Spearfish is our endurance-racing, long XC riding, full-suspension 29’er mountain bike. Designed for 24-hour and other ultra-endurance XXC efforts, Spearfish targets efficiency. The frame offers 80mm of rear wheel travel, paired with 100mm of front suspension.
The EV6 aluminum frame is low weight and uses a pivot-minimizing suspension design. Removing the rear pivot helps keep chassis weight down, while also reducing complexity and maintenance.
Strengths: The tapered headtube, PF30 BB, and the 12x142 rear axle is totally what all 29er frames should have standard. I'm loving the added precision it gives me as well as the rear ends single pivot.
Weaknesses: None yet.....
Bottom Line:
Overall, this frame was what I was looking for in my kind of riding and price is right on. I guess I got tired of forking out so much money over the years. Everything else in my garage is going on ebay.
Bike Setup: It's set-up with a Carbon Lefty Speed SL 80mm, Stan's Crest rims with Cannondale Si front hub and AC 225 converted to 12x142 axle, Aspen tubeless with Stan's sealant, 1x9 set-up with Shimano m970 cranks with PF30 conversion/adapter and brakes, SRAM XO rear derailleur, cogs, KMC XSL Gold chain and Easton Ec70 stem, seatpost and wide flatbar and WTB saddle.
Strengths: Incredible bike for the money, both the frame and build kit.
Weaknesses: The brakes are horrible, but that's no different than any other bike with Elixirs.
Bottom Line:
I was sure I was going to buy a Niner Jet9 when I first started looking for a FS 29er, but after riding one and several other companies offerings I didn't find a bike I was "in love with" . I demoed a Specialized Epic, a Santa Cruz Tall Boy, a Trek Superfly 100 and the Jet 9, and they all left me feeling like there had to be a better option out there. The Spearfish, for me, was the better option. The frame is stiff and light, the suspension works well at soaking up the small stuff, but doesn't bob much, if at all, when pedaling on flat ground. Despite having slightly longer chain-stays than some others, the bike easily handles tight single track and the longer wheelbase provides confidence inspiring stability at higher speeds. I've explained the bike as having an organic feel about it, it doesn't isolate you from the trail like some other frames. The only drawback is the Elixir brakes that come on the bike, I know I must have been incredibly unlucky, but I've gotten 2 defective sets warrantied and now have a set that works but feel just sufficient enough to stop the bike. Note: I have an extra large 2011 model.
Right off the showroom floor the Spearfish 2 is ready to rock! One of the first rides I ever did on it was a 6 hour endurance race and it lived up to all the expectations. This machine is made for just that, long epic rides and some brutally fast XC racing. I've done both types of races on the Fish and it has not let me down. The race geometry is perfect for whipping around this light machine or for grinding out the last climb on an enduro race. The components are of the highest quality possible for the price. I can't say enough about the 2x10 drivetrain. It seems like no matter what, you're always in the right gear. 39,26 up front is the perfect combination! The oversized axle in the front, along with the oversized steerer tube provide great stiffness and responsive steering. And the flexy rear end is hardly noticeable when climbing. The only downfall to this bike is that you are more prone to striking objects with your pedals or chainrings due to the low bottom bracket.
Strengths: Spearfish 1: Great design. Great components. Light, nimble, comfortable, and fast bike!
Weaknesses: I hit my pedals noticeably more. High demand, short supply.
Bottom Line:
I just got my Spearfish 1 last friday. What a great looking bike. I have been riding a FS 26r for years and am delighted of the immediate differences a 29r makes.
Review:
Retailer: 5 Chilis; Great buying experience. Very fast and honest. Not perfect, but who is. I highly recommend them: Tree Fort Bikes
Bike: 4 Chilis; Awesome ride.
Salsa: 3 Chilis: See below.
My only complaint, other than the shop cutting the front brake cable too short (forgot to air up shock), is that Salsa advertised red spoke nipples...and mine are black! As cheesy as it may sound, I was looking forward to red spoke nipples. And, for full retail $3500, I thought the bike should at least come as advertised. I was directed to the bottom of the website page that said, "Specification subject to change without notice."
The shop is going to fix the cable for me but Salsa stuck to their small print (which wasnt so small actually, just at the bottom of the page). They didnt want to even consider a swap because my new wheels are now considered used and my nipple issue was apparently cosmetic.
Hmmm...well, that's a little uncool in my opinion because although this is a minor issue to some, its important to me. When a person spends over $3000 for a bicycle, they should get red nipples if the advertisement and their website picture had red nipples. I like red nipples.
Salsa said they were not going to help but was happy that I love the bike. Well...thanks. I guess. Maybe I should have stuck with Ventana. There is a reason some companies have loyalty programs...and some don't.
