The aluminum frame also helps keep the costs down. I was looking for something between gravel bike and rigid mountain bike, so the 27.5+ wheels didn't entice me. Immodium I'm hoping to keep the frame for many years and potentially build it out into something totally different. 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. The Surly ECR has a CroMoly steel frame and all the barnacles (mounting points) you could ever need to customize your bikepacking setup. Historically bike shops fit people based on the top tube length of a bike, which is how long the tube is that runs from a seat post to the head tub. Gravel bikes have sort of a medium angle, somewhere between road and mountain bikes. As always, our goal was to have a bike (and all its components) that could competently handle the variety of surfaces, topography, and conditions that our route would dish out. Close up on the Surly Drop out. Find the full Apex 1 build over at SalsaCycles.com. Salsa Cycles announced this morning publicly that the Cutthroat model will be a ground-up redesign for the 2020 model year. You may not be too worried about the widest tires your bike can fit, but having enough room if you choose to go wider can help. The Surly ECR and Surly Krampus at camp. Most unexpected was its versatility. For questions & technical support, please email us at: support@salsacycles.com or call 1-877-668-6223. The 2021 Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 is the mainstay of the lineup and comes with a 111 Apex 1 drivetrain featuring a Raceface Ride crankset (36T), WTB Sera/i23 wheels, TRP Spyre brakes, and an 11-42T cassette. 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. The standover height is measured from the center of the top tube to the ground. Check out the Cutthroat and learn more about its design and features an interview with Salsa Cycles from The Gravel Ride Podcast. 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. Gravel bikepacking bikes, like our top pick the Salsa Fargo Apex 1, have a rugged steel frame and multiple attachment points to customize your gear bikepacking setup. It is designed to seamlessly transition between dirt, gravel, or paved city streets. Thats only a 4 mm difference, and many riders could choose either frame size. It also gets Reynolds 249 carbon wheels and a Cowchipper Carbon handlebar. I tested a pre-production build largely based on the high-end Di2 model. More here. When the tool was on the workbench or when it was on the ground? The new model comes in four builds, six color ways, and a frameset. The title, 983,000 revolutions, is based on the estimated wheel rotations during my ~1400 mile test period with the Salsa Cutthroat. A dirt tour will likely involve piecing together rides on country dirt roads, gravel fire lanes, and gnarly trails. Ok, so this one isn't really a trend (2-3 bikes), but it's cool anyway! Its an excellent alternative to the Salsa Fargo and an incredible deal for what you get for the money. Sea to Summit UL Mat I rode a 2017 version of this bike on many trips around the southeast and was sad to let it go when I decided to switch to gravel bikepacking (and a gravel bikepacking-specific bike). The Registry has teamed up with 529 Garage to create a North American database of bikes. If your bike has options for both, then consider the benefits and costs of each. Gravel bikes are similar to typical road bikes with rigid frames and drop bars for more hand position options. The drops are higher, the fork is very compliant, the geometry is nothing like a road bike (69 head angle, 70mm bb drop) it descends well, especially with a dropper, which it's routed internally for! Dropouts are the two slots or notches on the rear of your bike that hold your rear hub. The Salsa Cutthroat can largely be considered the default drop-bar bikepacking bike for several years running. Photo by Naomi Hudetz. Singletrack refers to a trail thats roughly the same width as a bike. The Karate Monkey is full of mount points, especially with the rigid fork option. They are a fast-rolling tire, great for speed. Gloves, Light pants 2021 Salsa Cutthroat 54cm. 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. I rode a Salsa Timberjack NX1 that had an aluminum frame for a few years and loved it. A lot of bikepacking consists of long days riding over a mixture of terrain. The 2021 Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 is the mainstay of the lineup and comes with a 111 Apex 1 drivetrain featuring a Raceface Ride crankset (36T), WTB Sera/i23 wheels, TRP Spyre brakes, and an 11-42T cassette. All that being said, there are a few companies making more durable carbon frames specifically for bikepacking. If possible, test ride the bikes you are considering. The 600 model gets WTB MT400 wheels and a snazzy paint job for $3499. A dirt touring frame will likely place you somewhere in between the two. When the ground was too wet to ride trail, one of my regular winter out and backs from home took me to the top of Buckhorn Gap. My Cross Check has been like 6 totally different bikes over the years, and I want that versatility here as well. VRS is basically Salsas stay design also found on the Warbird made up of thin seat stays and wide, rectangular chainstays. In June 2015, the first Salsa Cutthroat was then presented. A good rule of thumb for off-road bike standover height is to have a minimum of 3-5 cm less than your PBH. We are proud to be independent and reader-supported. Its almost waterproof (considered highly water resistant). Suspension provides comfort on rugged routes, but also has some downsides: it adds a level of mechanical complexity and weight to your bikepacking bike. Privacy Policy. This is the Tour Divide and Cutthroat is engineered to thrive on it. 