A Good Beginner Mountain Bike? - Salsa Timberjack Review

Long term review of the budget friendly Salsa Timberjack.
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[@Thinkrock]

The underrepresented “wheels on the ground” trail riding segment can use much more representation. Lots of people like riding through the forest but don’t want to risk neck injury.

[@shawn595]

Well said, and very true.

[@SmuggiNOLA]

I like how "entry level" = bikepacking 😆😆

[@aaaarg1928]

lots of people just completely neglect to learn some FUNdamental bike skills. you can break your neck slipping on a wet root at fairly low speed.

[@michaelgoddard9089]

aaA ARG!! Magnolia leaf on a composite bridge in the early morning.... C2/3 through C6/7 bulging now with 6/7 being the worst so I get arm numbness if I tweak it doing the smallest thing.

[@sagehiker]

I think you speak for the more silent majority of MTB riders that are out on the two tracks, fire roads, and lighter trails. The $$ and thrills are in the full suspension offerings, but my heart is definitely towards this Timberjack. Great review, thank you.

[@johnnydoe66]

I agree, not all of us are Red Bull Rampage or Freeride Mtn bikers. I love riding singletrack with a nice variety of terrain, but I am no Brandon Semenuk. A 27 plus hardtail is perfect for most riding

[@HOllyBOni]

Where I live I don't think you could even fully "utilize" a full sus bike. There are no places really to send it and shred the gnar. We do have lots of two tracks, shorter more mellow trails, gravel roads, and my gravel bike is just too uncomfortable for a lot of it.

[@RuezgaDaniel]

I love my full-squish MTB, but hardtails will always have positives of their own!

[@jlj547]

I send my Timberjack its just up to you and what you're comfortable with. Whats funny is where i live most of the trails the Timberjack is more than enough but most of the people have here have 6k full squish bikes, and going as fast a turtle lol

[@rtaskyy]

I took my timberjack on the baja divide and it was solid!

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Seems like perfect terrain for it!

[@OffRhodes]

The TJ is a great bike for beginner to advanced riders. I am a hardtail diehard the past 6 years, after spending 13 years on full suspension bikes and 30 years total riding MTBs, and I think the TJ, Honzo, Air9, and others are great trail hardtails for all ability levels.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

YES, I got the tires backwards. Noted.

[@lambertj.2892]

I have a 2022 Salsa Rangefinder in black with 29" wheels. Paid $599 for it at REI. Although I've only had it a few weeks, it's got to be one of the best bikes I've ever ridden. Great components, solid frame, great build quality. For $600, an absolute bargain. In my opinion, Salsa is the soft spoken giant of quality bikes that last forever. Great review on the TimberJack.

[@slowwerthensnot]

Great review, even as an experienced mtb’er your perspective as a “newb” is appreciated

[@pushiepedlar2942]

Yay for staying alive! Proof you can have a good time on a bike without having to go superfast and have a near death experience level of adrenaline pumping through you. Thanks again for a great review

[@edritchie270]

I have a 2019 Timberjack and love it. I get some air but nothing to serious. I need to be able to go to work . Great bike

[@jmecklenborg]

I have a 2017. The bike is slightly heavy but nevertheless a lot of fun to ride in the city. It's too expensive to ride as a commuter because of the theft threat, but it is fun to ride one in awhile through town to plow over streetscape obstacles and ignore streetcar tracks that trip up road bikes. It's also fun to to bomb pedestrian staircases.

[@JoyJasonRides]

“My main priority is to not die.” Sounds like me 😂

[@jameshuggins4300]

For me a middle aged lazy dude thats a priority whether it has a motor or pedals! 😆 🤣 😂

[@mikkahgreenleaf1019]

SAME HERE

[@coltonowens5976]

I ride the Deore version of this bike, i bought it for 400 dollars off MSRP! they have huge price cuts when you buy from a shop due to the more entry level 1x10 drivetrain. it’s a great beginner bike that is a great base to build of off and upgrade as you improve as a rider, the stock tires that came on mine were garbage, so i replaced them with a set of High Roller 2’s and upgraded the stem to a shorter one (I ride a large, stem length and bar width varies between sizes). The knobby 2.8’s are great for plowing through false flats on the desert Arizona trails. I plan on upgrading the drivetrain to a higher quality Box One 11s drivetrain and upgrading the brakes because they don’t really suit my riding style, and when i’m ready to make a bigger investment into this bike i’ll upgrade the forks. Overall this bike is a solid 10/10 beginner/intermediate/expert hard tail depending on what parts you have on it.

