To make sure he rarely sleeps and to fund his custom tandem habit, hes also penned a handful of bike-related books and talks to a GoPro for YouTube, too. Its worth noting that the closed frame ends mean you can only use a belt drive that can be joined after fitting though, not the pre-closed type. This tendency to plough backs up its mud/sand/snow plugging mission statement and its more relaxing when youre loaded too, particularly with top heavy bikepacking bags on treacherous surfaces. Copyright 2022 Bikerumor, All Rights Reserved. Including all the mounts you need for gear and food for your bikepacking adventures. Tech, reviews: tech [at] road.cc This 90mtb thing is really worn outlike a 90s MTB pathetic really. Salsa has revealed a new aluminium gravel frameset called Stormchaser that's "designed for the days when dirt turns to derailleur-breaking, ride-ending mud" which makes us think that it'll be suitable for UK conditions, especially those we've been experiencing lately. The Stormchasers aluminium frame and carbon fork offer a number of premium features, with cues taken from the now discontinued Salsa Warbird aluminium race bike (the Warbird is currently only available in carbon). This is a strange definition of 'driving away'. According to Salsa, the Stormchaser offers 40% more tyre clearance than a Warbird when fitted with 700 x 42 mm tyres. Copyright @ 2022 Cycle Travel Overload. Gears, Suspension, and Dropper is going to add 3-5 pounds over the single speed, seems like this build would make more sense on a Cutthroat. On its debut, in the race that gave birth to it, the new Stormchaser won the single speed category at another (horribly muddy) edition of Mid South. Stormchaser places the rider in a position that can be maintained for hours on end over bumpy B-roads and loose surfaces, drastically reducing fatigue. Rides: Pace RC295, Cotic FlareMax, Specialized Chisel, Vielo V+1 gravel bike, Nicolai FS Enduro, Landescape custom gravel tandem. versatile bag and holster bikepacking combo, Sea to Summit Ultralight mat review high in comfort and low in weight, Apidura Expedition Handlebar Pack and Accessory Pocket lightweight, bombproof, waterproof legend, Kade Edwards interview the hugely versatile rider on DH's future, riding with Brandon Semenuk and more. The new 90 mm dropper post will let you get over the back wheel and descend with confidence for shredding the uber-gravel. I felt like it was fast, but it isnt the bike that you go popping off berms with, bunny hopping on, or lofting the front wheel over stuff with. These updates take the Stromchaser into much more capable territory. Project All Road: New Life For an Old Gravel Bike. The downtube and seat tube bottle mounts are three-hole for 'everything mounts' or to stop twin-bottle set-ups fighting. Since much of what this bike seems aimed for is very unique, I wonder if the bike will do well enough to make it seem more valuable as a main bike, and not just a tool for a specific job. The punchy, powerful ride character suits those who want to crush the climbs with a single cog too, but forgiving comfort is going to come from your component choices not the chassis itself. https://road.cc/content/review/83283-salsa-rack-lock-seat-collar. New aluminium model comes with big tyre clearance and can be run singlespeed or 1x, Best Cycling Website, BikeBiz Awards 2018. https://road.cc/content/tech-news/248518-salsa-warbird-v4-launched-now-t https://road.cc/content/review/83283-salsa-rack-lock-seat-collar, in: 2 dead, 3 injured after driver crashes into charity cyclists, in: NMotD 808: Police change mind on warning letter, in: Deliveroo cyclist filmed riding on M6 at Spaghetti Junction, in: Shimano Ultegra R8170 Di2 Disc Groupset, in: Komoot launches Trail View for improved route planning, in: Peerless Annemiek van Vleuten wins Tour de France Femmes, in: Cervelo launches new S5 aero road bike, Cyclists call for resignation of hit-and-run councillor (includes video), Two dead, three injured after driver crashes into cyclists on charity ride, Google Maps makes major update to cycling navigation, Are these Oakleys dope or nope? Thanks to the RockShox Rudy XPLR suspension fork with 40 mm travel. Our mission is to bring you all the news thats relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Im liking the stability for where this bike is meant to go, and it does seem pretty comfortable so far. Youll never outrun a geared bike unless youre going up a long uphill but you have to concentrate far less which makes it a fun bike, not really a super fast one but it doubles as an all weather commuter or family ride type bike. Weve noticed youre using an ad blocker. we reviewed from 2015 from Grava Bikes, the Revenuer, Donnelly MSO 650B x 50mm Tires: Getting Rolling, Mountain Hardwear Exposure/2 Gore-Tex Paclite Plus Jacket: Long Review, Kenda Flintridge Pro Tires: Getting Rolling, Riding Gravel Radio Ranch Episode #39 Andys Bike Shop , Salsa Cycles Stormchaser: Checkpoint - Riding Gravel, Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H Gravelreifen