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Average Rating
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4.74/5
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# of Reviews
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27
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MSRP
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$ 1040.00
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Weight
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More Products from Salsa Cycles
Submit a Review
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Description:Scandium, Custom-Drawn Tubeset, Salsa Relish™ Air Shock
Fits 29" x 2.3" tires
135mm rear spacing
Seatpost diameter: 27.2mm
Seatpost clamp: 30.6mm
Bottom bracket: 68mm
Headset: 1-1/8"
For use with 80mm travel fork
Flat chainstays and Relish air shock give 1" rear travel
Front derailleur clamp: 34.9mm
Includes Salsa Lip-Lock seat collar
Sizes: 16", 18", 20" and 22"
4.1 lbs for 18" with shock
Color: Greengo!
$1040.00 MSRP (frame only)
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Submitted by
Matthew
a Weekend Warrior
from Mill Valley, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tenderfoot | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | BikeRX | | Strengths: | Climbing, fast descents | | Weaknesses: | Too little tire clearance. Fragile paint. | | Bike Setup: | SRAM, Truvativ | | Bottom Line: | I only came back to biking last Fall after a 25 year hiatus. I asked the bike store for a solid bike that would let me keep up with buddies who have biked longer, but nothing "above my station" as a newbie.
I am 6'3" and 220lbs, and the LBS folks recommended the Dos Niner without hesitation. I did not even know what a 29er was at the time.
It was a bit embarrassing showing up for my first group ride on this enourmous, bright orange/red bike with flames on the decals. I took a lot of heat...
However, within three rides I was keeping up, and now I can lead any ascent. The group calls it the Mustang because it seems to look for any opportunity to dig in and get moving. And riding down an long descent could not be any more fun. The bike just eats up the road.
I would recommend the Dos Niner with no reservation to any big guys. And I would give it a look even if you aren't | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shiva
a Cross Country Rider
from Pennsylvania
Date Reviewed: March 8, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat.com | | Strengths: | Rolls over everything and anything, really light, use it as my race rig. | | Weaknesses: | Front end wants to lift if climbing while standing. Though I don't have my bike set up real aggressive which may be the real reason. A little slower in the turns, but now I have learned to anticpate that, so not a problem. | | Similar Products Used: | First 29er. | | Bike Setup: | american classic wheels, tubeless, sram x9, thompson setback seatpost, salsa 28" bars, king headset, avid bb7 mechanical brakes, reba race fork | | Bottom Line: | I had a 5" travel bike that I was trying to race. Comfy but heavy. Bought the dos as my race bike. It's really light, the bigger wheels roll over the rocks and roots so easily. Climbs great when seated. Descends just as well as my 5" travel bike.
Thought I would miss all the suspension, but with the bigger wheels, the scandium stays, 1" relish, and the tubeless tires, I can't even tell the difference that I'm on a softtail and not a full suspension.
On my weekly group ride, I went from being a mid-pack rider to riding in the front part of the group. Friends noticed the difference immediately. It is so much fun, that I find myself riding a lot more often.
People talk about the difficulty of getting started on 29er, but since this bike is so much lighter I can't see any problem at all.