[@taylorasbell7074]

Love my timberjack, had it 2 years now and it's outperformed my ability to ride. Comfortable on gravel and easy riding, I have 27+ tires and they still roll easy on pavement. Hitting jumps I feel confident and stable. Great bike

[@jellyfishsalad5926]

Thanks for the wheels on the ground review. You don't need to get massive air to be having fun!

[@Ian-to2vo]

You can order bolts/spacers from salsa so the alternator can accommodate 3rd party racks, but u are correct you do need a new collar. I got some at a hardware store and threw the Axiom fat liner on. Nice big and tall rack for the Timby. Also threw on a Carver carbon fork.

[@billoneill6114]

Great review man. Thanks! Been way into the gravel bike stuff but definitely curious about mtb's.

[@RuezgaDaniel]

This is a great looking hardtail! Also, I'm glad you tried it out without any baggage on it. Who knows, you might eventually get into mountain bikes and start hitting some tough trails and jumps! Great video, Russ!

[@OriginalGabriel]

Was about to go all in on a Timberjack, then all this crap started and employment became iffy. Finally stable again, and hoping to pick one up soon for bikepackimg (lofty goals of the Timber Trail).

[@southsoundrider5428]

I love my TJ with 3" tires! It's great fun on the trail and gravel.

[@charlesholland6851]

I have a 2018. I’ve sunk over $2100 in it over the base price. Lol. It was fine as is however. Anyw, I absolutely love my TJ!

[@kymcopyriot9776]

Nice work Russ. And thank you for finally bringing pink water bottles and plaid shirts to the MTB world!

[@timparsons2741]

I have the 2019 Timberjack small frame and love it . Just got back from Tahoe and took it on parts of the rim and other trails and had a blast . planning on going back for a bikepacking trip in September .

[@monjesmedia]

That sounds amazing! I’m 5’5”. Would the small or medium frame be best?

[@buckfidious]

One other really great thing with the timberjack is that you can run fairly large 29er tires as well- mine swaps between the big 3” 27.5 wheels/tires and a lighter 2.5”/29er wheel/tire combo. I’ve loved that it’s a bike that will do pretty much anything you want and I agree with the other comments that wheels on the ground is a very underrepresented audience 😀

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Does it ride different with 29ers?

[@rkn25]

Would love to hear a compare and contrast! I have been on a 29er for years and am hesitant to go 27.5.

[@buckfidious]

Only a little- the 2.5 teravail ehlines that I’m running have a slightly larger overall height/diameter/whatever so the bottom bracket is ever-so slightly higher. In practice I haven’t noticed much of a difference other than, the wheel/tire combo is lighter. A friend of mine who did this same thing with his timberjack described it as “all the Cush with none of the weight penalty”- I’d say he’s mostly right. Figure salsa designed the timberjack to run 27.5 or 29er so if you’ve already got one, give it a try in either direction 😁

[@rockbrd1]

@@PathLessPedaledTV Yes it does its more stable on 29ers and faster but 27.5 plus are great also and alot more responsive cornering . I'm currently running 29ers on my timberjack with industry 9 hydra hubs , stans flow mk3 rims and maxxis DHR ,DHF tires ( with Alternator dropouts pushed as far forward without tires rubbing on frame)

[@chrislowe3060]

Yup. I bought the 27.5 version of the bike but recently built a second set of wheels using XT hubs, Velocity Blunt rims, Sapim Laser spokes and shod them with 29x2.3” tubeless Schwalbe G-One tires. I use these wheels for rough gravel roads and the stock wheels with WTB Rangers for proper trails.

[@adumbberg]

Nice to see you branching out a wee bit Russ.

[@jwinboston]

It's fun on trails not groomed for MTB and keeps planted so less injury. Whenever I want to go bigger and faster, I remember I'm alone and I'm out here to enjoy nature- I always come home in a far better mood than when I left :)

[@danielchmiel4143]

I beat the snot out of my TJ. I've even put it through Ontario's double black trails and dirt jump tracks, it hasn't failed me yet!

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Its a fun bike! Ended up buying the demo.

