Salsa Cutthroat: The Marrakesh Express:

 

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As a self-confessed bikeoholic I’m excited by the arrival of any new bike. Whatever the frame material, build spec or price point it’s always good to try a new take on the adventure bike genre. Few bikes however come burdened with the weight of expectation like our latest arrival. This fine looking 2020 model Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 resplendent in hot pink.

2015’s most exciting new bike “How the hell do I buy one?”

At its 2015 debut, the Salsa Cutthroat was dubbed the ultimate Tour Divide racing machine. A bold claim indeed. The all-carbon construction promised to blend speed with comfort, essential to riders hoping to maximise 18 hour days in the saddle. Getting hold of one was an endurance event in itself. At that time Salsa availability in the UK could best be described as erratic. Fast forward to the present day, and with Lyon Equipment now handling distribution, laying your hands on a Salsa has become immeasurably easier.

Day after day, always ready to be fired over the horizon

All aboard the Marrakesh Express!

In February I’ll be heading out to Marrakesh to compete in the PedalEd Atlas Mountain Race. With 1,145km of broken tarmac, rubble strewn trails, and everything in between, the Salsa Cutthroat will be in its element. The trail from Marrakesh to Sidi Rabat might not stretch as far as the Tour Divide but it’s every bit as arduous. We featured the 2020 Cutthroat release back in October but now we have our grubby paws on one, so let’s take another look.

Woodchippers make way for the Cowchipper!

For 2020 Salsa have chosen to kit out the Cutty with their Cowchipper bars instead of the usual Woodchippers. As the name suggests, the Cowchippers split the difference between the lightly flared Cowbell CX bars and heavily flared Woodchippers. Perhaps as a race bike, Salsa see the Cutthroat as less of a load-lugger than the Fargo, where the wide flare Woodchippers help manhandling a heavily laden bike through the rough stuff.

Are you sitting comfortably?

An immediate upgrade in the form of a WTB Silverado Titanium saddle

At the opposite end, our Cutthroat has received an instant upgrade. The standard 135mm WTB Volt Sport has been replaced with a 142mm Silverado Titanium. The Volt is a great saddle but I find the 142mm width a better fit. The Silverado Ti also features a flex-shell and DNA padding to increase comfort without bulk. In spite of being wider, the titanium rails help shave off nearly 100 grams compared to the Volt.

Pedals & Cranks

Clunk-Click every trip. Secure attachment with iSSi pedals

For the final contact point on the Cutty I’ve gone for pedals from Salsa’s QBP stablemate iSSi. While not a common sight in the UK they have a lot to recommend them. Despite a tough ED coated Cro-mo axle and serviceable triple sealed bearings, the iSSi pedals tip the scales at a mere 300 grams a pair. Sharing the standard Shimano SPD design means sourcing spare cleats won’t be an issue.

Race Face Ride cranks with Cinch Direct mount chainring

Get a shift on

The Salsa Cutthroat is designed around what Salsa call Roadboost. Luckily this isn’t a new standard per se, but a means to combine Road and MTB drivetrains using boost hub spacing. As the SRAM Apex 1 chainset is restricted to a minimum 40t chainring, Salsa have turned to Race Face and spec’d Ride cranks with Cinch Direct Mount rings. This means more choice in chainring sizes than Apex 1 or GRX chainsets in addition to a weight saving! I’d be lying if I said that I was thrilled with the BB92 PF bottom bracket, but I’ll reserve judgement until it has some miles under its belt.

The road mech that likes to get dirty!

As a 1x drivetrain, all shifting duties are down to the rear mech and cassette. For an entry level Road groupset Apex is remarkably well suited to off-road adventures. Featuring a clutch to tame bouncing chains, a handy cage lock to make wheel removal easier, and a wide-ratio 11-42 cassette there’s not much more you could ask for. Rumours abound that Apex will also handle an 11-46 cassette. The elevation profile for the Atlas Mountain Race suggests this might be worth investigating…

Rolling stock

Further Tour Divide cues with Teravail’s Sparwood tyres

Kudos to Salsa for their choice of tyres for the Cutthroat. Speccing parts from another QBP sub-brand isn’t the cop-out it might at first seem. Teravail label the Sparwood as an unashamed hardpack specialist. Resembling an oversized Cannonball gravel tyre, it’s designed to hook-up in the rough stuff without being a drag over smoother surfaces. The variant fitted is both tubeless-ready and features durable nylon-reinforced sidewalls. Paired with WTB’s Serra wheelset (with ST i23 TCS rims) tubeless set-up just required a wrap of tape, valves and glug of sealant. Not a single bubble emerged past the sidewall or rim, and I popped the beads with a regular track-pump!

Not ideal for the conditions but they are quick to clear!

While the Sparwoods clearly aren’t designed with a UK winter in mind, they are more sure footed than the tread pattern would suggest. As an added bonus as soon as you hit a firmer surface the mud is quickly shed.

