Only new bike I have bought in 45 years was this winter - I bought a salsa beargrease.  What l should I be aspiring to according to this "Of course people buy into brands because they like or identify with things that either the brand consciously promotes or they choose to assign to it – and I plead absolutely guilty on that front"

I am very unsure what things I am supposed to be identifying with.  Rendering large ursine carcasses?  I have no idea what image the brand promotes or what I should be identifying with probably because I have never seen any marketing material from them.  should I sell it?

should I sell it?

Salsa are going to be stoked to know that they're now associated with the most prolific internet-argument-generator in the history of human consciousness. You should write to them, and ask them for a free hat. 😉

@tjagain nobody has said on this thread that you have to consume all the marketing or aspire to anything to choose a particular bike - but I think you know that.

However... You said you've seen no marketing whatsoever but you read this forum so you've probably read about Salsa bikes from time to time, maybe just a teeny bit aware that their focus is more on adventure bikes than neon gnar... maybe a little bit left field... not a corporate giant. that sort of thing.

Did you honestly read absolutely nothing about the bike before you bought it, at l least to check that Salsa were not a dodgy knock off company selling gaspipe rubbish?

lol@Bigdummy!

Wasn’t the mmbop the much unloved runt of the litter in comparison to the steel-is-real blue pig, at least until it was extremely heavily discounted,  upon which people began to rave about the frame, it’s feathery weight and it’s space age construction material?

Pretty much! I seem to remember the Blue Pig was much more popular, especially on here.

Certainly got mine when it was heavily discounted on CRC and fortunately it turned out to be a great bike for me at the time.  Wasn't much of a looker admittedly with the big diameter tubes and 1.5" bean tin headtube!

Just found a photo I can link to from when I first built mine up on the cheap..

The beargrease is a fat bike, is it not?

Fat bikes have got to be the single most marketed/lifestyle driven type of frame that ever there was, as are Salsa for that matter.

From another side and as a serial Cotic owner, I find their emails and videos fun and at times informative but they don’t really inform my buying habits. I still ride things before making my mind up if buying new. If SH, well. Who knows, but as brands don’t make money from people buying SH frames that’s not really relevant...

joemmo

I know absolutely nothing about salsa and their image or what they  deem to be their focus.  Nothing at all.  Before buying the bike I knew zero about them.  I knew I wanted a fatbike after riding a couple of friends bikes mainly form the less damage it does to trails .  It was advertised on facebook - last years model ex demo by a bike shop whose owners I know and trust and who know me and how I ride.  I trusted them when they said it was a suitable bike for my needs and enjoyed the testride so bought it.  I have never read or seen any salsa marketing.

I still know nothing about salsa as a company and don't care.  I think its a us company - is that right?

I'm just not interested at all.

I knew I wanted a fatbike after riding a couple of friends bikes mainly form the less damage it does to trails

Oh, sweet baby Jesus and the orphans....  😔

Then you are truly pure in heart and deed.

It's probably best you don't know that as well as the wholesome metal beardy bikes they also make carbon frames so they are literally stuffing the seas with lightweight death this very minute. Also pretty sure they are owned by an umbrella company that factory farms unicorns but don't quote me on that.

I still know nothing about salsa as a company and don’t care. I think its a us company – is that right?

Not quite they are based in Jersey for tax purposes. You must have heard of them before considering their owners are one of the main Tory donators and were quite vocal during the EU ref as vote leave campaigners?

Didn't know that km.

Hang on - I'm being spoofed aren't I ?

Yes you are, enjoy your new bike!

Didn't you lecture us all recently about checking the companies you buy stuff from for morality/ethics etc?

Yet your biggest bike purchase since the cold war doesn't count?

Hmmmm....

I don’t aspire to a lifestyle.  I have a lifestyle I am happy with.  I don’t buy things to affirm my place in society.  I know what my place is  ( skip diving )

The rest of us own Trump mountain bikes because we're materialistic and shallow. It's a cross we have to bear.

ps: I inadvertently drove at 31mph in a 30 limit for a couple of seconds yesterday and thought of you and your iron self control.

It’s probably best you don’t know that as well as the wholesome metal beardy bikes they also make carbon frames so they are literally stuffing the seas with lightweight death this very minute.

TBF if you've successfully bought a salsa recently that's not a fat bike you're allowed to dispose of it in anyway you see fit. i tried to buy one two years ago. i think the only ones ever bought in to the country were given to STW. 😀

Didn’t you lecture us all recently about checking the companies you buy stuff from for morality/ethics etc?

Yet your biggest bike purchase since the cold war doesn’t count?

The was during a time of prevailing Souh Westerlies. We've currently got Easterlies.

Lol! Very true, sorry, should've thought of that!

Only new bike I have bought in 45 years was this winter

Didn't you buy your Genesis IO new about a decade ago then cover it in electrical tape or spray paint or something?

Salsa start and finish with the 1992/3 A’la Carte in jellybean.😎

I’m a self-facilitating media node, if a brand hasn’t followed me first I won’t even acknowledge they exist.

Totally Mexico!

TBF if you’ve successfully bought a salsa recently that’s not a fat bike you’re allowed to dispose of it in anyway you see fit. i tried to buy one two years ago. i think the only ones ever bought in to the country were given to STW

Not entirely fair, Raleigh took over UK distribution and promptly destroyed the brand presence in the UK before finally selling all their stock to Merlin to offload at bargain rates rather than discuss the matter with their Salsa dealerships and possibly let them have some stock.   Essentially there is no UK distribution now, and odd shops like CTBM are importing directly.

Whatever you might think of the brand and its environmental behaviour, the UK sales stance of late is only their fault in that they let Raleigh handle things for them.

