First Ride: 2015 Salsa Bucksaw Full-Suspension Fatbike

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
The bike community here on Expedition Portal continues to grow, and I for one think that's fantastic. We're lucky enough to have some of the fellas from Salsa Cycles as members of the ExPo community and they not only love their bikes, they're adventure motorcycle riders and overlanders themselves. They recently invited Expedition Portal and Overland Journal to be a part of the release of the new Salsa Bucksaw full-suspension fatbike. What an amazing machine it is.

You can read all about it on our very own home page:

http://expeditionportal.com/news/2937-first-ride-2015-salsa-bucksaw-full-suspension-fatbike.html

expobucksaw.jpg
 

monkeyrider

Observer
nice pics in the article. a disco and 5 bucksaws. Santa came early.

time to do some math. I think a lot of us who have owned multiple mt bikes will now own multiple fatbikes. a fatbike on dirt is a hoot. I can only imagine a fs fatty would just improve the experience. It looks like a really smart spec as well with the marge lites and nates.
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
There were actually two rovers and SEVEN Bucksaws in the bunch. Pretty fun weekend, that's for sure.

Thanks for the compliment on the pics. I had to dash over to Sedona at 4am to get the good light.

I've now got seven good rides on this thing, pushing 20 hours of riding. It's so awesome. I can see having multiple fatbikes in the quiver, but for the southwest where the trails can be chunky and ledgy, the Bucksaw is damn near perfect. What a great bike. I was telling Justin and Tim that I had been contemplating a Spearfish. I think the Bucksaw fits the bill for me.

In 75 days I'll take it to Iceland and see how it does there. :) Yea. I loves me job.
 

Co-opski

Expedition Leader
I think the bucksaw would have rocked the Alyeska spring snow down hill race and the Merry Marmot Festival fat bike down hill at Arctic Valley this year. http://www.pinkbike.com/news/dh-winter-bike-race-alyeska-resort-video-2014.html I love how they are pushing the limit on bikes but the Rockshox Bluto and the 150mm 15mm hub is the new kid on the block and Salsa still holding onto the 177 hub 3.8 tires when the 190s and true fatties 4.8 tires seem to be the way the fat bikes are going in the rear. Try a test fit of the 29+ with the knard and rabbit hole?
 
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Flagster

Expedition Leader
Cool bike...and funny timing
I was just out this past Friday for over four hours on my beargrease and it really beat me up...
I was thinking "I wonder if I could fit a suspension fork"...
Not sure I would jump on this bike anytime soon but I like that Salsa keeps it coming fast and furious.
Only thing is that rear tire clearance...maybe it is just the angle of the photo...but ooph that looks tight...great for AZ red dirt...not so much for mud
 

Navman

Adventurer
It was only a matter of 'when' for first front suspension and then rear. While I only saw front suspended fatties at the Sea Otter Classic this weekend, Salsa jumps the gun and does both ends. Good for them. I imagine others will be close behind.

While riding some fatties last year, one guy in the group made a comment that we were all thinking "Damn, now I need to find someone else to make fun of". These bikes are easy to like once you try them. For someone like me, I couldn't see having more than one in my quiver. While fun, they wouldn't replace any of the bikes I currently ride. It would just be a complement to them.
 

monkeyrider

Observer
I think the bucksaw would have rocked the Alyeska spring snow down hill race and the Merry Marmot Festival fat bike down hill at Arctic Valley this year. I love how they are pushing the limit on bikes but the Rockshox Bluto and the 150mm 15mm hub is the new kid on the block and Salsa still holding onto the 177 hub 3.8 tires when the 190s and true fatties 4.8 tires seem to be the way the fat bikes are going in the rear. Try a test fit of the 29+ with the knard and rabbit hole?

I have both a 170 and a 190 fatbike. I think the jury is still out as to which option is better. You can run a 4.8 up front and a 3.8 mounted on clown shoes on the rear of a beargrease or mukluk. That will give you great flotation without having to alter the chain line and keep your q-factor narrow. The 190 bikes use spacers which widens the q-factor. This can cause knee trouble for some riders.

It seems to me the Bucksaw is designed with dirt, not snow, in mind. For that purpose, a 4 inch tire should be great.

My understanding is the fork is a reworked Reba. I own two Rebas and both have held up to my abuse quite well. Maybe Fox will prick up their ears and jump in the fat fork game next season.
 

Co-opski

Expedition Leader
I have both a 170 and a 190 fatbike. I think the jury is still out as to which option is better. You can run a 4.8 up front and a 3.8 mounted on clown shoes on the rear of a beargrease or mukluk. That will give you great flotation without having to alter the chain line and keep your q-factor narrow. The 190 bikes use spacers which widens the q-factor. This can cause knee trouble for some riders.

