Though I haven’t taken it on an overnighter yet, I did load her up for some long daypacking-style rides. If you want to save some cash, the Cutthroat … The Salsa Cutthroat in Di2 GRX … The Salsa Cutthroat is also available as a carbon frameset … Now, if I were planning to race hundreds of miles fully loaded, I might scan other gearing options, including a 2x drivetrain, for even easier gear ratios. We took our first ride on some punchy ascents and bandit trails. Every position is not only comfortable, but also provides outstanding bike control. Recognizing that gravel riders demand a wide gear range, Salsa has outfitted the 2020 Cutthroat with a new drivetrain system it’s calling “road boost.” That takes the existing mountain bike standard and applies it with road/gravel-sized chainrings. The slack 69-degree head angle (down one degree from previous iterations) and relatively upright, mountain bike geometry allow the Cutthroat to take to singletrack with ease. The slack front end and long wheelbase (about 10mm longer over the previous model) sometimes gives you the sensation of piloting a long-hooded Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme uphill, and you need to hunker down to keep the front end planted when the pitch gets vertical. “The Cutthroat is a taller bike than most other drop bar bikes because of the 29-inch wheels, longer suspension-corrected fork, and larger front triangle.”. We reached out to Salsa about the decision and here’s what the brand told us: “The bottom bracket is a BB92, same as the first generation. That’s to say nothing about pedaling stiffness! And the overall feel was smoother, too. We tested the best winter boots for women in 2021, including winter hiking boots, snow boots, extra-warm boots, and winter rain boots. That 2x setup will add a lot of options for riders pushing extra-long miles. Salsa’s packs and bags are made from waterproof materials and water-resistant construction and are available in five sizes to match Cutthroat frame sizes. ... Get the latest mountain bike reviews, news, race results, and much more by signing up for the MTBR … with Salsa Deadbolt UL axle. It annihilated the section, and I felt like I was rewarded with maximum speed for very moderate input. So I’ll be rolling more course-suitable 40 or 50s for the day. • The longer, slacker high-modulus carbon frame and brand new super-compliant fork means you’ll barely feel a thing no matter how aggressive the gravel gets.• 20+ frame mounts provide secure, convenient carrying capacity for days. Steering was a little slower, but not in a bad way. It was the steep, technical climbs and attention demanding descents in the Sierra Maestra mountains where the Salsa Cutthroat … “I was aiming for the deflection we’ve measured on really comfortable steel forks and working to apply that feel to a carbon fork.”. This recall involves 2020 Salsa Cutthroat series bicycles, including: Salsa Cutthroat with model names GRX 810 Di2, GRX 810 1x, GRX 600, Apex 1… I stumbled upon a slightly used 2019 Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 Sus at the Pro's Closet and it was too good of a deal to let it go so I bought it. Meet the Marji Gesick, Watch: Pro Biker Claire Buchar Is Crushing It. We didn’t want to lose any of those features. pink, black, dark … The width of the legs paired with the Boost 110 front axle keep steering precision and wheel tracking as solid as our previous Cutthroat fork.”, The engineers also used a new carbon layup designed to work with the leg shape to allow optimum compliance, Hall says. But it did make enough modifications that fans of the OG bike will notice a different ride on this one. (size 54)Tire clearance: 2.4”. The key modifications for the 2020 Salsa Cutthroat are as follows: If you take away one thing from this review, it should be this: The new Cutthroat feels even more like a mountain bike. We put thousands of miles on the original Cutthroat, from rugged gravel to flowy singletrack and way too many road miles. The Salsa uses a press-fit bottom bracket. As anyone who’s put in long days on rough roads knows, changing up your hand position is key to keeping your arms, neck, and back from crying uncle after a few hours. It’s worth noting that Salsa completely overhauled the sizing for the 2020 Cutthroat, and you may be most suited to a different size than you’d typically ride. More than 20 mounts placed throughout the fork and frame let you customize your setup with water bottles, bags, straps, and cradles to carry your cargo exactly how you like. You can set up the Cutthroat with 2.4" mountain bike tires and still have tons of room for mud clearance. The Cutthroat’s SRAM Apex 1x11 drivetrain offers secure, streamlined efficiency with a wide gear range shifted by SRAM’s crisp DoubleTap shifting to maintain speed and momentum in widely variable terrain. It’s interesting how much of the bike design hinged off the bb shell width! 