I'll second the Gryphon with Jones bars, goes anywhere, does anything. As its a frame only option you can build it to suit yourself without the inevitable cost saving used by manfacturers.

Fat tyre kicker wrote:Have I been asleep,when did the Salsa/Raleigh marriage
Take place ??

It's not common Knowledge.
Yet.
*Taps nose*

I love mine for road and track touring. I've done the odd bit of techy single track which it will handle but you do end up fighting it a bit. Woodchipper bars are a bit weird for me and make the bar end shifters vulnerable. I now use cowbells which are ace. The bars reviewed in this months BB news letter look interesting too. I've also done lots of day rides on it mixing forestry tracks and easy dirt trails with roads (115 miles of this in a day a couple of weekends ago). Bung a set of wtb nanos on it for good results - surprisingly fast rolling on road and equally surprising grip off it.

I have a Giant Trance for playing (although I have done a bike packing trip on it) a Pompino for road duty, and a Fargo for everything else.

It's the bike I would save, can't see myself ever selling it.

Looking for a set of Rebas to go on the front so I can keep up on the rough stuff, but I don't find the drops a problem, although I do have them set quite high.

Why do no manufacturers offer drops with a diameter to fit mountain bike controls? It seems the only option is road levers and bar end shifters or modify the shifter pods and levers...which would be a bit dodgy! I think there would be a market for them, personally.
I've just fitted some on one marys to my transition and flipped them....they are nearly right!

It's been confirmed today by Salsa that they are partnering with Raleigh

It's been confirmed today by Salsa that they are partnering with Raleigh

I can't help but think this might not be the smartest move by Salsa. They've always been perceived as a 'high end' brand and over the last five years have almost re-invented themselves as the 'bikepacking cycle brand' which seems to have worked very well. I wonder whether they can maintain the image / perception, now they're distributed by Raleigh ... Kona / Voodoo and Halfords springs to mind, 2 great examples of how to de-value a brand

Money talks!



The voodoo/kona/GT/Saracen Halfords connection isn't too close though, they all appeared on cheaper bikes and Salsa prices/spec seem to have gone stratospheric!

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/internat ... T6Gtp9wbqA

I also stand corrected. Just mentioned this to swmbo and she said that's their reputation ruined.

Did someone say Ti Fargo?

That looks ace Greg..

Where is it?

Teetosugars wrote:That looks ace Greg..

Where is it?

That my friend is Cuba :)

Viñales national park. Ace riding, some really cool features around. More images in issue 003 of Grit.cx.