Gravel bikes have tires designed to handle rougher road and trail conditions. Wheel size is a personal preference, and as I mentioned before, there are advantages that a 29 wheel provides, such as the ability to maintain a consistently faster speed. On the outset, some might see the Salsa Cutthroat as an adventure bike, or something of a gravel bike on steroids. P.S. When shopping for a bikepacking bike, you want to look for a bike frame that is durable and has good components. Treeline Review editor Naomi Hudetz bikepacking near Mt. Aluminum frames can feel stiffer than a steel frame bike and therefore transfer that rough trail shock into the bike. Mounts for a bolt on top tube bag are a much desired bonus. Mounting options are also referred to as bosses, braze-ons, or barnacles. Each issue features a collection of inspiring writing and beautiful photography. The Cutthroat is Salsa Cycles carbon drop bar mountain bike which is aimed at bike-packing and long rides in remote territory, ala Tour Divide. I chose to run the custom Porcelain Rocket bag I had made for the Woodsmoke on our Kyrgyzstan trip. This is fine when you are riding on a road and not coming off your bike very often. It is just a well-rounded hardtail mountain bike that rips on singletrack but is comfortable enough to ride all day. A great way to learn is to test ride a few bikes. Otherwise, I was impressed with the Force drivetrain and attention to quality, durable parts such as the Cane Creek 40 headset, Volt Race saddle, and SRAMs GX-level XG-1150 10-42t, which offers a nice high-end range and a steel construction for a longer life. It was really hard to say goodbye to this one. After hearing feedback, I was anticipating a pretty smooth ride so the aforementioned traits didnt come as a great shock to me. I can't find the direct mount frame bag in that size anywhere. You can get the model and size information. This is the Tour Divide and Cutthroat is engineered to thrive on it. And, at its core lies the groundwork for tons of space to carry everything you need on a long adventure. Suspension is used on bikes to soften the riders contact with rough terrain. For more of our favorite bicycle recommendations, see our most popular Gear Guide stories: The Best Gear for Bikepacking and Bicycle Touring. A carbon bike frame is extremely lightweight and often is known for a steel-like ride in terms of shock absorption. Also, find a few more details on the paint over at Salsas blog. Salsa Cutthroat C GRX 810 - Frameset. Ive continued to work with many outdoor companies since then, and in 2017 started bikepacking. Knowing your PBH can help you quickly determine your saddle height as well! Read more. Because a rigid fork consists of two non-moving metal supports, the manufacturer can add mount points to it without compromising the structural integrity of the fork. Considering the price to potential damage ratio, this makes sense. Of course there is steel, which historically speaking is the frame material of choice for many touring cyclists and bikepackers seeking adventures abroad, a decision often based on the travails that go along with this sort of rambling, such as the possibility of cracking the frame, or the occasional need to toss your bike on busses and roof racks for transit. It's much more than a drop-bar gravel bike, or a fast mountain bike. In June 2015, the first Salsa Cutthroat was then presented. For this tour of more than 4,000 km from Alaska to the U.S.-Mexican border, Salsa developed the Cutthroat and as a sign of this, printed the complete route of the Tour Divide on the down tube. and our Smaller wheel size diameters accelerate faster than larger ones, offering a nimble and responsive feeling bike; 29 tires shine on longer rides where acceleration is not as important, and rollover efficiency becomes more of a concern to maintain speed. The Journeyman Claris has an aluminum frame, which is lighter, but less durable or flexible, as the CroMoly steel frame of the Fargo Apex (see What Should I Look For In a Bikepacking Bike? Depending on the frame, it sometimes takes more volume in aluminum to create a sturdy bike frame. Find the full GRX 600 build over at SalsaCycles.com. The Salsa Cutthroat V2 has mounts for a direct mount frame pack. High-modulus carbon frame and fork increase ride compliance. We create reader-supported, objective gear reviews independently selected by our editors. Ortlieb Handlebar Pack and Accessory