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 Surly ECR, Surly Troll, and Bridge Club are compatible with Rohloff hubs. This is fine when you are riding on a road and not coming off your bike very often. Other bicycle related stories you may like Gear Reviews, Fitness & Nutrition, Climbing, beginner climbing harness, climbing harness, petzl corax, singing rock onyx, petzl serena, rock climbing, popular, fitness, urban, climbing, exercise, grace anderson, Gear Reviews, Bicycle, Travel & Lifestyle, bicycle touring, bikepacking, bike racks, thule, yakima, kuat, north shore, bicycle, saris, rocky mounts, bike touring, stasia stockwell, Best Bike Saddle Bags and Seat Packs of 2023. Our drop-bar mountain bike geometry puts you in position to conquer all-day efforts on nearly any surface. You may even consider paying for a custom bike-fitting. Although it has fewer attachment points than the ECR (nearly every bike has fewer attachment points than the ECR) it can easily be fitted with all the bags, racks, or panniers you need for bikepacking adventures or city commutes. The Salsa uses a press-fit bottom bracket. 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. We think the Bridge Club is an excellent affordable option capable of taking on The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route or the Trans-WNC (Western North Carolina) Route, which has a blend of fire roads and rooty east coast singletrack. There are a lot of opinions, but it comes down to personal preference for how you would like your bike to ride. Based on our research, the Cutthroat seemed like as good of a match as any for a route we really didnt know much about, other than the fact that wed cross three mountain ranges, coastal jungles, and everything in between. Lighter If you are interested in a singletrack mountain bike and the Surly Karate Monkey is a little spendy for you, the Salsa Timberjack 27.5 Deore is an excellent, budget-friendly option. The Bikepacking Journal is our biannual printed publication. 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. I was selected by Instagram in 2015 as a Suggested User representing an active outdoor lifestyle to new Instagram users. Nearly every bikepacking adventure will cover a variety of road and trail conditions. Some bikes are sold completely built with better components than others. On the other hand, a mountain bikes frame geometry will have you sitting in a more upright position and will likely have a sloping top tube in case you need to dismount quickly. Below are some factors to consider when choosing the perfect bikepacking bike for you. If you dont mind spending a significant amount more on your bike, titanium frames are both lightweight and durable. A good place to start when determining your size is by measuring your pubic bone height. Photo courtesy Graham Hodge. However the primary use is for internally routing dyno wiring. The Journeyman Claris 650 runs 27.5 tires and has all the attachment points you need to customize your bikepacking setup. The main recommendation was a Salsa Fargo 27.5+ with the Salsa Cutthroat and Salsa Warbird as nearby options. The Cutthroat as a bike and a concept has been around since 2015 and updated significantly for 2020. But at its heart, the Cutthroat is indeed a mountain bike one destined for speed and long rides. The Apex 1 model comes in your choice of three colorways for $2899. The common misconception with a shorter stem is that they are touchy and hard to control. This long, twisty, and, at times, chunky gravel and two-track climb led to a ripping return descent which Ive experienced on several other gravel and adventure bikes. The Fargo is also a great pick because of its versatility. You want a bike that is less likely to fail and leave you with a 60-mile walk back to your car. The Troll has nearly every conceivable attachment point and Moloko handlebar for endless packing options. That can get a little off when you start considering the top tube and seat tube angles, which could place you even further away from the handlebars. Ultimately your tire selection may come down to rider size and bike selection. Backpedaling a bit, prior to unboxing and throwing a leg over it in Santiago de Cuba, there were a few things I knew about the supposed ride characteristics of the Salsa Cutthroat. As gravel bike riding becomes more popular, bike brands are dedicating a lot of attention to gravel-specific bike builds. To this end, I've been looking at the $2,700 Apex build which isn't my drivetrain preference but will be fine to ride as-is for a year or so and upgrade the groupset to something else later to keep initial costs below my maximum budget of 3k for a complete bike. Over the years, weaker versions of titanium have entered the market, and they are not always up to the standards of space exploration as the original titanium once was. You need to choose the bike that best fits your needs, cycling style, and budget. The Surly Karate Monkey is designed to handle technical mountain biking trails as well as be loaded with all your bikepacking gear. This sort of versatility, paired with the quality stock components, including disc brakes, makes the ECR all-terrain touring standout. The Cutty even comes with a glossy map graphic of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route on its downtube. The answer is, ultimately, yes. Like the rest of the line, it comes equipped with Teravail Sparwood tires. First and foremost, the Cutthroats geometry helps create the stability and comfort that makes it suitable for epic dusk til dark days on the dirt and gravel roads of the Tour Divide. Our Surly ECR in camp. Thank you for supporting our work and mission of outdoor coverage for every body! Wool Tech T Find the full AXS Eagle build over at SalsaCycles.com. Considering the price to potential damage ratio, this makes sense. Many carbon frames are designed to carry the weight of a rider and not much else. Ortlieb Handlebar Pack and Accessory But when moving quickly across variable bumpy terrain, the full carbon frame along with the VRS and relatively beefy 2.1 tires (set up tubeless) adds up to the most vibration absorbent drop-bar bike Ive ridden to date. And, at its core lies the groundwork for tons of space to carry everything you need on a long adventure. A well sized bike will feel more comfortable. 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