[@jp93309]

These types of hardtail bikes are becoming more and more of what I want from a trail bike. (Even more) supple front end with relaxed geometry and simple 1x drivetrain. Making me question my Ti gravel bike that still hasn’t arrived yet.

[@billoneill6114]

Dude, you definitely didn't go wrong with a Ti gravel bike. Enjoy the shit out of that thing!! I've been thinking about getting one for my next bike. That's Rad man!

[@anotheryoutuber_]

N+1....attacks again

[@johnnydoe66]

I had considered that exact model of Timberjack, but due to the availability issues because of CV19, I ended up purchasing a 2020 Trek Roscoe 8. For my style and ability of Mtn biking, a 27 plus hardtail is absolutely perfect. For normal singletrack and some bikepacking thrown in, I think they're a great choice.

[@craigkreman8594]

I just picked up a 2019 Timberjack used for under $1000 from a local bike store in southern Missouri! Excited to try it out. We also look at the 2020 Trek Roscoe 7 and 8 and we had run into the availability issue with those because of CV19.

[@AGONY818]

Funny I had the exact opposite wanted a Roscoe 8 but couldn't get one so went with the Timberjack. Great bike tough.

[@myfreakyvalentine]

Very similar on paper to my Rocky Mountain Growler (upgraded almost to the same spec too, even down to the Sektors). For some reason, the 27.5+ segment doesn't get a lot of love with the "fashionable" hardtail crowd, but IMO they are a very solid platform and super versatile. Not everyone wants 'big air' or cornering at ridiculous speeds. I have had many hardtails over the years, from 26" up to 29", and my 27.5+ is def my fave!

[@sethmcfarland1083]

Timberjack is the best bike because its my bike! I would love to hear more about sizing. I'm 5'6 and and I ride a medium, seems to fit great for me. Just upgrade to 29 inch Industry 9 enduro wheels and Teravail Honcho/Eh Line. Lost over a pound on that upgrade and it has made a huge difference. I'm debating weather to do a SID fork or a rigid carbon fork for my next upgrade. Plan is to keep upgrading until its worth it to move all the parts over to a Ti frame!

[@Adventuregirl96]

I love my Timberjack. I take it on blue and green trails and bikepacking trails. I also have a Salsa Journeyer for my gravel bike that I also taking bikepacking.

[@WeyandtUSMC]

Ive had a TJ Deore for about two months now, I think its great for party pace riding in places that might be too rough and steep for a rigid front. Where I live in PA there are both dedicated trail parks and State Parks and forests that are not groomed for bikes (or at all really) but have miles of trails to explore. It does both with aplomb; its geo lends itself to longer adventure rides, and its held back more by me than any engineering on black trails. It will definitely send with a better rider on it; I just ended up breaking a rib when I tried :/

[@shawn595]

Thank you! I was hoping this bike was going to get a review after I saw it in yesterday's video. I've been torn between the Salsa TJ and the Trek Cujo for a few years. I'm sad that Salsa went with a 32T chainring. A 30T or 28T would have been preferable for me. That's about my only "con" for the TJ though. I'm hoping to throw a leg over one soon-ish.

[@felixduprey]

I suggest you try the Thule Pack 'n Pedal Tour Rack on this bike. I converted my hard tail onto a touring bike using this...it worked really well for me...

[@anotheryoutuber_]

it is a great rack

[@bruceblair4316]

Thank you very much for the review! I wanted a Timberjack but could not find one and had to settle for a Trek Roscoe 7.

[@SuperKelbe]

Funny ... I'm trying to decide between a TJ and a Roscoe 7. How do you like your Roscoe 7?

[@bruceblair4316]

I ended up selling it (2020 model) because it was too slow for me and I could not upgrade the crank to a big enough size. It was a great climber and descender though.

[@SuperKelbe]

@@bruceblair4316 i ended up going with the TJ

[@philtomlinson8220]

Nice review 👍 Now you've started featuring mtb's, you should try to get holdof a Surly Krampus. I think you'd love it!

[@everywherelocal]

nice clip 🤘

[@karenmurphy4298]

I rode my 2017 xs Timberjack 27.5 for the entirety of GDMBR. No rear rack. Traveled as light as possible. Bike was FLAWLESS. Loved the ride and am still loving the bike.