Whatever it means, the ECR is a great rig. While there are a lot of numbers and a bikes geometry can help with decision making, just riding a bike will likely be the best way to determine whether a bike will feel right to you. In hindsight, our most accurate description, albeit a modest one, is that Cuba doesnt give up its goods easily. It is designed to travel comfortably over every road or trail condition. Wool Tech T The special edition 10th issue of The Bikepacking Journal is one you wont want to miss! Thanks in advance for spreading the word! Plenty of steel is real folks may disagree about the durability of carbon vs steel, but what is your mtb made of? Although some routes may be more comfortable with a suspension mountain bike, we think most folks getting into bikepacking will be happy with hardtail and rigid mountain bikes. It is designed to seamlessly transition between dirt, gravel, or paved city streets. Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. Build versatility. Due to the location, fitting a large wide-mouth bottle is impossible without tire rub; I opted to use the narrow-top 22oz Klean Kanteen which squeezed in with just a few millimeters to spare. A bikepacking bike can be used for many types of rides, from bikepacking to commuting and joy rides in between. Climbing out of the saddle felt natural with my hands on the hoods and the bikes responsiveness couldnt have been better. for more information on frame options). If possible, test ride the bikes you are considering. The Surly Karate Monkey can handle single track comfortably and fully loaded with bags. It uses an axle rod that threads directly through the fork/frame holes and into the wheel hub, which makes the wheel secure from detaching. It also is a fairly popular model amongst some gravel riders. 1000 mile review of my Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 (2020)How does the #salsa #cutthroat hold up after a 760 km #bikepacking #race across the Czech Republic and lo. The 2x Cutthroat ships with a 46/30-tooth chainrings. Preamble: I'd call myself very experienced, if not a bit out of shape at the moment. The Surly ECR, Surly Troll, and Bridge Club are compatible with Rohloff hubs. All that being said, there are a few companies making more durable carbon frames specifically for bikepacking. I think its money well spent, but perhaps it would be easier on the eyes if it were a little less. We discovered steep, rocky singletracks and punishing agricultural horse paths. The small Salsa Fargo Apex 1 frame has a reach of 364 mm, while the medium frame has a reach of 368 mm. A good place to start when determining your size is by measuring your pubic bone height. We recommend factoring in an additional couple hundred dollars for accessories and bikepacking bags so you can start bikepacking as soon as possible. Photo by Graham Hodge. Remember, you are intending to ride your bike further into areas than you would typically walk in a day. Photo by Naomi Hudetz. Its a nice bag overall, but I would complain about the narrowness of it. Current fleet is comprised of versatile steel flat bar bikes, but I recently sold my Kona Rove ST due to a sizing issue and am now lacking a drop bar bike. Bikepacking is a hybrid between bike touring and backpacking. . Privacy Policy. 4 spare batteries/charger In planning our three week, 900 mile ride across Cuba, I envisioned a route over rough, generally flat and washboarded gravel, long stretches of sand, intermittent bolts of broken pavement, and a few mountain dirt roads scattered in between a mishmash akin to the surfaces found on the GDMBR. Singletrack refers to a trail thats roughly the same width as a bike. Below are some factors to consider when choosing the perfect bikepacking bike for you. In addition, the upper straps on a frame pack can often wear the paint a little. Immodium The author Graham Hodge out riding his bike. But if you want more cushion in the tire area, the bike can accommodate up to 3 wide tires in both 27.5 and 29 wheel sizes (the x-small frame size does have some limitations on the 29 plus tire sizes so be sure to check with Salsa when figuring out what tire you can run). Half Roll electrical tape Nonetheless, Cuba shattered pretty much all of my expectations, including those related to its topography and terrain. Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. But what about the bike? 8oz sealant for initial setup needle/thread They have a blog post that refers to folks saying it means Exits Cities Rapidly or Einstein Cant Rap. Weve even heard Everybodys Camping Rig. to support us + get The Bikepacking Journal. Although they hold corners pretty well, they can get a little slippy going up a steep and rubbly grade. A rigid bike (no suspension) will provide more efficiency and is better suited for a wide variety of terrain. Photo by Whitney LaRuffa. It gets alloy Cowchipper bars and DTSwiss 432 wheels in this red and white paint scheme for $4599. A hanger is the place on the dropout that holds a derailleur, or the bike part that shifts your chain to different cogs or gears. Canon 5d Super glue, iPhone/earbuds/USB cable Nearly every bikepacking adventure will cover a variety of road and trail conditions. Measure your saddle height from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle. Graphic by Graham Hodge. My Cross Check has been like 6 totally different bikes over the years, and I want that versatility here as well. I was thankful for its comfort when I rode the rutted and peanut butter sections of the Forest Service dirt roads. Additionally, the Force hydros are a nice choice to help reduce hand fatigue on long rides. There are a lot of opinions, but it comes down to personal preference for how you would like your bike to ride. Many carbon frames are designed to carry the weight of a rider and not much else. The Local Overnighters Project is a unified effort to document and map one-night bikepacking routes all over the worldby locals, in their own backyards. If youre looking for a bike that can handle singletrack and want to spend less than $1300, the Timberjack is an excellent rig. I was looking for something between gravel bike and rigid mountain bike, so the 27.5+ wheels didn't entice me. PBH also is a factor to consider when choosing which style of bikepacking bike youre interested in. I haven't found a whole lot that seems to compete closely with the Warbird, at least without dumping most of my budget on a boutique frameset. But carbon is far tougher than many people assume, and there are precautions one can take to avoid damaging the frame with nicks and dings. While 29 tires are more common for riders of my height and are more common for bikepacking, I find that they place my bottom bracket too high, causing my bike to feel more challenging to control when its fully loaded. We are proud to be independent and reader-supported. Fitting the Cutthroats disposition, our trip started out with a lot of time in the saddle. Of course, you can use a full-suspension mountain bike for bikepacking on more extreme single-track routes, but we like to recommend bikes that offer more versatility. Photo by Graham Hodge. MSR Trailshot filter Photo by Mike Unger. The Corner Bar has a 25.4mm clamp area that requires a shim for most modern mountain bike stems. Ultimately your tire selection may come down to rider size and bike selection. Gorilla tape A hardtail mountain bike will only have suspension in the front of the bike while a full suspension bike incorporates suspension into the front and rear of the frame. Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed. You need to choose the bike that best fits your needs, cycling style, and budget. Suspension provides comfort on rugged routes, but also has some downsides: it adds a level of mechanical complexity and weight to your bikepacking bike. Phone (405) 341-1683 | Fax (405) 359-1936. the following transactions occurred during july REFILLS. For me, the gearing range is slightly too high for loaded bikepacking with the 38t x 10-42 cassette. A steel bike will not be as maneuverable and quick as the Cutthroat. Consider forgoing front suspension (one less thing to fail). Modern mountain bikes often feature a 1x11, 1x12, 2x9 or 2x10 drivetrain (i.e., one gear at the pedals and 11 sprockets in the form of a cassette attached to your rear wheel). I rode it unloaded on gravel, Pisgah singletrack, and around town. She used the Cutthroat specific EXP Frame Bag, which is made by Salsa and fits even more perfectly. Rag Our drop-bar mountain bike geometry puts you in position to conquer all-day efforts on nearly any surface. Read More: The Best Mountain Bike Hip Packs. Solid frame standards for performance, including thru-axle hubs and space for 292.4 tires. Between bikepacking trips abroad, Logan can usually be found riding their favorite trails in Pisgah, NC, or tacking