Room to manoeuvre

Mud clearances on the Cutthroat are without a doubt generous, a product of using the boost spacing and VRS bridge-less rear triangle to maximise space. At the front, 100m suspension-corrected forks feature steel plates designed to prevent abrasion from mud. Even with 2.4″ tyres it seems hard to imagine the conditions that could lead to that being a problem!

Huge clearances around the front tyre

Boost spacing and 1x gearing used to good effect

Next steps

The front triangle on the Salsa Cutthroat is designed to maximise frame bag capacity so inevitably none of my current luggage fits. I’ll be investigating my options and considering Salsa’s own frame-bag against custom-made alternatives.

Stay tuned for the next instalment… Luggage!

Review: Pinnacle Arkose D3 Gravel Bike

 

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The Pinnacle Arkose needs little introduction. Considered a  stalwart of the Gravel scene, it’s fair to say the Arkose was around before  there was a scene! It might not have captured the imagination like the U.S. bikes did, but still has a band of loyal followers. Over the years everyone of us at ADVNTR towers has racked up miles on an Arkose with few complaints. Fast forward to the present and the Arkose range has split into D(irt) and R(oad). The D3 we’ve been testing roughly equates to the old Arkose 4.

Impossible to do justice in a photo, the glitter paint finish is amazing!

Frame and Forks

The first thing you’ll notice about the Arkose is the deep red glitter paint finish. While difficult to capture in a photo, the minute sunshine hits the paint it reflects back a lustrous gleam. The Pinnacle graphics are also rendered in a reflective layer that leaps out in flash photos or the beam of headlights.

Once you’ve got over the distraction of the paintwork you’ll start to take in the neat features of the triple-butted alloy frame hidden behind the sparkles. Starting at the tapered headtube you’ll find a blanked port for Di2 wiring and close by on the downtube, the port for internal cable routing. Often a feature that that causes palpitations for mechanics, there are no such worries on the Arkose. Where the downtube meets the bottom bracket is a large opening that cables protrude through. There were no rattles during the test and changing cables was a breeze. You’ll also find three bottle cage mounts, two in the main triangle and one under the downtube. The triple-mount on the downtube allows you to fit an anything cage or move a standard to a more easily reached position. The top-tube tapers dramatically towards the seat-tube where it meets slender stays.

Works harmoniously with log piles.

Mud clearances at both ends of the Arkose are a big improvement on previous models. While a WTB Nano 40 used to just fit, the D3 comes with 45c Riddlers with room to spare. The bridgeless seatstays remove typical mud-shelves and aid compliance without any drawbacks, the fitment of an optional bracket provides the necessary mount for mudguards. Rack-mounts are also present keeping your options open. Both ends are secured by 12mm thru-axles and slowed by flat-mount brakes. The all carbon fork has a drilled crown for guards and/or lights alongside internal routing for the brake hose and dynamo wiring (if you fit one).

Plenty of space, even with 45mm tyres on the Pinnacle Arkose D3

Drivetrain and wheels

The Arkose hasn’t jumped on the Shimano GRX bandwagon (yet) but sensible choices mean you aren’t really missing out. The front mech and cassette are 105 items, the sweet-spot of performance versus price. The rear mech however is an Ultegra RX800, crucially featuring a clutch to keep chain clatter at bay.

Smooth shifting Ultegra clutch-mech

Another alternative to a 105 component is the Praxis Works Alba M30 chainset sporting 48/32 chainrings. Paired with the 11-34 cassette you get a good spread of gears with a useful boost for climbing or loaded riding at the lower end. For us, the loss in the higher range is a sacrifice worth making. The chainset does use an oversize 30mm spindle but in a BSA threaded BB.

Nothing wrong with the Praxis Works Alba crankset.

The wheelset is a pleasant surprise. Pairing up WTB’s Riddler 45 TCS tyres and ST i21 TCS rims promises as easy a tubeless set-up as you could imagine. Novatec hubs might not set your heart racing but I’d rather see unashamed Novatec branding and model numbers than rebranded hubs. When it comes time to get spares it’ll be much easier to find what you need.

Proper full fat TCS folders, not stodgy OEM treads

As thru-axles rapidly become the norm, we’ve seen some interesting skewers while testing. Maxle style front paired with hex-key rear, hex front and standard QR rear and everything else in between. Kudos then to Pinnacle for fitting probably the best solution, ratchet skewers. Similar in design to DT’s RWS skewers, they don’t need tools and you simply turn the skewers. Once tight the skewers ‘lift’ and can be placed in-line with frame and fork for neatness. Genius.

A small touch but the ‘ratchet’ skewers are top-notch

Finishing kit

The finishing kit on the Arkose D3 is well thought out to get the rider the best bang for their buck. The bars, stem and seatpost are Pinnacle’s own items and typically functional and fuss-free. While it sports an 8 degree flare, the Pinnacle Gravel bar feels road biased in use. It’s not terrible but a touch less drop and a touch more flare would make for more control in the rough stuff. Helping a lot was the quality gel-backed bar tape. The rubber finish meant a death grip wasn’t necessary to maintain control and it didn’t stain or retain mud. WTB are called on again, this time to provide the saddle. What makes a good saddle is a highly personal thing but a 142mm Volt Sport is good compromise in bulk vs comfort.