[@debthomas1293]

Karen, thanks for posting this. I did my first bikepacking trip on my TJ this year and now I’m hooked. I’d love to do the GDMBR or at least part of it. Can I ask which cassette you have on yours?

[@karenmurphy4298]

@@debthomas1293 Stock build - Sunrace 11-42t.

[@karenmurphy4298]

The gearing worked fine for me, but I’ve always been solid on climbs. I was spinning frantically on downhills only twice in almost 3000 miles. Swapped to tubeless Maxxis Chronicles and had NO FLATS! Great fun on a fab bike! Happy tripping to you!

[@brif56]

Hi Karen. Can I ask you how tall are you? I have a good deal on a xs frame here locally where I live, but I’m worry it might be too small. Thanks

[@rjahn3000]

Nice review thanks, are they ever going to come out with current year Timberjacks ? Impossible to find.

[@jamesenloe2791]

I’ve been riding my Timberjack for 3 seasons now. I also am a mt. Bike newb. I tested about 6 29” bikes before I said, “what the heck, I’ll try that weird bike with the huge meats.” I fell in love immediately. However when I converted it tubeless, it was like riding on jello when aired down. I rode the poop outa that thing until I found gravel riding and got a Rockymountain Solo. Meh on the Solo. I contribute that to poor fit and the bike shop cut the steer tube way too short.

[@Suelo82]

I own the 2018 Salsa Timberjack 27.5+ and it handles everything I throw at it. It flies down steep, technical terrain with ease. Its definitely capable of aggressive trail riding. It is super slow on flat ground if you're planning on doing any commuting. For someone who cant afford or doesnt want to spend the extra money on a full suspension trail bike, this would be a great alternative.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Ended up buying the review bike. Enough mtb for me!

[@ilyalope]

Great video. You should review the Esker Hayduke next.

[@willie3262]

When you say "Welcome back, Path Less Pedalers," I always hear "welcome back, pathless pedalers," and I feel accused of being aimless 😂

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Aimless isn’t necessarily a bad thing :)

[@Blueyes3131]

Cool bike

[@frakafrocka]

Hey Russ how does front suspension feel compared to Rigid bike with soft tubeless tires? Thanks for great vid.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Front rigid with big tires does a lot but the sus takes the bite out of the unexpected root or small rock. Also maintains traction better on rough terrain since you aren’t being bucked off.

[@chrislowe3060]

I recently bought a Timberjack. It’s the first suspension fork equipped bike I’ve owned in nearly 20 years. Prior to that I had several suspension bikes but grew tired of the maintenance hassles relative to the performance they offered. When I went shopping for a new bike I had every intention of getting another rigid bike but a local shop had a 2019 Timberjack on sale in my size so I said “Why not?” So happy I did. I still enjoy my fully rigid gravel bike with 48mm tires but there is something to be said for going full monster truck mode with 2.8” tires and a suspension fork!

[@JoshKablack]

I'm very interested in a bike that can both serve as a bikepacking bike and do some lighter MTB trails. But the lack of rack eyelets is a deal breaker for anything asking real bike prices.

[@WeyandtUSMC]

Salsa has a new model called that Rangefinder that is very similar, but is slanted more toward adventure than trail. It has top tube mounts for example; cheaper too.

[@Kaosad69]

I do that type of riding on a rigid fork soma wolverine. You don't need a sus fork if it isn't hardcore trails that you are riding.

[@Alex_564]

One of the folks at bikepacking.com has the price Titanium Timberjack with a Niner rigid fork with eyelets as his bikepacking bike.

[@chrislowe3060]

I added a rear Tumbleweed rack to mine. It required a new seat collar, dropout bolts and spacers. Total cost was well under $20 and took maybe 10 minutes so yeah, not an issue.

[@debthomas1293]

@@chrislowe3060 That’s good to know. I love the Tumbleweed racks. They were out of stock so I got an Axiom Streamliner Disk. Can I ask where you attached the Tumbleweed? I ended up using the quick release to get the rack in a lower position. I have the seat collar with the attachment points. They are a little hard to find. Oh, and what size Tumbleweed rack did you get? Thanks so much.

[@brandonparker6962]

I’ve not thought of my timberjack as a bike packing bike. The lack of places to store gear is the biggest reason. But I’ve found that the stock saddle is too uncomfortable even with a chammy. It’s a blast flowing downhill, chewing through rooty sections, and solid climbing. It’s an amazing bike.

