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Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

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Salsa is all about adventure by bike, but that’s not exclusive to their high end models. Just because a bicycle is “affordable” doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be well equipped with trustworthy components and features worthy of pricier versions. While the upper tier usually gets most of the press, we were quite impressed when we got a sneak peek at the new Salsa Journeyman series earlier this year at Frostbike. Now, in conjunction with this weekend’s Landrun 100, Salsa is letting the Journeyman out of the bag for riders everywhere who might be a little gravel-curious.

Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

Right off the bat, the Journeyman bikes look a lot more expensive than they actually are. Only the top end Sora build is over $1000 at $1099, while the other four models come in at a very reasonable $899. Yet, you’re still getting a lot for your money.

Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

Built around an aluminum frame, the Journeyman packs in a surprising number of mounts including toptube bag mounts, three-pack fork mounts, a fork crown light mount, three bottle cages per frame, and rack and fender mounts. The Sora builds include a carbon fork while the Claris bikes use an aluminum model, but both have the exact same features and tire clearance…

Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

All three models of the Journeyman will be available in both 700c and 650b wheel and tire options depending on your taste. The frames are the same and will fit up to 650b x 2.2″ or 700c x 50mm tires for massive clearance that you won’t typically find on bikes of this price point. Better still, while the bikes don’t include tubeless tires due to the price, they do include tubeless ready rims making tubeless conversions as easy as a new set of tires, tape, valves, and some sealant.

Also surprising to find on a bike at this level is flat mount disc brakes front and rear and internal cable routing. The frames make do with quick release axles front and rear, but that shouldn’t be an issue for a bike at this level.

Flat Bar

Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

If you’re not into drop bars, there are also flat bar builds in both 650b and 700c. Not only do they include a completely different bar set up, but the frames also include flat bar specific geometry.

Journeyman SoraSalsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

At the top, the $1099 Journeyman Sora 650b/700c includes a Shimano Sora 2×9 drivetrain with an FSA Vero Pro Adventure 46/30t crankset, and a Sunrace 11-34t cassette. Cockpit parts include the Salsa Cowbell bar and Guide stem and post while the bike rolls on Formula/WTB i23/i19 rims and WTB 650b x 2.1″/700c x 37mm tires. You do have a choice on wheel size, but you do not have a choice on color – the 700c is white, and the 650b is blue.

Journeyman Claris

Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

Stepping down to the Claris build also drops the price to $899 with a different drivetrain and aluminum fork. This time, the bike uses a 2 x 8 speed drivetrain with an FSA Tempo Adventure 46/30t crank and a Sunrace 11-34t cassette. You’ll still see Salsa Guide and Cowbell parts, plus the same Formula/WTB wheels and tires.

Journeyman Claris Flat Bar

Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures Salsa Journeyman All Road bikes will help more riders advance their adventures

The two flat bar Claris builds have the same price tag and frame tech (different geo as mentioned), but utilize the Shimano Claris flat bar shifters and brake levers.

All of the bikes are in stock and ready to ride at your local Salsa dealer.

salsacycles.com

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22 Comments
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DougB
DougB
6 years ago

Perfect commuter bike!

mudrock
mudrock
6 years ago

They look good, I wonder how they will sell. My impression of the gravel craze is it bites the upper end of the market more than casual riders, but I’ve been wrong before.

TDO
TDO
6 years ago
Reply to  mudrock

I think if you were to pitch it really as a faster hybrid bike people would be all over it. Often someone new says “I’ll be mostly riding road but want the option to ride some mellow trails. I also want comfortable”, which I think you can explain why a gravel bike would be perfect for this. Marketing wise, I think its too aspirational for the general public to make that connection though.

Fall
Fall
6 years ago
Reply to  TDO

I’m sorry, people with smaller budgets aren’t aspirational? Why dumb the marketing down?

TDO
TDO
6 years ago
Reply to  Fall

I’m not talking about actual cyclists on a budget trying to get out there. Of course these people want to go for hour long rides on gravel roads in the middle of the country side.

I’m talking about people getting into cycling on a budget, the “casual” rider that mudrock is talking about. These people are probably intimidated seeing these bikes in the middle of nowhere as opposed to that creek path behind their house. The same way top end road bikes showing pros in a paceline intimidates someone new. Looking at it from the point of view of someone who doesn’t visit this site.

somedude
somedude
6 years ago

500 effective top tube!? So many mounts, good tire clearance… I think I love you Salsa. You have made my day.

double a
double a
6 years ago

props for more entry level options. but…..

– was really f&*king hoping for a steel/ti warbird
– those sure are some “Giant” looking welds

MIrwin
MIrwin
6 years ago
Reply to  double a

Largest bike manufacturer in the world, wouldn’t be surprised.

GaryS
GaryS
6 years ago

Why oh why God, did you let them put flat mount brakes on it!?!

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
6 years ago
Reply to  GaryS

God here. Because the industry doesn’t really care about the small percentage of people who complain every time something new comes out.

Satan
Satan
6 years ago

Mwahahahah, It was actually my idea! I’m going to snag so many sweet, innocent souls when people are trying to adjust their new brakes and will give anything to have them not rub! Sweet. Tasty. Souls.

LordOfTheFlies
LordOfTheFlies
6 years ago

Actually it was my idea–nefarious laughter/smell of brimstone–I’m going to ensnare so many sweet, innocent souls as mere mortals try to adjust their ill fitting brakes on poorly faced frames and forks and will trade their very being to get them to stop rubbing! Sweet. Tasty. Souls.

Dinger
Dinger
6 years ago
Reply to  GaryS

Flat-mount is a nod to future versatility. Post mount is already an obsolete standard for drop-bar bikes. There are MTB’s coming out with flat-mount on the rear. The calipers are lighter, smaller and supposedly better for heat-mitigation (passes more of it into the frame/fork).

carlo
6 years ago

Wow! quick release!!! good job salsa!

Fred Gravelly
Fred Gravelly
6 years ago

“The frame makes due with QR”…

should read:
“You don’t actually ever need a TA on a bike like this”

Kudos to Salsa for this bike!

SJC
SJC
6 years ago
Reply to  Fred Gravelly

“You don’t actually ever need a TA on a bike like this”

My rear QR, which randomly came undone mid-ride the other day and nearly sent me over the bars, begs to differ.

Jamboli
Jamboli
6 years ago

Wow like a srly midnight special or alcity gorilla for about half the price im in!

Maksym Kozub
6 years ago

“FSA Tempo Adventure 46/50t crank” — you probably meant “FSA Tempo Adventure 46/30t crank”.

Lincoln
Lincoln
6 years ago

Full carbon fork or aluminum steerer?

dontcoast
dontcoast
6 years ago

a legit go anywhere bike / do anything bike for under $1k.

there is hope for this industry after all.

Attilio
Attilio
3 years ago

I have a Claris Flat bar and loved it so much that my wife couldn’t keep up with her mom’s old Trek Mountain so I had to get her one. Now she can keep up with me but she has the Sora which is nicer. However the Sora doesn’t feel *that* much better. It does soak up the bumps more but if all you do is road biking unless you’re tackling some pretty beat up roads it shouldn’t make that much of a difference. The Sora’s carbon fork soaking up the bumps shines in ruts, gravel and bad roads as well as when you take it on trails though. Both excellent bikes but I like the Claris better just because for the money it seems a bit better value. I couldn’t find another Claris so I just bought my wife a Sora but it doesn’t feel many hundreds of dollars “better”. You could take the price difference between the two and get a better seat, upgraded pedals, lights, a basic cheapo compuer/speedometer and still get change.

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