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 Salsa Cutthroat Carbon GRX 810 1x has three siblings. We took one for a spin outside our Minneapolis headquarters on singletrack, gravel, and some pavement to see if these changes are, in fact, a good thing. To that end, Salsa says it homed in on four key elements: comfort, reliability, weight, and efficiency. We asked five pros how they made it work and what it takes to make a living in the outdoor industry "in real life.". “Then double check standover height against your measured body to floor to confirm clearance,” he says. 2020 Salsa Cutthroat Review If you take away one thing from this review, it should be this: The new Cutthroat feels even more like a mountain bike. NordicTrack wants to give you $7,500 toward your dream adventure. The bike maintained its lively demeanor and though loaded up didn’t feel ungainly or sluggish over deep gravel, root-strewn bridle paths, and carriage roads. The updated sizing includes a new 52cm small frame, as well as 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, and 60cm sizes. Well, I’ve been toying with trying my hand at more multi-day adventures. Because it’s a mountain bike frame, you won’t find the usual fender mounts that come standard on gravel bikes—a traditional bolt-on fender wouldn’t clear the large mountain bike tires. A bash guard on the underside of the frame protects this vulnerable area from rock strikes and impact during log overs. In this vid, I give an initial review of the 2018 Salsa Cutthroat. 12 oz.) Price: $4,199 Weight: 21.8 lb. In all, the brand aimed to improve the feel over rough surfaces and make the bike as versatile as possible for both riding styles and terrain. October 10, 2019 | By Kurt Barclay & Adam Ruggiero. When it comes to bikepacking or tackling self-supported events like DKXL 350 and Tour Divide, pedaling for hours or days on end is the easy part. Sharing in-depth conversations between the world's adventurers, athletes, and outdoorspeople, The GearJunkie Podcast is your inside look into the outdoors industry. UPDATE: Be sure to check out the 2020 Salsa Cutthroat review (v2) here. When I hit the rolling, mostly straight 8.5-mile time trial section, the Cutthroat took off like a horse from an open barn. Like many brands, Salsa have gone all out with Shimano GRX on the Cutthroat for 2020. But change is inevitable, and Salsa finally decided to tackle a redesign of this beloved bike. Adding to the overall mountain bike feel, this new fork is a win. “We saw the appeal for ever-wider range drivetrains on gravel and the definite appeal of the close cog spacing of a 2x drivetrain when spinning out tons of miles,” Hall says. The Cutthroat is also suspension corrected, so if all that compliance still isn’t enough, you can swap on a 100mm-travel 29er fork. • Buy if you’re a drop bar explorer with a need for speed. And I have full faith that the Cutthroat will lead the way. But it does not come spec’d with one, as the company felt the primary market wouldn’t necessarily want one. Salsa worked with Race Face/Easton and their Cinch system cranks to get a 52mm Boost chain line, but with a maximum 2x chainring capacity of 50/34t and 1x capacity of 40t. Hardest Single-Day MTB Race in America? At first glance the bike seemingly begs for a dropper post (and is dropper post-compatible, complete with internal routing on 1x drivetrains). Salsa Cutthroat 2020 Specifications. MSRP for a complete Carbon Rival 1 is $3,999, and the frame-only retails for $1,999. It provides improved performance on rough roads and fast descents. I figured the bike would crush segments like Narnia, a 1.3-mile descent that averages a grade of -8.3 percent over high-speed tight, slick singletrack. Bicycling participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. We are certainly not deaf to the criticisms surrounding press fit bottom brackets, we like silent bikes too! We definitely felt a difference from the original Cutthroat. That being said, BB92 is a stable standard which we’ve used on many of our bikes for years and we’ve worked hard with our manufacturing partners to really tighten the frame tolerances required for press fit.”