So, I just bought a salsa Vaya 3! Pretty excited about my purchase, it'll be my first touring-style bike and will replace my current performance road bike. I wanted a 'no excuses for not riding' bike and I think the Vaya will fit that bill well. I am upgrading to Tiagra STI shifters and BB7 brakes and also bought a rack and fenders to put on it. The bike will be used on a tour this summer from Lincoln NE to Pocatello Idaho and will also be my primary ride in the meantime. No pictures yet, but that will come in due course.

Congrats ehilge! I looked one up, very nice!

Hi ehilge I no how you feel about the new bike its first class I looked it up on the net, health to enjoy, I have just bought a new 2012 Specialized Tricross Sport & love it
george

Sweet! I thought that was a really great bike but went with a Surly Troll instead for 26-inch wheels and more mountain-biking capability. For a road/dirt road tourer that thing seems pretty ideal, along with an LHT.

Very nice choice. The Vaya is a very versatile bike and sweet riding based on the demo ride I took. I really like the bikes Salsa has been providing. I've got a first generation Salsa Fargo, which I love. Its my touring/ride anywhere bike. Thought of selling it last year to get a Vaya, but couldn't part with the Fargo, so got a Casseroll to add to the fleet. I love both the Fargo & Casseroll, but the Vaya is the perfect melding of both those bikes. Enjoy!

Looks promising. I notice it has 32H wheels. I'll be interested in a report after a tour on how these did. I've heard that a well-constructed 32H wheel is plenty strong enough, but I still obsess about a 36H wheel.

Sounds familiar, it basically came down to the vaya or casserole for me. I went with the vaya because it will be better offroad and is more versatiile. The disc brakes are likely overkill for most of my riding but should come in handy on occasion. Hopefully they wont interfere with the racks and fenders to much.

I was initially concerned about the 32h wheels but I decided that salsa knows what they're doing in this department, they seem to own the nitch along with surly

Great handling bikes. I love my Vaya2. The Vaya 3 is a way better choice for touring. The disc brakes are probably overkill for everything else, but fullly-loaded, "hauling the mail" down a steep, long downhill, they really come into their own.

Looks great ... https://salsacycles.com/bikes/vaya_3/

Ok, so it took a bit longer than I thought it would, but I promised pictures, so here it is! Just rolled it into the stable.

Decided to buy a new touring bike. I have 2 road bikes and a mountain bike that I use for commuting. All my bikes were high end bikes for their day in the mid 80's and they still ride good as new. However, as my riding style has changed, I decided it was time for a true touring bike. I spent the better part of 2011 researching various options. It was important to me to buy American if I could afford to. After several calls to various shops I decided on moving ahead with Bruce. My bike riding friends and local shops applauded my decision. The bike arrived last week and it is a beauty. Although the weather here in Pittsburgh has been mild I have yet to ride it. Hopefully, I'll be able to put a few miles on the bike before spring. If readers are thinking of a new purchase I would recommend calling Bruce. I had no problem discussing bike related questions with him and he will take as much time with you as you need to have your questions answered.

Geoff

+1 on B Gordon's rigs.. I've had a set of his racks for 25 years ,
and they are a little chipped where the hooks of the Panniers, sit,
but other than that, never any issues.

I though some/most of Bruce's bikes were now produced overseas?