Salsa Horsethief Deore 12

Overview

Unleash your inner outlaw with the Salsa Horsethief Deore 12, a full-suspension trail bike that’s as daring as it is dependable. This steed is built for both the long-haul adventures on your bucket list and the exhilarating weekend rides on your local trails. Its Split Pivot suspension design and trail geometry make uphill battles a breeze and descents a thrill. With 120mm rear and 140mm front suspension travel, it’s ready to tackle any obstacle, while the 29″ wheels keep you rolling.

Picture this: you, the Salsa Horsethief Deore 12, and the loose and rocky terrain of the  Arizona Trail beneath your wheels. This bike is the portal to the serious adventuring you’ve been seeking, built to conquer the gnarliest, the nastiest and longest of journeys. Its robust aluminum frame and trail-optimized geometry make it a reliable companion for bikepacking, capable of carrying you and your gear over mountains, through forests, and across deserts.  With room for two water bottles or a decent sized frame bag, this bike is built for rugged bikepacking.

Geometry & Ride Characteristics

The geometry of the Salsa Horsethief Deore 12 is meticulously tailored for aggressive trail riding, offering a distinctive blend of agility and stability. Its frame is designed to navigate technical descents and steep climbs with precision. The bike’s consistent headtube angle across all sizes, combined with its reach, stack, and BB drop measurements, ensures a harmonious balance between responsiveness and anchored feel. The geometry underscores versatility, allowing riders to conquer a diverse range of trails without sacrificing performance.

The Salsa Horsethief Deore 12 delivers a riding experience that is both exhilarating and reassuring. Its trail-ready design ensures that rides feel anchored, especially during challenging descents, while still maintaining the nimbleness required for tight turns and technical sections. The bike’s unique geometry absorbs trail imperfections effectively, offering a ride that’s both efficient on climbs and controlled on descents. Whether transitioning between smooth trails and rugged terrains or embarking on long, adventurous rides, the Horsethief’s riding characteristics position it as a reliable and thrilling partner on the trails.

• Trail-Ready Design: The Salsa Horsethief Deore 12’s geometry is tailored for aggressive trail riding, a deviation from traditional XC bikes. This design ensures riders can tackle challenging terrains with confidence and agility.
• Effective Top Tub : Ranging from 596mm for size SM to 661mm for size XL, the Horsethief ensures riders of different heights achieve a comfortable reach, promoting a balanced posture while riding.
• Stand Over: With standover heights spanning from 750mm to 780mm across sizes, riders can comfortably straddle the bike, making it convenient during technical sections or sudden stops.
• Reach: The reach measurements, ranging from 413mm to 472mm, provide a comfortable distance from the saddle to the handlebars, ensuring an ergonomic riding position on both climbs and descents.
• Stack: The stack values, from 613mm to 641mm, offer a vertical measurement from the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube, ensuring a relaxed riding posture, especially beneficial for long rides.
• Headtube Angle: A consistent angle of 66.8°/67.0° across all sizes strikes a balance between agility and stability. Unlike aggressive downhill bikes with slacker angles, the Horsethief offers a geometry that’s versatile for varied terrains.
• Seat Tube Angle: Angles ranging from 73.4° to 73.6° ensure riders maintain an efficient pedaling position. This geometry leans towards a harmonious blend of performance and comfort.
• BB Drop: A consistent BB drop of 29/26mm across sizes provides a low center of gravity, enhancing stability, especially during technical descents.
• Chainstay Length: A uniform chainstay length of 432/431mm ensures predictable handling. This length offers a balance between quick responsiveness and stability on rough trails.
• Wheelbase: With wheelbase measurements ranging from 1141mm to 1209mm, the Horsethief offers enhanced stability, especially at higher speeds, making it a top choice for adventurous trail rides.
• Fork Length and Offset (L & M): The 551mm fork length and 44mm offset provide a blend of comfort and precision, ensuring the bike can tackle both smooth and rugged terrains with ease.
• Crank Length: Tailored to the size of the bike, the crank lengths ensure ergonomic comfort and optimal power transfer. The Horsethief’s geometry ensures size-specific customization for the rider, catering to both novices and seasoned trail enthusiasts.

vs. the Salsa Spearfish Deore

The Salsa Spearfish Deore is designed with endurance rides in mind, optimized for long-distance trails like the Arizona Trail, and emphasizes climbing efficiency and agility on technical sections. Its progressive XC bike geometry and 100 mm rear travel make it adept at both ascents and descents. In contrast, the Salsa Horsethief Deore is tailored for both extended trail rides and quick weekend adventures, boasting a trail geometry with 120 mm rear and 140 mm front suspension travel, ensuring a more balanced performance on both uphills and challenging descents. While both bikes offer versatility, the Spearfish leans towards endurance and agility, whereas the Horsethief offers a more balanced trail experience at a slightly higher cost.

