by: Christophe Noel
April was an exciting month for the mountain bike world. Following an extended period of rumors and innuendo, Salsa Cycles and Rock Shox simultaneously released two revolutionary advancements packaged in one bike, the Salsa Bucksaw. I not only had the pleasure of organizing the launch event for the Bucksaw, I’ve been able to ride it almost daily over the course of the last two months. Knowing Exploring Elements is the drop-spot for all things adventure, it seemed like a perfect venue to place a mid-term recap of this first-ever full suspension fatbike.
My trajectory through the Bucksaw experience has been an interesting ride in itself. I’m a hard sell, and the idea of a full suspension fatbike was frankly, lost on me. I do however, have immense faith in the design acumen of the Salsa team and if they said it was a great bike, who was I to doubt them, even if I did. The first day on the bike during the product launch was a tad awkward as it’s such an absurd machine, but by day five, and to my total surprise, I was a raving fan boy, a preacher from the Bucksaw pulpit.
What makes the Bucksaw such a stroke of genius is the combination of attributes never before assembled, namely big honkin’tires and plush suspension components. To the uninitiated, the fat tires seem like they’d soak up bumps well enough to not warrant the additional shock absorbers. Truth be told, those big tires are glowing examples of Newton’s third law of physics, the one about actions having equal and opposite reactions. If you slam into something big with those bloated tires, they want to bounce and launch you into the weeds. The suspension provided by the Rock Shox Bluto fork and rear shock unit attenuate those impacts keeping the wheels on terra firma where they belong.
This all translates to optimal impact absorption paired to traction best described as glue-like. That in turn allows the rider to climb, descend, or trundle over darn near anything in their path with ambivalence. I’ve ridden this bike long enough to know what you’re thinking. No, it isn’t nearly as slow as you’s suspect.
There is no denying a fatbike is slower than a standard bike, but that assessment is highly conditional. The smoother the trail, the steeper the grade, the more likely the Bucksaw is to slowly lag behind, but only just. At roughly 30 pounds, the Bucksaw is quite light. With its ability to simply roll over anything in its way, it cuts a quick and straight line, further adding to its overall speed. In short, looks are deceiving and the Bucksaw is without a doubt, nimble and quick.
Not to get mired in the nerdy technicalities of the Bucksaw, there are a few key elements that add to its high performance. The frame in particular is a high-tech variant of Salsa’s venerable Spearfish frame and uses hydro-formed aluminum tubing paired to carbon fiber seat stays for reduced weight. The Split-Pivot rear suspension was designed by Dave Weagle, the guru behind many of the best bicycle suspension designs of the past decade. Controlling the gear changing, the 1×11 SRAM X.0 drivetrain is quicker than a caffeinated ninja, and the dual piston SRAM brakes stop the big mass of the tires with alarming efficiency. The handlebar and cranks are also made of carbon fiber to shave back the grams, and have the added bonus of looking super sweet. The Rock Shox dropper seat post, something I initially thought was unnecessary, helps me survive those aggressively technical sections the full suspension and big tires dare me to tackle headlong.
Leading the charge on this exceptional bike is Rock Shox’s first ever fatbike fork, the Bluto. First ever, as in the first mass produced fatbike fork, available soon at your corner bike shop. A riff on the ubiquitous Rock Shox Reba, it has proven technology repurposed to accommodate the needs of the fatbike rider. As was the case with the first suspension forks going back more than two decades, the fat-fork has redefined fatbike riding.
As I roll the Bucksaw’s big tires into month three of ownership, I find I love it more with each ride. It’s not just a novel plaything, it really is a legitimate platform. It devours rough singletrack, is sublimely comfortable to ride all day, and defying it size––it rips. It also holds promise for extended travel. In just a few weeks, I’ll load the Bucksaw into a TriAll3 bike case for a trip to the wild landscapes of Iceland. I have every confidence it will eat up 400 miles of bikepacking with nary a complaint.
Available for purchase in the fall, if you’re quick on the trigger, the Salsa Bucksaw in this trim will set you back $4999. That might seem high, and it is a good chunk of change, but it is actually a rather good value. If nothing else, it sure makes me feel like a kid again. That––is priceless.
Also check out my first impressions article featured on Expedition Portal: First Ride: 2015 Salsa Bucksaw Full-Supension Fatbike.