Pinnacle spent their spec budget wisely on WTB kit

How does the Pinnacle Arkose ride?

With an Evans on every high street, the Pinnacle Arkose must a bit of a plodder designed for the casual rider, right? Wrong. It might be a confident all-rounder but it certainly isn’t slow. We’ve ridden bikes shod with the 45mm Riddlers that feel over-tyred, missing the sweet-spot between outright traction and agility. Despite the big treads the Arkose bounds along on firmer trails, and barrels right through the rough stuff. It’s quick to take a new line when cornering while steadfastly staying on course when descending.

The test period has also seen some truly awful conditions, none of which have held the Pinnacle Arkose back. The drivetrain shifted with Shimano’s trademark reliability despite the sludge that currently pass for trails. Similarly the brakes stayed noise-free and consistent throughout.

Despite the clag, no missed shifts!

Pinnacle Arkose D3 Conclusion

There is a lot to like about the Arkose and it’s clear Pinnacle haven’t sat on their laurels. There’s no weak link or if only it had in the spec and the finish wouldn’t look out of place on some exotica. At £1,300 the Pinnacle represents great value for the performance and refinement on offer. At the time of writing selected Arkose models are on special offer, with the D3 reduced to £1040. It’s a deal, it’s a steal, it’s the sale of the century! It’s also worth mentioning that if your riding favours the rough stuff over buff trails, the Pinnacle Arkose X is available at a similar RRP with wider drop bars, a SRAM 1x drivetrain and 650b x 47mm tyres.

Review: Straight Cut Design Handlebar Harness

 

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With a mountain bike, carrying kit on your bars is a doddle. As bars get wider so the size of bag you can use gets bigger. While a gravel bike drop bar might dwarf its roadie cousin you’re still limited to about 46cm. We’re big fans of kit such as the Passport Handlebar Bag but getting kit in an out can be a pain as the drop bar hooks get in the way of the openings. You’re limited in what you can carry as the bag is fixed to the mounting straps.

What if there was another way…

A 13L dry bag fits a treat and is well clear of the controls

This new harness from Straight Cut neatly solves that problem. By using a separate dry bag and harness you can use a larger diameter dry bag and expand outwards & downwards while still keeping clear of your bars and levers. The straps used to secure the dry bag are independent of the harness attachments. Just pop a couple of QR buckles and the dry bag is ready to unpack. Refitting is as simple as doing them back up, as you haven’t touched the harness attachments there’s no further tweaking.

Two buckles to pop and your kit is unloaded

Using the space between your dropbars more effectively isn’t the only plus side to the Straight Cut harness. The method of attaching the harness has some significant advantages over the competition. Initially the design had us scratching our heads but once we’d worked it out we decided it was genius. Starting at the bottom, you loop the two straps through the fork crown and back through the tri-glide buckle. At this stage you can adjust the vertical location of the harness. It doesn’t take long to set it so the harness clears your tyre and doesn’t block your bar mounted lights.

Vertical adjustment is a breeze with the triglide buckles

A common gripe with bike packing luggage is the potential for it to damage the paintwork of your beloved bike. Handlebar harnesses that loop around your headtube are particularly bad for this. By attaching to the fork crown and bars, the harness is only attached to rotating components so there’s no sawing action. With just a bit of judicious taping ,you can all but guarantee to avoid marking your frame. Additionally, as the harness stays fixed in the perfect position, there’s no faffing as you strike camp and repack your kit.

Fine tune the Triglides and there’s no paint rub

Materials & Construction

Made from cordura canvas, the harness looks built to last. The buckles, ladderlocks and tri-glides are quality ITW Nexus items. I especially like the camlocks in the buckles, there’s no way the load will gradually work its way loose through the rough stuff. Despite seeming bombproof, the harness tips the scales at a meagre 160gms(5.5oz). You will of course have to factor in the weight of your dry bag to get the all-in weight. This has additional advantages. Aside from being able to choose the perfect capacity bag for a given ride, if you get a hole in your dry bag it can be replaced relatively cheaply as it’s not integral to the harness. Combined bags/harnesses are usually only water-resistant so require double-bagging in any case.

Out on the trail

The harness didn’t disappoint in use, staying rock-solid in position and supporting its load well. We’ve tested it exclusively on rigid bikes so it hasn’t had the benefit of extra cushioning beyond soft tyres. When time comes to unload your kit, the buckles unclip in a flash and the separate bag allows for easy repacking. We used the 13 litre Alpkit Airlok Dual for our testing and it works well in the harness. The additional loops on the Airlok providing piece of mind your luggage was staying put!

Summing up

Unless you’re after kit in a colour other than black then it’s difficult to find fault with the Straight Cut harness. It’s easy to fit (once you know how!), won’t damage your bike, holds your kit securely and is lightweight. I like it so much I’m going to ask Straight Cut if I can take it to Morocco in February…