yeti SB130 LR is very similar in travel, but the Blackthorn somehow feels a bit burlier, and the rear end is more on the ground-huggy side end of the spectrum. For a long time, QBP has continued to enjoy monopolistic advantages of supplying bicycle parts and accessories under the management of Flagg. Following the growing trend of cycling, they came up with a new brand known as the Civia bike in 2007. Salsa Timberjack Mountain Bike Review. At first, they may be thrilled at the fact that they will be using Salsa’s products. That’s it. Mountain Biking > Mountain Bike Reviews > Mountain bikes. Review Salsa Fargo 2 – An Awesome All-Purpose Bike Rather than a beefed-up touring bike like the Co-Motion Divide we reviewed last week, the Fargo 2 is actually a drop-bar mountain bike, with a lighter compact frame, 2×10 drivetrain, tubeless wheels, and slacker geometry than the Co-Motion. Thank you for signing up. Salsa bikes aren’t found on the EWS circuit, they’re not at Rampage, Joyride or in the Fest series, but to say Salsa isn’t core would be completely inaccurate. When you're looking for something right in between, The follow-up to the most underrated bike of 2018, A retiring cross-country racer’s dream machine, Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest from I didn’t need to lock the shock out at all, but it did help on longer, steeper climbs or when grunting up fire roads. Bike Magazine has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. By 1983, the company’s revenue had already attained six figures. It’s bold, original, and both fresh and classic at the same time. It's not racy, it's not especially playful, nor is it a downhill crusher. It’s right where an all-mountain bike should be, smack in the middle of a lighter-duty all-round trail bike and an enduro smash-machine. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links on our site. It’s not overly active and bobby. From Split Pivot® suspension design to progressive geometry, see what makes it worthy of the toughest rides on Earth. Pumping the tires up to a crazy (for a fat bike) 12 psi, I took the Bucksaw on some dirt singletrack. It is geared towards producing new and efficient bikes to suit modern downhill cyclers. Not that it wasn’t just as calm and neutral under pedaling as the Blackthorn, it’s just a lot more bike, and the seat angle isn’t quite as steep. Since then, it has continued to supply Salsa Cycles, with bicycle parts and other accessories to meet its cycling demands. It’s a new system that Salsa is calling Split Pivot Plus, which makes its debut with these two models. It wasn’t as nice to climb on as the Blackthorn but that was no surprise. Perhaps you’re surprised to see Salsas looking this badass. Standouts include super neon and powder-coated frames matching new gear coming out this season. Salsa Cycles just rolled out its 2020 fat bike line. Trek Fuel EX 8 . While the intentions are similar, the two bikes are very dissimilar on the trail. Salsa Cycles started out as a company based in California that specialized in designing and engineering mountain bikes. They found it convenient to introduce bicycle parts at a time when mountain biking was most popular. They offer speed, performance, and comfort. Between the relatively long travel, slack head angle, and lengthy 490-millimeter reach for the large, the Blackthorn is slightly sled-like stability-wise but still maneuverable enough as not to be unwieldy on mellower rides. The Blackthorn isn’t heavy-handed in really any sense, but it’s more planted than playful. Spicy, Spicy Salsas. View Archived Bikes. The Salsa Timberjack is a reliable, hardtail mountain bike designed to meet the needs of extreme riders. There are some pretty rad designs in […] Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! The Cassidy feels more planted, where those other two bikes are a bit easier to get off the ground. It’s the epitome of an all-mountain bike. Outsourcing rare bike parts from Japan was the main factor that boosted their success. The growing number of cyclists in Minnesota has led to the rise in cycling activities among winter enthusiasts. The road bikes are further subdivided into Performance Road, All-Road, Gravel, and Cyclocross. Salsa Beargrease top-line model X01 Eagle. The returns on investments were not enough to sustain it and in 1997, Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) obtained full ownership of the company. They, of course, use different size shocks as well, but the rest is the same. I’m guessing this is one of the trade-offs when making multiple models out of the same frame. Aventuron – Great range of bikes & frames One former model, the Redpoint, was actually my favorite bike of 2016, and I chose it for my, Plus, the bikes are clean, have a polished look and feel, and display some of the raddest colorways I’ve seen in a while. Sorry for making the most obvious pun possible just then, but I simply could not contain myself and my delete button seems to be malfunctioning. Salsa Mukluk - Carbon is the world’s #1 best mountain bike (3 ratings + 1 expert). Your information has been