SALSA CYCLES BLACKTHORN ALLOY SLX｜Attack, Climb, All-Mountain Without the Backpack
Enjoy the descents, then pedal further on your own power. An all-mountain bike for the adventurous spirit.
You want to thoroughly enjoy aggressive descents, but you also want to climb the mountain under your own power without relying on lifts or shuttles. The SALSA CYCLES BLACKTHORN ALLOY SLX is an all-mountain bike designed for just such a rider.
It features a modern geometry with a stiff aluminum frame, a 64.6° head angle, and a 76.5° seat angle. This provides excellent stability on descents, while ensuring an efficient pedaling position for climbs, making it suitable for long self-powered rides.
The combination of the 140mm rear travel Split Pivot suspension and the RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ shock smoothly absorbs everything from small bumps to large impacts. With the addition of a 160mm travel RockShox Yari RC fork, it delivers high control even on rough trails and fast sections.
Furthermore, it's equipped with SALSA's characteristic adventure-oriented features, such as top tube mounts, Three-Pack mounts, and an integrated frame storage space for a repair kit. This allows for less reliance on a backpack, enabling a more liberating riding style.
The Shimano SLX 1x12 drivetrain and 4-piston brakes provide high reliability from climbs to descents.
Features
- High-rigidity and durable aluminum frame
- Progressive geometry with 64.6° head angle x 76.5° seat angle
- Split Pivot rear suspension (140mm travel)
- Equipped with RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ rear shock
- Equipped with RockShox Yari RC 160mm fork
- Split Pivot+ design allows conversion to 165mm / 180mm travel
- Geometry adjustment function with Flip Chip 2.0
- Top tube accessory mount
- Down tube Three-Pack mount
- Integrated frame storage space for repair kit
- Compatible with 26oz bottles (all sizes)
- Full-sleeve internal cable routing
- Molded frame protection
- Compatible with 29-inch and 27.5 x 2.8-3.0-inch tires
- Compatible with 30.9mm dropper post (stealth routing compatible)
- Shimano SLX 1x12 drivetrain
- Shimano 4-piston brakes
SPEC
- Frame: Aluminum
- Rear Suspension: Split Pivot
- Rear Travel: 140mm
- Fork: RockShox Yari RC (160mm)
- Rear Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+
- Wheel Size: 29 inches
- Compatible Tire Sizes: 29 inches / 27.5 x 2.8-3.0 inches
- Drivetrain: Shimano SLX 1x12 speed
- Brakes: Shimano 4-piston
- Seatpost Diameter: 30.9mm
The BLACKTHORN ALLOY SLX is an all-mountain bike that perfectly hits the sweet spot, not as heavily equipped as an enduro bike, but with more capability than a trail bike.
When ridden, the long and slack geometry proves effective on descents, offering composed handling even at high speeds. Conversely, thanks to the 76.5° seat angle, climbing is very realistic. It feels easy to maintain pace even on long forest road approaches.
The Split Pivot suspension also performs exceptionally, maintaining excellent traction on rough sections. The combination of SLX components and 4-piston brakes provides high confidence, fully capable of handling aggressive riding.
Equipped with cargo mounts and frame storage space, it's suitable not only for trail riding but also for adventure rides. This model is recommended for those who don't want to compromise on either performance or fun.
