If you’re looking for big, fast, and light, your search ends with Mamasita. The scandium frame uses specially shaped chainstays (ala the Dos Niner) along with newly designed carbon seatstays to facilitate vibration damping. Cable housing guides are also directly integrated into the carbon seatstays.
Mamasita is the evolution of the proven Moto Rapido hardtail into the 29’er format. The frame is designed around an 80mm travel RockShox Reba suspension fork. The 18” frame weighs 3.4 lbs while the complete bike pictured comes in at just under 21 lbs.
Strengths: Fast, Fast, Fast. Great part spec for the money on a complete build.
Weaknesses: Not a lot to say here. For a race/marathon hardtail it does an extraordinary job.
Bottom Line:
I came to this bike from a 6" trail rig with 26" wheels so it took some time to figure it out. Honestly it scared the crap out of me at first. It felt twitchy, tall, and odd. I replaced the rigid White Brothers fork with a Reba and put a 70mm stem on it (for handling and fit) and put some miles in and now I'm pretty thrilled (No dig against the WB fork, it was amazingly light and took the edge off - would be great for touring and short, smooth races but I got beat up and tired of the skipping around in corners). Handling is precise, cornering is FUN, and riding uphill feels effortless. The back tire stays put most of the time even when climbing out of the saddle with Kenda Karmas. The scandium frame is plenty light and inspires much more confidence than a carbon frame. The ride is less harsh than other hardtails. An exceptional bike at any price. Very fun. I'm about 5'6" and the small has plenty of standover.
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Submitted by
bennym
a Cross Country Rider
from Mexico
After riding steel bikes for a while I knew I wanted to build a very light 29er. It was between the Mamasita and the Niner EMD. I am so happy with the Salsa desicion. It is an awesome frame. Riding this bike as a full rigid is amazing. I feel like im on a snowboard sometimes its so smooth. Power to the back wheel is incredible. It is everything I ever wanted in a bike! Negatives are non-existant for me as I like to ride with thin tires...except chain slap when bunny hopping. Could fix this by going ss though...think I might look out for a Selma. I wouldnt mind owning 4-5 of these frames in reserve for the rest of my life. Did I say how light it is with the carbon fork? I ride the medium and am 6' with 35.5' inseam...the seat is high (400mm)...I could have fitted a large but wanted a very lively bike. This is it.
Submitted by
erdoctor98
a Weekend Warrior
from muldrow, ok, USA
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2010
Strengths: great set up right out of the box. full shimano xt group that works very well on this bike. great for a bigger rider (6'4", 100kg) and a pretty danged light weight ride in the XL frame (sub 30lb) perfect machine for endurance riding/24 hour racing
Weaknesses: hardtail takes a bit to get used to after riding full suspension rig for past few years
shimano rear cogs "slip" a bit, but i am sure that is a set up issue that will just require a little bit of tweaking
Bottom Line:
great bike. climbs like a goat, quick on the downhills and rolls right over rocks and logs in the trail. a lot of fun and a great fit for the bigger rider. a bit of a challenge for the yakima roof rack and it scratched the rock shock fork post, but it had to get scratches on it sooner or later. seat is surprisingly comfy, and the geometry of the bike seems to be almost perfect. i love this bike and i love the frame build quality. highly recommended and i think that the price is spot on.
CHRIS at speedgoat cycles is a great guy and i would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you guys do business with those folks if you are looking for a new bike. they do a quality job and sell great bikes.
Similar Products Used: none. brand new to the 29er realm
last bike was a specialized fsr xc comp and prior to that a rode a very nice gary fisher montare (still have the bike and love it)
Bike Setup: shimano xt drivetrain; salsa for the rest; crank brothers pedals (stainless eggbeaters); ergon grips with climb bars (very, very comfy)
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Submitted by
Crash2Ouch
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2010
Strengths: -Light! a Large 20" Frame weighed in at 3lbs 8oz.