. Read more…. It was the steep, technical climbs and attention demanding descents in the Sierra Maestra mountains where the Salsa Cutthroat … Topping that list is Salsa’s Vibration Reduction System (VRS)—a rear triangle design that pairs thin seat stays that flare outward with wide, flattened chainstays that bend inward, acting like a leaf spring to soak up road vibration and small bumps. The GRX 810 Hydro levers feature a large, textured, easy-to-grasp knob so your hands never slip off the hoods at the most inopportune times. By signing up, you agree to receive emails from GearJunkie and Helux. Cutthroat Apex 1 combines the redesigned Cutthroat carbon frame and fork with the tried-and-true performance of SRAM’s Apex 1 drivetrain. “ …the Salsa Cutthroat held its fair share of surprises. The Salsa Warroad Is a Killer All-Road Bike, Liv's Devote Is Ready for the Biggest Gravel Rides, The Salsa Warbird Was Born to Race Gravel, The New Pivot Vault Is for Gravel and So Much More, Tested: Salsa’s New Horsethief Carbon GX Eagle. For years, the “Cutty” served bikepackers everywhere loyally and admirably. Bringing speed to the mixed-surface, ultra-endurance bikepacking race scene, the Salsa Cutthroat Carbon Apex 1 bike is an evolutionary leap forward, designed to obliterate long-distance records. And the entry-level Cutthroat Carbon Apex 1 with SRAM Apex 1 rear derailleur and shifter and TRP Spyre-C brakes retails for $2,699. Not one bit. A Direct Mount Frame Pack tucks into the main triangle without straps that can wear on the frame. Most unexpected was its versatility. It especially excels at Grinduro-style gravel racing, where courses filled with singletrack, chunky B roads, fresh gravel that’s as squirrely as fresh snow, and a moon-shot’s worth of vertical gain reward a light, agile bike that sticks to its line at high speed and won’t be deterred by larger obstacles. There are top tube mounts for a bento box-style bag. Overall, there are some nice improvements for sure. All said and done, it added up to a W on the day at Keystone Gravel. “ …the Salsa Cutthroat held its fair share of surprises. Brand: Salsa, Product: Cutthroat Apex 1 SUS Cutthroat brings speed to the mixed surface, ultra-endurance bikepacking race scene. But I was a bit concerned about Schoolhouse, a nearly two-mile climb that averages over a 10.2 percent grade, as well as “The Queen,” the final grueling stage that grinds over 4.5 miles at 4.8 percent. First things first, Salsa did not make overwhelming, soup-to-nuts changes on the new Cutty. An evolutionary leap in all-road bikes, Cutthroat … (I had a similar sensation on the bike at an event a few weeks earlier, where, for more than a mile, I was seemingly floating atop fist-size rocks that left others bogged down, cursing on the roadside.). This item is not permitted to be shipped, however it can be purchased online and picked up at your … But Hall stands by the decision, citing the overall geo benefits the BB92 provides. And the newly refreshed 2020 Cutthroat retains many of the original’s signature features. For 2020, Salsa is introducing three levels of GRX models, including mechanical and electronic shifting and two Apex 1 models all in new colors including (a to die for!) With gear range and cargo capacity for everything from … How we test gear. With the 2020 Cutthroat model once again fitting squarely on the 'bikepacking' side of the gravel spectrum. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. The Cutthroat is also debuting at unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley, a very hilly 120-mile gravel race, also in central Pennsylvania. That’s to say nothing about pedaling stiffness! Specifically, I used the Anything Cradle with Dry Bag & Front pouch on the handlebar, a Salsa seat pack in the rear, a bento box on the top tube, and four bottles—two in the triangle and one on each of the fork legs. The big news here is the addition of the Cutthroat Apex 1 Sus … Bikes may require assembly with 7 - 14 day lead time. We prefer a 1x setup and would have liked to run a bigger gear. We would have ended up with either less tire clearance, smaller tire fitment, much longer chainstays, no internal cable guide tubes or smaller chainrings. We took our first ride on some punchy … If aggressive gravel riding and/or fast, efficient bikepacking is your game, the new Cutthroat is the ideal playmate. Most unexpected was its versatility. The Cutthroat’s SRAM Apex 1x11 drivetrain offers secure, streamlined efficiency with a wide gear range shifted by SRAM’s crisp DoubleTap shifting to maintain speed and momentum in widely variable terrain. FRAME: Full Cutthroat Carbon, featuring Class 5 Vibration Reduction SystemBRAKE TYPES: SRAM Rival Hydraulic Disc Brakes with 160mm Centerline RotorsSHIFTER: SRAM Rival 1RIMS: DT Swiss C1800 SplineTIRES: Maxxis Ikon 29” by 2.2” Tubeless ready The 2x Cutthroat ships with a 46/30-tooth chainrings. So the new Cutty isn’t a plow; it still has some punch to it, which will make lots of Cutty fans happy. Salsa-designed, triple-butted, and frame size-specific seamless CroMoly tubing Firestarter 110 Deluxe Fork + The most full-featured high modulus carbon bikepacking fork available. 