My race times this past season compared to the years previous are much improved. Probably not all due to the dos, but a big portion of it is. I definitely recommend this bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Agoura Hills
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Chesebro | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | MTBR | | Strengths: | Killer handling, fast, stiff, awesome paint job (orange), doesn't feel tall, rear shock takes the edge off drops. | | Weaknesses: | Paint chips easily | | Similar Products Used: | First 29r owned | | Bike Setup: | Reba Race, Truvativ Team cockpit, Stylo cranks, Salsa rims with WTB Lite Hubs. All SRAM - X.0 and X.9 | | Bottom Line: | This is my first 29r. Rides so smoothly over the trail. Still getting used to getting the wheels moving but once the bike gets going it hauls booty! Not better than a 26r but it has given my old trails a new life. Will be fun to go back and for from 26r to 29r. Go get one! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Cross Country Rider
from Hudson
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | 909 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | friend | | Strengths: | for the price its one of the nicest, fun bikes out there | | Weaknesses: | paint is weak- I guess that is from the scandium which paint doesn't stick to. I don't care for the "tribal" decal- but you really can't see that when you are haulin's ass on east coast single track | | Similar Products Used: | Litespeed, fat chance, moots, serotta, Ellsworth truth x2, bianchia diss, dean ss, scalpel turned into ss, many different santa cruzs that my friends own. | | Bike Setup: | Lp bars and seat post, hope pro 2 ss bolt (this made a big difference)RS Rebba, king headset, thomson stem, oury grips,Paul's chain tensionier | | Bottom Line: | I bought this bike from a friend you couldn't handle the big boy wheels. I wanted to try out this whole 29er thing- which I thought was a fad. I crashed really hard on my first ride (not setting the fork up right made it waaay too stiff and I got flipped over the bars on a very steep rock drop off tumbling about 8 feet) AFTER moving the bars lower and getting the setup like my race bike- ITS THE BOMB! I can't believe it only has 1" of travel- with the 28er wheels it fells like as much as my scalpel (which I sold right away). Its crazy fast- I am running it single speed- and my average times are as fast or faster than my 4" travel moots geared bike. I had a problem with the original wheels rubbing into the chain stays- but that was the bonty's super stock which where too flexy. Put on a set of single speed Hope pro 2 bolt ons and sooo much better- I think the rear shock can let the rear twist a little- so a good rear wheel is the way to go.
The trails I ride mostly everone is running 5" travel bikes- I can stay way ahead of them and slice though the single track- its a great frame and a great value- I also have beat the snot every other day from her- no SWEAKING!!!! a slinant killer which climbs like crazy!
Anyone who doesn't love 29er hasn't ridden one at least 100 miles once you do you can't go back to those little kid wheels esp. if you are 6' tall or taller. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Climbbikeskione
a Racer
from Wild West
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | the long singletrack one | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Light yet strong. Vertically compliant yet very efficient. Nice paint job yet fragile paint if you care and are one of those "pretty boy", probably shave your legs even though you've never really had road rash kind of guys. | | Weaknesses: | Rear tire clearance at the seat stay shock junction...It doesn't bother me too bad in dry country and I've had a 2.2 bonty back there with/out issue...the problem is mud...If there's some serious clay style mud then you're either going to have some serious friction or trash your frame's paint job...if you keep pedaling like a jackass with the mud caked on...it might degrade frame life. The other weakness I've noticed in hard big gear pedaling is some rear triangle flex. I'm a big 6'3 200 lb single speeder by trade and I can flex the frame..go figure...I'm also a steel bike proponenet and this thing rides like steel...it does take a softail to make that happen I must add. | | Similar Products Used: | Voodoo Dambala double butted steel, GF RIG | | Bike Setup: | 1x9 Gearing with White Bros Fork,Sram X-9, Truvativ stylo, Avid Mech BB-7, Easton Monkey light carbon bars..I'm tired and do your really care? | | Bottom Line: | Salsa is a great company. Great bike! I want an El Mariachi! I am sold on single speed and my racing proves it...I am usually faster on my SS Rigid Voodoo. With that said the Dos is always a pleasure to ride. Comfy...fast...Very efficient..and super light...I think my squishy Dos is lighter than my Rigid Voodoo and more comfy to ride...but somehow I am always faster in the 10-18 mile distances on the Voodoo. My Dos is more stable but the Voodoo is more nimble at slower speed handling...I think the Voodoo has a steeper head angle and thus snappier steering. For me the Dos is an awesome training and long distance riding machine... I actually ride it more than my rigid Voodoo. Mainly because it is more pleasing to ride...I tend to smile a lot and isn't that why we ride? | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
M G
a Racer
from Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | hmmm... there are lots of 'em. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Monkey Wrench Cycles | | Strengths: | - awesome combination of stiffness, compliance and low weight
- quick yet dependable handling
- lack of bob in rear end when climbing (especially noticeable when riding with someone on a YBB)
- good tire clearance
- good people/good company | | Weaknesses: | - brake routing does not include a cradle in the middle of the top tube, so you have to use a stick-on cable guide to keep the brake line from tapping the top tube when you ride over bumps. | | Similar Products Used: | - Salsa El Mariachi (my other 29er)
- variety of custom Soulcraft frames (demoed - friends' bikes)
- Moots hardtail and YBB 29 (demoed - friends' bikes)
- Kona Kula 29 (demoed - friends' bikes) | | Bike Setup: | 2007 (orange) Dos Niner frame; Rock Shox Reba Race fork; Salsa rim/WTB hub/DT spoke handbuilt wheels; Maxxis Crossmark tires (tubeless); Thomson stem & post; WTB Silverado saddle; XTR/SRAM drivetrain; Hayes brakes | | Bottom Line: | I've had all three iterations of the Dos Niner, and each has been a progression from the version before it. The first Dos (lighter green) rode awesome, but had limited rear tire clearance. The Very Verde (darker green) "2006" frame addressed the tire clearance and threw in lower standover via. a dropped top tube. The new Orange Peelz (orange) frame adds a slightly beefier downtube that adds a bit of stiffness and eliminates the need for a chin-type gusset at the DT/HT junction.