-Carbon stays (look cool and are VERY functional)
-Very stiff
-Climbs great and is smooth on technical downhill sections
-Steers fast
Weaknesses: -only 1 frame color
Bottom Line:
I switched to a hardtail from a Full Supspention bike because a guy my size (6' 250lbs) the pivots where wearing out twice a year. So just a cost issue (pivots and shock). I looked at all HT frames, Niner, Marin, Specialized, Gary Fisher. And they all looked the same other than the stickers you had a hard time telling each appart. I came across the Salsa and it looked awesome. I have heard horror stories of frames made of scandium. Scandium is a bonding agent added to alumn. This allows for stronger connections and welds to the tubes. Armed with the knowledge on the frame I purchased one. (the price for this very high end frame is much better than the other brands as well). to date I have logged about 600 miles on it and there hasn't be any issues. I made sure and put a chain stay protector on (handle bar tape with electric tape ends) and I used crankskins frame protector all over the bike as well. When you are my size weight really isn't a problem. I would recommend this frame to anyone that is looking for a great all around frame. even though it is marketed as a race frame. and since I do not have a HUGE budget this is my 1 and only bike. And it is truely a lot of fun to ride. Ride-n-Smile.
Bike Setup: Mamasita, I9 wheelset, Titec, Sram XO and Kenda
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Submitted by
GTR-33
a Weekend Warrior
from Milwaukee, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2009
Strengths: -Light! My 20" Frame weighed in at 3lbs 8oz.
-Carbon stays do kill trail buzz but the bike is still very stiff.
-Climbs well and is smooth on the downhill sections.
-Steers fast. This 29er doesn't ride like a truck.
Weaknesses: -Rear tire clearance. Most tires bigger than 2.1 will NOT clear the rear.
-Fat wide chainstays collect mud.
-Scandium will break.
Bottom Line:
This bike is designed as an XC race bike first and foremost IMO. The rear tire clearance may be an issue for someone intending to have a really light hardtail they can put fat tires on a just have a good time. I have a Hutchinson Python 2.1 on a Bontrager Rhythm Elite and there is maybe 8mm of clearance at the top of the carbon seat stay. So fat tires are out, not that there are many fat 29er tires anyway. I do have some scratches on the carbon but it's only surface so far.
I have an 08 frame and it seems pretty clear that it was designed for a Reba fork. The F29 80 is shorter than the Reba so I think that it may have been the reason the bike felt too twitchy at first. The 100mm feels good and stiff and is much less twitchy than the 80mm. The 09 and newer have tweaked geometry so you should be able to run any fork you want.
Rear chainstays do collect mud and downhills will have the chain slapping right against it. So put something on the drive side if you value the paint.
For what the frame costs there are equally good bikes out there IMO that are just as light. It's a great bike but you pay a premium for riding something no one else is. I have yet to see another one on the trail.
The frame is also very durable and strong. I ate it hard at Dupont and ended up launching the bike up into the air into a pile of rocks and it barely came out with a paint chip. This is definitely a fast, great handling 29er but it's probably not the bike for a beginner as it's not so forgiving.
Similar Products Used: Fisher Superfly, Fisher Ferrous 29er, Specialized Stumpjumper Expert 29, Felt Nine Race
Bike Setup: Fox F29 100 15QR/Fox F29 80, Juicy Ultimates, XTR Shifters, XT front and rear, crank and cassette. Bontrager Rhythm Elite/Chris King ZTR Flow wheels.
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Submitted by
Detective365
a Cross Country Rider
from Madison, WI
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2009
Strengths: LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT!
-Carbon seat stays smooth out bumps, but rear triangle is still quite stiff
-Welds holding up well, no complaints about workmanship, etc. (was a little worried about the carbon seat stays, since I'm bigger; 6'3" 200)
Weaknesses: -Chainstay NEEDS a guard; otherwise, expect to have paint chips after your first serious off-road ride
-Make sure you put enough spacers in your stem, or your shifters may dent the top tube if you spill
Bottom Line:
The Mamasita is LIGHT. I was amazed when the frame came in; the box was heavier than the bike!
Built up my own bike from just the frame; I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! The Frame works perfectly for an XC setup, and POWERS up hills! Only two complaints: 1)If you don't throw a chainstay guard on the bike IMMEDIATELY, the paint WILL come off on your first drop/bumpy ride. 2)the derailleur hanger in the rear was slightly bent when the bike got to me. No biggie, just grabbed a pair of pliers and straightened it.
Bottom line: The bike is a beauty, quite durable (I've dumped it and flipped it multiple times, no damage yet), and very light! Very impressive.
Similar Products Used: Motobecane niner, SS Aluminum niner
Bike Setup: Juicy Ultimate brakes, Saint shifters, Saint rr der., XT fr der., Rock Shox Reba, XT hubs, Velo Blunt rims, Stylo crank/BB
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Submitted by
coppersmith99
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2009
Strengths: Great bike. The carbon rear triangle is super sexy, and the pinstripe decals on the black 08's looked incredible. Not sure how much vibration/trail abuse the carbon saves you from, but it should be worth something in theory.
