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). Our Surly ECR in camp. The Surly ECR is designed to run 27.5 or 29 tires depending on the frame size. Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket, Big Agnes FlyCreek UL3 tent 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. Photo courtesy Graham Hodge. The world of cycling and bikepacking can be confusing. This is often reflected in the price. Mounting options are also referred to as bosses, braze-ons, or barnacles. Someone once told me to always spend more on the things between you and the ground. Privacy Policy. This bike is a custom build over the stock options that Salsa offers with i9 wheels, Shimano XT 11sp, SRAM carbon levers . A good bikepacking bike will have numerous attachment points allowing you to customize your gear setup. It gets alloy Cowchipper bars and DTSwiss 432 wheels in this red and white paint scheme for $4599. Ibuprofen Climbing out of the saddle felt natural with my hands on the hoods and the bikes responsiveness couldnt have been better. Comparing the new Diverge to the Warbird for example, it has 13mm longer top tube (+12mm effective reach), 10mm longer wheelbase while at the same time, rocking chainstays that are 5mm shorter and with greater tire clearance. The Apex 1 model comes in your choice of three colorways for $2899. SD cards There were mud slogs, swamps, and river crossings, and even a couple of epic hike-a-bikes. Massive frame bag space due to the tubing design. VRS is basically Salsas stay design also found on the Warbird made up of thin seat stays and wide, rectangular chainstays. It was really hard to say goodbye to this one. 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. Given that the Cutthroat is indeed a mountain bike, some might find the curly Cowchipper drop bars an odd spec. Make sure to read more about our Cuba trip here, and see the route here. 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. If you dont mind spending a significant amount more on your bike, titanium frames are both lightweight and durable. Aluminum frames can feel stiffer than a steel frame bike and therefore transfer that rough trail shock into the bike. Carbon fiber bikes are more expensive, and there is some concern that they could experience more damage in a wreck. There are many great bikepacking bikes under $2,000. For more information, please see our It conveniently fit like a glove. Tire lever 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. Although they hold corners pretty well, they can get a little slippy going up a steep and rubbly grade. So initial build isn't the biggest thing, my main focus is the frame. Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed. This means that a steel frame can sometimes be lighter than a titanium one. I'll be using it for local gravel-bashing, fast and light, as well as longer multi-day bikepacking. By definition, they are between 2.8" and 3.25" wide. This netted us about 23 gear inches in the granny gear, which was fine for the lighter, summer weather loads we were carrying. Any thoughts. The author Graham Hodge out riding his bike. And with two of us jackhammering these bikes for 20 days straight, I think I can attest to their durability. A longer stem will shift your body weight towards the front of the bike and allows for a better pedaling position. The aluminum frame also helps keep the costs down. The stock build features Salsa Woodchipper drop bars, a 1x11 drivetrain, and 29 x 2.2 tires. I also found that the Timberjack truly shined on the single-track sections of routes like the Trans North Georgia Route. The Bridge Club has Surlys rugged Chromoly steel frame and comes with 27.5 x 2.4 tires. The ECR comes with a Moloko handlebar that allows for more hand placement and handlebar packing options than a standard straight handlebar. There is no single best bikepacking bike for everyone. Can't tell much difference in speed between the 2 sets but bigger. So I'm kind of asking a lot from a single bike. 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. It is designed to seamlessly transition between dirt, gravel, or paved city streets. At $4k, the Force 1x isnt cheap. 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. P.S. 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. Photo by Graham Hodge. A bottom bracket is the connection point of the crankset to the bicycle and allows the crankset to rotate freely. Some routes will have a higher percentage of rough riding than others. Even with the vertical give of the VRS, the bike itself is laterally stiff and equally as responsive when pedaling. You need to be logged in to use these features. . Copyright 2023 Treeline Review LLC. Salsa EXP Toptube Bag 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. Revelate Mountain Feedbag, NZO Dobies Shorts Remember, you are intending to ride your bike further into areas than you would typically walk in a day. An aluminum frame is weaker than a steel one and can be more prone to damage in a wreck or drop than a steel frame bike. Bikepacking is a hybrid between bike touring and backpacking. No bike is. 1 wool long sleeve 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. Gravel bikes are similar to typical road bikes with rigid frames and drop bars for more hand position options. A cassette is the cluster of sprockets located on the rear hub of your bike, slotting onto a freehub body and held firmly in place with a threaded cassette lockring. 