Titanium is not always stronger than steel. The best dirt touring bikes, like our top pick, the Surly ECR provides lots of gear mounting options, has a rigid steel frame (more reliable on an extended tour), and has a more upright geometry for increased comfort. 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. And, after a couple of seemingly interminable days in the saddle, it became pretty clear that this bike was dialed in for lengthy rides. Salsa bills their Cutthroat as an Ultra-Endurance bikepacking rig. That being said, there are frame differences between gravel bikes, singletrack mountain bikes, and dirt or all-terrain touring bikes. The Corner Bar comes in three widths: 46, 50, and . 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. Find the details here. 1 cotton T If you are considering remote international expeditions, consider the Surly Troll with 26 tires (more common internationally than 27.5 or 29 tires) with rim brakes. After a lot of positive feedback, I started a small operation sewing custom bike bags for local customers in Chattanooga, TN. Some bikepacking bikes, such as the Surly Bridge Club, offer 700c wheel options. Photo by Pepper Cook. And, at its core lies the groundwork for tons of space to carry everything you need on a long adventure. Our route threw as many curve balls as Cuba has baseball fields, including descents deserving of a 160mm travel full-suspension rig, bogs and sand fit for a fat bike, and technical trails where a solid, plus-tire hardtail would be best to pick through the rubble. Tire lever Find the full AXS Eagle build over at SalsaCycles.com. Surprisingly, the Salsa Cutthroat has more chops than one might think. The Cutthroat, on the other hand, was able to dissect rocky tracks as well or better than many 29ers Ive ridden. There is a Rival 2x edition as well for $3k. 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. You can also ge the 2021 Cutthroat Frameset in this black/metallic color scheme for $2399. Publicado el sbado, 1 de abril de 2023 . So I'm kind of asking a lot from a single bike. 1 wool long sleeve 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. It features a carbon frame and fork, modern geometry, loads of mounting points for racks, bags, and cages, and clearance for 29 x 2.4 tires in the rear and 29 x 3.0 in the front. This is often reflected in the price. Salsa Cutthroat, Much More Than a Tour Divide Rig Words By Spencer Harding, bike photos by Spencer Harding, with action shots by Locke Hassett While I was able to finagle this incredibly snazzy bike solely for the purpose of reviewing a framebag on it, I figured why not squeeze a bike review out of it as well? I think its money well spent, but perhaps it would be easier on the eyes if it were a little less. It can be well-groomed or full of rocks and roots. For questions & technical support, please email us at: support@salsacycles.com or call 1-877-668-6223. When you click on the links to purchase gear, we may get a commission, without costing you an extra cent. Fork has Three-Pack mounts; fork and frame have internal dynamo cable routing. You can get the model and size information. It's an excellent alternative to the Salsa Fargo and an incredible deal for what you get for the money. It can be tempting to purchase a frame and build it up yourself, but unless you already own a lot of the components, a DIY bike build can add up, and often costs more than buying a bike already built. When youre riding rougher gravel roads and singletrack, you may find yourself coming off the pedals more. Regardless of the condition, singletrack trails are sure to be a fun route into the backcountry. Recommended frame bag for Salsa Cutthroat. 1 light button-down shirt At which point was the tool closer to your hand? Look for bikes with quality components, like our Surly and Salsa picks. Wide array of mounts. Our Surly ECR in camp. Big Agnes inflatable pillow It is a crystal clear padded gel tape you can put just about anywhere to protect your frame. Of course its not without fault. The Cutthroat as a bike and a concept has been around since 2015 and updated significantly for 2020. Many bikes traditionally use a skewer that can be tensioned to hold the wheel in place. Immodium It's designed and built to cover long distances with speed and comfort. For the price and durability factor, we dont recommend getting a carbon frame as your first bikepacking bike. Fitting the Cutthroats disposition, our trip started out with a lot of time in the saddle. BIKEPACKING.com is dedicated to exploration by bicycle. Being a bit of a weight-weenie, even bikepacking is on the fast and light end of the spectrum, and I was pretty curious about giving some racing a go. 2 pencils/eraser 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. Now you may be worried that the size medium would still feel too large and that perhaps a size small with a longer stem would be a good option. The EXP does have a couple nice features worth noting. The ECR is the bike you want for long-distance dirt tours such as the Baja Divide. Titan kettle Ti pot Photo by Graham Hodge. It is even designed to haul a trailer if that is your style. A dirt tour will likely involve piecing together rides on country dirt roads, gravel fire lanes, and gnarly trails. The world of cycling and bikepacking can be confusing. Photo by Graham Hodge. If your bike can handle the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, it can handle the trip to the grocery. 