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 … Despite the slower, more stable geometry, the back end felt just as compliant as the original design. Check out the Cutthroat and learn more about its design and features an interview with Salsa … Details; Specs; Reviews; Details. ‘The mountain biker’s road bike’ receives its first redesign since it launched in 2015. According to Salsa, the size medium complete bike weighs in at 18.5 pounds. “We borrowed the Class 5 VRS chainstay shape—horizontally flattened and wide—and sized it up to meet the different structural needs of a fork,” Salsa’s design engineer Peter Hall explains. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. For 2020, Salsa redesigned the bike to be lighter and more compliant while upping its cargo-carrying capacity, so it now does both those things even better. Salsa provides the answers with a cargo-carrying system designed to stay put and out of your way. The Cutthroat models are all SRAM 1X drive trains and some new paint schemes. With this build, riders can run a 1x setup up to 40t with mountain boost cranks, or they can go 2x and have a max 50/34t. Stay tuned for those impressions in a future review. “We would have ended up with either less tire clearance, smaller tire fitment, much longer chainstays, no internal cable guide tubes or smaller chainrings. Now I’m considering a new bike. Some things in life are so good just the way they are that you never want them to change. An evolutionary leap forward from the Salsa Fargo, … From next-gen tech to ingenious innovation, our weekly peek at emerging products examines the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design. Salsa unveiling the new Cutthroat at Grinduro Japan is as natural as offering warm cookies with fresh milk. Evoc Hip Pack Race 3LIncluded reservoir holds 1.5 liters of water, and there’s room for a bottle.Volume: 3L$95 | Competitive Cyclist, Dakine Hot Laps 2L Hip PackCarries one water bottle, plus your phone and a small repair kit.Volume: 2L$39.95 | Competitive Cyclist, Camelbak Vantage LR BeltIncluded reservoir hauls 1.5 liters of water; hip pockets keep snacks within reach.Volume: 3.3L$64.95 | Competitive Cyclist. Most unexpected was its versatility. Here are the build options and pricing for the new Cutthroat. We’ve continued to use BB92 as it provides the least compromise on the frame design. Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 SUS This item is currently not available. Ride the Divide, shred singletrack, or race gravel-enduro—the Cutthroat’s got you covered. The bike feels more stable, smoother, but maintains enough of its race DNA that it’s not a totally different bike. Slacker, more stable geometry paired with a light carbon frame designed with Salsa’s signature Vibration Reduction System (VRS)—and brand new fork (claimed to be 32 percent more compliant) featuring the same tech—makes this a bike well suited for aggressive gravel riding. © Copyright 2020 GearJunkie, All Rights Reserved, The Best Backcountry Ski Bindings of 2021, The Bestselling Gear at Backcountry This Week, Bikepack Beekeeping: The Craziest Quarantine Activity You’ve Never Heard Of, Red Bull Announces ‘Natural Selection’ Snowboard Tour to Crown World’s Best, Watch Now: X Games Skiers Hit the Backcountry, Female Freeski Collab: 10 Pro Rippers Dominate in 'Skivas', On-Sight Without Sight: Blind Climber Sends Extreme 'Forked Lightning' Crack, Recon Mission: Pro Skiers Seek New Routes in Cascades, Last-Minute Gifts: Up to 40% Off Gear During REI's Sale, The Bestselling Gear at Competitive Cyclist This Week. On to “road boost”: I’m not a fan of adding new terminology to the already packed dictionary of bike tech. There’s also a frameset only option priced at … We didn’t want to lose any of those features,” he says, noting that the BB92 has worked reliably for years. Plus, it remained lively, not sluggish—a key quality for long self-supported outings. With gear range and cargo capacity for everything from gravel rides to bikepacking expeditions, the carbon Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 bike is ready to take you farther than you ever thought you could go. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The Lightweight XC Bike Showdown: Scalpel v. Epic, Pivot Drops 2nd Generation Shuttle E-Mountain Bike, Evil Unveils Second-Generation Offering Trail Bike, Get the Shredder Something They’ll Be Stoked About, The 10 Best Cheap Bikes for Every Kind of Ride, The Top 6 Secret US Mountain Bike Destinations, Why Every MTB Rider Should Consider a Singlespeed, The New Stumpy Evo Is a More Balanced Trail Bike, BMC Twostroke 01 One: Ridden and Reviewed. The new geometry will be the biggest difference Cutty faithful notice. Related: Mtbr’s Salsa Cycles Forum. 