Test | Raddeluxe, Teravail Rutland 700c X 47mm Tires: At The Finish, Project All Road: New Life For an Old Gravel Bike- Part 2, Project All Road: New Life For an Old Gravel Bike- Part 2 - Riding Gravel. We are committed to do our best in these times to provide a bit of a diversion from the craziness. Choice is good, let the industry being an industry for good or bad, if its not for you dont buy and move one. Recently we learned of a new bike coming from Salsa Cycles, a single speed gravel bike. The seat post Salsa specs is a very short offset one, and this put me out over the front end a bit more than Id like, and especially since the saddle to bar drop is pretty aggressive here. Generally I just drag/drop waypoint markers and let komoot join the dots. Both stays join at the Salsas famous (well, if youre into single gear bikes anyway) Alternator dropouts which use a double-bolt and tensioning screw system to give 15mm of fore-aft movement for tweaking geometry or tightening a single-speed chain. If you are not completely acquainted with the Stormchaser, you can check out our post on it here. If you go for 1x, the maximum size chainring you can use is 38-tooth. Prior to BikeRumor, Jordan raced at the professional level and wrote for MTBR and now-defunct Dirt Rag Magazine. The interference between a Klamper brake being most affected by spoke bracing angle- not a standardized brake caliper/rotor relationship. The weight gives a better clue to the overall feel of the bike than the warranty length though, as the Stormchaser feels seriously confident and stout straight away. We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, Large squared tubing gives the Stormchaser a stout front end, There are two bottle cage mounts on the downtube and on on the seattube, The fork has Anything cage mounts on the fork legs, There is plenty of tire clearance on the fork, You will want to seal the chainstay holes under the bottom bracket to stop them collecting mud, Alternator dropouts were solid no matter how hard we strained the cranks, The rear triangle is closed which needs to be factored in if you want to run a belt drive, I found the rear stays were stiff rather than compliant, Road superstar Peter Sagan to race this year's e-MTB Worlds in Les Gets, Restrap Bar Bag Small review Terms and conditions of use. Clearly intended for abusive conditions, the carbon fork features abrasion-resistant plates to fight off wear, while the cable routing is kept internal. Follow my adventures here. In fact, for a bike that you are supposed to aim at the worst conditions, I almost cringe to think what is going to happen to that beautiful finish. Theres another bottle mount under the downtube and double-bolt accessory/bag mounts behind the head tube on the top tube and on the downtube. Even by bikepacking frame standards, the Stormchaser plays a good game of spot the mount. Kind of makes you wonder if they had a bunch of these frames and a pile of sus forks they couldnt unload and decided to see if they could capitalize on the bike shortage by offering this setup. With the goal to inspire and inform hundreds of thousands of people monthly, helping them get out there and explore new places by bike! Rain? Note: Salsa Cycles sent the Stormchaser to RidingGravel.com for test and review at no charge. Salsa Cycles latest gravel bike, the Stormchaser, is a singlespeed gravel bike designed for those who like a challenge, but also the absolute simplicity, low-running-cost and direct-feeling efficiency that only a bike with a single gear can provide. For more information check out: www.salsacycles.com. I really like mine. Priced at US$1,499 for the complete bike, Salsa equips the Stormchaser with a 38T Race Face Ride chainring, matched with a dual 17/18T cog combo that use spacers to fit a standard multi-speed hub at the rear wheel. published 9 February 22, Expensive for an alloy frame and tough rather than light and floaty. And in years past the likes of Cannondale, Trek, Kona and many more offered singlespeed bikes aimed at the then-booming cyclocross race market. This one seriously reminds me of my old bike. While top speed limited in the flat or downhills, the Stormchaser is simply heroic in how it climbs, even with the taller 17T gear. With better brakes and a dropper. Switching between the two rear cogs will require manual changing and adjustment of the chain tension. How about just one gear? His favourite ride is his commute - which he does most days inc weekends and hes been cycle-commuting since 1994. So, this bike is a bit of a specialist,being set up as an aggressive racing bike but with a definite nod toward stability and rider comfort, with the Salsa Class 5 VRS rear stay design. The Alternator Flat Mount dropouts allow for 1x geared drivetrains this build comes with a Race Face Ride, 38t crankset and Shimano SLX M7000, 1142t cassette combined with the Teravail Rutland 700c x 47 mm tires. I have an image which I will include in the Checkpoint post. Its a lot of fun on dirt. What does that mean? Since I am a big fan of single