I've been riding my orange Dos for a little over a month, and it's the best one yet. The new downtube effectively increases the frame's stiffness in corners without noticeably increasing the amount of shock transmitted to the rider.
The best thing I can say about the Dos is that, every time I get on it and pedal away, my first impression is "man, this thing is fast... and smooth." I really feel it after I trade bikes with a friend, then trade back to my bike. That's pretty cool.
I'll add the disclaimer at this point that I ride for Salsa's racing team, but I think it's equally important for me to mention why. In 2005, I bought my first Dos after riding/racing sponsor-provided mountain bikes for more than a decade.
Long story short, I quickly fell in love with the bike, and the whole concept of big wheel mountain bikes. It was through the resulting relationship I found that the people at Salsa are exactly the type of people I want to support and promote in my racing efforts.
One aspect that I appreciate about the Dos is the hydraulic damper. I had a friend that rides a Moots YBB comment that the Dos doesn't experience any of the cyclical rear end movement that occurs on the undamped YBB, and I suspect it's directly related to the Dos' hydraulic damping.
I'm not a spring chicken anymore, and the bottom line for me is that the Dos helps keep me strong by taking the sting out of a surprising amount of stuff. No, it's not full suspension, but it's at least a pound lighter than any relevant full-suspension 29er, and for me, it's got the right balance of compliance and speed. Even after all this time, I'm still smitten... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Weave
a Racer
from York,PA
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything @Michaux | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Jason's Cycle Works | | Strengths: | Light, responsive ride - Relish shock's perfect to take the edge off without sacrificing any power. | | Weaknesses: | paint chips a bit , but it is a mtn bike | | Bike Setup: | 1x9 Sram X.9,FSA crank, eggbeaters, Juicy 7s, Stans ZTR rims, Kenda Karmas w/Stan's juice, Salsa post,bars, Selle SMP strike saddle, Reba Race | | Bottom Line: | Freakin' awesome bike - just finished the W101 for it's inaugural race - this rig climbs, is sweet through the single track and is predictable bombing on the DH - feels like you could ride forever on this setup - saw many others at the W101 with same sentiments! My 1st 29er - I'm sold! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Amend
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashville, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hamilton Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | I thought it was a great light frame. | | Weaknesses: | The frame, or the paint i guess, see below. | | Similar Products Used: | none, it was my first 29er, but i am sold. | | Bike Setup: | 1x9, BB7's, XT hubs and shifter, Reba fork, Salsa rims, pretty basic. | | Bottom Line: | I had the paint professionally removed by a company called strip masters here in Nashville. The bike looked great and I had a LBS build the bike for me. I had a great time riding it for 15 months. Then I snapped it in two at lock 4, top tube and down tube (it hurt). I took it back to the LBS for dismantle and return to Salsa. Salsa replies that it’s not covered by warranty because of the paint removal. I guess I saw it coming. This is the part that got me though; I called them up and asked "Did you check the frame for any defects or irregularities other than the obvious paint removal? And the response was "No", without any other explanation. So I was left to believe that this is so common to them that it does not interest them or they have no interest in retaining customers. They were kind enough to offer me a crash replacement at LBS cost (so I could pay again for the same inferior product.)It goes without saying I was less than satisfied with my experience with Salsa.
Did I mention I am 5'8" and weigh in at 135 lbs?
So, I would discourage anyone considering the purchase of a Dos Niner specifically or a Salsa product in general.