• Ride Feel & Geometry:
  • Salsa Spearfish Deore: Designed for endurance, emphasizing efficient climbing and adept handling on descents with its progressive XC bike geometry.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore: Tailored for a balanced trail experience, suitable for both extended trail rides and quick weekend adventures, with its trail geometry and increased suspension travel ensuring confidence on varied terrains.
• Frame:
  • Salsa Spearfish Deore: Spearfish Alloy V1, a lightweight and durable frame optimized for long-distance trails.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore: Horsethief Alloy V3, a versatile frame designed for a range of trail experiences.
• Fork:
  • Salsa Spearfish Deore: RockShox Recon Silver RL, 120 mm, 51 mm offset, offering precision and control on technical terrains.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore: RockShox 35 Silver TK, 140 mm, 42 mm offset, providing a plush ride and stability on descents.
• Groupset:
  • Salsa Spearfish Deore: Features Shimano Deore M6100 components, known for their smooth shifting and reliability across a variety of terrains.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore: Also equipped with Shimano Deore M6100 components, ensuring consistent performance and durability on both smooth and rough trails.

vs. the Salsa Horsethief SLX

The Salsa Horsethief SLX is a more premium version of the Salsa Timberjack XT 29″. With a very similar frame, the primary differences are in the componentry as follows:

• Fork:
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: RockShox 35 Silver TK, 140 mm, 42 mm offset
  • Salsa Horsethief SLX: RockShox Revelation RC, 140 mm, 42 mm offset
• Rear Shock:
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: RockShox Deluxe Select+
  • Salsa Horsethief SLX: Fox Float DPS Performance
• Rear Derailleur:
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: Shimano Deore M6100 SGS
  • Salsa Horsethief SLX: Shimano SLX M7100 SGS
• Crankset:
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: Shimano MT512, 30t
  • Salsa Horsethief SLX: Shimano Deore M6130, 30t -OR- FSA Comet MegaExo, 30t
• Brakes and Rotors:
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: Shimano MT4100, Shimano RT10 (Center Lock, 180 mm)
  • Salsa Horsethief SLX: Options include Shimano Deore M6120 four-piston or Tektro HD-M745 four-piston, with Shimano RT64 (Center Lock, 180 mm)

vs. the Kona Hei Hei

The Kona Hei Hei is designed with a focus on agility and speed, featuring a lightweight Kona Race Light 6061 Aluminum frame and 100mm travel, making it adept for cross-country racing and swift trail rides. Its geometry likely promotes a more aggressive riding stance for performance. In contrast, the Salsa Horsethief Deore 12 is tailored for a balanced trail experience, boasting a trail geometry with 120 mm rear and 140 mm front suspension travel, ensuring a more versatile performance on both uphills and challenging descents. While both bikes offer versatility, the Hei Hei leans towards racing efficiency, whereas the Horsethief provides a broader trail experience at a potentially higher cost.

• Ride Feel & Geometry:
  • Kona Hei Hei: Geared towards agility and speed, especially for cross-country racing. Its geometry promotes an aggressive riding stance for performance.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: Tailored for a balanced trail experience, suitable for both extended trail rides and quick weekend adventures. Its trail geometry ensures confidence on varied terrains, from uphills to challenging descents.
• Frame:
  • Kona Hei Hei: Kona Race Light 6061 Aluminum Butted with 100mm Travel, designed for lightweight efficiency.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: Horsethief Alloy V3, built for versatility and durability on varied terrains.
• Fork:
  • Kona Hei Hei: RockShox SID 35 DebonAir with 120mm travel, optimized for precision and control.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: RockShox 35 Silver TK, 140 mm, 42 mm offset, ensuring a plush ride on descents and stability on trails.
• Groupset:
  • Kona Hei Hei: Features Shimano Deore 12spd components, emphasizing smooth shifting and reliability, suitable for racing conditions.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: Primarily equipped with Shimano Deore M6100 components, ensuring consistent performance and durability on varied trails.
• Tires:
  • Kona Hei Hei: Maxxis Forekaster EXO TR DUAL 29×2.35″ for both front and rear, designed for grip and speed.
  • Salsa Horsethief Deore 12: Maxxis DHF 29 x 2.5″ front and Maxxis DHR II 29 x 2.4″ rear; EXO, TR, tailored for traction and durability on trails.