I Wanted This Bike For YEARS | Salsa Cutthroat Review

The Salsa Cutthroat is a drop bar mountain bike designed for taking on the challenging Tour Divide mountain bike race. On paper, it was everything I always wanted for exploring dirt roads, double track and places bikes don't often go. After years of wanting one, I finally picked one up this summer. In this video, I talk about what I've come to learn about this bike I dreamt of for so long.

Components In This Video:

Budget Parts I Recommend:

Basic Maintenance Tools I Recommend:

[SalsaCyclesOfficial]

Thanks for the great review. Glad to see you are enjoying the Cutthroat. You are spot on IMO upon the use of 'alt' bars in place of standard flat bars (if moving away from drop bars). I use Jones Hbars on my personal Cutthroat. That type of bar does a much better job of maintaining body position for any bike designed primarily for drop bar use. Thanks again for the positive review. -Mike

[skang]

I literally just bought this bike. Can't wait to ride it! I've always wanted to dabble in gravel without lugging around my heavier MTB, and just always come back to looking at this bike.

[colinthacker]

The Cutthroat was kind of my unicorn but circumstances never allowed me to get one. I’m glad that it checks all the boxes for you, you seemed to be searching over the last couple years. Happily for me, my Fargo does for me what your Cutty does for you.

[yessirarafat]

I run 2x SRAM Force 22 on my Cutthroat (30/46 front and 11/42 rear) and took it on the transcontinental race this summer on 44mm Rene Herse tires. Fantastic bike and great comfort. Surprisingly efficient on road at endurance speed with these tires as well. One thing that is special about this bike is the long wheelbase. It makes it super stable but not very nimble.

[Titanius]

I’ve owned the GRX 600 1x version of the Cutthroat for about a year now. I found myself spinning out really quickly on the flats so I switched to 40 tooth chain ring and a 11-46 cassette out back to still have an acceptable easy gear for the climbs. That and switching to some redshift kitchen sink bars (no loop), different wheels, and a PNW dropper have made this bike my do-it-all super gravel bike. Took it last week on a 60 mile gravel ride and I was surprised how good I felt afterwards. Definitely a great adventure bike!

[KL]

When you are a bike enthusiast you go through a lot of bikes. And you know when you found a keeper. Though I have also thought a couple of times "this ones a keeper" but really only time will tell which ones last. In my 14 year "carreer" the ones that have stuck for a long time have been Surly 1x1, Moulton TSR 2 and R&M Multicharger. Latter two I own to this day.

[michiganstate]

I love my Salsa Stormchaser for most of the items you mentioned. Alternate from 2.1 Mezcals and 47c Pathfinder Pros. I've got 46cm flared bars, a Redshift suspension stem and a GRX group, it fits me great and is fun on all sorts of gravel, two track and mild singletrack.

[PagosaCreative]

I've got a Cutthroat headed my way right now and I"m so stoked. I used to ride a Ti Fargo. And when i say ride i mean like 7, 000 miles a year. Very pumped for some adventures.

[boh]

I’m just over the hill from you and the Cutty is the prefect Montana do all

[backcountryFLcyclist]

Great video. I considered a cutthroat, but as a heavier and taller rider, I decided to get a titanium dropbar "adventure" bike. I may consider the steel frame Salsa Fargo in the future.

[bunnyhaven]

Id really consider getting a wider range cassette for the rear, 11-40 or 11-42, I have that with my sutra with a mtb double (38/28) and i could climb a damn wall. i favored the low-end gears for bikepacking but may play around with a different large ring, something like a 42 or 44. love the guild with jones bars, looks incredibly versatile. cheers!

[jmoore]

Like you I bought a 2021 GRX 600 Cutthroat. It is a great bike and I have put 5, 000 miles on it. I knew it was not geared low enough for GDMBR bike packing, so I put a 11x40 tooth cassette on it. This did not meet Shimano specs, but it worked but was still not geared low enough. The 30 tooth front chain ring and 40 tooth cassette gives a lowest gear ratio of 21.75 gear inches and you really need a 20 gear inches ratio for the GDMBR. I had to walk some of the mountain passes last summer when I did the section between Colter Bay and Silverthorne. A few weeks ago I spent a lot of money and replaced the group set with the SRAM GX Eagle AXS with a 10x52 cassette. I will be biking from Silverthorne, CO to Grant, NM on the GDMBR this summer.

[matthewalexander]

I love my ‘20 Cutthroat. I just did my second road century ride on it, and I want to do a gravel century soon. I have a Brooks saddle on it, and I’m considering a suspension seat post.

[timarcella]

I found a Cutty Apex on the side of the road today. It's a little bit beat up but rides so smooth, like a Spanish warhorse. I've named it Rocinante.

[nipponhouseplayer]

Very awesome explanation and experiance!👍

[RaulRodriguez-zqpt]

Wow awesome setup. I'm definitely looking into adding alternative bars on my bike now for comfort. Also I'm going to look into the Cut Throat, it might be my next bike.

[jmdrstv]

Rode a V2 for 3 years and it’s an amazing bike. Mine was destroyed in a collision in July, and I miss it.

[jimbo]

I've rode the cutthroat several times and it's really a fun one 😊

[mountaincruiser]

I use a Ritchey Keote bar on my Cutthroat. This comes less back so it doesn't get to short. Great bike indeed

[dennisduran]

No front suspension 😮😮😮 really comfortable 😅😅😅