together three or four day singletrack-heavy bikepacking trips throughout the eastern US and beyond. GSI squeegee tool, Crank Brothers mag Pump The Surly ECR has a CroMoly steel frame and all the barnacles (mounting points) you could ever need to customize your bikepacking setup. Essentially, its where your rear wheel goes. 2021 Salsa Cutthroat 54cm. You may notice that most mountain bike geometries have a more exaggerated top tube angle to help create a buffer area for quick dismounts. The Cutthroat as a bike and a concept has been around since 2015 and updated significantly for 2020. The Salsa has Alternator Drop Outs, which means you can use a quick-release system, thru-axle, single-speed, freehub, Rohloff, or even a belt drive for your rear wheel set up. The Salsa Fargo Apex 1 is a burly steel frame gravel bike. The thickness of tubing needed to build a sturdy titanium bike factors into its weight. Complete builds with these frames typically hover around 30 lbs. Ive been working in the outdoor industry for the past eight years. Photo by Andrew Gage. The 2021 Salsa Cutthroat AXS Eagle comes in black with an iridescent blue-green trim for $7199. It's also suspension-corrected, so you can run a 100mm . Despite those two factors that make the bike more affordable, the geometry and overall bike make for a comfortable mountain bike that is more than capable of handling rooty single track trails than other bikes in its price range (or even more expensive bikes). Sea to Summit UL Mat Padded undies Focus on finding the most comfortable bike for you. I also found that the Timberjack truly shined on the single-track sections of routes like the Trans North Georgia Route. Tire lever The stock build features Salsa Woodchipper drop bars, a 1x11 drivetrain, and 29 x 2.2" tires. So initial build isn't the biggest thing, my main focus is the frame. Taller riders may consider 29 tires while shorter riders may prefer 27.5 tires. There is no single best bikepacking bike for everyone. Dirt or all-terrain touring bikes are designed to cover hundreds or thousands of miles over several days, weeks, months, and possibly years. I'm willing to ride a steel frame with a carbon fork if it meets all other criteria but carbon is strongly preferred. It is also great for commuting around town when you are not on a bikepacking trip. Photo by Pepper Cook. Many first time bikepackers may appreciate the comfort of the 650, but the 700 is often easier to find. The Salsa uses a press-fit bottom bracket. All of this road drivetrain and Boost spacing has opened up the chainstays and fork for 29-inch tires up to a 2.4-inch width. The Apex 1 model comes in your choice of three colorways for $2899. In addition, they are generally more resistant to vibrations and associated fatigue a testament to the compliance of carbon fiber which for a long tour, arguably outperforms all other frame materials. Bar none, the Cutthroat is the most confident drop-bar bike Ive ridden down steep gravel. The lightweight carbon frameset is stiff where it matters for power transfer and our Class 5 VRS provides compliance where comfort is the priority. And with two of us jackhammering these bikes for 20 days straight, I think I can attest to their durability. 15ish years of road, cross, gravel, enduro, xc, randonneuring, touring, bikepacking, etc. Salsa Cycles Direct Mount Thumb Screws Review Watch on Weight 10 grams each Thumb Area Diameter 23mm Threaded Screw Length 20mm Place of Manufacture Taiwan Price $9.99 (package of two) Manufacturer's Details SalsaCycles.com You can order Salsa's Direct Mount Thumb Screws from most bike shops who use QBP. Carbon frame and fork with a focus on vibration reduction. Antibiotic, Liter bottle x 2 Photo by Mike Unger. After researching and testing 12+ mountain biking headlamps and handlebar lights, we found the brightest and best battery life LED MTB lights for night riding. I am 6 tall and choose to run 27.5 tires on my mountain bike for their responsiveness and how they affect my bikes geometry. For our anticipated route, the gearing was a little high, which we rectified before setting out by replacing the SRAM 38T X-SYNC ring with a Wolftooth CAMO and 34t ring. Bikepacking bag straps can do a number on a carbon frame when rubbing continuously for a month or two straight, specifically the headtube where the handlebar bag and associated anchor strap makes contact (and actually can rub holes in carbon over time). UPDATE: Be sure to check out the 2020 Salsa Cutthroat review (v2) here, Back in July of 2015, on the same day 150-some-odd bikepackers set out from the Grande Depart to duke it out on the 2,745-mile Tour Divide, Minnesota-based Salsa Cycles launched the first widely available bike designed specifically for an annual bikepacking race. 700c wheels will often work on bike frames designed around 29 wheels. If you are looking into a gravel bike for fast rides or long-distance bikepacking trips, the Salsa Fargo Apex 1 is a jack of most trades and is an excellent option. Its also highly water resistant, and huge! Some routes will have a higher percentage of rough riding than others. If a bike is uncomfortable, you may be less likely to ride it. Our Surly ECR in camp. The most comfortable bike frame is the one that fits. The Cutthroat is . 2 pencils/eraser The high end 2021 Salsa Cutthroat comes with a full SRAM Eagle AXS group, including the Rainbow color chain and cassette. Surprisingly, the Salsa Cutthroat has more chops than one might think. I was selected by Instagram in 2015 as a Suggested User representing an active outdoor lifestyle to new Instagram users. Cookie Notice 11sp quicklinks x 2 When youre riding rougher gravel roads and singletrack, you may find yourself coming off the pedals more. I often put it on the head tube, as mentioned, and everywhere a strap comes in contact with the frame. This system allows the rear end to vertically absorb the edge off of rough roads, namely gravel and chunky dirt, a configuration that acts as leaf springs between the seat tube and the rear wheel. The chainrings and pedals attach to the cranks. When you compare the two sizes stack to reach ratio, the mediums ratio is larger, placing the bars higher and creating a more upright riding position. Most traditional road and touring bikes have a nearly horizontal top tube with little to no angle. Photo by Naomi Hudetz. Find the details here. They are sealed inside the hub and considered very reliable and nearly maintenance-free (minus the oil changes). Someone once told me to always spend more on the things between you and the ground. For example you can run a 2x and still semi-internally route a external dropper post via the non drive side top tube routing. Salsa Cutthroat v2 PHOTOS More details / photos available on request The GRX810 2x Cutthroat currently retails at $8999, with the frameset listed at $4899. A longer stem will shift your body weight towards the front of the bike and allows for a better pedaling position. The Firestarter fork has the triple bosses pointed a wee bit too far forward to accommodate fork bags such as Andrew The Makers Many Things Sack. The special edition 10th issue of The Bikepacking Journal is one you wont want to miss! Also perfectly happy to spend less on a new bike as well, ~3k is very much not easy for me to spend but appears to be what it's going to take to get what I'm after. Make sure to read more about our Cuba trip here, and see the route here. Designed around 29" mountain bike wheels with a boost axle spacing of 110x15mm in the front and 148x12mm in the rear, the Cutthroat accommodates up to a generous 2.4" tyre size. I would have preferred a 32-spoke count for my own sanity, but the RAIL 40s are specced as enduro/all-mountain specific wheels. The key points of the Warbird that are pulling me in that direction are as follows: Solid reputation for being a versatile and reliable gravel/adventure/bikepacking rig. This build features upgraded stem, bars, seatpost and wheelset, with gearing more suited to bikepacking in New Zealand. The Karate Monkey is full of mount points, especially with the rigid fork option. Learn more. While the ECR can tackle just about any terrain, you may find its slacked-out and low center of gravity is not the most nimble bike on technical terrain. Gloves, Light pants The ECR has barnacles covering nearly every conceivable location on the frame and fork. 700c wheels are 29 sized wheels more common among larger framed road and commuter bikes, and typically feature a more narrow rim diameter. Being able to use rim brakes can come in handy if mid-tour, you need to replace a wheel or make repairs to your brakes. I rode a Salsa Timberjack NX1 that had an aluminum frame for a few years and loved it. Salsa Cycles offers all you need for your next bike adventure: high-quality frame sets and bikes as well as parts and accessories like handlebars, forks, carriers