speeds, I put in for a demo bike to be sent to Riding Gravel. Might have something to do with the 447mm chain stay length with the 17T cog fitted. That being what the Stormchasers mission statement is and how that informed a few choices in this design. At 1780g, its closer to a lightweight alloy MTB than an alloy road frame, but at three years, the warranty is shorter than that on Salsas carbon, steel or titanium bikes. Coupled with the sliding Alternator Flat Mount dropouts, this allows for easy gearing adjustments based on route difficulty, Integrated plates on the fork minimize abrasion from mud and debris, Stormchaser has 40% more mud clearance than Warbird (measured with a 700c x 42 mm tire), 15 mm of dropout adjustability (435450 mm), 23 bottle mounts inside main triangle (57.5 cm and above can accommodate 3), 1 accessory mount on underside of downtube, 2 bottle mounts possible on fork via Three-Pack mounts, Full-coverage fenders allow for longer, more pleasant rides in wet weather, Wider handlebars improve leverage for single speeding and control in poor conditions. The 6066-T6 alloy frame uses Salsas Class 5 VRS (Vibration Reduction System) that uses thin, outwardly bowed seat stays and vertically compliant chainstays to absorb road vibrations. @Slim I have some 650B wheels here and I plan on doing just that. OMM Elkhorn Rack: Getting Rolling - Riding Gravel. Just dont ask me to get airborne, or to wheelie over anything! The horizontally oriented chainstays work to resist torque and maintain a laterally stiff rear end. The Stormchaser Single Speed gravel bike is for the days when the course presents a challenge or you want to make your own challenge. Advertising, commercial: sales [at] road.cc Even with a short stem the low BB and generous reach give it a surefooted and authoritative vibe that makes it a proper bomber on technical descents and ridden well it can give cross-country mountain bikes a nasty surprise. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Head down, rear end up, mash pedals. For fans of bullet points, here are some bullet points in Salsa's own words: However; the geometry also includes a bit lengthier chain stays, a slacker than usual head angle, and the speced wider Cowchipper which all add up to a lot of stability. If you want to save yourself some money and a hunt of parts, its also worth noting that the complete bike option with Tektro cable disc brakes, Race Face cranks a 16 and 18T cog on the WTB tubeless wheels and premium quality Teravail Rutland Durable tires for just $500 / 450 more than the frameset. But, of course, this is a gravel bike. 2008present unless otherwise stated. Except that masses of built-in versatility brings out in line with the best gravel bikes, that means its not actually that niche at all and I've had a blast bombing around on it in all conditions. Get rid of the Drop bars and I swear that looks just like my 90s Mountain Bike. Its a looker. Hes covered races, including World Championships and World Cups where he loves to report what the pros are riding. The seat stays are unbraced and splayed out from the side, rather than back, of the seat tube for tons of clearance even with 50mm tires fitted. @ Gordon Thank you for the comment. @Boudin Thank you. Tel 01225 588855. Maybe itll look like an old penny later. Tony has been editing cycling magazines and websites since 1997 starting out as production editor and then deputy editor of Total Bike, acting editor of Total Mountain Bike and then seven years as editor of Cycling Plus. The frame comes with internal cable routing and a 12 x 142mm rear spacing. I did not get a drop out with a derailleur hangar with the bike, but I will request one. His favourite bikes are titanium and have disc brakes. They also carry the flat-mounted brake mount, and if one cog love isnt for you, theres an optional gear hanger dropout. After we picked our jaws up off the floor, we dug in and realized this was a pretty interesting bike. Salsa Cycles Stormchaser: Getting Rolling by Guitar Ted. If that happens that I get it, I will be able to fully answer your question. However, the pricing makes more sense given the Stormchaser frameset will sell for US$1,099. Not only does the simpler mechanism help but the chain and other tolerances can be set far tighter as well. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Not the single speed! Dont worry. The bike we have is a 57.5cm, and it fits me well enough as I am 61 with short torso, longer arms and legs. The frame is also limited to a maximum 40T chainring size. This bike is based upon the Warbird, and that bike has always been unabashedly about racing. The Stormchaser puts you in the same position and the efficient chassis seems to point to this bike being all about racing. Whether you're looking for an all-weather warrior or just appreciate the simplicity of single-speeding, Stormchaser is a gravel machine that's up for anything. I also am expecting to find that the Class 5 VRS rear end will be a boon to comfort and control. That said, acres of mudroom, tons of fixtures