When you can't / won't TLS

[Brothersmith]

I have just spotted Salsa have launched this


[url] http://salsacycles.com/culture/introduc ... blackborow[\url]

Can't help thinking it goes a little against the bikepacking fast and light ethos they have been championing for the last few years and is catering to a more glamorous version of "adventure"

Must admit though I quite like the lines and see the point of it as a utility or family camping bike but they seem to be aiming it more as an adventure bike. Total lost why you would take all that weight in to the hills. May be the American countryside is a lot easier to cycle round than mid-wales

[Bearbonesnorm]

It's now obvious to me that gates in America are never, ever locked.

... and is that a mortar on the back?

[benp1]

That looks ace I reckon, like a big dummy on steroids

This pic is even betterer

[Dave Barter]

Must be bloody annoying having to buy 2 chains

[GregMay]

It'll take 4 panniers on the rear!

Definitely in contention, when packed, for the heaviest bike at the WRT. But it does look like a fun utility bike. Always wanted a Kona Ute myself.

On another note, the new colours of Cutty etc made me vom like the Gnome of Lauff.

Also, farewell Spearfish, we loved you...but you've been discontinued after this run.

[ScotRoutes]

It'll take 4 panniers on the rear!
.

Given some of the loads I've seen carried through the Hebrides this week, encouraging folk to take even more can only be a bad thing

[Alpinum]

Now Salsa have the right bike, I can finally traverse the Changtang in winter

[fatbikephil]

Surly big fat dummy - love it and I'm seriously tempted buy one even though I don't really have a use for it. But for Salsa to rip it off with an alloy framed version seems a bit of an epic fail by QBP - there is a limited market for such things which Surly has cornered, why compete against yourself. Plus such things will tend to get abused which makes a steel frame much more sense. I agree with the idea of carrying more stuff, it just depends what it is. To me on such a bike I'd take my usual bikepacking load to which I'd add a slab of beer

[GregMay]

But for Salsa to rip it off ...

Just in case you didn't know - Salsa and Surly are the same company. Both fall under QBP, both have cross over in their designers. Sorry to make that clear if you didn't.

[NorwayCalling]

IMHO I think some are missing the point about this bike (looking at it with TLS eyes is not what its about).

The bike is not for the TLS "adventure" market of riding 2500km in a week caring 4.2kg of stuff, having spent upwards of £400 on a bit of nylon and down to sleep under - no its squarely aimed at the US market where you can drive to the trail head, load up the bike with whatever you want, ride into the back country and camp in comfort.

This is the important bit, you can do this on this bike and NOT have to drive a petrol powered SUV to that nice campground, by the lake, 22 miles way. This for a lot of ordinary US folk IS ADVENTURE they only get 10 days annual leave a year to play with. Ditching the SUV and having a bit of an adventure... why not... we cant all ride the BB200.

Also folk are more and more (in the US and Europe) looking to get a bike to replace one of the car's in there life, again this bike would excel at this. Just look at the number of people who have taken up E-Bikes for commuting to work (the bike parking garage downstairs has about 50/50 split between traditional and E-Bikes - about 75 of each type if you were wondering). This is a trend we are not seeing so much of in the UK because of the problem of bike theft unfortunately but in other parts of the world, its really taking off, big time.

Personally, I get this bike, I see what it represents and offers to the market.

I also was an "early adopter" of fat bikes before the boom because I understood them too (still something lost on quite a few people ). Also having a having a mountain bike in 1987 and people poo pooing it with "whats the point of that" comments..... maybe I am just odd (I am...) but in this bike, I see the future ... especially when it goes E-Bike.

I would love one.

[GregMay]

As a utility bike, totally agree. But with the new eBike cargo bikes I've had a chance to try...I'd be hard pressed not to look at one of them first.

[Alpinum]

E-bikes could also read Euro-bikes. It's not nearly such a big thing in the US as it is here.

That's why it doesn't have a motor

It must carry ski's and boots much better than my fatbike.

[Jamesh]

Can see how it may appeal to the hunting/fishing crowd in the states, if they cared to ditch their pickups
I don't have any gear heavy hobbies to make use of it, but only the other day was daydreaming if a bike could take over from my rather old quad bike for farm duties..

[BigdummySteve]

As an ex bigdummy owner I love it, although I no longer need a cargo bike I still want one, until you have owned one you just can't appreciate how much it changes your life.

I think the inspiration comes from Scott felters ( porcelain rocket) custom Hunter long tail which he commissioned for his Australian epic

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/gypsybyt ... elter/amp/

I'll post up the blog if I can find it.

[BigdummySteve]

other day was daydreaming if a bike could take over from my rather old quad bike for farm duties..