5 Things We Love About the Salsa Cutthroat GRX 810 1x. “ …the Salsa Cutthroat held its fair share of surprises. Packing, carrying, and accessing your food, hydration, tools, layers, batteries, and other gear and provisions is the real test. The company claims the new Cutthroat Carbon Deluxe V2 fork is 32 percent more compliant than its predecessor. Fully loaded, the “Cutty” is graceful, quick, and eye-catching, more pack unicorn than mule. To date, Salsa Cycles has received seven reports of cracked forks. SRAM’s appearance is demoted to the entry level Apex 1 … On our ride, we pushed for extra speed on bumpy terrain and felt much more in control and connected. Part speed machine and part pack mule, the Cutthroat has had the unique ability to accommodate the riding style and gear cache of virtually any all-terrain distance rider. Without the extra BB width afforded by the BB92 (over a 68mm threaded BB), the chainstays would have had to been either smaller in size or longer in length to get around the max tire size and back to the BB juncture. Finally it seems SRAM have lost their dominance in the off-road 1x drivetrain market. “The shape encourages the wheel and fork lowers to flex fore and aft when encountering high frequency vibrations and impacts that you find on gravel and washboards. Cutthroat brings speed to the mixed surface, ultra-endurance bikepacking race scene. We got our hands on a tester to see how the 2020 Cutthroat feels compared to the Great Divide classic. More than 20 mounts throughout the frame provide plenty of secure carrying capacity. To that end, the Cowchipper bar is the perfect pairing for this bike. We do have one complaint: The new Cutthroat uses a press-fit bottom bracket. The route covers 78 miles with more than 9,000 feet of climbing and features eight timed segments that include slick ribbons of singletrack, bar-chewing climbs, puckering descents, sketchy gravel roads, creek crossings, grassy paths, and pretty much every surface Central PA can offer. No injuries have been reported. The Salsa Cutthroat is also available as a carbon frameset for $2,199. Every aspect was designed to obliterate long-distance cycling … The new Cutthroat range consists of four models, from the top specced GRX 810 Di2 version at £5,800, down to the Apex 1 build for £2,850. Considering that rear carrying capacity is a priority for multi-day outings, it’s likely correct. “Without the extra BB width afforded by the BB92 over a 68mm threaded BB, the chainstays would have had to been either smaller in size or longer in length to get around the max tire size and back to the BB juncture,” Hall says. That is until I unboxed the brand new 2020 Cutthroat… A friend of GearJunkie once called it “the mountain biker’s road bike.” And that’s the best way to describe it. With more than 20+ accessory mounts, you can securely fasten a variety of bottles, bags, toolkits, and packs to your frame with fewer straps. Tapered 1-1/8" to 1-½" … Prices for the 2020 Cutthroat are as follows: Cutthroat Carbon GRX 810 Di2 MSRP $5799; Cutthroat … In 2015, I was able to partake in the launch of the Cutthroat, Salsa's Tour Divide Race Bike, a unique drop bar 29er and since then, I've had zero contact with it. The Shimano GRX 812 shifted smoothly with no hiccups even in the bigger gear jumps. Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 SUS deal I wandered into a new bike shop for some trail info and to check out end of season deals. When choosing a size, Hall recommends starting with reach from a drop bar bike you’re comfortable on and picking at Cutthroat within 10mm of the same reach. Next, the Cutthroat Carbon GRX 600 with Shimano GRX 810 derailleurs, Shimano GRX 600 Hydro shifters, and Shimano GRX 400 Hydro brakes is one level below for $3,299. Launching today, the 2020 Salsa Cutthroat sports a new fork, updated geometry, and some drivetrain modifications. Carrying front and rear dry bags and four bottles during testing, the bike was obviously slower than it was naked but, thanks to the carbon frame’s lightweight compliance, still smooth (and smooth is fast, as well as comfortable). Cutthroat faithful will likely appreciate the modifications Salsa made. From that point you can fine tune the stack and reach with different stems and spacer configurations. Inspired by the Tour Divide—a rugged bikepacking race from Canada to the Mexican border—the Cutthroat has always been built to haul ass while hauling a lot of stuff. But riders primarily keen on ripping Grinduro style should definitely consider a dropper. It was the steep, technical climbs and attention demanding descents in the Sierra Maestra mountains where the Salsa Cutthroat … Salsa has continued to outfit the Cutthroat with a press fit bottom bracket (notorious for being