5.10 Guide Tennies (flats) It also is a fairly popular model amongst some gravel riders. The ECR is designed to comfortably and reliably carry all your gear and supplies over every type of terraindirt two-track, gravel, single track, or paved. 2 drybags They are not as ideal for bikepacking, though. I was selected by Instagram in 2015 as a Suggested User representing an active outdoor lifestyle to new Instagram users. I chose to run the custom Porcelain Rocket bag I had made for the Woodsmoke on our Kyrgyzstan trip. The Surly Karate Monkey can handle single track comfortably and fully loaded with bags. Make sure you select the correct bike size. Thanks in advance for spreading the word! and our FILTERS Experience Bikepacking (5) Endurance (5) Gravel (5) Mountain (5) Fork Type Rigid (5) Features Class 5 VRS (5) Frame Protection (5) On-Bike Cargo (5) Frame Type Wheel Size The Surly Troll has 26 tires, which are more commonly available in remote international locations than the ECRs 27.5 or 29 tires. We discovered steep, rocky singletracks and punishing agricultural horse paths. Taller riders may consider 29 tires while shorter riders may prefer 27.5 tires. 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. I'm reasonably set on a Warbird, if and when I can find the right one in the right size, but I'm nonetheless on the lookout for a good (or better?) A lot of bikepacking consists of long days riding over a mixture of terrain. If possible, test ride the bikes you are considering. 1 spare set brake pads 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! The stock build features Salsa Woodchipper drop bars, a 1x11 drivetrain, and 29 x 2.2" tires. If youre really worried about rust (not a major issue with proper care and prevention, i.e. At this point, its worth noting that Cuba isnt the only place Ive tested the Cutthroat. Photo by Naomi Hudetz. 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. theoretically, the asymmetrical rim design coupled with straight gauge spokes should make for a stiff and strong wheel. Salsa have long been a household name for everyone who is even remotely interested in bikepacking - click here for our detailed Bikepacking 101.After we were able to ride the first version of the Cutthroat for you a while ago in our gravel bike group test, the US brand sent us the Salsa Cutthroat V2 GRX 600 for our bikepacking group test. A dirt tour will likely involve piecing together rides on country dirt roads, gravel fire lanes, and gnarly trails. More mounting points, larger suspension and more routing options. Surprisingly, the Salsa Cutthroat has more chops than one might think. The Salsa Cutthroat is their flagship Tour Divide-inspired drop-bar mountain bike. Close up on the Surly Drop out. Of course its not without fault. Suspension is used on bikes to soften the riders contact with rough terrain. Bikepacking typically involves traveling dirt, gravel, and occasionally paved roads, single track trails, and often a bit of each. 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. Features. Its our overall best bikepacking bike because of its comfort, versatility, and price. You can find all the details on that review, and scroll down for details on each of the 2021 Salsa Cutthroat builds. In spite of our planning, we misjudged the terrain. When looking into a bike, you may want to pay attention to your bottom bracket height, especially when converting tire and wheel sizes. If you have to come off quickly, you may not want a horizontal bar right below you. I can't find the direct mount frame bag in that size anywhere. Crumpler camera insert So at this point you might be wondering who the Salsa Cutthroat is for aside from Tour Dividers or Trans America Trail racers. Our top all-terrain pick, the Surly Karate Monkey, can run either. Chainbreaker 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. They are a fast-rolling tire, great for speed. We recommend your bars be level with or slightly above your saddle. There is a Rival 2x edition as well for $3k. Find the full GRX 810 build over at SalsaCycles.com. Multiple wheel sizes, "futureproofing" via thru-axles, ability to run 1x or 2x, dropper routing, suspension fork options, etc. To that end, Salsa says it homed in on four key elements: comfort,. These sorts of routes can have a dash of singletrack trails but mainly consist of double-track trails, fire lanes, and forest service gravel roads. If you are attempting to save weight where you can, the 27.5 tire will typically be the lighter option. But its also a bike capable of so much more. Find the full Apex 1 build over at SalsaCycles.com. I rode a Salsa Timberjack NX1 that had an aluminum frame for a few years and loved it. This is why focusing on stack and reach is important. From my perspective, its a niche bicycle whose niche is pretty damn big. It comes with decent stock components, including hydraulic disc brakes. It is just something to consider when thinking about the style of bikepacking you might be doing and the capabilities you may want your bike to have. Regardless of the condition, singletrack trails are sure to be a fun route into the backcountry. 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 bikes are suitable for riders between 5'1 and 6'3+ tall. This is the Tour Divide and Cutthroat is engineered to thrive on it. It is also compatible with a Rohloff hub (see the Glossary for more on Rohloff hubs). 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