Salsa updates the “ultra endurance” Cutthroat

Salsa’s Cutthroat was one of the first bikes that we can think of that was designed for long-distance bikepacking. Originally designed for the Tour Divide, and multi-day, multi-surface riding, the Cutthroat is still probably the bike of choice for most of the racers at the event, going by the pre-race bike shot galleries. It’s all about covering long distances with speed and comfort.

The new Cutthroat – doesn’t look wildly different to the old one, but that’s no bad thing…

Updates

Given that the Cutthroat is already a bit of a modern classic, many will be glad to hear that the latest bike has only been subtly tweaked, rather than subjected to wholesale changes. The latest Cutthroat features a more compliant fork, boost frame spacing, a new direct-mount frame pack and even more accessory mounts than ever.

Also available in 2x options

There have been a few other tweaks too, like the addition of a small 52cm frame size. The geometry has been tweaked, with a 69º head angle, and slightly longer wheelbase. The frame remains suspension corrected for 100mm, should you wish to add a bit of comfort.

That head angle has been slightly tweaked

There is still massive clearance for 29 x 2.4in tyres, helped by the boost spacing. Salsa has ensured there is still clearance for 2x drivetrains, and it’s possible to run road gearing using mountain bike direct mount cranks.

Clever cargo capacity

The Cutthroat has always been designed as a bit of a load lugger. The updated version takes things to another level. Salsa is producing a direct mount frame bag for each size of bike. This, as it sounds, bolts into the internal triangle of the main frame, rather than using straps. It keeps things tidy, and should help protect the paint job a bit longer.

All the bosses, including some for a direct mount framebag

On top of that, there are approximately one million bottle bosses and anything cage mounts scattered over the frame and forks. Basically, if there’s a bit of space you can probably attach something there.

Make sure you definitely like the colour before buying. You’ll be spending a lot of time looking at your choice if you ride the bike to its full potential

If that’s not enough, you can also attach a Salsa Wanderlust rear rack.

Build options

Full builds will be available via Salsa’s UK distributor, Lyon Cycle. They start at £2850 for a SRAM Apex1 spec, and rise to £5800 for Shimano GRX Di2. Should you wish to spec your own build (and it’s the kind of bike where riders will be spending so many hours on the saddle, we can understand why you’d be even more particular than normal about which bars shape you prefer for example), the separate frameset is also available.