Be careful not to chip the paint apparently it is part of the structural integrity of the bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bruce Brown
a Cross Country Rider
from Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Boone - Seven Oaks | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$899.00 | | Purchased At: | MTBR.com classifieds | | Strengths: | Great XC racing frame! Lightweight and very responsive scandium (which means it is aluminum with a touch of scandium) frame that provides about an inch of rear suspension with the Relish Shock. I have the 2006 frame that is optimized for an 80mm travel fork. Plenty of clearance for the fork and for the rear tire. Can be used with V brakes or disc brakes. Due to the light frame, I was able to build my size XL Dos Niner into a 25 lb. race bike. | | Weaknesses: | As with all scandium frames, it can not be powdercoated. So the paint tends to chip easily and rub off easily at cable housing contact points. Be prepared to touch up point more often than with a powdercoated frame. | | Similar Products Used: | No other softail used. Other 29"er's include a Karate Monkey and a Sugar 293. | | Bike Setup: | XL 2006 Dos Niner, Reba Race with poplock, Avid mechanical disc brakes, American Classic wheels, SRAM X.0/X.9 drivetrain, Race Face Next LP cranks with Titanium Boone rings, Crank Brothers ISIS BB, Race Face Carbon bars, Thomson post and stem, Xpedo pedals, Titec Ithys Gove saddle | | Bottom Line: | A little bit of flex in this frame can be felt, but the forgiveness is predictable and does not detract from its performance. Much of this flex has been fixed beginning with the 2007 Dos Niner model. This is a perfect XC race bike as well as an excellent XC trail bike thanks to the edge being taken off on the rear with the Relish. Climbs and descends with authority and I have been very satisfied with the overall performance. Would I consider this frame again in the future if the one I own gives up the ghost? You bet!
Value gets 5 flamers from me because when compared to a custom builder's softail cost - the Dos cannot be beat for the price/performance ratio. Overall rating gets 5 flames because this bike has a great groove. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Light Chain
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder County
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Zippity Do-Da | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Bitterbrush Cycles | | Strengths: | Excellent geometry. Light!!! 26.4 lbs w/ pedals. Excellent control. | | Weaknesses: | Minimal rear tire clearance. Alignment of rear wheel must be PERFECT or the tire rubs the chain stays. | | Similar Products Used: | First suspension mtn bike. Other bike is a rigid, built-from-scratch Bridestone MB-4 single speed. | | Bike Setup: | Delgado race wheels, King hubs and headset, SRAM X.9 drive-train, XT crankset, Easton MonkeyLite carbon lo-rise bar, EC 90 stem and carbon seat post, WTB rocket V ti saddle, Time ATAC Carbon XS pedals. Avid Juicy 7 brakes. Reba fork. | | Bottom Line: | Salsa has it all figured out. This bike handles like a 2-6er but clears obstacles like the 2-9er it is. The rear 1" of travel takes the edge off but without sacrificing energy on climbs. Granted, I've only ridden this rig a few times, but it feels totally dialed in. The rear clearance is a bit of a nuisance, but one that is worked around without too much trouble. Besides, one should be aligning one's rear wheel perfectly everytime anyway, right? And props to Glenn at Bitterbrush Cycles in Lyons. Last comment; don't dis the 2-9 on simply on principal. Ride it and see. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Racer
from Vinton,Va,U.S,A
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Carvins Cove | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | Cardinal Bike (LBS) | | Strengths: | weight,weld quality,looks! | | Weaknesses: | Looks to sweet to get dirty! | | Similar Products Used: | Orbea lanza | | Bike Setup: | Bike29 royale wheelset.King hubs,headset,Shimano,Sram drivetrain,Thompson stem,Magura marta sl discs | | Bottom Line: | This frame rides great!Handles better then the orbea,It is light and the orange paint job is sweet!Running tubeless my bike weighs 24 pounds!And its a softtail! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eldon
a Racer
from Oklahoma City