A Bigfatdummy could do that, although it might be a little tricky getting the sheepdogs in, fitted with an electric assist like a stoke monkey it wouldn't even be too much hard work, I once carried 3 bales of hay on my standard bigdummy and it was fine, the BFD is apparently ˈtorsionally, much stiffer so dogs aside it could work.
I managed without a car for a year with my BD and carried everything including my two children + shopping.
If it doesn't work you could always sell it to me cheap and claim it back from the Eu while we still can

[Jamesh]

other day was daydreaming if a bike could take over from my rather old quad bike for farm duties..

A Bigfatdummy could do that, although it might be a little tricky getting the sheepdogs in, fitted with an electric assist like a stoke monkey it wouldn't even be too much hard work, I once carried 3 bales of hay on my standard bigdummy and it was fine, the BFD is apparently ˈtorsionally, much stiffer so dogs aside it could work.
I managed without a car for a year with my BD and carried everything including my two children + shopping.
If it doesn't work you could always sell it to me me cheap and claim it back from the Eu while we still can

haha! will take a further at them, it does appeal to me a lot, though perhaps could make do with a bob esq trailer. Certainly be more enjoyable than these buggys you see everywhere

[ctznsmith]

Looks like they've designed it with the space for a battery pack but not actually made it an e-bike?

[Jurassic pusher]

IMHO I think some are missing the point about this bike (looking at it with TLS eyes is not what its about).

The bike is not for the TLS "adventure" market of riding 2500km in a week caring 4.2kg of stuff, having spent upwards of £400 on a bit of nylon and down to sleep under - no its squarely aimed at the US market where you can drive to the trail head, load up the bike with whatever you want, ride into the back country and camp in comfort.

This is the important bit, you can do this on this bike and NOT have to drive a petrol powered SUV to that nice campground, by the lake, 22 miles way. This for a lot of ordinary US folk IS ADVENTURE they only get 10 days annual leave a year to play with. Ditching the SUV and having a bit of an adventure... why not... we cant all ride the BB200.

Also folk are more and more (in the US and Europe) looking to get a bike to replace one of the car's in there life, again this bike would excel at this. Just look at the number of people who have taken up E-Bikes for commuting to work (the bike parking garage downstairs has about 50/50 split between traditional and E-Bikes - about 75 of each type if you were wondering). This is a trend we are not seeing so much of in the UK because of the problem of bike theft unfortunately but in other parts of the world, its really taking off, big time.

Personally, I get this bike, I see what it represents and offers to the market.

I also was an "early adopter" of fat bikes before the boom because I understood them too (still something lost on quite a few people ). Also having a having a mountain bike in 1987 and people poo pooing it with "whats the point of that" comments..... maybe I am just odd (I am...) but in this bike, I see the future ... especially when it goes E-Bike.

I would love one.

Very well put sir!, There`s a lid for every pot.
As a carpenter I would struggle to get enough tools/ materials on board but maybe tow a trailer behnd it??

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Definitely not for me, but then I couldn't live without a car at this point in life. If anybody can ride this beast 22 miles, fully loaded, in any hills, I expect they would smash the BB200!

I suppose if you need so much load capacity that a trailer is required, then this would probably be a more rideable alternative (if the C of G isn't too high). Given the choice of a battery powered version of this Vs a quad bike, or trials bike, I'd take the hydrocarbon powered transport. Just don't see the point in lame motorbikes.

[voodoo_simon]

As a utility bike, totally agree. But with the new eBike cargo bikes I've had a chance to try...I'd be hard pressed not to look at one of them first.

This! Makes so much sense for a cargo E-bike

The Salsa is nice, I like it but I wouldn't have one.

[Single Speed George]

It must carry ski's and boots much better than my fatbike.
]

is fat biking in faster ad more efficient than getting your skins on ? never ridden a fat bike but this looks an interesting ski transport methood

[Bearbonesnorm]

I just like the bags - case of Magic roundabout meets magic mushrooms

[voodoo_simon]

It must carry ski's and boots much better than my fatbike.
]

is fat biking in faster ad more efficient than getting your skins on ? never ridden a fat bike but this looks an interesting ski transport methood

An old customer of mine, a lecturer at Liverpool uni on sports did a lot of arctic stuff. Reckoned is was about twice as fast on the bike than skis.

Look at race results from the winter ultras and generally, the bikes are way ahead.

Not sure how it relates to steep, steep hills

[johnnystorm]

It's now obvious to me that gates in America are never, ever locked.

... and is that a mortar on the back?

Gates?

Didn't recall a gate, much less having to open one on the entire TD route. Cattle guards (grids) for the win!

Dunno if it's the pics but the deck area looks a bit smaller than a Surly BD or BFD. So a lighter alternative. Plenty of Salsa alloy or carbon alternatives to Surly models. They seem quite canny with their numbers so there must be a market for these.