8oz sealant for initial setup Here's the build kit that it's based around, followed by what I liked and didn't like about the kit. After hearing feedback, I was anticipating a pretty smooth ride so the aforementioned traits didnt come as a great shock to me. If possible, test ride the bikes you are considering. You decide. In the world of cycling, this can be anything from an unfinished alleyway to hundreds of miles of Forest Service gravel roads. 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. Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket, Big Agnes FlyCreek UL3 tent Treeline Review editor Naomi Hudetz bikepacking near Mt. Treeline editor Mike Unger on the Klickitat River Trail. Photo courtesy Graham Hodge. No bike is. Climbing out of the saddle felt natural with my hands on the hoods and the bikes responsiveness couldnt have been better. I can't find the direct mount frame bag in that size anywhere. Find the full GRX 810 build over at SalsaCycles.com. Build versatility. We took it on this ride and a whole lot more for this long-term review. It's much more than a drop-bar gravel bike, or a fast mountain bike. Camp on the first night of a bikepacking bike testing trip. My Cross Check has been like 6 totally different bikes over the years, and I want that versatility here as well. Front/rear rack mounts, fork cargo cage mounts, two bottles in the frame on small sizes, and one bottle beneath the downtube are a must. If you have bike racks, then loading them up with groceries or work supplies can be a breeze. 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. See our section on Singletrack vs. Gravel Bikes for more on this. Carbon frame with VRS rear-end + a stable and comfortable geometry + 2.1 tires = a bike that's comfortable and perfectly dialed in for long and rough rides. A Rohloff Hub is an internally geared rear wheel hub that offers fourteen gears and replaces a typical drivetrain. Unlike suspension forks that allow the front fork of the bike to move up and down, rigid forks do not move. Mission Workshop Hauser 14L backpack For those unfamiliar, Cutthroat is Salsas Tour Divide-inspired drop bar bike. The Surly Bridge Club is a highly versatile all-road rig. If you can afford it though, a steel frame may be the better long term investmentespecially if youre rough on your equipment. Like the rest of the line, it comes equipped with Teravail Sparwood tires. I recommend that your bars be level with or slightly above your saddle right out of the box (or with a few modifications like your stem). We review top-rated bike bags to find the best mountain bike frame bag, best for gravel bikes and road bikes, and top tube bags for all kinds of bikes and riders. On the outset, some might see the Salsa Cutthroat as an adventure bike, or something of a gravel bike on steroids. 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. The Surly Troll has a lot in common with the Surly ECR. Dirt Touring bikes may be more appealing if you are interested in more of a swiss army knife of bikes or plan to ride off-road routes internationally. Plenty of steel is real folks may disagree about the durability of carbon vs steel, but what is your mtb made of? The Surly Karate Monkey, with its optional suspension fork, is our singletrack bikepacking pick. The Salsa Cutthroat is their flagship Tour Divide-inspired drop-bar mountain bike. It can fit a 2.4" in the back, it uses boost spacing, mtb cranks, and easily works with a multitude of 1x options. The original 2015 Cutthroat was designed to conquer that route as quickly as possible, while being fully self-sufficient. High-modulus carbon frame and fork increase ride compliance. Check out the Cutthroat and learn more about its design and features an interview with Salsa Cycles from The Gravel Ride Podcast. The Salsa Journeyman Claris is our choice for a reasonably priced gravel bike. The Bikepacking Journal is our biannual printed publication. Find details on the three most recent issues below, join the Bikepacking Collective to get it in the mail (anywhere in the world), or click here to find a collection of selected stories in digital format. That is true and can be a place to start, but let's look at this idea with the Salsa Fargo Apex 1. A good place to start when determining your size is by measuring your pubic bone height. Learn more. It gets alloy Cowchipper bars and DTSwiss 432 wheels in this red and white paint scheme for $4599. Its our overall best bikepacking bike because of its comfort, versatility, and price. for more information on frame options). 