Originally Posted by
Squeezebox
I may have found the perfect touring bicycle for myself.
I cruised Salsa bicycles this morning. I know about the Fargo, it looked interesting. But I would expect better quality steel for the price. Then I looked at the Cut throat. WOW!!! A full carbon bicycle for $3K, with a carbon fork with bolt-ons for front racks. I've never seen a fork like that. Decent Scram equipment. Better drive train is available for another $1K. I hear Salsa is sold out until next fall. I called the shop I worked at 35 yrs. ago, They have one coming in as a floor model. My model, my size. They were wiling to put my name on it. I've changed my underwear since then, and am interested to hear from anybody with Salsa CutThroat experience.
It looks like a pretty natural step up from the Fargo. Fargo X9, for instance, features pretty comparable components for $700 less and is within 3 pounds of the Cutthroat X9. A cool bike filling in a high-end spot where the Fargo's frame wasn't really appropriate. What makes it sound like a particularly compelling option is more that it's getting very good reviews for ride quality (notably that it stays comfy even at high tire pressure) and friendly-for-mounting-stuff geometry than its raw specs, though.
Twice the price of a LHT But at least 3 times as good.
Unless you want a bike optimized for road use, or you want triple cranks, or you want slightly longer chainstays, or you prefer the LHT's classic geometry, or you prefer the feel or look or repairability of chromoly, or you prefer more spokes so that you'll have an easier time in the event of a wheel issue in the middle of nowhere, or you want the peace of mind of using a bicycle with such a good reputation for long-term reliability that it basically doesn't depreciate, or...
(The LHT is not a high-end machine of absolute perfection in every imaginable way, but you've repeatedly attacked it while seemingly not understanding why people prefer it or, really, even what kind of bicycle it is.)