It seems to me the Bucksaw is designed with dirt, not snow, in mind. For that purpose, a 4 inch tire should be great.

My understanding is the fork is a reworked Reba. I own two Rebas and both have held up to my abuse quite well. Maybe Fox will prick up their ears and jump in the fat fork game next season.

Yes the bucksaw may be more for dirt than snow but in some snow a FS would be nice. Riding up here when the moose posthole the trails for miles some squish would be skookum or on the two snow down hill races like I mentioned. I know the snow down hill races are such a small niche in the bike market it is not going to drive any companies R&D dept. to come up with new products. So then the question is will a 26” 4 inch wide fat tire FS be better on the trail than a FS 29+ with a 3 inch tire? Only time will tell as more 29+ tires and frames hit the market.

Yes the Q factor with the 190s is understandable but I think with Specialized jumping on that size may have been a huge testimony for the jury. And with Surly jumping on the symmetrical 190mm with the Ice Cream Truck and Rocky Mountain with the Blizzrd, Salsa just may think about building one just to stay in the 5" fat snow game.

BTW I ust got a Fatback 170 because it was cheaper than the 190 :)
 
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monkeyrider

Observer
It certainly is nice to see all of the new options hit the market, especially more tire choices. Personally, I'd like to try something in the 4.25-4.5 size. I think application is the key. I've had success with 4" tires. Others believe bigger is better. I guess it depends on where you ride and what the conditions are.
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
The Bucksaw as configured is nearly perfect for riding in the southwest. It is interesting to hear various opinions on tire size as there is a wide range of wants and needs discussed. Personally, I have to remind myself to weed out the opinions of those who have yet to actually ride a fat bike. At any rate, I have found I sometimes have a desire for a slightly faster, and smaller fat tire. I know that sounds odd, but a 3.25-ish tire would be great for the southwest on longer, faster rides.
 

java

Expedition Leader
That is just damn sexy. I want.

But not anywhere near my budget. I guess ill have to stick to my 2.5's and no suspension for now.
 

Co-opski

Expedition Leader
The Bucksaw as configured is nearly perfect for riding in the southwest. It is interesting to hear various opinions on tire size as there is a wide range of wants and needs discussed. Personally, I have to remind myself to weed out the opinions of those who have yet to actually ride a fat bike. At any rate, I have found I sometimes have a desire for a slightly faster, and smaller fat tire. I know that sounds odd, but a 3.25-ish tire would be great for the southwest on longer, faster rides.
I agree with Flounder, the Bucksaw looks like a ton of fun in the southwest, and let's not forget fatbikes deep roots to New Mexico and riding arroyos.
http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/blog/a-brief-history-of-fatbikes/
For summer I agree that a faster 3.25 tire may be the ticket (dare to even say a 27.5 3.2) I run two Larry's on my fat gravel grinding bikepacker, but I have yet to try the 29+ tire offerings by Surly and now Vee Tire, so they are kind of in the infancy of tire selection like fat bikes had 4 years ago with the Larry, Endo and Spider-tire. Winter for me I'll have to stud any tire it use and the aggressive tweens 4.25 to the big fats 4.8 are looking like the size that will work the best for me on our coastal snow pack.
 
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Flagster

Expedition Leader
I agree with Flounder, the Bucksaw looks like a ton of fun in the southwest, and let’s not forget fatbikes deep roots to New Mexico and riding arroyos.
http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/blog/a-brief-history-of-fatbikes/
For summer I agree that a faster 3.25 tire may be the ticket (dare to even say a 27.5 3.2) I run two Larry’s on my fat gravel grinding bikepacker, but I have yet to try the 29+ tire offerings by Surly and now Vee Tire, so they are kind of in the infancy of tire selection like fat bikes had 4 years ago with the Larry, Endo and Spider-tire. Winter for me I’ll have to stud any tire it use and the aggressive tweens 4.25 to the big fats 4.8 are looking like the size that will work the best for me on our coastal snow pack.

I agree and every couple years the average width of my tires seem to mysteriously increase...
I remember 10 years ago balking at a tire over 2.0...I was rocking a kenda karma at 1.9 front and rear...xc racer style...
I had some 2.3 nevegals on a stumpjumper for a year or two and in my mind they were like tractor tires...
Fast forward a decade and now between my fat bike balloons and the 2.4 dampf/2.3 ardent 29" tires on my yeti...my average width is probably somewhere around 3.5...
I am planning to purchase a hardtail 29er soon and I don't know what most people are running but I am thinking a 2.4 front and rear setup would be really nice.
 

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