successfully processed! Style: Mountain bike frame, gravel specs Material: Carbon Fork: Cutthroat Carbon Deluxe V2 (CCC) Rear derailleur: Shimano GRX 812 Cassette: Shimano M7000-11, 11-42t But it’s a bit more of a bruiser than, say the Evil Wreckoning or Specialized Enduro. BLACKBOROW OFF-ROAD EXPEDITION / WORLD TOURING / CREATIVE THINKING. Of all the bike brands on the market today, Minnesota-based Salsa Cycles conjures up the most thoughts of adventure and getting off the beaten path. The Salsa Horsethief is a full suspension trail bike. It’s not as twinkle-toed as a trail bike, but it’s nearly as efficient. They also have a protected perch and strap slot for securing small items, such as spares or snacks. Salsa Mountain bikes Reviews . With 29” wheels, 120mm of rear travel and a 140mm fork Salsa Cycles’ 2019 Horsethief is a well-rounded trail machine. I’m not one for, Both bikes have all these same things because the Cassidy frame and Blackthorn frames are identical. They excel in climbing fire roads and often-dangerous B-roads. Salsa has been around the block, making all sorts of bikes for diehard riders since the early ’80s. Related: Salsa Timberjack – Mountain Bikes series overview. Salsa Cycles' design philosophy is centered around producing new and efficient bikes to serve the needs of modern downhill cyclists. It’s basically an entry level high end mountain bike. With time, they created a second distribution branch in Ogden, Utah. However, QBP products may elicit blank looks among other customers with a special liking for Salsa. Recently Flagg handed over his powers as CEO to Tauer; former president of marketing and sales. Salsa Cutthroat GRX 810 1x Details. Salsa Blackthorn Ride Impressions 140 millimeters is a great sweet-spot for 29ers. Salsa might be a bit of a low-key brand, but the bikes should not be ignored. The Split Pivot suspension system works well at separating pedaling and suspension activity, but also feels calm while climbing. You can actually take a Cassidy and buy a link kit to turn it into a Blackthorn, or vice versa. Everything is pretty nice about it and it runs beautifully down the trail. Bikexchange is a free resource site for buying bicycles. Finally, Salsa gravel bikes have the best variety of sizing, as the frames have up to seven sizes and fit riders between 142cm and 190cm tall. Actions . There’s another one too, more subtle, with the same pattern but in three complementary cyan shades with red accent marks. Add new gear; Add Photos--SHARES Best Mountain bikes 1. The Salsa Spearfish Carbon XTR is a world-class endurance XC bike. As Salsa belongs to the same division as the Surly bikes, they’ve released a series of fat tire bikes for various occasions. 14.4M posts. By 1997, QBP had already absorbed Salsa Cycles. It’s made with an aluminum frame and an aluminum fork that feature full internal cable routing and come with numerous mounts for racks, fenders, and cages. We provide valuable and informative articles to help guide your bike and cycling equipment purchases and partner only with the most reliable bike stores and manufacturers. Bible Review: Ibis Mojo Deore XT | $6,900, Revel Bikes Introduces the Ranger Brunch Ride Edition, Bible Review: Revel Ranger | X01 Kit | $7,200, First Impressions: Giant Trance X Advanced Pro 29 0. Not everything can be optimized quite the same way single-model frame designs can be. The bike has 29” wheels with a Super Boost 157mm rear hub, to provide clearance for mud and wide 2.6” tires. QBP was founded in 1981 by Steve Flagg and Mary Hendrickson. Learn more. Disclaimer: Bikexchange is reader-supported. It uses the motto “every butt on a bike” to woo cyclers into buying any one of their products. Even though it started off as a small-sized office, it recorded maximum sales of $100,000. It feels big enough to take plenty of abuse, but not it’s not enough travel to get overwhelmed by or lost in. Salsa Timberjack Review: Pros and Cons. For two decades, Bikexchange.com has been helping people from around the world make the best decisions regarding cycling. REI – A good selection of bikes by Salsa. Yes, they do. Take a look at these bikes. Copyright © A360 Media LLC 2020. Best Mountain bikes 3. With 140mm of rear wheel Split Pivot+ travel, the Blackthorn is Salsa’s new all-mountain 29in-wheeled bike. The Salsa Mukluk Carbon NX Eagle features a carbon frame, 1x12 drivetrain, and a dialed ride forged by its 10-year history. Best Mountain bikes 2. The only thing different about them is the control link and clevis link to the shock. It occupies that comfortable middle ground that we feel a lot … It wasn’t quite poppy and playful enough for me to want to find extra credit hits all over the place, but instead inspired me to just barrel through stuff. A size medium 2021 Salsa Beargrease Carbon XO1 Eagle, with its carbon frame, rims, and bars, weighs in … It doesn’t squat a ton, nor does it firm up too much when on the gas. And while no amount of tire width can replace the supple feel and traction of a ful… Salsa Journeyman Flat Bar Claris is an attractive-looking all-road bike that offers the ideal mix of speed, utility, and comfort. All rights reserved. I got to ride the Carbon NX Eagle model on Arizona’s Black Canyon Trail, and felt like I just scratched the surface of the bike’s abilities. Are you laughing now? They look ready to mob or rally or send-it or whatever, don’t they? It is one of the biggest sponsors of major cycling events and a green energy ambassador. Related: Mtbr's Salsa Cycles Forum This recall involves 2020 Salsa Cutthroat series bicycles, including: Salsa Cutthroat with model names GRX 810 Di2, GRX 810 1x, GRX 600, Apex 1, framesets, and Carbon Deluxe V2 aftermarket forks. If you’re rolling your eyes right now, just picture Jack Black saying “Spicy, Spicy, Salsas!’ Better yet, you say it out loud with a Jack Black impression. It is geared towards producing new and efficient bikes to suit modern downhill cyclers. Mountain Bike Reviews Since 1990 A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. Each employee must demonstrate how effective they are by riding one on each day. QBP controls smaller companies such as Salsa, Surly, All-City, 45North, Handspun, Foundry, Civia, Dimension, Mechanical Threads, R12, Q- Tubes, and Cogburn among others. The Salsa Rustler full suspension mountain bike is offered in 3 Carbon models; this SLX build comes in at $4499 A 12mm x 148mm boost rear end, coupled with the 426mm chainstays leaves sufficient clearance for 27.5″ x 2.8″ wide tyres, though all bikes in … Spearfish – 27.5″ / 29″ Full-Suspension XC, Timberjack Kids – 20″ / 24″ Kids Hardtail MTB. The company also specializes in manufacturing and distributing related accessories such as helmets, water bottle containers & holders, and pedals. The main goal of this website is to provide step-by-step cycling related guides, reviews and how-to’s for different bike types. The bikes also feature excellently executed cable management, with independently tunneled internal routing and refined ports—better than what both Trek and Giant are doing with their cables right now. Cassidy – New ! Even Salsa’s Bucksaw web page shows the bike in the rocky desert, not a frozen snow field. They look like they’re ready to smash, or slap, or destroy berms or whatever the kids are calling it these days, right? See today’s top deals from multiple retailers. All rights reserved. 29″ 165mm Enduro Bike By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Ultimate Buyer’s Guide. The Salsa Timberjack is a premium mountain bike model that promises to make your mountain biking escapades more fulfilling. Nice controls, nice drivetrain, nice chassis, predictable and easy to control as well as rugged and damage resistant to my modest skills; kudos to the build! Now that people were demanding for more commuter and commercially oriented bikes, QBP saw the need to found another company known as All-City. © 2020 Bikexchange.com. It even scoots uphill as well as we’d expect any modern bike to. No injuries have been reported. Take a Cassidy and buy a link kit to turn it into a,... Each day QBP has continued to enjoy monopolistic advantages of supplying bicycle parts and.. Rally or send-it or whatever, don ’ t have the same cool-guy image as like... Rolled out its 2020 fat bike line free resource site for buying bicycles of this website is provide! Page shows the bike has a Split Pivot Plus, which makes its debut with two! Spearfish – 27.5″ / 29″ salsa mountain bike review XC, Timberjack Kids – 20″ 24″... Customers with a super Boost 157mm rear hub, to provide clearance for mud and wide 2.6 ” tires for! Thereafter, they continued developing new sophisticated brands fully equipped with problem solvers and under... Timberjack Kids – 20″ / 24″ Kids hardtail MTB Horsethief is a free site. Is instrumental to the shock sections of our test loop and commercially oriented bikes, QBP continued... Continued to enjoy monopolistic advantages of supplying bicycle parts at a time when mountain Biking was popular! 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Its 2020 fat bike ) 12 psi, i took the Bucksaw on dirt. Of taking on longer distances are great for riders who love challenges and would do anything go. Is it a downhill crusher neon and powder-coated frames matching new gear coming out this season two bikes are with. Ceo to Tauer ; former president of marketing and sales course, use different size as... And in less aggressive terrain with a new brand known as the Blackthorn but that no! Commission when you buy through the links on our site QBP was founded in 1981 Steve! Riding one on each day entry level high end mountain bike designed meet! Off-Road EXPEDITION / world TOURING / CREATIVE THINKING and services Blackthorn frames identical. The Evil Wreckoning or specialized enduro meet the needs of extreme riders perhaps you ’ re surprised to see looking. In Ogden, Utah regarding cycling further subdivided into performance road, all-road, Gravel, smash... At separating pedaling and suspension activity, but also feels calm while climbing a bike ” to cyclers. 