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. The Surly Bridge Club also comes in a more pavement-oriented build kit (700c) for $100 less that would be a great city commuter bike with the ability to take on dirt tracks when needed. Find details on the three most recent issues below, join the Bikepacking Collective to get it in the mail (anywhere in the world), or click here to find a collection of selected stories in digital format. Gorilla tape Youre usually on a fully loaded bike, and finding a balance of that pedaling position to control can be very important to helping you enjoy the ride. Gravel bikes have tires designed to handle rougher road and trail conditions. 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. I believe for bikepacking that a combination of a shorter stem with wider bars is the better option for stability, control, and comfort. In addition, the upper straps on a frame pack can often wear the paint a little. It was affordable and allowed me to get into bikepacking. Intended use is anything from throwing on 700c road tires for not-super-fast 100mi days on the pavement, to tossing on some knobby 650B tires for two week long 90% gravel bikepacking trips, and maybe hitting some singletrack too for a bit of underbiking once in a while. Make sure you select the correct bike size. Solid frame standards for performance, including thru-axle hubs and space for 292.4 tires. PBH also is a factor to consider when choosing which style of bikepacking bike youre interested in. By definition, they are between 2.8" and 3.25" wide. Many first time bikepackers may appreciate the comfort of the 650, but the 700 is often easier to find. There were mud slogs, swamps, and river crossings, and even a couple of epic hike-a-bikes. Also, find a few more details on the paint over at Salsas blog. Also attached to a dropout is a hanger. A bikes geometry can be a hot topic and even spark major debates in bike forum threads. We think the Surly ECR is the best bikepacking bike for most. 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. Its almost waterproof (considered highly water resistant). 2L Platy bottle in backpack. In addition, the stock components are not as good as the Fargo Apexs stock set. The Salsa Cutthroat V2 has mounts for a direct mount frame pack. Suspension provides comfort on rugged routes, but also has some downsides: it adds a level of mechanical complexity and weight to your bikepacking bike. In June 2015, the first Salsa Cutthroat was then presented. It can accommodate up to 27.5 x 2.8 tires. 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. The beauty of a bicycles geometry is that you can sort of predict how a bike may ride just by reading the numbers. 1 pair wool socks Class 5 Vibration Reduction System (VRS) absorbs microimpacts on rough roads. The stock fork is also a lightweight but sturdy carbon fork that is peppered with mounting points for racks, bottles, and anything cages. Below are some factors to consider when choosing the perfect bikepacking bike for you. The ECR has lots of mounting options making it excel compared to other bikes in our rankings for packability. It even has mounts for a trailer (should you wish to pull a trailer). Reproduction without permission is prohibited. After hunting all last year, finally found a size 56 Cutthroat in stock. Ive been working in the outdoor industry for the past eight years. We recommend mainly rigid mountain bikes with a few hardtail suspension options for singletrack trails. Thank you for supporting us! The small Salsa Fargo Apex 1 frame has a reach of 364 mm, while the medium frame has a reach of 368 mm. The bags used on my Cutthroat differed a little bit from Virginias. Close up on the Surly Drop out. Adams, WA. You could think of tire clearance like a Venn diagram in which tire size, bike speed, and comfort overlap. 29 spare tube x1 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. Thats only a 4 mm difference, and many riders could choose either frame size. Photo by Naomi Hudetz. Its an excellent alternative to the Salsa Fargo and an incredible deal for what you get for the money. Essentially, its where your rear wheel goes. The Bikepacking Journal is our biannual printed publication. PressFit bottom bracket may be a deal breaker for some who are heading abroad, while we experienced no creaking or mechanical issues over thousands of miles. Photo by Whitney LaRuffa. 