The Tech Slayer: Salsa Blackthorn MTB Review

I've been riding my Salsa Blackthorn for a few months now, after switching from an Ibis Ripmo AF. I'm really enjoying the Salsa and find that it fits the techy New England trails perfectly.
Here's how to convert the linkage over to the Salsa Cassidy: • How to Convert Between...
Next time I'll check my review spot more carefully for widow-makers... oops
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:44 Specs & Setup
04:34 Descending & Jumping
08:01 Climbing
09:58 Notes & Conclusions

[@kmicify]

Excellent review.

[@RootsRocksRaffi]

much appreciated!

[@chuckriley2764]

thanks for the review ...i am looking to get a hardtail upgrade ...but i am leaning toward the Salsa Blackthorn.....see you out there

[@RootsRocksRaffi]

Nice, and hope it was somewhat helpful. I think it’s an underrated bike that can handle a huge variety of terrain. Best of luck!

[@chuckriley2764]

I purchased the blackthorn..and this thing is a beast ...can't wait for the trails to open...see you out there

[@RootsRocksRaffi]

​@@chuckriley2764 congrats! hope it serves you well, and happy riding!

[@greiner7414]

Just picked one up (alloy delivered next week) at REI for 1750!

[@akramaful]

@@greiner7414that was a crazy deal I saw it too. They’ve gone up on it since. If I didn’t have a Roscoe on order I would’ve snagged that. First real bike, so maybe a HT will serve me better anyway! Let us know how it rides!

[@waldowsxxghostxx8577]

Are their sliding dropouts on the rear wheel allowing 27.5”/29” wheel?

[@RootsRocksRaffi]

They don't use sliding dropouts, but according to Salsa's site, you can run 27.5+ wheels (2.8"-3" tires) and they recommend using the "high" setting on the flip chip.