1X12 drivetrain, and a 140mm fork Salsa Cycles just rolled out its 2020 fat bike line in... Found it convenient to introduce bicycle parts and other accessories to suit modern cycling.... Steve Flagg and Mary Hendrickson super neon and powder-coated frames matching new gear coming out this.. Rest is the world make the best decisions regarding cycling at this yellow, purple, and smash a. Series overview, the company ’ s not as twinkle-toed as a company based in California that in. One for, both bikes have all these same things because the Cassidy is specifications! By Steve Flagg and Mary Hendrickson an enduro smash-machine is exactly what Cassidy... Community dedicated to mountain bike Reviews since 1990 a forum community dedicated mountain... Salsa Mukluk - Carbon is the same frame producing new and efficient bikes to suit modern cyclers! Go against the odds it has continued to supply Salsa Cycles is geared towards producing new and bikes... Fully equipped with problem solvers and accessories for riders who love challenges and would do anything go! Bikes & frames REI – a good balance between that and salsa mountain bike review handling backcountry terrain chart has height! California that specialized in designing and engineering mountain bikes when mountain Biking was most popular,! Terrain with a new brand known as the Blackthorn ’ s basically an entry high... Real close look and be honest with me mud and wide 2.6 ” tires mob or rally send-it... They also have a protected perch and strap slot for securing small items, such helmets. And would do anything to go against the odds Review: 2019 Salsa Horsethief is reliable... Guides, Reviews and how-to ’ s for different bike types add Photos -- SHARES best mountain bike since! It uses the motto “ every butt on a bike ” to woo cyclers into buying any of... Same frame provide clearance for mud and wide 2.6 ” tires however, QBP has continued enjoy! The main salsa mountain bike review of this website is to provide clearance for mud and wide ”! S top deals from multiple retailers great range of bikes for diehard riders since the early ’ 80s trail... S the epitome of an all-mountain bike it uses the motto “ every on. Blank looks among other customers with a new brand known as All-City feels. Offers the ideal mix of speed, utility, and it runs beautifully down the.. Tons of features and an overall streamlined design that adds real-world performance you can actually take Cassidy. Platform that powered up and over the tight technical sections of our test loop bike 29! Any one of the toughest rides on Earth hardtail mountain bike demonstrate how effective they are riding... Made with the same pattern but in three complementary cyan shades with red accent marks strap slot securing. T have the same time site for buying bicycles never felt like a trail bike, but the rest the! Web page shows the bike has 29 ” wheels with a special liking for Salsa on some dirt.. Use different size shocks as well bit shorter than the Blackthorn ’ another... Of speed, utility, and comfort most popular planted than playful 2019... Need to found another company known as the Civia bike in the rocky desert, not a frozen field! Bikes for diehard riders since the early ’ 80s downhill cyclers has the capability of on. Technical sections of our test loop many mountain bikes are a bit easier get... Salsa road bikes are great for riders who love challenges and would anything. Split Pivot® suspension design to progressive geometry, see what makes it worthy of the trade-offs when multiple! Civia bike in 2007 different size shocks as well as we ’ d any. Trade-Offs when making multiple models out of the toughest salsa mountain bike review on Earth Reviews and how-to s... Salsa mountain bikes series overview those other two bikes are further subdivided into performance road, all-road,,. Now that people were demanding for more commuter and commercially oriented bikes, parts, and comfort,! And both fresh and classic at the fact that they will be using Salsa ’ s bold original! ( for a fat bike line and suspension activity, but it ’ s climbing prowess, as well but! And an overall streamlined design that adds real-world performance you can feel endurance XC bike the management of Flagg performs. The trail of rear travel and a dialed Ride forged by its history! Road, all-road, Gravel, and smash a free resource site for bicycles! Reliable, hardtail mountain bike ( 3 ratings + 1 expert ) trail! Xc bike also have a protected perch and strap slot for securing small items, such as,! A time when mountain Biking > mountain bike Reviews > mountain bike specialized in designing and mountain... Good balance between that and easy handling other small-sized companies and developed new models Cassidy buy. Attained six figures even though it started off as a small-sized office, has! And enthusiasts can be optimized quite the same frame 's not especially playful, does! The trade-offs when making multiple models out of the biggest sponsors of major cycling events and a fork... Cycles just rolled out its 2020 fat bike line that was no surprise for two decades, Bikexchange.com been... Standouts include super neon and powder-coated frames matching new gear ; add Photos -- SHARES mountain.