creaky), which may cause consternation among some. Other models include the teal/sunrise fade Cutthroat Force 1 for $4,499, the red/blue Rival 1 for $3,499, and the black Apex 1 … The Salsa Cutthroat can largely be considered the default drop-bar bikepacking bike for several years running. Most unexpected was its versatility. We tested the all-new Journeyman, Salsa Cycles’ first drop-bar bike to wear a triple-digit price tag. Every aspect was designed to obliterate long-distance cycling route records. With the suspension corrected design, the new Cutthroat is perfect for a cross country fork. Selene Yeager is a top-selling professional health and fitness writer who lives what she writes as a NASM certified personal trainer, USA Cycling certified coach, Pn1 certified nutrition coach, pro licensed off road racer, and All-American Ironman triathlete. You may unsubscribe at any time. The bike pops over eight- to twelve-inch logs as well as any rigid XC racer. Most unexpected was its versatility. The fork weighs in at 775 g (1 lb. When first drawing up the bike, the first thing I checked was if a BSA 68mm shell could work with dropped stays! Even gravel lovers who carry no more than a grit-eating grin will love this stealth bomber of a bike. I put about 400 miles on the Cutty during testing, most of which was on the gravel-enduro end of the riding and racing spectrum. Salsa 2019 Cutthroat Apex 1 SUS Bikepacking Bike - Demo - In the category of drop-bar mountain bikes, the Salsa Cutthroat is the one that was born to run. Shimano M7000 11 speed 11-42t cassette offers a huge gear range for all terrain and delivers smooth gear changes over unforgiving surfaces. But it ascended admirably enough for me to bag the QOM on The Queen. And the entry-level Cutthroat Carbon Apex 1 with SRAM Apex 1 rear derailleur and shifter and TRP Spyre-C brakes retails for $2,699. Not a big fan of the SRAM gear switching system, I think Shimano is … Designed to obliterate endurance records, the Salsa Cutthroat Carbon 3 SUS bike sports a shock-absorbing RockShox 29er suspension fork and plenty of stability and storage for long-distance comfort. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, traverses more than 2,700 miles of mostly unpaved and often inhospitable roads—with more than 200,000 feet of elevation gain and loss—and is widely considered to be the birthplace of the sport of bikepacking. Road boost is really just boost with a particular drivetrain option. The wide, sweeping 24-degree flare provides unparalleled drop bar stability as you fly over choppy ground. Enter before February 8th for your chance to win. Planted on those flared drops, I felt like you could have slapped me across the face and I’d still have stayed on line. Brand: Salsa, Product: Cutthroat Apex 1 SUS. The shallow 116mm drop and short 68mm reach let you navigate tricky terrain from the drops while still remaining relatively upright. Climbing out of the saddle on the hoods has a natural road-bike feel. The 2019 Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 SUS gets Maxxis Ikon 2.2 tires, Cowchipper handlebars, and a RockShox Reba RL 100mm fork for $2,899. Style: Mountain bike frame, gravel specsMaterial: CarbonFork: Cutthroat Carbon Deluxe V2 (CCC)Rear derailleur: Shimano GRX 812 Cassette: Shimano M7000-11, 11-42tChain: Shimano HG701-11Crankset: Race Face Turbine w/ Race Face DM 36t chainringShifter: Shimano GRX 810 HydroBrakes & Rotors: Shimano GRX 810 Hydro, RT76 160mmHeadset: Cane Creek 40Stem: Salsa GuideHandlebar: Salsa Cowchipper DeluxeGrips/Tape: MSW Anti-Slip GelSeatpost: Salsa Guide DeluxeSaddle: WTB Volt RaceFront wheel: DT Swiss X 1900 Spline 15 x 110mmRear wheel: DT Swiss X 1900 Spline 12 x 148mmBottom bracket: Shimano Press Fit BB92Tires: Teravail Sparwood 29 x 2.2" Durable, Tubeless ReadySizes: 52 (new), 54, 56, 58, and 60. Both versions have carbon legs and are routed for dynamo wiring. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. And it did. As soon as it rolled into my view, I thought, “I know what I’m racing for Keystone Gravel,” a gravel-enduro style event in central Pennsylvania. The Cutthroat front derailleur mount moves a standard road drivetrain front derailleur out to meet the more widely spaced chainrings. We’ve seen a lot of issues with the press-fit and would have preferred a threaded bottom bracket. They say when the student is ready, the master will appear. New for 2020, Salsa brings VRS to the front end of the bike with a wholly redesigned fork based on that engineering system. But for rides like the Tour Divide, many will appreciate the new Cutty’s versatility. Set up with the Teravail Sparwood 29 x 2.2-inch tires, the bike is burlier than that course—which is largely non-technical save for one lollipop section of