2016 Salsa Vaya Ti

http://ridinggravel.com/gravel-riding/2016-vaya-ti-xo/

This bike has me plotting what to sell and how to scrape up enough coin to swing buying one. The geometry looks just right and I have always wanted a titanium bike, especially for gravel riding and some bikepacking.
Component selection on the complete looks good functionally with only the Apex shift/brake levers and the generic Salsa hubs standing out as cheap. Maybe the BB7 brakes, too. But all of those could work well until upgraded.
Not really a fan of paint on Ti, but as long as it's not orange, I can live with it.

This currently the top contender to replace both my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross and my Specialized Crux Elite EVO.

 

Purchased the FrameSet and building it up for my wife.  Will post pictures and build info when I am finished.  She is currently riding a steel vaya.

BluesDawg, \nI'm curious, what don't you like about the Crux Elite Evo? It's one of the bikes I'm considering. Thanks

Walt, the Crux is a great bike. I really enjoy riding it, but it doesn't have quite the geometry I'm after. I've made it fit me pretty well, but with more spacers and a shorter and much more upwardly angled stem than I'd like. The Vaya has 31mm more stack, 15mm less reach, a half degree slacker head angle, 8mm lower BB and best of all, up to 47mm tires while the Crux just barely has room for the 40mm Clement MSO tires I'm running.

BluesDawg wrote:http://ridinggravel.com/gravel-riding/2016-vaya-ti-xo/

This bike has me plotting what to sell and how to scrape up enough coin to swing buying one. The geometry looks just right and I have always wanted a titanium bike, especially for gravel riding and some bikepacking.
Component selection on the complete looks good functionally with only the Apex shift/brake levers and the generic Salsa hubs standing out as cheap. Maybe the BB7 brakes, too. But all of those could work well until upgraded.
Not really a fan of paint on Ti, but as long as it's not orange, I can live with it.

This currently the top contender to replace both my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross and my Specialized Crux Elite EVO.

 

\n \nFor that kind of money my frame would have to be fabricated in the USA \n \nPersonally as one whom fabed many years I would never buy a painted titanium frame \n \nOn vacation with extra time and near larger shops. I rode a steel Vaya yesterday along with a Fargo and AWOL again. Outside of sub culture gravel 99.9% see and note the Vaya as a road touring bike and that's what it felt like to me =vanilla \nI like the AWOL - ok but prefer the Fargo bars. AWOL is between the road tour Vaya and the drop bar 29er ridgid mtb Fargo. Best thing, only unique about the Fargo is the bars \n \n \n

TinMan

Just curious, what US fabricated frame would you buy?  I had trouble finding anything in this price range.

RonDog

I note the smaller sizes in the 2016 Ti Vaya now have 700cc wheels. Just wondering what they have done to the geometry to make it different from the older steel versions that were only available in 26in and how that is going to effect the bike.
 

Why no lowrider/anything cage mounts on the carbon vaya fork?  Salsa has done a superb job providing versatility/utility by including these on so many other forks (including carbon forks such as firestarter) - I don't understand why they would not do the same for a $4k+ bike?!?!  Argh!!  It's so purty!   ....but I want a front rack!!!

ronnierbryant wrote:TinMan

Just curious, what US fabricated frame would you buy?  I had trouble finding anything in this price range.

RonDog

Lynskey would be one that I'd look at. The Cooper CX frameset is on sale right now for $1500. Litespeed T5 Gravel might be another to consider. USA made and I believe the frame is $2200-ish. Not sure if that includes the fork. Good looking bike though. 

With the strong $£ you might look at alpkits Sonder - I just bought a Sonder Camino ti and first 5 rides great then broke my hand falling from lynskey 29er so can now only look at them for 4 more weeks ..... Grump grump. \nSonder first test got me Strava KOM and have had 6 top 10s so it is the bike .... \n

In that price range one could also consider something from Dean Bikes which are made out here in Colorado.  The Torres cross/gravel frame starts at $2,500.  They are now offering an Asian import for half that price, but if I'm going Asian import I'd probably get something from BikesDirect.com where a complete Ti bike starts at $1600...