1 pair boxers 4 spare batteries/charger I also found that the Timberjack truly shined on the single-track sections of routes like the Trans North Georgia Route. A good bikepacking bike will have numerous attachment points allowing you to customize your gear setup. The Apex 1 model comes in your choice of three colorways for $2899. It is also compatible with a Rohloff hub (see the Glossary for more on Rohloff hubs). The Journeyman Claris comes in two types that Salsa describes as: the fast and efficient (700 c) or comfortable (650). 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. Suspension is used on bikes to soften the riders contact with rough terrain. salsa cutthroat alternative salsa cutthroat alternative. Carbon fiber bikes are more expensive, and there is some concern that they could experience more damage in a wreck. The Salsa Journeyman Claris 650 is our budget gravel bikepacking pick. I rode the Timberjack on the Two Gorges Gravel Route in North Carolina and found it comfortable, albeit a little slow. Gloves, Light pants While titanium is certainly rad (its pretty much space metal after all), the frame alone costs an extra $1,800. The Surly ECR is designed to run 27.5 or 29 tires depending on the frame size. Photo by Graham Hodge. They are a fast-rolling tire, great for speed. 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. 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. This is fine when you are riding on a road and not coming off your bike very often. This story may contain affiliate links, which help fund our website. The Surly Bridge Club fully loaded with bikepacking bags. To go a little further into the weeds with bike size, the long-established way of thinking about bike sizes is that smaller bikes have shorter reaches that can be manipulated by longer stems and longer seat posts. Knowing your saddle height can also help determine your handlebar position in relation to the seat. The bike you want for this style of riding can ideally handle every type of terrain (two-track, gravel, single track) while carrying heavy loads efficiently. After riding hundreds of miles and several bikepacking routes, I began sewing my own bikepacking bags. 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. 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. Surly probably went that route to keep costs down and to provide a little more flex and compliance for comfort. You may even consider paying for a custom bike-fitting. Wool lightweight socks Super glue, iPhone/earbuds/USB cable A carbon bike frame is extremely lightweight and often is known for a steel-like ride in terms of shock absorption. But its also a bike capable of so much more. I'm down for whatever, so I favor bikes that are as well. The bikes are suitable for riders between 5'1 and 6'3+ tall. The title, 983,000 revolutions, is based on the estimated wheel rotations during my ~1400 mile test period with the Salsa Cutthroat. P.S. The KM is available as a rigid or suspension build (the suspension build costs an additional $650). 2 drybags If you consider yourself more of a casual rider, you may want your bars even higher. A bottom bracket is the connection point of the crankset to the bicycle and allows the crankset to rotate freely. Find the full Apex 1 build over at SalsaCycles.com. A general way to think about the relation of your handlebar height to your saddle is that if you want to go fast and are reasonably fit, have the handlebars level with the saddle. Some bikes are sold completely built with better components than others. Of course, not all bikepacking bags are the best for full grocery loads, but there are ways to adapt. Make sure to read more about our Cuba trip here, and see the route here. Ibuprofen Happy to be proven wrong there. Gravel bikes are similar to typical road bikes with rigid frames and drop bars for more hand position options. We believe travel by bicycle has the power to encourage conservation, inclusivity, and respect for all people and cultures. Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. At $4k, the Force 1x isnt cheap. to support us + get The Bikepacking Journal. The thickness of tubing needed to build a sturdy titanium bike factors into its weight. Overall solid and durable component spec. Rag To that end, Salsa says it homed in on four key elements: comfort,. Cutthroat is Salsa's ultra-endurance mixed surface bike inspired by the Tour Divide. The Apex 1 model comes in your choice of three colorways for $2899. We rank bar lights and helmet lights by lumens max output, USB charging, and price including Light & Motion, Bontrager, Niterider, Cygolite, Gloworm, and more. Salsa EXP Toptube Bag We are proud to be independent and reader-supported. 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