Submitted by
Dambala
a Cross Country Rider
from St. Louis
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2012
Strengths: 2012 Spearfish 1 frame. Very happy with the pedaling performance. Rear triangle stiffness with 142 x 12 axle is excellent. Decent weight for the $$. Prefer the black anodized finish to the painted frames.
Weaknesses: Cable routing isn't the best I've seen.
Bottom Line:
After initial set up I am very happy with pedaling performance. Bike climbs surprisingly well and seems to handle different types of terrain well.
Similar Products Used: Steel and Carbon hardtails. First full Suspension.
Bike Setup: Reba World Cup, Rotor RD3 crankset (with Parlee PF30 BB), Magura MT-8 brakes, SRAM Shifter/Der.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
TLD80
a All Mountain Rider
from Boise
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2012
Strengths: Pedals unbelievably well. Great parts selection. A lot of bang for your buck.
Weaknesses: The brakes seem to get overwhelmed on long decents.
Bottom Line:
This is my first 29er so I can't really compare it to other 29ers. I came from a 5" travel trail bike to the Spearfish. It is categorized as an XC/Endurance bike but I ride this thing as an all out trail bike and it does a fantastic job of it. The Joplin seatpost really helps in that aspect. The bike pedals very well without any noticeable pedal bob. Seated or standing while climbing doesn't matter. You can just hammer on this thing.The bike feels extremely solid however the brakes do heat up on longer downhill sections. I thought there would be a learning curve going to a 29er but Salsa has the geometry on the Spearfish dialed. The first ride on the Spearfish made me feel like I had been riding it for years. It just felt right. The bike feels extremely flickable on the decents and is a blast to get sideways. Like I said, I ride this bike like a trail bike. I highly recommend this bike to anyone who is considering a 29er. For the money there isn't a lot out there that can touch it. I also like the fact that Salsa is a smaller company I and love supporting the little guy.
Bike Setup: I swapped out the stock tires for some Racing Ralphs. Put a Joplin R seatpost on it. Replaced the handlebar with an Easton Carbon bar.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
famorales
a Cross Country Rider
from Tampa, FL
Date Reviewed: February 25, 2012
Strengths: Overall good components for the price, fairly light
Weaknesses: None found yet
Bottom Line:
Really consider myself more of an XC rider but there are some very technical trails in this area and I found that this bike has inspired confidence in my riding style that I may not otherwise have had, keep in mind that before getting this bike I had been riding an old Specialized Rockhopper Comp with no suspension. I was a little worried when I got a full suspension bike that it might be harder to climb some of the short steep climbs they have on some of the trails but have found the opposite to be true. I routinely have been able to stand and crank on the peddles and have had no problem with pedal bob or losing traction.The bike feels light and nimble, setup tubeless, and has been able to handle the very bumpy trails in the area without any issues.
Bike Setup: 2011 Stock setup except for a Fizik Alliante saddle and Maxxis Ignitor Tires setup tubeless
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Submitted by
Hudnut
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkley, MI
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2012
Strengths: Great value, simple maintenance, climbs great, comfortable
Weaknesses: not the biggest fan of the color, would like a more adjustable shock
Bottom Line:
This was a frame only build so that's what is reviewed here. I've put a ton of miles on it since 6/11 and it's held up perfectly. The frame and suspension has required 0 maintenance. I have been happy with the BB30 and have not had to service the bearings. The bike rides and looks great although I would prefer a more subtle color. but.. it has grown on me. At first glance the skinny seat stays make you think the rear would be flimsy but that is definitely not the case as you can stand and hammer just as well as any hard tail.
Similar Products Used: Jamis Dakar XC pro, monocog flite
Bike Setup: Frame Salsa spearfish Medium
Fork Reba SL 29
headset lower FSA Orbit Tapered for 1 1/8
Wheels Velocity Blunt / rotaz
Crank FSA Comet 386 Compact BB30 27/39 10Spd 175mm
tires Kenda Slant six 2.2
cassette SRAM PG 1050 11-36
BB Sram bb30 press
clamp avid matchmaker
bar easton monkeylight XC
stem Ritchey Pro
post Bontrager XXX Lite
saddle WTB PureV SLT
grips Ergon GC2
brakes avid jucy 5
shifters X7 2x10 trigger
front derailuer x7 35mm HC
rear derailuer x9 carbon med cage
Cables Jagwire
chain pc 1031
http://forums.mtbr.com/salsa/spearfish-build-727113.html
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
podrunner
a Cross Country Rider
from Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2012
Strengths: Just like the others have said, this bike climbs great, more like a hardtail than a full suspension. I waited a full year since purchase to do a review so I could be sure and not just react to the newness. The bike is light, fast and comfortable even on the rough stuff. The X9 a rear and X7 front derailleurs shift perfectly
Weaknesses: None found yet!