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Any Trail with Dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Celestial Cycles | | Strengths: | Great Bike, Rolls over anything,Fast, Light, Great Orange Paint Scheme | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Salsa Juan Solo | | Bike Setup: | Reba Race with Pop Loc, Truvativ Fire X, Avid BB7 Disc, Sram X-7 Drive Train, Salsa Seat Post, Fizik Gobi Saddle,American Classic Wheels, Maxxis Ignitor 2.1 Tires,XTR Spd Pedals. 26.1 pounds | | Bottom Line: | It is hard to get on a 26" wheel after riding my 29er.This bike will climb anything if you can hang on. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Richards
a Cross Country Rider
from Marquette, MI USA
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Speedgoat | | Strengths: | Frame weight. Relish shock and frame's design concept. Balanced geometry. Cool graphics. Plenty of room for the fork to clear the downtube. Build quality seems excellent. Salsa stands behind their products and has great customer service. | | Weaknesses: | None of consequence to note so far. Maybe standover? The paint seems to chip easily. After my first ride, I had a bunch of paint chips...and really only rode XC trails. | | Similar Products Used: | Soma Juice...also an excellent frame. Other steel hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | Bike 29 Royale wheelset. Reba SL. LX and XT bits. Hone crankset. WTB Nanoraptors. Ergon grips. | | Bottom Line: | A great bike for epic-type XC rides. The 1" travel in the rear really does do quite a bit for smoothing out the trail...I certainly don't feel as beat up after rides as I did on my Soma hardtail. The Dos Niner is fast, but only while I'm riding it. ;-)
I was die-hard about steel bikes for awhile. I still think they are great, but the Scandium and Relish ride smoother than steel and are lighter. I feel that the BB is stiffer on Scandium, too. And from the looks of the welds and finish work, I think the Salsa will last for years.
Buy this bike if you like hardtails, but also need riding to be easy on your back. I haven't noticed ANY bobbing or loss of power when climbing. The Relish does a little bit to keep your rear wheel planted on the ground while climbing in the rough stuff...but it doesn't bounce around or bob like more complex suspension designs. You still get excellent power transfer.
Some folks have complained about tire clearance. I have a 2006 model and there's a TON of clearance back there. I see no reason why one couldn't run a large volume 2.3 in the rear. Do you really need to go bigger?
I would buy this bike again. I got my frame and fork for less than $1000.00. Check Speedgoat. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith
a
from Dripping Springs,TX USA
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Rockyhill Ranch | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Geometry, Weight, 29er | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | Karate Monkey, Fisher 292 | | Bike Setup: | Reba 80mm, BB-7's, Bontrager Race X-lite Wheels, X-9 1X9 Drivetrain, Motoraptor tires | | Bottom Line: | This bike is light and nimble. It climbs and descends as good as any bike I have ridden in 15 years. It rails corners and is fairly nimble in single track.
But the thing I love the most is the ride. I weight 170 lbs and set the Relish shock with no air pressure. It rides like a Hard tail but handles moderate bumps without any harshness.
Smooooooth!
Got the frame from Bikeman with the Reba for $999. The Frame is an '06 and the Reba is an '07. Great deal!Great Bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenixville, PA
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | The Swiss Army Knife of bikes. Rolls over anything, softtail takes the sting out of roots and rocks, and the 1x9 configuration I have it set up with does just fine. Fits nice fat tires, no fork or feet clearance issues, and very comfy geometry. | | Weaknesses: | Low bottom bracket caused me a little initial grief getting adjusted, rear water bottle mounts don't fit a large bottle, only a 16-20 ozer. | | Similar Products Used: | My first 29er. | | Bike Setup: | Reba SL, Salsa Delgado/Hope DT2 wheels, SRAM X9 drivetrain, Avid BB5 mechanicals, LX cranks, ExiWolf 2.3's, Salsa Scandium stem, Easton Scandium risers, Thomson seatpost, WTB saddle, and lots of other cool stuff. | | Bottom Line: | As in the intro, this the true go anywhere, do anything bike. I was a 29er skeptic, and now I'm a believer. I might upgrade the wheelset with something lighter for race days and endurance events, but not much else to change.
I really, really, really like the 1x9 concept. I'm also appreciating the accuracy and stronger springs of the SRAM trigger shifter/derailleur combo. Nice.