and drivetrain versatility make it a tenacious drop-bar warrior whatever the weather and wherever you want. You also get mudguard mounts and you can fit a Salsa Wanderlust rear rack using Salsa's Rack Lock system. The chainstays are also open-ended and drop well below the threaded BB shell which means mud from the front wheel flies straight up into them unless you cap them off. TranzX YSP38J 90 mm x 360 mm dropper post, Alternator Dropouts (run multiple drivetrain options). All material FarrellyAtkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. As for the new additions, the StormChaser gets a RockShox Rudy XPLR 40 mm fork with lockout. Salsa suggests minimum wheel/tyre sizes of 650B x 47mm and 700C x 32mm. Well see in the coming weeks. Salsa does a whole range of all-road, gravel, adventure, monstercross and almost XC bikes. (Look for a separate look at the Rutlands coming soon.). Check them out in this week's five cool things also featuring Specialized, Rapha, Altura and Tifosi, Orro updates road and gravel lineup, introduces Shimano 105 Di2, and teases new titanium model, Update: Olympic champion Matt Walls out of hospital after horrific crash into crowd during Commonwealth Games scratch race, Transcontinental Race: Defending champion Fiona Kolbinger has purse and tracker stolen while sleeping, Near Miss of the Day 806: Shocking footage shows driver reversing at cyclist and running over dog. @kimbo305 Basically the chain stay ends and down tube end are partially open- think fish mouth- and the cable exits the down tube opening and goes into the appropriate chain stay opening. The Alternator dropouts never shifted or slipped, however hard I braced against them, and theres none of the creak, squeak or worries about seizing that youll get with an eccentric bottom bracket set-up. We are not being paid, nor bribed for this review and we always strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout. A way to simply have fun. I think the vast majority of readers would interpret "wheeling" to mean pushing your bike; in British English wheeling is defined as pushing or Another one! That additional width is possible through the use of mountain bike cranks, whereas most gravel bikes are designed to work with narrower road cranks. This includes widely bowed, bridge-less and flexible chainstays for added comfort, three mounts on each fork-leg, and various other bottle, accessory, fender and rack mounts. Now to go get some gravel rides in, seek out some severe conditions riding, and put this bike to a proper test. And a rear thru-axle delivers precise tracking while allowing the seatstays to provide that incredible compliance, Stormchaser features geometry similar to our Warbird gravel race bike. For more details, check out the Stormchaser on Salsacycles.com (opens in new tab). I didnt say it was a bad thing. The front wheel seems out there quite a ways already as it is with the 57.5cm. The fork is made from high-modulus carbon-fibre with an alloy steerer. You can run it singlespeed or with a 1x geared drivetrain. Anyway. A long top tube paired with a short stem provides increased stability at high speed and on rough descents, Stormchaser fits up to 700c x 50mm OR 650b x 50 mm wheels/tires. Love the bike but the wheel situation is a bummer. The spoke bracing angle can change quite a bit from wheel to wheel, but the brake/rotor clearance in relation to a frame is fixed no matter what the frame is. I expect that the Stormchaser will handle tough conditions in terms of handling and functionality as claimed. Can you take a shot under the BB? You can feel a significant efficiency gain for pedaling a certain amount of pressure, you go a lot faster. I appreciate that. While the Stormchaser seems like a simple enough bike, there is a lot going on here. Required fields are marked *, Salsa Cycles Stormchaser: Getting Rolling. If youve been eyeing up a Salsa StormChaser but like your shifty bits, get ready cause something new is blowing in. Like this site? Your subscription will help us to do more. Initially I had it setup with the 18t fearing I would get tired but no, the efficiency of the singlespeed is not just something that you need on paper equations to detect and calculate. So I did one ride on it in purely stock set up and then swapped out to a seat post with longer offset, which made things just about right for me. The rear spokes ping terrible and the front has had a spoke come totally loose. The updated StormChaser looks to make gravel more accessible and riders more confident in the serious stuff. If its for nobody, they will stop making them. OK, technically, you could still run gears on the last Stormchaser, but the complete bikes were only built as single speed. In addition to the 1x drive train, Salsa gave the Stormchaser a RockShox Rudy XPLR 40 mm fork and a dropper post. A low bottom bracket and stable wheelbase help keep the tires planted and boost confidence. There is a major departure here from traditional, (can we say that about gravel bikes now? The wheels are WTB Sera thru-axle hubs