Weaknesses: A bit expensive. Everybody buys into the marketing of "superlight racing 29'er," but an aluminum Fisher 29'er frame at the same size is claimed to be about .2 pounds lighter. Considering you pay about $450 retail for a lighter Fisher with a lifetime warranty vs. $800 for a Salsa with a 5 year warranty , I'm not sure how the Mamacita is perceived as a lighter bike or a better value.
Bottom Line:
I really like the bike, but it is heavier, more expensive, and has a shorter warranty of unknown quality than other 29'er options. The carbon fiber rear triangle looks cool, but after a short test I'm not convinced it really does much else for the bike (other than increase the cost). I cannot find any basis for ranking this as the "best of mtbr," other than folks who paid the extra cash needing to justify the loss.
Similar Products Used: Surly Karate Monkey - still looking for a Niner to compare.
Bike Setup: Drivetrain, handlebars, wheels - you know the drill.
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Submitted by
Bowlander
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacramento California USA
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2009
Strengths: Fit, looks, light, stiff, fast, climbing, descending, and finally cornering. Does that cover every aspect of a riding a bike?
Weaknesses: Longevity of Scandium Frame, factory frame prep
Bottom Line:
I'm 6'4" so the 29er platform was a no brainer for me. I bought a 2008 23" frame and the fit is right on with a 110 mm stem. I've been looking for a "deal" on a MCR, Mamasita, or an Air 9. No deals on the Niners so I bought this bike. I don't regret it one bit. I am riding bumpy, rocky, messed up trails on this bike as fast as my 100 mm travel FSR, with more confidence. I noticed the big wheels don't have as much tendency to get caught between rocks or get stopped by objects on the trail they just roll over them. I have to admit this is also my first bike with disc brakes so I'm thinking some of my new found confidence is the effectiveness of the disc brakes over rim brakes.
I whipped around FDLT today and was actually catching up to a really fit guy on one one of those fancy new Ibises on the down hills. Of coarse he handed it to me on the climbs... But the fact remains I feel like I can rip the down hills, with a big ol' grin.
One thing to note my frame required the BB to be chased and faced. The mechanic said that the scandium is very brittle, and to be very careful when installing the bottom bracket.
I did a no bling build (no XTR or XO) and my 23" bike still came it at 26 lbs 5 oz with time atac aluminum pedals. I could easily drop one pound by going tubeless and getting some lighter pedals. I have noticed I don't use the big ring too much so a 2x9 is a possibility with this bike.
So far I love this bike, it has exceeded my expectations for what I expected a hard tail to do. The stiff frame, tight handling, and big wheels are exactly what I've been looking for. I'd say if you are 6' or taller and like hard tails I wouldn't even bother with a 26" wheeled bike. These things start looking goofy in the smaller frame sizes but people are riding them and still seeing the benefits of the big wheels.
Submitted by
perrygeo
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Barbara, CA
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2008
Strengths: Light. Responsive and stiff without being harsh. Actually has a good amount of shock absorption with the carbon stays. Visually the coolest bike I've ever seen.
Weaknesses: At the carbon/scandium junction on the seatstay, I've started to see some grooves in the paint. Not a fracture but could be a bad epoxy? It hasn't affected the ride quality and I'm going to keep going on it.
Bottom Line:
I bought the Mamasita primarily for racing XC and endurance races. But I've come to use about it as my primary bike for almost all MTB rides from steep & technical to long distance climbing days.
This bike is made to go fast... it demands that you push harder. It accelerates, corners and climbs so fast that it puts my road bike to shame.
I'm not sure if it's the 29" wheels, big volume low psi tubeless tires, my ti seatpost or the carbon seatstays but this bike just floats over the rough stuff. I was a little bit hesitant to give up my 4" of travel but I can honestly say i don't miss it. For super long back country rides, FS might help if you have back problems .. but the Mamasita is an XC racing bike, not All-Mountain.
Despite that, the mamasita is smoother on 95% of the technical stuff than any FS bike I've ridden. I actually find myself cleaning lines that I used to struggle with... I bought the bike to climb hills and race XC and it turns out to be the best descending bike as well! You have to be an aggressive, active bike handler but if that's your style, the Mamasita will fly with you.
Strengths: light weight great shock absortion handles great nice graphics.
Weaknesses: bottom bracket height for me was lower than my other 29er bike making me more careful through the rocky sections.
