Got a 2015 Salsa Vaya for Commuting and Gravel Riding

5 replies · 1,923 views

borgida
4 posts
#1May 15, 2016, 2:16 PM
Hi,

A couple of months ago, I totaled my motorcycle and my wife and I agreed that my motorcycle days are behind me for now. One of the things I loved about riding a motorcycle were the touring rides and the camaraderie of the adventure.

So, I decided to purchase a 2015 Salsa Vaya. I purchased the bike about 2 months ago and have been using it to commute 12 miles roundtrip to/from work in Denver. I have done some solo riding as well for fitness.

The Salsa Vaya is stock except I put on a Salsa Wanderlust rear rack and the 700x38 Compass Cycles Barlow Pass tires. As I get into gravel riding, what are modifications that people find worthwhile on the bike as they get more experienced in gravel riding? What are things I should look out for in terms of ride quality, comfort, and efficiency?

Below is a link to the Salsa Vaya I purchased:

http://salsacycles.com/bikes/archive/2015_vaya_3

Excited to be doing more gravel riding and look forward to hearing from fellow riders.

Best,
Ross Borgida
0
Nubster
462 posts
#2May 15, 2016, 8:49 PMedited
Personally...I think you have the basics covered, assuming the bike fits well and you like it. Disc brakes. Good gear range. Higher volume tires. Steel frame is coveted by many....the only thing that stands out to me is the chromoly fork. Now I'll preface by saying I've never ridden a steel fork but...I would not hesitate to recommend a carbon fork as a potential upgrade to think about in the future. It would offer some weight savings for sure...and probably improve ride quality as well...but like I said, I've never ridden a steel fork so I can't say that for a fact.
0
borgida
4 posts
#3May 15, 2016, 9:14 PM
Nubster wrote:Personally...I think you have the basics covered, assuming the bike fits well and you like it. Disc brakes. Good gear range. Higher volume tires. Steel frame is coveted by many....the only thing that stands out to me is the chromoly fork. Now I'll preface by saying I've never ridden a steel fork but...I would not hesitate to recommend a carbon fork as a potential upgrade to think about in the future. It would offer some weight savings for sure...and probably improve ride quality as well...but like I said, I've never ridden a steel fork so I can't say that for a fact.
\n \nThanks for the feedback Nubster. I am off work tomorrow and am going to try to do a gravel ride. I will pay attention to the performance, weight, and ride quality of the steel. What bike do you ride?
0
Nubster
462 posts
#4May 15, 2016, 9:19 PM
I just got a Jamis Renegade Elite but before that I had a Cannondale SuperX but only for a short time. Prior to that...a Cannondale Synapse but no gravel roads on it. I got the Renegade just a couple days ago so only about 10 miles so far on gravel but so far so good.

As far as your bike...I think everything will be fine. A lot of folks really like steel frames on gravel and just in general. I loved my steel frame mountain bike. Road very smooth. It's just the fork that I don't know about. For the most part it will no doubt be perfectly fine. I think that the benefit of carbon would be mostly in weight and carbon does a great job soaking up small bumps and vibrations...but that's not to say that the steel won't do a good job of it too. Get a ride in and report back. I'm interested to see what you think.
1
RoverAl
489 posts
#5May 16, 2016, 6:39 AM
Almost bought a Vaya a year ago, it's a good solid bike for anything as is just ride it. One thing to consider if you start riding lots of gravel is tire choice or maybe going tubeless.

0
gtovey
1 posts
#6May 16, 2016, 6:57 AM▲ Top
I have the same bike as you (though with most parts changed from stock). I agree with RoverAl about the tubeless idea. Just the other day had a nasty goathead (ugly thorns that always point up if you haven't had the pleasure of being acquainted). I had pretty good luck with the stock wheels converting to tubeless with just some Stan's tape and valves. I ran a WTB Nano 40 for a while and loved it on there. The Nano was great for a mix of gravel and commuting with the mostly smooth center tread for the pavement but then more aggressive tread as it moved outward to give some extra love to the gravel. Currently running a Specialized Ground Control Renegade 29x1.8 and it seems like it should be pretty fun as well.

Another thing that may be considered (and probably widely debated) would be changing the bars out. Stock I believe the bike comes with a Salsa Cowbell. For me, changing to a Salsa Cowchipper made a difference when riding on dirt.

Since we always love pictures, this is from a quick overnighter done in the mountains North of Boise, ID.

3

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