and bag systems. Beginning our route from the east side of the island, the plan was to make 300+ hard miles in just a few days to meet a fourth riding compadre who flew into Camaguey. This sort of versatility, paired with the quality stock components, including disc brakes, makes the ECR all-terrain touring standout. Any recommendations for an alternate frame bag? It's an excellent alternative to the Salsa Fargo and an incredible deal for what you get for the money. This means that a steel frame can sometimes be lighter than a titanium one. It can also be difficult to find someone thats able to repair a damaged titanium frame bike, whereas steel is often easier to repair. The 27.5 frame geometry allows you to run 29 tires that are no wider than 2; the 29 frame geometry allows you to run 27.5 plus tires. If you can afford it though, a steel frame may be the better long term investmentespecially if youre rough on your equipment. It is also compatible with a Rohloff hub (see the Glossary for more on Rohloff hubs). While I was a bit shocked at the choice of 28-spoke wheels on a bike built for bikepacking with a lot of extra weight, the SRAM RAIL 40 wheels didnt let us down. I immediately felt at home on the Cutthroat. You may find an overlap between rim width and tire width allowance as gravel biking has increased rim size demand, and some manufacturers stick to calling a 29 wheel 700c even though it can run up to 50mm or 1.8 wide tires. The Surly ECR is the quintessential bikepacking rig if you plan on tackling hundreds or thousands of miles on a single trip. It also gets Reynolds 249 carbon wheels and a Cowchipper Carbon handlebar. Since they have narrower rims, they generally allow narrower tires compared to a 29 wheel, which usually allows tires that are 1.8 inches wide all the way to 3. Check out the Cutthroat and learn more about its design and features an interview with Salsa Cycles from The Gravel Ride Podcast. Salsa bills their Cutthroat as an Ultra-Endurance bikepacking rig. There is a great video on how to measure your PBH by Rivendell Bicycle works here. The drops provided stability and confidence on long gravel descents and technical downs alike. You need to be logged in to use these features. Features. Singletrack bikepacking bikes have a more upright geometry and larger tires than a road or gravel bike. The Surly Karate Monkey, with its optional suspension fork, is our singletrack bikepacking pick. Its lineage led us to a drop-bar mountain bike geometry that provides confidence even in the most challenging riding conditions. A Rohloff Hub is an internally geared rear wheel hub that offers fourteen gears and replaces a typical drivetrain. Bike theft is a huge problem. Therefore, most folks should look for a bikepacking bike versatile enough to handle different travel conditions. If you are interested in how your bike might perform while climbing, you should look into its seat tube angle, bottom bracket, chainstay, and overall wheelbase. If youre more utilitarian and dont mind being passed by lycra covered racers, then a bikepacking bike makes for an excellent commuter, especially if you are in a hilly area. The beauty of a bicycles geometry is that you can sort of predict how a bike may ride just by reading the numbers. Massive frame bag space due to the tubing design. Lack of gear range might be an issue. BIKEPACKING.com is dedicated to exploration by bicycle. The Salsa Journeyman Claris 650 is our budget gravel bikepacking pick. Keep in mind how you plan to pack your bike (e.g., tent, sleeping bag, food, water) using the following: Reliability is a top priority for a bikepacking bike. If your bike has options for both, then consider the benefits and costs of each. You need to be logged in to use these features. After a lot of positive feedback, I started a small operation sewing custom bike bags for local customers in Chattanooga, TN. The Cutthroat fork can clear 29 x 3.0 tires, but the rear is limited to 29 x 2.4 according to Salsa, so in practice most riders will be limited to 29 x 2.4 on the Cutthroat. Expectations, including thru-axle hubs and space for 292.4 tires stories: the Best mountain bike geometry that provides even! New Instagram users, this makes sense interested in for both, then consider the and! & # x27 ; t find the full GRX 600 build over at SalsaCycles.com bicycles geometry is that Cuba give! 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