Bottom Line:
The bike is a great value, very efficient, comfortable and highly recommended. I have ridden it many miles and have had no mechanical problems at all. I looked at several full suspension 29ers before deciding on the Spearfish and concluded that for my XC style of riding that this was by far the best bike for me.
Similar Products Used: Rockhopper 29er but no other full suspension bikes.
Bike Setup: The stock components were fine and the 2 X 10 was a first for me. I am a gear head so I did change a few things right out of the box. The original 2 x 10 gearing (26/38) with the PF30 bottom bracket is great for a younger, smaller, stronger rider but not for me so I got the adapters and changed the crankset to a 22/36 that fits my style better. I will change back to the PF30 as soon as someone makes one that has the gearing for me. I changed the saddle and bars to ones more to my liking. I also converted the Stans Wheelset to tubless and have Maxxis Icon exc tires that I really like.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
So Cal RX
a Weekend Warrior
from Redondo Beach, CA
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2012
Strengths: value, climbs very well, comfortable, descends better than anticipated
Weaknesses: none, especially for price
Bottom Line:
Bought this bike for endurance training and events and am very, very happy with my purchase. The bike is very comfortable and climbs very well just as advertised. What surprised me was how well this bike descends. The 80mm in the rear feels like more. Handles very well at speed and in the twisty stuff. This bike would actually do well as an all around bike. I do need to get used to lifting the front wheel over obstacles. With my minimal upgrades, the bike weighs 26.5 lbs. I already bought some stock No Tubes Crest wheels and Maxxis Ikon tires so that should get it down in the 25s. Still trying to decide on the Silverado saddle, but I can easily switch that out. Was trying to hold out for the 2012 models to get the 15mm Maxle, but The Path hooked me up with a great deal, and I'm a lighter rider, so I don't think I'll miss it. Bottom line: would give this more than 5 chilis on value if I could. Meets expectations on climbing and comfort, exceeds expectations on descending prowess.
Bike Setup: stock 2011 build, except already had stock No Tubes Arch wheels (a little lighter than the Formula Arch wheels) Niner flat top carbon bar
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Submitted by
RogerRacer
a Racer
from slepyhollow ,NY
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2011
Strengths: climbs and go s down hill good
Weaknesses: a little heavy comes stock out of the box with some heavy parts and did not like the 2x9 gearing
Bottom Line:
well I demo the bottom of the line model and i think that it is the best bang for the buck out there .I pick up the bike on a fri after noon and road it for a half hour and then the next day i race it in the six hours of cathedral pines as a team with my friend ,i jump on that bike and felt right at home on it, right away and i rip the fastest lap of the day= ,on our team and my friends park next to us as well ;-) .Put that bike on a diet and loose a few pounds [ wheels etc ] = change the gearing around= oh yea i did not like the 2x9 gearing the 40 was a little to tall for me and the 24 was a little to spinney.change that around and you got your self a pretty sweet race weapon or trail bike for the money BTW i wt it and stock it was 28.2 lbs I put my wheels on it and it wt in at 26.9 that's pretty good ,so good that I order a frame today = YES the bottle cage is a little low in the frame that is true but i could live with that .Woo Hoo time to build a bike get them while there hot
Similar Products Used: Giant Anthem,voodoo,canondale ,
Bike Setup: stock out of the box just set the air in the fork and shock and off i went
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Submitted by
Lucky_Skunk
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2011
Strengths: I would have to agree completely with GreenBlur's review. Great climber, efficient suspension, perfect for someone who likes the way a HT climbs but needs something a little easier on the back. I love the 2x10 drivetrain and I'm digging the PF30 X9 crankset.
Weaknesses: These weeknesses are negligable for the most part, and probably more of a personal preference. I have already swapped out the Nanos for meatier tires. It also came with a 120mm +5 degree stem, which would have worked great if I were Michael Phelps or a monkey, but I immediately swapped it out for a 90mm with +7 stem. That made it perfect for me. Also, not crazy about the salsa grips, mainly because I've gotten used to the Ergons. So I'll be replacing them shortly w/ the ergons. The Silverado seat is a little harder than what I'm used to (Lazer V), but I'm gonna stick with it for now, (I have to! It's gotta big green Salsa emblem on it!) Also didn't come with a c/s protector. (No biggie. Lizzard Skin, ftw.) The only future upgrades I have in mind are carbon bars and eventually CK hubs. (The Formula hubs it came with are "adequate", for now.)
Bottom Line:
The trail I rode, Slaughter Creek Trail, is pretty flat for the most part with lots of chatter and about half a dozen rock gardens. Unfortunately, there isn't much climbing there. However, there is one pretty decent shelf to climb and I sessioned it about 4-5 times and was thoroughly impressed. I climbed in and out of the saddle, and I truly couldn't feel the suspnsion working. (However, a more seasoned rider might.) As for the suspension, it really was extremely efficient. The suspension ate up the familiar trail chatter like no one's business.
