My first and only salsa (although i’d like a mk1 spearfish) is a Vaya which i built up as the ‘ultimate commuter’: dynamo, mudguards, heavy tyres. I then continued commuting on my old fixed wheel pompino. and slowly moved the dynamo and other bits to that whilst making the vaya into a gravel grinder.
The salsa then underwent some surgery to shorten the the headtube by about 20 mm; and almost a complete rebuild to lose a few kg (under 10kg now!).
It’s a lovely ride now. So versitile. It’s toured from sussex to amsterdam, 200 km gravel rides, bivvys, a CX race, just bimbling + the commute from time to time.
I really need a new photo as it’s had quite a few new bits on since the most recent photo i have…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/wggryr]IMG_0780[/url] by thom1984, on Flickr
Somewhere in the netherlands.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pBCojF]photo 1(2)[/url] by thom1984, on Flickr
bivvy
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pSUdeB]IMG_0545[/url] by thom1984, on Flickr
I have a 2013 Horsethief, bought from new but quite heavily upgraded (not much more than the frame and stem left. And the 3×10 Deore which refuses to die no matter how much abuse I give it)
YoKaiser – Member
GregMay, what was the spearfish like with b+? I’ve a Horsethief and have often wondered if there was clearance.
Is, haven’t had 29ers in it in 18months now. Or gears on it for the past 8!
Handles much the same – slightly lower BB so some pedal strikes – descends even better – but slower rolling speed – annoyingly so sometimes.
It’s now running a set of Wide Lightnings with a Trail Blazer on the rear, Bridger up front and it’s great. Space is fine on it in Hebden gloop. No worse than normal anyway.
Carbon one en route at the moment for CTR duties next year and back to 24hr racing again. Need to sell off some other bits too.
My bank balance however, has not. To be fair, that is an accumulation of bikes over the past 5 years. Most of which have been ridden into the ground at some point and are like Triggers brush at this stage.
Previously have had steel Fargo (sold to Teetosugars) another Alu Spearfish (broke it) and a Mamasita which I miss.
I would kill many of you to get a Selma in my size.
Something about the simple lines of both a ti frame and SS makes it a looker, the Salsa ti frame always look good, the trouble is i need both kidneys, would of loved the new Fargo ti!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/UtCWfD]Untitled[/url] by Soph and Ian, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Tf559z]Untitled[/url] by Soph and Ian, on Flickr
My Spearfish on the lakeland 200. It’s also done the Braunton 150, Highland Trail, Transcambrian way (in a day) and a couple of races this year. I bought it to replace my old one which I sold and regretted. Strangely it took a bit of time to get used to the orange one, but I like it now as a long distance bike, and it is fun for shorter stuff too.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ezn7Lr]Untitled[/url] by Soph and Ian, on Flickr
I built a lovely blue Vaya about three years ago which has been criminally under used- done about 100 miles.
I was going to jack my dulll job and go touring…then I met someone… now we have a 14 month old boy! Infact I got as far as taking the cranks off to split it for sale before our son was born. I don’t think it’s been touched in 18 months.
That’s a bit wrong 😥
Pretty poor picture it must be said, [but] this is how my Vaya currently looks. Set up on more road-orientated tires and ‘guards for long days out on rough back-country roads, rather than on fat CX tyres for dirt).
(The other bike is a 2016 Genesis Borough, with a significant upgrade on transmission / brakes).
My 2012 Spearfish…I love this bike, and hate the thought of not having it! It has older ‘standards’ and will be obsolete soon, I guess, but I have no plans to replace it. I have a lot of other bikes, but this is my favourite by far….I have ridden miles on it, it fits like a glove, and does everything I need.
I’ve taken the Fish to BPW in the past mate, although i was running 110’s on the front. But it coped really well.
IMO the Fish is GREAT at what it does, fast XC and a bit of bounce, but start throwing more at it and it becomes an exercise in geometry over function, it will never be a HorseT, but it’s never said it will be.
Think about what you want and need from the bike before throwing yourself in the lap of the gods and swapping it.