Also, I don't have any idea what the reviewer who claimed flexiness are talking about. This thing is stiff and rails just fine. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a
from SE Washington The Edge of Hell
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | B&L Bicycles Pullman, WA - The 29er Super Store of Eastern WA | | Strengths: | Smooths out the trail well (it works as advertised), light weight frame, and the price is a killer deal. | | Weaknesses: | Flexy frame (almost noodle like) and personally I think this frame is a bit harder to pedal than most. | | Similar Products Used: | Fisher 292, LENZ Sport Leviathan, Fisher X-Caliber, Fisher Supercal29...and a whole slew of 26 inch bikes | | Bike Setup: | Nicely at 24.5 lbs with IRC Mythos tires run tubeless | | Bottom Line: | The bike is ultra smooth on the trail over the small bumps. The Relish shock worked perfectly for me once I got it set up with the correct pressure (easily done). I loved this bike but it had some qualities I did not like so much also. The flexy frame was annoying but I could live with it - railing hard through corners it was a new adventure in drift each time due to this flex. I did eventually find compromise through experience and came to trust it in most corners. My biggest beef was more personal - I felt this frame design and/or geometry was more difficult to pedal. I always seemed to have a higher perceived exertion on this bike which I could find no answer for. My races and off-road time trials were always substandard on this bike compared to others I had so I finally gave up and sold it. I'm only saying that this bike is not for me...it may be an absolutely a perfect machine for someone else. If you can find one to ride before you buy (unfortunately the way Salsa is set up this is a difficult process since Salsa dealers are rare if at all existent) | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay Sanders
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Polk, LA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything Hilly | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$760.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Perfect geometry, stiff frame, paint and color scheme, softtail. | | Weaknesses: | Clear coat scratches easy, but this is a MTB. | | Similar Products Used: | Did not try any other 29er's. | | Bike Setup: | XL Dos Niner, Zoke Comp Pro w/ETA, TV Stylo Team, SRAM XO, Easton Monkey, Thompson Elite, Avid BB7, Delgado w/XT disc hubs, various Shimano items. | | Bottom Line: | I was a pretty die hard hardtail fan until I had a few rides on the Dos Niner. What a huge difference the small travel makes on the softtail. I was a little concerned about losing some energy when pedalling/climbing but the Salsa is very crisp and doesn't seem to lose any energy during pedalling.
The 29" set up seems like a perfect fit for me (6' 2" with 34-35" inseam). I was also concerned about the bike feeling clumsy or over large but I am convinced that it handles WAY better than the 26" I rode previously. I can turn faster and sharper than before without worrying about dumping the bike. And the thing I LOVE about the big wheels/tires and extra clearance is that I can ride just about anywhere I want. I basically have made my own trails through forests, fields and the like.
I am more than happy with the Dos Niner and the components I selected for the build. The bike is light (26-ish), maneuvers like nobody's business and overall is a blast to ride. The big wheels do take a little extra energy to get them to speed but once they are rolling it feels awesome!
I love my Dos Niner! I have got to go..."Ride and smile!" | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Green
a Racer
from Greenville, SC USA
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything Pisgah | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Excellent handling, Climbs + descends exceptionally well, goes places my 26" Sugar would not, has made my cadence faster on my road bike, Gets great holeshots against the 26" wheeled bikes!! | | Weaknesses: | Paint seems to flake on chainstay easily, but hey, it is a MTB bike, small learning curve on choosing the correct cadence while racing. | | Similar Products Used: | Orbea Scape 29er, Klein Palomino, Gary Fisher Sugar, Specialized Epic | | Bike Setup: | SRAM X9 shifters, Zoke fork, Bontrager wheels, Monkey bar, Avid BB7 discs, Time Atacs | | Bottom Line: | The Dos-Niner is an excellent all around racer and play bike, would recommend to anyone looking to improve their level of riding or wanting a bike for multiple uses. Give your legs a couple of rides of turning the bigger wheel for best results. With a couple of tire changes, I have used this bike for commuting to work, play riding at Pisgah National Forest, MTB racing, riding with my wife at the local park and Cyclocross. That is a hard thing to do on any other bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Dullard
a Cross Country Rider
from Cedar Rapids, Ia
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Spruce Creek, Winter Park. Keystone Gulch, Keystone. Sugar Bottom, Ia | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Purchased At: | Geoff's Bike and Ski | | Strengths: | TRACTION. Rolls Fast. Stability in Corners. Smoothes out small and intermediate bumps. | | Weaknesses: | Gearing is a taller due to Larger Diameter--Get stronger I guess Reba not exactly plush. | | Similar Products Used: | Various HT's, Epic | | Bike Setup: | Delgado Disc, XT, Hayes El Camino, Thompson and Thompson, Reba Race w/pop lock, Specialized Fast Trac tyres and S Works Carbon Riser bar. | | Bottom Line: | It is all true the good and the bad,
Clydesdales... look no farther. 6'3" 230#. Finally, a bike I don't look like a circus bear on a kid's trike.