Whatever you might think of the brand and its environmental behaviour, the UK sales stance of late is only their fault in that they let Raleigh handle things for them.

Funny then that Ison did exactly the same thing in 2012, when they discontinued Salsa distribution suddenly, but oddly kept Surly. But easy to blame Raleigh. And Salsa didnt have any brand presence in the UK other than via a handful of independent shops, prior to Raleigh taking them on.

i wasn't pointing the finger, simply making an observation.

TBH i couldn't care less how they go about their business, raleigh, salsa, or QBP.

i ended up buying a chameleon, so it was all OK in the end.

it does seem odd to me though how surly are 'relatively' easy to get hold of, but salsa aren't, given they are part of the same group, and this has been going on for years, hasn't it? i'm surprised someone in the parent group hasn't put their foot down with a firm hand.

munrobike - insurance replacement - not my money.

 this has been going on for years, hasn’t it? i’m surprised someone in the parent group hasn’t put their foot down with a firm hand.

UK/Euro orders were regularly bumped in favour of the domestic market - that was when Ison were still involved. It made handling customer orders and expectations a complete nightmare. Why didn't this happen with Surly too? Don't know. Maybe the supply/demand thing was different with them.

I’ve always fancied a Surly or Salsa but the prices just seem insane

Why didn’t this happen with Surly too? Don’t know. Maybe the supply/demand thing was different with them.

Run as effectively separate companies along with All City under the QBP Umbrella?

I recall (back in the day working at CRC) trying to source a Ragley mech hanger for a customer. The customer had been unable to use their bike for 6 weeks or so and was at their wits end so I phoned "House Brands" directly and asked if they had any hangers.

"No" came the reply, and the phone was slammed down. I phoned back to inquire when they would actually be in stock (the due date had been 2 weeks for about 6 weeks) - "What does it say on the website?"  - I said the site says two weeks but ..."Then it's two weeks" and the phone was slammed down again, without any kind of pleasantry or apology.

After a little digging I found out that the next years model of the frame/bike (with the exact same hanger) was in the warehouse, though not available for sale yet, so I phoned House Brands again.

"Is there any chance you could take a mech off one of the new frames for this customer? The customer has been very reasonable but they really are starting to get frustrated with our inability to sort this problem.

"You obviously know * all about customers! All they *ing do is moan and complain. He can ****ing wait, I'm away home". It was about 3:40 on a Friday evening and on that note I had to go back and tell the customer  (face to face) that I was very sorry but I was unable to source their hanger. And this was from a person with zero customer facing responsibility.

So.....yeah. The op might want to reconsider their brand loyalty to a company who treats their customers like that. Just sayin'.

Conversely, when I ordered a mech hangar from Halfords, there was a mix up, they either couldn't get original stock or the order got messed up, either way my hangar wasn't there when I arrived in the store, they and I were reasonable about it, they ordered in a BETD custom hangar for me at no charge, which retail approximately twice the price of the standard part.

It meant waiting a couple more days but I was fairly content with that. They did thier best to help me out and made a small loss in the process.

Mix ups and mistakes happen, it's how the retailer deals with it that matters.

Mattyfez

Mix ups and mistakes happen,

mistakes happen, but blatant disregard for customers in favour of penny pinching and corner cutting also happens.

Damn....
Just broke my right side der hanger off my 2017 Bigwig...

CRC better get this right.

P.S. Ragley isn't dead

^ is that one of the missing “Sick” frames with a ragley paint job ?

Ooooooh. Do you own any scales by any chance? Dead curious to know what it weighs. TELL US ALL THE THINGS!

Very tempted by a Big Al or a Wig, just a bit worried that the Al is basically a massive Mmmbop and will drive me mental with stiffness. Might have to wait til the Bigwig is in the sales in 3... 2... 1...

Had an Mmmbop, lovely frame, but aluminium is just too rigid. Get a steel frame.

Oh, and you won't notice the extra weight

I would notice that it's almost twice the price though 🙂 (I had a gen 1 Mmmbop, loved and hated it equally, and then a Ti which I just loved)

I have a Marley. Also aluminium frame. It's nowhere near as stiff/unforgiving as the old Mk1 Mmmbop.

Looks lovely. What size?

They lost the lovely lines on the old XL version

Can anyone help with what the real max rear tyre size is for the 2019 mmmBop?

I want to buy one of these for my wife, but I particularly want to know if it can run at least a 2.5" and maybe even a 2.6" tyre on the back - for comfort as it's aluminium and will be a small frame so stiff I guess.. I like the fact that it's cheaper and lighter than the blue pig.

I know the spec says max tyre size is 2.6", but there is conflicting info on the Ragley site - the full bike page says 2.6" and the frame-only page says 2.4". I wrote to them but no answer, and I can't phone them now at the weekend.

I'm a bit wary because they sell it with a 2.4" on the back. The pics are difficult to interpret. But then they also sell the Blue Pig with a 2.4" on the back, and that has more clearance the channel tunnel. And to further confuse the issue, the 2019 Marley gets a 2.6" both ends, and is apparently (visually) nearly the same frame as the mmmBop except for changes to the angles.

Does anyone know which is really true? 2.4" or 2.6" max rear tyre? (I understand it depends on the brand/model of tyre, but) I could do with some info quick as I have an extra discount on Wiggle for the next few days . . .

Thanks for any help.

I have got 2.8 rekons on 35mm id rims which measure up at around 2.7 in mine with room to spare

Thanks so much for that! I was just about to press Buy and thought "Hang on a minute . . ."
Are you pleased with the mmmBop then?