laced to WTB ST i23 rims, shod with Teravail Rutland 42 mm tyres. The frame is the same Stormchaser we all know, but with an updated gray hi-gloss paint. By Learn how your comment data is processed. On 57.5cm frames, there's enough space to be able to get an extra bottle on the downtube one too. With squared off tubes up front, seriously chunky chainstay heads set wide on the BB shell and a tall rather than dramatically sloped top tube the Stormchaser is a seriously solid workout bench too. How that slacker head tube angle and the longer chain stays work out on typical gravel rides will be interesting to find out. Thats great for churning a single cog round when surface or gradient would normally have you walking and I was consistently startled at what I could get the Salsa up in a 34x16 tooth gear. I mean, you can do those things, but the Stormchaser would much rather drift corners, plow through and over stuff, and and getting the front end up is a chore. The Stromchaser GRX 810 1X SUS build is a mix of hearty gear that will take the abuse of gravel roads. Thats helped by a slack 70-degree head angle and 55mm offset on the fork that prioritises straight ahead stability over than twitchy agility. The suspension is perfect for riding pothole and rut ridden gravel or rugged fire roads. If you havent tried a singlespeed this good, you dont know what youre missing. The Stormchaser has clearance for tyres up to 50mm wide, or 45mm if you fit mudguards. This is good for where this bike is meant to go. Compared to the Warbird, the Stormchaser is a little slacker in the steering (70-degree head angle), longer in the rear end (435-450mm adjustable chainstay length) and offers a bunch more tyre clearance with room for 50 mm tyres in either 700C or 650B (maximum 47 mm with fenders). The stout-legged, alloy steerer fork is relatively rigid on baked or frozen stutter bump surfaces so keep an eye out for any serious slams and soften them yourself. The choice was always there to run the frameset as a geared bike, but this is the first time we see the bike offered in a geared configuration as a complete bike for purchase. Those are the things the Stormchaser is meant to be going through, and it is a big reason the bike is a single speed. Interestingly, Salsa use vertically deep but horizontally narrow seat stays to promote outward splay and flex to absorb bumps (they call it Class 5 VRS) rather than the normal flat spring format. Formerly a dedicated single speed bike, Salsa has updated the Stormchaser for 2022 with gears! Salsa have released the all new 2022 Stormcasher now with front suspension and gears. Thanks! If youre riding rough enough terrain to need suspension then the aluminium frame is going to suffer from both ride quality and fatigue failure. The whole race was terrific, the media interestamazing, 'tis such a shame thatNicoleCooke's careernever got the same coverage. "Some verbal words were exchanged and the defendant ended up driving away, " Handling, that is- The Stormchaser is one glued-to-the-ground bike. Stable geometry that excels in sloppy conditions. Your email address will not be published. I cant figure out the brake cable routing and whats going on with the chainstays that seem to stick out a bit from the BB shell. At Cycle Travel Overload we are all about inspiring people to get outside and explore more! That day convinced me that we had an opportunity to create a solution, he said. Everything tapers down towards the slim 27.2mm seatpost sized seat tube though, which is topped with Salsas iconic Lip Lock bolted clamp. The bike strikes me much the same as a bike we reviewed from 2015 from Grava Bikes, the Revenuer. Based in Pittsburgh, PA Jordan spends his time coaching cyclists of all abilities with Cycle-Smart, racing bikes around North America, and adventuring with his family. While competition is somewhat slim, Salsa isnt alone in the singlespeed gravel market. That bike was also one that immediately let you know this ride was about going fast. BikeRumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Both the complete bikes and framesets are due April. Here it is.. What It Is: The previous introduction piece we did pretty much covers what this is, but since we now have the bike in hand, I can add a bit more to the story. The Singlespeed gravel bike by Salsa, just got updated with gears and suspension with 40 mm travel, aluminium frame, 111 drivetrain, dropper post, priced at $3,499. One more question do you think the sliding brake caliper carrier could cause a wider caliper body, like a Klamper, into the seat stays? I have both a Stormchaser and a Warbird Carbon 105. If youve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as 1.99. If that isnt niche enough, the Stormchaser is Salsa's dedicated maximum mudroom, single-speed ready filth fighting bike. NY 10036. You get internal brake and dynamo routing and three rack mounts on each fork leg, and the spacing is 12 x 100mm. Debating over whether 1x or 2x gearing is best for gravel? 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