Component wise, it is obvious that the Salsa guys put a lot of thought into it. Other than the tire selection, I don't think I could have done a much better job of building it up for the money. Heck, it even came with matchmaker clamps already on the breaks & shifters.
Haven't had a chance to weigh it with pedals yet, but in the LBS it weighted in at just over 29lbs. (22')
I'm sure there are other weeknesses on the Spearfish that a more experienced rider could probably point out, but I doubt any of them would be deal-breakers. As for me and my style of riding though, I don't think I could have picked a better bike, especially for my first full squish.
Salsa touts the Spearfish as an "ultra-endurance racing and riding machine, perfect for 100-milers, 24-hour races, and all-day singletrack sessions.". I would have to say they pulled it off completely.
Similar Products Used: Marin 29er HT, Specialized Epic 29er (Demo'd)
Bike Setup: Maxxis Ikon 2.2 in the back and an Maxxis Ardent 2.25 in the front, and went tubeless as well, running both at about 28 psi. (Turned out to be a fantastic tire combo and I would absolutely recommend it.)
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Submitted by
spearfish
a Cross Country Rider
from Tennessee
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2011
Strengths: love the 2x10 drivetrain, very comfortable especially on long rides
Weaknesses: bottle cage is too low, should have came with a WTB Rocket saddle instead of a Silverado
Bottom Line:
Really enjoy riding this bike once I got setup to fit properly. The bike descends very well, feels like it has more than 80mm rear travel, climbs good also. Great all around bike.
Similar Products Used: 1st 29er full suspension, several 26"s
Bike Setup: carbon Salsa bar and seatpost, WTB Rocket Team saddle
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Submitted by
shorefire
a Weekend Warrior
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2011
Strengths: Efficiency
Weaknesses: Rear shock Monarch
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike. I bought mine used after demoing the bike and riding lots of bikes at local shops. Its a fast, efficient bike, mine weighs less than 25lbs after some upgrades. Fantastic on long climbs. I preferred the carbon tallboy but the spearfish cost half as much.
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz tallboy, spec. epic, giant anthem
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Submitted by
greenblur
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2011
Strengths: Extremely efficient suspension, transfers maximum energy to the rear wheels with minimal suspension bob. Just enough travel to handle rougher sections of trail. Supremely comfortable on long rides. Much improved traction over my hardtail. Super stable on descents, just don't huck it off any five foot drops. Climbs well in and out of the saddle; I hardly feel the suspension working under power. The drive train, shifters, brakes, wheel set and fork are all fantastic. Metallic green paint is sweet. You won't see another one on the trail until Salsa delivers more 2011 models this summer. Chicks dig it; I was stopped twice in the first week.
Weaknesses: The seat is hard and flat, I swapped it out for the Fizik on my hardtail. The bars have too much sweep for my tastes; I replaced them with my ancient, heavy Bontragers. The grips are good but I prefer ODI's. The WTB Nanos roll very fast but lack traction in the rough stuff. I run Kenda Slant Six's. It seems to me Salsa realized these items were likely to be swapped out for a rider's personal preference/trail conditions, so they threw on parts that would help them hit a price point. The SRAM X9 2x10 setup performs as advertised but I should point out two things: One, the PressFit30 bottom bracket is exceptionally stiff but it limits your crank options unless you use the "problem solver" adapter. Two, if you prefer to run a crank mounted bash guard, good luck finding one. The bolt pattern is proprietary to SRAM. They need to introduce a solution ASAP. I'm probably going to hit up the local machine shop for a custom piece. The bash guard isn't Salsa's problem but it keeps the bike from getting a dual five chili rating.
Bottom Line:
This bike strikes a perfect balance between compliance and pedaling efficiency. The Monarch shock did take a little experimenting to get right. I run it at higher psi (250 vs recommended 230-ish for my weight) and I set the rebound to the second fastest setting. This makes for a stiffer ride, but that's what I prefer. There is definitely room to add more compliance if you want. I don't notice the 5mm of seat stay flex that is designed into the rear triangle. That tells me it is well engineered into the entire suspension package.
I'm not a hardcore racer or downhill bomber. If you are, you may want a more focused bike. This is an excellent jack-of-all trades machine, something a wide range of riders could be very happy riding in most conditions. You could spend a lot more money on a comparable bike but it probably won't make you much faster. I hope the rumors about a price hike are false, since no one can touch this bike for the money.
Similar Products Used: Own a Gary Fisher X-Calibur (not G2). Test rode Fisher/Trek Hi-Fi Deluxe ($2600 comparably equipped) and a Niner Jet 9 ($3000 for an X7 build). Great bikes but hard to justify when the Salsa comes in at $2250.
Bike Setup: Stock, with the exceptions noted above. 28.5 lbs complete with a medium frame. I haven't yet switched over to tubeless.
