Salsa and Ti are back together, and we’re not talking about vegetables and rappers. On the heels of their recent full suspension Deadwood Plus mountain bike, Salsa keeps the heat coming by reintroducing titanium to their lineup. The brand has always been big in the gravel and bikepacking scene, even before it was a “thing”, and the recent boom in such adventure-type riding is likely the case for the return of these titanium options. Riders loyal to the brand but wanting a higher-end option to explore upon can now rejoice…
The new offerings are twofold, first with the Fargo Ti as a frameset. Essentially a drop bar mountain bike as seen in the aluminum complete option, the titanium version of this “cult classic” comes with the Salsa Firestarter carbon fork, and mirrors the highly versatile geometry of the alloy version. The Fargo is described as being “for the rider that likes long days on smooth to rugged surfaces, while carrying everything needed to do it all again tomorrow.”
It’s designed with drop bars in mind, and for 2017 they’ve updated the geometry with shorter chainstays and split-able Alternator v1.5 dropouts to allow for belt drive compatibility. If you’re not familiar with the Alternator dropouts, you can read about them on the Salsa website here.
Up front is a 51mm offset forks with clearance for 27.5+, 29, or 29+ wheels. The guys at Salsa chose to keep it simple with traditional brushed titanium, the trademark Salsa writing on the downtube, and the spicy pepper emblem reminiscent of old school frames. It’s rear rack compatible for recommended use with their Salsa Alternator Standard Rack and the frame is available now through authorized dealers for $2,499.
The second bike to get a titanium upgrade option is the Salsa Timberjack mountain bike hardtail. Despite being shown as a complete, the Timberjack Ti comes as a frame only, meaning riders will have tons of flexibility to build the bike according to their needs.
Slightly beefier tubes and more aggressive mountain bike geometry based around a 120mm suspension fork (or equivalent rigid suspension-corrected fork) give an idea of what Salsa intends the bike to be used for.
Previously only available in separate aluminum 29 and 27.5+ options, the Timeberjack Ti can accept both and serves as a more gnarly option for the singletrack and bikepacking crowds.
Features:
- Compatible with 130mm travel suspension fork or rigid Firestarter fork
- Gear or singlespeed using Alternator dropouts that change chainstay length from 420mm to 437mm
- Multiple dropout plate options to change rear spacing from 135mm QR, 142mm thru-axle, or BOOST-148
- 1x or 2x Drivetrain compatibile using removable direct mount front derailleur option
The Timberjack Ti also offers the benefits of internal cable routing using full-length housing, stealth dropper post internal routing, and a replaceable derailleur hanger. Available through dealers as a frame only for $1,999. Welcome back Ti, it’s nice to have you!
