# Salsa good or bad?



## jfett (Apr 16, 2014)

I saw a thread on peoples top 4 favorite bike brands. But no where did I see anyone mention Salsa. I road one once and I liked it. Is it not a very well known brand? Just looking for some thoughts


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## IPunchCholla (Dec 8, 2013)

I would recommend reading through the Salsa forum a bit, our asking if people had issues their. 

I'm not sure what makes a brand good or bad. IMO Specialized makes nice bikes but has questionable business practices. Are they a good or a bad brand? Depends on what you value. 

I haven't heard of any particular quality issues from Salsa, though they do have a recall on a fork right now. I am stupidly interested in the Horsethief, but the local dealer can't get one in to test so o haven't ridden it. 

What I like about the brand image Salsa has is the time down the macho extreme stuff and positron themselves as making bikes that will get you out there into the wild back country, even if there is some serious downhill along the way. Less adrenaline focused more adventure. But that is marketing as much as bikes.


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## LittleBitey (Nov 10, 2012)

Generally good, especially with tortilla chips. The real question to be answered - is it a condiment?


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## LittleBitey (Nov 10, 2012)

In all seriousness I have a spearfish, and I'd rate it "good" as opposed to "bad"


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## dbhammercycle (Nov 15, 2011)

I don't own a Salsa, but I've always thought of them as a step up (spec wise) from Surly. I would def consider buying one from what I've seen and read, but most likely a CC instead of mtb, unless they bring back the ala carte. $0.000002


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I own a Vaya. Love the bike.

I want to buy a Bucksaw this fall when it becomes available.

I don't consider myself a fanboy of any particular brand. I just look at the bikes themselves, how they're built and spec'd. I look at the company and how it handles itself and how it markets itself. Salsa builds nice bikes. I'm not gonna say they're appreciably nicer bikes than most other production brands, though. They are a little nicer than some. The Surly example is a good one - the steel in my Vaya is lighter and nicer than the steel on Surlys, and comes with a higher price tag. Both brands are owned by the same company, and occupy slightly different niches. They just have a little bit more prominent spot on my radar since I work for a shop that sells them.

I live in a part of the country that doesn't get huge exposure to lots of different brands. Especially the smaller "boutique" ones. As far as bikes I can touch and actually ride, my selection is limited. I like bike companies in general that innovate, get creative, and build cool bikes. The marketing does make a small difference. Salsa's brand image fits for me. I'm not a racer. I might do one race every few years at best just for giggles, or to set a goal for myself. I do like adventure riding. Bikepacking, light touring, I like that stuff.

I'm going to do a light weekend tour on my Vaya this summer. I also want to do some bikepacking. Maybe in the fall. My work schedule makes both difficult to plan because I rarely get consecutive days off. But that's the kinda stuff I really enjoy. Salsa's marketing reminds me of that.

Why doesn't Salsa make it onto people's favorite brands list? For one, they're smaller. They have less shop exposure. Every shop I've seen selling them positions them as one of their "secondary" brands. Salsa doesn't sell low end stuff, so big brands that produce low end bikes get the floorspace.


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## Thor29 (May 12, 2005)

There are hundreds if not thousands of bike brands. The big companies like Giant, Specialized, and Trek sell way more bikes than the smaller companies like Salsa, so of course more people will be familiar with Specialized than Salsa. 

Also, bike companies aren't static. Back in the beginning (1980s), Schwinn and GT were big players and now Schwinn is gone and GT is a shadow of it's former self. Kleins were hot and now they are gone as well. In more recent times, Kona started to fade and now they are building some of the coolest bikes out there (Honzo and the new Process line). 

But to answer your question, Salsa is one of the best bike brands out there if you like the kinds of bikes they are making. If I were building another XC singlespeed it would be an El Mariachi. And if I just wanted to be different (and I do) and if I had the money, I'd be all over the Bucksaw (FS fatbike!). And finally, how many companies even make a bike like the Fargo? Not very many, that's for sure.


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## minte (Sep 26, 2013)

Good bikes, good company. They don't sponsor a downhill team, and you probably won't see them on a Mountain Dew commercial. More into making good bikes for people who ride them; but nothing on the low end. I think they have moved away from the testosterone filled racing scene, and more into the touring, bikepacking and general adventures by bike type deal. They are also very committed to their dealers and keeping the little guy in business.


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## burtronix (Jun 5, 2006)

I own a Salsa road bike, but not mountain. They are very innovative, but that innovation hasn't paid off well commercially. They make good stuff & are one of my favorite brands. Every time I make it to State College, PA I try to stop in at Freeze-Thaw Cycles to check out what's new in the Salsa line-up. I almost bought a Big Mama from them a couple years ago, but they sold out before I could get the finances together.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Salsa may not be mentioned simply due to marketshare and namebrand recognition. I do believe they make some nice rigs, and took a look at some myself last year before going with a Spec.


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## zgroove (Feb 10, 2009)

Salsa is a great brand and has been around a long time. They have never frayed away from their initial vision of the company. My opinion, they make the best bikes to travel around the world and to ride in foreign countries. Adventure/Travel bikes that are loaded down front to back style.


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## net wurker (Sep 13, 2007)

Salsa good.


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## Zowie (Aug 3, 2013)

IMHO, If your LBS is good, Salsa will be. IMHO 95% of the problems with a new bike will be because of the guy turning the wrench...


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## jherrman3 (Mar 9, 2014)

Love my Horse Thief. Looks great, good component spec, and feels very rugged.


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## NoVA_JB (May 8, 2007)

Zowie said:


> IMHO, If your LBS is good, Salsa will be. IMHO 95% of the problems with a new bike will be because of the guy turning the wrench...


So true, unless you're dealing with a low grade bike company they are all pretty similar frame design is the biggest differentiator since they all use parts from Fox, Shimano etc. I think you can get some great deals with the small guys since they aren't spending so much on marketing.


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