Options are a good thing, right? Salsa's Woodsmoke comes in 29+, 29er and 27.5+ wheel sizes. Which one is best? Well that depends on what you want out of your bike. I took the massive 29+ version on some gravity runs to find out how the biggest brother gets along.
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Salsa Woodsmoke 29+ GX1 spec overview
- Carbon frame
- RockShox Yari RC Solo Air, 120mm
- SRAM GX1 drivetrain
- SRAM Level discs
- Boost front and rear axles
- WTB Ranger 29x3.0 tires
Salsa Woodsmoke 29+ GX1 frame
The Woodsmoke is full carbon with internally routed cables and a Boost 148 rear end. The reach is long and pairs well with the 50mm stem, and the head angle is a sporty 67.8 degrees. All pretty current stuff for a modern hardtail bike, where it gets interesting is in the rear stays and dropouts.
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The elevated driveside chainstay keeps the rear end super short (409-417mm in 29+ mode), which gives the bike its mind-bending riding characteristics. It also allows a two-ring crankset for mega-gear range and should work with a belt drive because, well, the stay doesn't intersect the chain. Salsa's Alternator 2 dropouts allow for all the wheel size variations and make singlespeeding a reality.
Salsa Woodsmoke 29+ GX1 ride impression
Plus size tires are a little smaller than full-on fat bike tires, yet much, much wider and bulbous than a standard tire. On appearances alone, the Woodsmoke 29+ looks like it's going to be a handful to move around, to corner, to jump, basically to ride aggressively. The humongous rims and tires, paired with a 120mm fork, make the front end tall, like seriously up there. What's that saying about books and covers?
Right out off the bat (actually 10 feet away from Salsa's tent), I gave a little tug on the bars to wheelie and nearly looped it out. Looks can definitely be deceiving. Once I began riding, it was pretty clear that the Woodsmoke wanted to get zesty. Within the first two turns and tabletops I could tell I was wrong and this thing was rad.
Salsa Woodsmoke 29+ GX1 price and availability
Salsa Woodsmoke 29+ GX1 vs the competition
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