Excellent Bike for endurance events. Rolls much better than 26er. Not great for super technical stuff but once the bike takes a set in a corner, it will carry higher cornering speeds than a 26er
Maintains momentum over baby heads and roots. The big wheels help a lot and the Relish takes care of the rest.
Had to go 10# under the reba's recommended pressure. The fork is solid in the corners
Scorches the descents, get good brakes.
I could of us a Bigger cog on the back for Steep, long climbs. My friends would be in 1-2 or 3 spinning while I was seemingly barely turning over a 22t -34t. Like I said above, get stronger. Or maybe the industry can help a brother out.
Not a Hucker, Bike Magazine seemed to think it was and gave it a mediocre review. 29 hoops are not as strong as smaller rims...its science.
5 for value 4 chili's The bike's weaknesses are not related to the Dos Niner, Just 29er's in general.
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Submitted by
Ryan Jezek
a Cross Country Rider
from Carson City, NV
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Mr. Toad's Wild Ride | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light: when's the last time something weighed less than the company claimed? Never. My XL Dos Niner weighed 3.96 lb on a digital shipping scale. 29" wheels rule! | | Weaknesses: | None. I don't know what people are talking about with the paint thing? Mine's solid and my Dos Niner is a mountain bike: they get dirty and scratched up. | | Similar Products Used: | Never had a 29" before. My last MTB was an Ellsworth Id. | | Bike Setup: | 26.5 lb built all-day solid. XT shifter and derailuers. RaceFace Dues crank, King on Velocity Dyad rims. White Bros. .80 fork. Magura Marta Discs. | | Bottom Line: | I had exactly 1 hour on this bike before I took it to 24 Hours of Adrenalin Leguna Seca in 2005. I rode 129 miles and climbed 29,000 ft. 14 laps, in 19 1/2 hours. And this bike was 100% solid. It felt like I had been riding it all my life. I love the geometry. The 29" wheels rule. I rode up Hurl Hill 12 of the 14 laps (I didn't make the other 2 only because of traffic). I still haven't crashed this bike. When people wanted to pass on the single track I could go off the trail and back on without stopping. The 29" wheels feel like suspension by themselves, and with the soft-tail this thing rides like a 3" travel bike. I have a KHS soft-tail SS and it doesn't feel nearly as good as the 29". I'm never going to switch back to 26". If you're over 6', you should be on a 29" bike. It's a way better trail bike than a 26" and if you're tall the 29" wheels just fit better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Baumgartner
a Cross Country Rider
from Palm Desert, CA
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hurkey Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Webcyclery | | Strengths: | Light, geometry is fast and smooth yet climbs. Rear shock is tuneable. Its a 29er. | | Weaknesses: | Scandium doesn't hold paint well. The lightness of the frame is worth the ease of scratching. A bit flexy but not really a concern becuase the bike is still stable. | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Rig | | Bike Setup: | Reba, King, Hayes El Camino. Sram XO trigger, FSA carbon bar, Sram XGen and 9.0 derailluers, Race Face Dues Crankset, Swiss DT 240s laced to Salsa Daldo disc rims, Thomson stem and post, Selle Italia saddle. | | Bottom Line: | If you want a smooth rider on a 29er that is light and race ready w/out having to go full suspension for under $1500 look no further. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Reggie
a
from Fort Collins, Co
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | marys,horsethief, steves,mack | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$899.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Stable; rolls great; surprisingly nimble; bottom bracket heigth. | | Weaknesses: | Paint; customer service not the greatest | | Similar Products Used: | Just 26ers, full suspension and hardtail.
| | Bike Setup: | Sram x9
Raceface evolve xtype
dt swiss 7.1tk's--dt swiss 340 hubs
Reba race
Avid mechanical
Thomson post,stem
| | Bottom Line: | It took me about 6 rides to finally see the light with this bike. At first it felt big and clumsy, but I later found out it was just me, I had weak legs. Once I started doing more leg work (squats,leg press etc.) I noticed a big difference. It takes more leg strength to turn the big wheels.
