For the first time since 2015, Salsa has updated its versatile, endurance-minded Cutthroat. The Cutthroat is a “Tour Divide-inspired drop bar bike,” made for touring, bikepacking, or riding long stretches of dirt.
For the 2020 model, the Cutthroat has gone through a serious geometry update and is more compatible with packs and accessories than ever, and the frame and fork are designed to be more compliant on bumpy terrain.
The redesigned High-Modulus carbon fork is 32% more compliant than the previous Cutthroat fork, according to Salsa, but it’s still compatible with the previous Cutthroat frame. There are abrasion-resistant plates in high-wear areas, a set of Three-Pack mounts on each leg, internal dynamo and brake cable routing, Boost 15x110mm hub spacing, and a 51mm offset. It’s compatible with a 100mm travel, 29-inch fork.
The rear hub is also Boost spaced, at 148mm, for additional tire clearance, and the frame has internal brake, gearing, and dynamo cable routing. There is internal routing for a 27.2mm dropper post, but 2x drivetrain-equipped Cutthroats must use an externally routed dropper post.
The frame adds a 52cm size to the lineup, which also includes a 54, 56, 68, and 60cm sizing. Salsa has also incorporated a Class 5 Vibration Reduction System (VRS) to absorb the chatter.
On the geometry front, it’s slacker, with a 69° head angle and a longer wheelbase makes for greater stability.
Cargo capacity has expanded in a few different ways on the Cutthroat. There’s a direct mount frame pack, Three Pack mounts or Salsa Down Under rack compatibility on the fork, and three bottle mounts on the inside of the main triangle on sized 54cm-60cm frames. On the 52cm, there are two bottle mounts.
There are also two accessory mounts on the underside of the down tube, and top tube mounts.
Salsa has done something interesting to create more tire clearance on their 29er drop bar bikes. By using a road drivetrain and mountain, Boost-spaced cranks, the rear end can be opened up for more tire clearance.
The Cutthroat is 1x mechanical-compatible, using mountain Boost cranks, and a road drivetrain in all other areas. The max chainring that the Cutthroat can fit though, is a 40-tooth. The 2x drivetrain uses Race Face mountain Boost cranks and Easton direct-mount chainrings, with a maximum 50/34-tooth setup. The 2x Cutthroat ships with a 46/30-tooth chainrings. The Salsa uses a press-fit bottom bracket.
All of this road drivetrain and Boost spacing has opened up the chainstays and fork for 29-inch tires up to a 2.4-inch width.
Prices for the 2020 Cutthroat are as follows:
- Cutthroat Carbon GRX 810 Di2
MSRP $5799 - Cutthroat Carbon GRX 810 1X
MSRP $4199 - Cutthroat Carbon GRX 600
MSRP $3299 - Cutthroat Carbon Apex 1
MSRP $2699 - Cutthroat Carbon Frameset
MSRP $2199 - Cutthroat Fork Aftermarket
MSRP $549
See the Salsa Cycles website for more information or compare prices here.