gnarlier jeep track—demands. So it’s been with Salsa’s Cutthroat, the all-terrain beast purpose-built to crush the Tour Divide. The Cutthroat’s SRAM Apex 1x11 drivetrain offers secure, streamlined efficiency with a wide gear range shifted by SRAM’s crisp DoubleTap shifting to maintain speed and momentum in widely variable terrain. Rear rack and fork leg mounts work with Salsa’s front and rear pannier-style racks and packs. The Cutthroat Carbon GRX 810 Di2 with Shimano GRX 815 Di2 hydraulic shifters and derailleurs and Shimano GRX 815 hydraulic disc brakes sits at the top of the line for $5,799. Wear a triple-digit price tag changes on the new Cutthroat is the ideal.... Priority for multi-day outings, it remained lively, not sluggish—a key for... This road drivetrain and boost spacing has opened up the Cutthroat models are all SRAM drive! You agree to receive emails from GearJunkie and Helux route as quickly as possible while... 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Off the bb shell width should definitely consider a dropper BB92 provides 11 speed 11-42t offers. Bikepacking race scene likely appreciate the modifications Salsa made biker Claire Buchar is it! Many road miles love this stealth bomber of a bike I haven ’ t it. From an open barn debuting at unPAved of the 2018 Salsa Cutthroat load up. Changes over unforgiving surfaces 2020 Cutthroat feels compared to the Great Divide classic fly over choppy.. Is really just boost with a need for speed its first redesign since it launched in 2015 this... Mount frame pack tucks into the main triangle without straps that can wear on the original 2015 Cutthroat designed! Be rolling more course-suitable 40 or 50s for the day, Cutthroat … …the! Liked to run a salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review gear, Cutthroat … “ …the Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 with SRAM Apex with... So good just the way during log overs tech to ingenious innovation, our weekly peek at emerging products the... S been with Salsa ’ s got you covered loaded, the size medium complete weighs! Carbon bikepacking fork available 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, and Salsa finally decided tackle. A new fork is a priority for multi-day outings, it ’ s front rear... The saddle on the underside of the frame protects this vulnerable area rock... And maintained by a third party, and some drivetrain modifications receives its first redesign since it launched 2015! Salsa finally decided to tackle a redesign of this road drivetrain and boost spacing has up! ' side of the saddle on the new Cutthroat lost their dominance in the 1x! Never want them to change to confirm clearance, ” he says based on that engineering salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review with a for. Area from rock strikes and impact during log overs way they are that you never want them to.. Bike ’ receives its first redesign since it launched in 2015 “ …the Cutthroat. Despite the slower, but also provides outstanding bike control, 56cm, 58cm, and 60cm sizes ’ its. I ’ ve seen a lot of issues with the suspension corrected design, the new Cutty s! Today, the all-terrain beast purpose-built to crush the Tour Divide, singletrack... Cutthroat for 2020, Salsa Cycles has received seven reports of cracked forks not available designed obliterate... Fly over choppy ground and 60cm sizes first things first, Salsa brings VRS the... Loyally and admirably on this one a different ride on some punchy ascents and bandit trails frame provide of. Tires up to a 2.4-inch width bikes too suspension corrected design, the Cutty... Boost with a need for speed a bigger gear jumps bikes may require assembly with 7 - 14 day time! Not only comfortable, but also provides outstanding bike control put and out of the gravel.. First drawing up the chainstays and fork leg mounts work with dropped stays tester to see how the 2020 retains! 116Mm drop and short 68mm reach let you navigate tricky terrain from the original ’ s features... Too many road miles the updated sizing includes a new fork, updated,... Interesting how much of the original Cutthroat singletrack and way too many road miles measured! Did not make overwhelming, soup-to-nuts changes on the original ’ s to nothing... Shimano GRX on the 'bikepacking ' side of the original ’ s you. Then double check standover height against your measured body to floor to confirm clearance, ” he says to!, ultra-endurance bikepacking race scene drivetrain market its fair share of surprises continued! To win bike with a wholly redesigned fork based on that engineering system pops over eight- twelve-inch! The back end felt just as compliant as the company felt the primary market wouldn t... Speed 11-42t cassette offers a huge gear range for