Touring - Salsa Vaya for touring video

Hey all....finally dialed in our Salsa Vaya build for touring. Took it on an overnighter with a moderate load and its been working great. Can't wait to do longer tours with it. Check out our vid of the build:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8cF--GX0R0&list=UUaThRBMEp21yRK4seqq3-Sw&index=1&feature=plcp

Best,
Russ

www.pathlesspedaled.com

Grew tired of the Brommy?

Wanting to do more off-roadish touring.


Grew tired of the Brommy?

Nice looking bikes. Keep us posted on the dirt touring you end up doing with them.

How come you chose the Vaya instead of the Fargo?

We know we are still probably going to end up more paved than nonpaved roads so the Vayas made more sense. Also, for just longer day rides and short fast trips, the Vayas are a bit more livlier for what we want to do.

Russ


Nice looking bikes. Keep us posted on the dirt touring you end up doing with them.

How come you chose the Vaya instead of the Fargo?

Nice to see 11-36 combined with a MTB double. I think this will become an increasingly popular combination for touring. I see you are using 42/28 front rings, why not replace the 28 with a 26 ring. That will stay within the 16t capacity of a lot of front derailleurs and give you a little more low end and less replication of gears. It's a tiny tweek, and probably not worth the time an effort, but interesting to consider.

We will probably eventually swap the 28t for something lower, but didn't have the funds to get a new chainring at the time.

R


Nice to see 11-36 combined with a MTB double. I think this will become an increasingly popular combination for touring. I see you are using 42/28 front rings, why not replace the 28 with a 26 ring. That will stay within the 16t capacity of a lot of front derailleurs and give you a little more low end and less replication of gears. It's a tiny tweek, and probably not worth the time an effort, but interesting to consider.

At Cycle Oregon rest stop this year I was listening to a guy on a Vaya and one on a Fargo comparing notes. Heavy and too fat of tires were mentioned by both. I had to chuckle because I had just come from the coffee machine cargo bike monstrosity. As you experienced, you see everything on Cycle Oregon these days, it's what makes it so much fun!!

Can't wait to see your CO video.

We will probably eventually swap the 28t for something lower, but didn't have the funds to get a new chainring at the time.

R

You can get a 26t 80mm BCD ring for around $20. But it doesn't change things much. It's nice to see some sensible doubles being produced so we don't have to hack triples any more.

I built my Vaya with a 12-36 9 spd. rear, but I used a 20-32-42 triple front. Works well for me.

I like the component changes Salsa's made to the 2013 Vaya 2s. They've changed pretty much everything I changed on my '12, with the exception of the cranks (which I changed, as well) and the wheels (which, so far, I've left stock.) Having had a chance now to ride several Fargos and an LHT, I'm glad I ended up with a Vaya. It's been a better fit for the short tours and long gravel grinders I like doing.

I've been kind of underwhelmed that many of the new 'supercross' style bikes are being offered with such scant tire clearance.

I know it's a road-biased frame, but if I'm getting a disc equipped all-road bike, i want it to be able to fit a 29 by 2.1, 2.2 tire clearance.

700x45 is pretty standard clearance for existing touring bikes- IE no need to get a disc-equipped thing for road bias touring if you've already got a LHT or a Sojurn or a Crosscheck or Windsor etc etc.

There's also very few good tires at the top end of that size limit. move the casing up a couple of fractions, and tire choice explodes.

However, the vaya is a very nice bike and should treat you nicely, Russ. A more robust but spirited ride than those infernal folding contraptions. :)