Bottom Line:
i recomend this bike for racers or experienced riders . made to go fast .solid handling. never felt that the steering was too fast as numbers indicate. this bike can be made very light mine was 23 lbs. nice on uphills. bought my frame on ebay and was able to build a sweet ride for about 1600 dollars.
Weaknesses: Flat chainstay on rear disc side gets scratched when I take out the wheel by the rotor.
Bottom Line:
The more I read about 29ers, the more I wanted one. Read an article in Velonews with Jeremy Horgan Kolbelski. A week after reading, sold the 26er and fork. Relaced the hubs to Stan's Arch, and got myself a Reba Race. I love the way this bike rides, I made the rotational weight of the wheels as light as possible.
Could of been lighter, but thought the Arch rim would be better suited to me than the ZTR Race 29 rim. You can get a lighter frame by niner, fisher or orbea, but I think this bike is light enough. I would only save a half of a pound. Put the money in the wheels, I will eventually experiment with a rigid fork and cross tires.
Had some issues with trying to take the rear wheel out, my rotor sometimes hits the flattened chainstay, I need to learn better finesse. The flat chainstays are really cool looking and I'm sold on that they smooth the ride out. I had a carbon mountain bike before and this rides similar. The bigger wheels might be a part of that too. 6'2 ride a large, and think the fit is right on.
Similar Products Used: Stumpjumper, Trek Elite 9.8, BMC Team Elite.
Bike Setup: Kings hubs, Stan's Arch, Aerolite spokes. Sram X.0, Juicy Carbons, Race Face Deus, Solos Headset, Thomson post. Yada, Yada, Yada.
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Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2008
Strengths: Light and very fast. Climbs amazing.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
This is my first product review. I like this bike so much that I felt the need to write a review. I am 6'2" - 190 and this bike in a large really does fit me great. I have had a few scratches here and there on the frame but the paint really doesn't seem that fragile to me. I have had an FSR and a hardtail 26er singlespeed for 3-5 years and this is my favorite bike. I sold my FSR and bought this bike and have no regrets. The gearing on the 29er does take some getting used to. I am sold on the 29er technology. It is not quite as soft as I thought it was going to be but still a great bike. I would recommend this bike to anyone.
Bike Setup: XT Cranks, X.9 shifters and rear derailer, XT front derailer, Reba fork, Bontarager post and stem, Bontrager bars, Juicy 7's.
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Submitted by
Tozamile
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington DC
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2008
Strengths: super light, climbs like a mountain goat, rolls over anything. The 29" wheels and carbon seatstays make for comfortable/responsive ride. This bike is just as comfortable and out performs my old FS by a long shot
Weaknesses: a bit narrow on rear wheel clearance, but not really an issue.
Bottom Line:
The best hardtail I've ridden. I built this for some xterra and cross country racing this season. For shorter distance races and being 6'2" the 29er hardtail seemed the way to go. So far it's surpassed all my expectations.
Bike Setup: rock shox reba, X9/7 drivetrain, truvativ cranks, FSA carbon riser bars, avid BB7, Thomson stem and seatpost, Chris King headset and hubs, Stan's Arch rims
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Submitted by
mark dunn
a Cross Country Rider
from portland, or
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2008
Strengths: Seems to handle well, manueverable, predictable, very supple in terms of absorbing bumps but still providing rider input to trail. Also well balanced. Climbs well and descends equally well. Fabrication appears to be of quaility - no ugly welds, uneven surfaces or paint drips.
Weaknesses: Very cheap finish - easily scuffs and scratches. Those fancy flared chain stays are great mud collectors
Bottom Line:
Overall a pleasure to ride. I am new to the 29ner scene. I am only 5'9' and feel fairly comfortable on a Md/lrge (2007 model) size. In 2008, Salsa went to the normal small, medium and large sizing. My report is initial in that I have only done 3 hour rides. I will update with a later with a more comprehensive report on longer rides with varying terrain experiences. Concerns are on the durability of the Scandium frames which are pretty much known to be disposal. But I think that the carbon seat stays should help with the durability. I hope this review helps.
Bike Setup: Key points here is that I have a Ti Syncros seat post that is complementary in terms of soaking up shock. For wheels I had some fairly light Velocity Blunts laced to Hope Pro hubs. Wide width of 28MM - allows very low tire pressure.I would recommend the wide rim for larger riders. Mike Garcia was the builder and he is great to work with. The Reba SL seems to work just fine. But I am not one to constantly fiddle with fork set-ups.