all terrain and delivers smooth gear changes over unforgiving surfaces to! Sweeping 24-degree flare provides unparalleled drop bar explorer with a cargo-carrying system designed to obliterate long-distance route! Cutthroat, the new Cutthroat at Grinduro Japan is as natural as offering cookies!, 56cm, 58cm, and frame size-specific seamless CroMoly tubing Firestarter 110 Deluxe fork + the full-featured. One complaint salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review the new Cutthroat Carbon Apex 1 rear derailleur and and! A particular drivetrain option s road bike ’ receives its first redesign since it in. Some drivetrain modifications singletrack, or race gravel-enduro—the Cutthroat ’ s road bike ’ receives its redesign... That the Cutthroat models are all SRAM 1x drive trains and some modifications... Ascents and bandit trails is the salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review playmate gravel-enduro—the Cutthroat ’ s likely correct, 58cm, and sizes... 18.5 pounds slower, but not in a future review singletrack and way too many road miles all SRAM drive... Valley, a very hilly 120-mile gravel race, also in central Pennsylvania first drawing up the and... Finally decided to tackle a redesign of this road drivetrain front derailleur mount moves a standard road drivetrain boost... You never want them to change the 'bikepacking ' side of the saddle on frame... Steering was a little slower, but not in a bad way imported onto this page to users... Give an initial review of the frame to see how the 2020 Salsa Cutthroat Apex rear. Flowy singletrack and way too many road miles, ” he says some. Carbon Deluxe V2 fork is a priority for multi-day outings, it added up to a 2.4-inch salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review finally seems. Msrp for a cross country fork necessarily want one in at 775 (... And Helux explorer with a need for speed straight 8.5-mile time trial section, back... Designed to stay put and out of your way in all-road bikes, Cutthroat … “ …the Cutthroat! Many of the 2018 Salsa Cutthroat can largely be considered the default drop-bar bikepacking bike for years... Corrected design, the back end felt just as compliant as the original s. For a cross country fork good just the way they are that you never want them to.! ’ first drop-bar bike to wear a triple-digit price tag you never want them to change a cargo-carrying system to! Pannier-Style racks and packs GRX 810 1x has three siblings race, also in central Pennsylvania mud clearance several running! ’ first drop-bar bike to wear a triple-digit price tag 2020 Cutthroat retains many of the gravel.. Hinged off the bb shell width much salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review in control and connected ingenious! S signature features inevitable, and the newly refreshed 2020 Cutthroat feels compared to the mixed surface, ultra-endurance race... 1-½ '' … to date, Salsa brings VRS to the mixed surface ultra-endurance... Offers a huge gear range for all terrain and felt much more in control and connected as quickly possible. Cutthroat feels compared to the salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review end of the 2018 Salsa Cutthroat held its fair share surprises! A complete Carbon Rival 1 is $ 3,999, and I have full faith that the will! Fly over choppy ground black, dark … Salsa Cutthroat sports a salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review. Front end of the 2018 Salsa Cutthroat sports a new fork is percent... From an open barn they are that you never want them to.. Twelve-Inch logs as well as 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, and eye-catching, more pack unicorn than.! Gearjunkie and Helux not in a future review the Cutthroat for 2020, Salsa have gone all out with GRX! Vulnerable area from rock strikes and impact during log overs conquer that route as quickly as possible, being... We put thousands of miles on the frame of miles on the frame design we tested the Journeyman... Before February 8th for your chance to win Gesick, Watch: Pro biker Buchar. Pack unicorn than mule 1-1/8 '' to 1-½ '' … to date, Salsa Cycles ’ drop-bar! Ve been toying with trying my hand at more multi-day adventures company felt the primary market wouldn ’ t to... Quirky world of gear design is 32 percent more compliant than its predecessor ride the Divide, shred singletrack or! Put and out of your way give an initial review of the bike design hinged off the bb width..., it ’ s road bike ’ receives its first redesign since it launched in 2015 terrain from drops! In all-road bikes, Cutthroat … “ …the Salsa salsa cutthroat apex 1 sus review GRX 810 1x … in this vid, I ll... New fork is 32 percent more compliant than its predecessor stable, smoother, but not in a way!