Keeping momentum is key with this bike as well, if momentum is lost, I've noticed it's much harder to regain it.
As for the relish shock:
On the minus side the relish is hard to guage due to the fact that air pressure is adjusted 1 thru 10 psi on the shock pump. It's impossible to know how much psi you have when it's 1-10. Salsa should have included a special shock pump for this shock.
I ride the relish with 0 psi, this is not a plush ride by any means but it's a lot better than any hardtail. I don't feel beat up after long rides. The Scandium frame is really nice, although it does chip easily and only comes in one color. Salsa needs to come out with more color options. Salsa if you're listening make us a anodized version, they hold up so much better.
The customer service at Salsa is below average, they had to replace the relish shock, and it took them 2 weeks to get a new one out. Now the guy at Salsa did call and admit he dropped the ball and he did apologize, so that was cool. I think they are really busy and probably need to hire some more people.
Anyway, the dos niner rides great, it's very fast, no one will touch you on the jeep roads. On the single track it is quite nimble even with it's high cockpit. The best thing so far for me is the bottom bracket heigth, I never hit my pedals on rocks anymore, the thing just rolls over everything. The Reba Race is a solid fork and can be taken from 80mm to 100mm. I'm riding with the 80mm right now with no complaints. Again the relish is not plush, but it does it's job effectively smoothing out the bumps.
Every ride I like this bike just a little more. I'm giving 5's accross the board even though the C.S. wasn't the greatest.
The ride makes up for everything.
Total weight with pedals 27 lbs.
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Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Rolla, mo, USA
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Council Bluffs | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1900.00 | | Purchased At: | want ads for whole bike | | Strengths: | Light weight, fast xc race geometry, increadibly versatile, smooths out the trail, its a 29er, solid, nice color (personal preferance) | | Weaknesses: | Rear tire clearance (pre 06 models) | | Similar Products Used: | 02 Specialized Enduro FSR, Schwinn Mesa | | Bike Setup: | Maverick SC32, Full X-0, Carbon Bar and stems, tires for the occasion, Velocity Dyad rims, DT swiss 240s rear hub, Gobi Ti saddle, cane creek ergos barends | | Bottom Line: | This is the best all around XC bike frame I've ever owned. On 29" wheels you don't need 3-5" of rear travel to ride fast. The 1" it gives is more than enough and is actually very tuneable...
The geometry allows to ride through tight twisty single track at amazing speeds and is very light weight considering the shock...
Only 1 weakness on this frame and that is the tire clearance (this problem has been solved on newer darker green frames) the largest tire currently in production (WTB Exiwolf said to be 2.3) fits but nothing larger would and there is no mud clearance...
Just beware of this short fall...
This really doesn't bother me at all for the type of racing I do.
I would suggest this frame to anyone short of a all mountain or Freerider.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Beaupre
a Cross Country Rider
from Boylston, MA
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Vietnam | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Bobs | | Strengths: | Outstanding climber. Very fast. Smooth, compliant ride. Light weight. Excellent single track geometry. Descends with confidence. Nice BB height. Rolls over obstacles that give 26" wheels fits. Quality construction. Very cool looking. A great do-it-all XC bike with a twist. A bargain for what you get. | | Weaknesses: | If you build one, you can forget about riding any of your other bikes. None of your buddies will be able to keep up with you so you may end up riding alone. A little tight on the standover height for me. | | Similar Products Used: | Owned Gary Fisher 29" Rig. Surley Karate Monkey | | Bike Setup: | 16" 06 frame, Rockshock Reba fork. Salsa Delgado disk rims w/XT hubs. Race Face Deus crankset. Thompson Masterpiece stem and seatpost. Easton Monkeylite XC carbon bars, Avid Juicy 7 brakes, Deore XT deraillers, WTB laser stealth saddle, Kenda Klaw or WTB Exiwolf tires depending on conditions. 26 lbs! | | Bottom Line: | Outstanding climber, I have climbed some hills that I never climbed on my numerous 26" bikes! I can't believe how well this bike climbs both in and out of the saddle. Amazing! The geometry, a larger tire contact patc |
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