[@chrislowe3060]

You said rear rack options are limited to the Salsa Alternator. This is incorrect. I’m running a Tumbleweed T-Rack. Installing it took 10 minutes. I had a to buy a new seat collar ($12) and a few bolts and spacers from my neighborhood hardware store ($6). I love my 2019 27.5 Timberjack. I did put on some Jones bars since a poorly healed broken wrist makes flat bars difficult for me. I also swapped out the cassette for an 11-50. More recently I built up a second set of wheels with Schwalbe G-One tires in the 29x2.3” size which are a blast on gravel! For overnight trips I have Blackburn cargo cages on the Tumbleweed rack as well as on the fork legs using King clamps. I also just acquired a Rockgeist bag made for the Jones bars and a Wayward Riders harness for under the seat. This means I can carry 5 8 liter dry bags worth of gear which is plenty for an overnighter.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

How did you attach it to the frame?

[@chrislowe3060]

@@PathLessPedaledTV Salsa has the specifications in the instructions for the Alternator rack: salsacycles.com/files/tech/85-000256_INST.pdf Basically on the non-drive side you replace the upper dropout bolt with a 42mm M6 bolt, a washer, and at least 13mm of spacers. On the drive side you'll need a 35mm M6 bolt, a washer and at least 17mm of spacers. The spacers help you clear the dropout socket. Salsa sells all of this as a kit but you can also find the parts at a hardware store with a decent Servalite selection.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Chris Lowe can we agree not as plug and play as having eyelets.

[@chrislowe3060]

Path Less Pedaled Yeah, not quite plug and play but really not much more difficult than a regular rack and easier than adding cargo cages to a suspension fork. TBH I’m surprised none of the fork makers have added 3 pack mounts to fork legs.

[@samtyler7528]

Be careful of the rear hubs, had a batch of them come back in because the free hub bodies locked up from being to tight! Besides that they are great bikes!!

[@snat6299]

Mine is starting to have problems with the hub and its 6 month old

[@charlesholland6851]

Trek uses formula hubs too. I don’t understand why they keep using them. I ditched my hubs for a hope pro 4 set.

[@geraldskurla9845]

I feel like Russ is channeling me when he describes how he's going to use this bike. Anyone have a 2020 full bike or frames for sale?

[@claydogmadman6295]

I hope you had Bear Spray there in Montana...

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Never leave home without it.

[@robbie.rambles]

I've got an opportunity to get a 2019 Timberjack in a size small. I'm 5'8" and the sizing chart says a small would be the right size for me, but it seems like a lot of people size larger than the recommended. I think Russ is around my height as well and I think he got a small. Anybody else around 5'8" with a small and how do you like the sizing?

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

I’d buy it if you want to ride this year.

[@robbie.rambles]

@@PathLessPedaledTV That's what I'm thinking too. Timberjacks and just about everything else are pretty much impossible to get!

[@brif56]

I’m 5’6 and I was wondering if a xs size would be too small? Thanks

[@bobbannon2701]

Any interest in doing subscriber submitted bike reviews? Something akin to what GCN does. I’d get a kick out of seeing what you think of other people’s setups.

[@EvandJohnson]

"my main priority when riding a mountain bike is to not die"

[@stevegraham3041]

How durable is the cassette as there not cheap compared to my 11/34 9 speed

[@anotheryoutuber_]

i get about 20 percent more miles from my 11 speed set up than my 9 speed, still looking at three chain per cassette so the cost per mile for me is still slightly in favor of nine. especially if your okay with a 34 or 36 low gear on the rear. running an app or even a basic wheel magnet computer will let you learn a lot if you choose to track miles for components.

[@stevegraham3041]

Another KZbinr I get quite a bit more on my 9 chain than 11 cassette not though but I’ve just switched to xt and so far it’s still doing well

[@lundinulrika]

how much it weighs

[@ronalcasid3844]

I think that bike looks a little small on you.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

It fits fine.

[@michaljambor7772]

Soooo much overbiking. Those smooth trails looked optimal for Jones or other fine rigid MTB.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Sure. We've ridden these trails with gravel bikes. The front sus IS nice tho.

[@anotheryoutuber_]

@@PathLessPedaledTV old wrists.....demand more marshmallow tire/suspension bits