WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? Cuthroat vs. Warroad vs. Warbird 

Each description had me going, “hmmm that’s exactly what I want!” Guess Salsa is getting all my pay checks for the rest of my life.

2 years later still such a great and informative video. Just added a Warroad to my Cutthroat. Dynamite combo .

I was shopping for a gravel bike and then I got on the cutthroat and haven't looked back. If you're coming from MTB land it feels super responsive and incredibly efficient. It's probably overkill if you aren't hitting any singletrack, but the fact I can commute on a gravel road and hit some nice singletrack on the way is a game changer. It's hands down my favorite bike, even if it's not my most ridden.

I feel like I could consolidate my gravel bike and road bike into a Cutthroat for the type of riding where I live which has some pavement but lots of big chunk gravel in and around Gifford Pinchot. 2.3 tire feels better to me than a 40mm gravel tire more often than not. I'm no spring chicken and don't need to hang onto the back of a road racer club ride, I just need to be comfortable on the bike for 3-6 hours and be able to carry enough water to get to the end.

Fargo, Vaya, Marrakesh. Part II? 😁

Early congratulations on 50k subs, Russ! Informative and concise review as always. Would love to collaborate with you in the future on some supple fixed gear videos 😄 Love the videos, and I'll see you at 100k subs!

Have a warbird never will ride another bike love it ride on trails especially the allegheny passage from Pittsburgh to D.C

Thanks for all the content, Russ (and Laura!). I paired a Fargo with a Warroad and am over the moon with the combo.

Really appreciated this video and all the time it took to create it. Should help me narrow down my choice.

I have an old Trek Domane from 2015 and a 2020 cutthroat. The Domane is very similar to the Warroad. It’s awesome having both!

I love the vids. Very informative. I have a cutthroat. Such a great bike. I have two sets of wheels. A set of ‘aero’ wheels for pavement with some 44 s . Super smooth and comfortable. And the factory wheels with the 2.1s. Great for anything unpaved. Keep up the great work. Thanks. I looked at the vaya and the cutthroat. The cutthroat is a much nicer bike. The carbon absorbs everything.

Tried the Cutthroat Carbon 2022, traded it back for the Warbird Carbon and cannot stop grinning. Loved them both, but I have a cross country Salsa trail bike, and the Cutthroat feels too close to that, while the Warbird feels like a race car that can handle gravel and bumps really well. If you’re going to be offroad a lot, like he said, the Cutthroat is totally ready when you roll it out of the bike shop.

Excellent synopsis!! Thanks for being concise!! Cutthroat just jumped to the top of my "want" list!! Cheers!!

Great reviews Russ! You covered a lot of ground on this Salsa trinity quickly and articulately! Much appreciated! Hoping you can get your hands on a Kona Libre soon! ; )

Great video. I've definitely given some thought to the Warbird vs Cutthroat question. Thanks.

Thanks a ton. I have been looking at these three and it's good to hear the experience from someone who's ridden all three a lot. I found a good deal on a Warbird, so that's my choice, but after your review, I think it is the right thing for me. Ride on!

Really like my Warbird, but yeah I don’t use it as a mountain bike. Great for going through rough pavement and trails as well as regular roads.

Thanks for the info. I’m in between the Warroad and warbird!

Check out the fargo. Id like to see how its recieved to ur viewers. Salsa categorizes it as a drop bar mtb..... i think its super capable and should b on the list of bikepacking/gravel bikes.

Great review. Thank you !

Thank you! Warbird it is!

the salsa Vaya is the most comfortable of all of them.

A great video as always - Many thanks for the valuable overview ! 🙏

I haven’t tried the other two but I will say I loved( recently stole) my CUTTHROAT!! I am working on buying another.

Have you done a side-by-side comparison of Ortlieb/Apidura/Revelate bags yet, Russ? If not, could you please consider it? By the by, a great video, as usual. Cheers.

If I just want 1, then I’d choose warbird. If I wanna have 2, I’d have Warroad and Cutthroat

Thank you !

Excellent review!

TOO!! many bikes to choose from. I'm looking at the purchase of a new bike, but I don't do gravel so I may if the money is ready go for a custom build frame from a local company and the frames are called "Baines Flying Gate" a bit of history. Look them up on the net. Keep up your excellent work.

If you have the opportunity, I would like to see you test the trek 920 and compare it to the cutthroat. Please and thank you.

Thank you for super helpful review!

You may have already reviewed it, if so let me know. But I was wondering about the Journeyer. Where does it fit in.

Bought my first Salsa, a 2019 Beargrease and it's just way too much fun. Next on the list may have to be #gravelcasual kinda mule.

Nice video Russ! I put the deposit down but guess Salsa never delivered the new Warbird because problem/recall on the fork (at least not in my local bike shop - 05/2019). I emailed Salsa twice but I never heard back from then. I test rode the Cuthroat, I liked but the size available to test was a size too big for me so I end up using the deposit towards a Specialized Crux.

Thanks so much for this video. This is exactly the question that has been on my mind. Good job. nice content. keep up the good work.

No Journeyman mention?!

I like that the majority of the video was footage of using the bikes while talking

Really helpful info, Russ! Thanks!

WarRoad 650b 48. ❤❤❤❤

Russ... LOVE your channel! Cutthroat question for you (another one...lol). I've been a roadie for 35 years (although I own a full suspension mtb and a Trek Domane that I use for gravel), but the Cutthroat seems like the perfect bikepacking bike... something I am getting into. As a roadie forever, do you think I'll like or dislike the mountain bike foundation of the Cutthroat vs. the more road-inspired Warbird? I'd like to do mostly unpaved roads as I explore New England and beyond. I will go with a 2x (46-30) and look for an 11-40 cassette for gearing. If it matters, I'll definitely be in the size 60, so the long wheelbase is more likely to be something I feel.

Cutthroat appears to be an MTB with a gravel drivetrain and gravel drop bars. I have always had this idea but just rode a MTB. My MTB weighs about 35 lb. so I would love to try a Cutthroat.

excellent review! Now which one to choose.....

How does the Cutthroat compare to the Fargo? Simply lighter and quicker?

would really love to see a review of a rocky mountain solo. i own a 2018 solo 50 and love it! i think its really underrated value, esp the newer solo 30

I wonder if you have ever tried a recumbent trike. Those are the pinnacle of comfort for long distance journeys.

Which of these has the most upright riding position?

cuthroat looks like a mountain bike with drops

How does the Vaya compare..

This is such a great video. I think we need an updated Salsa Bike Breakdown, now with the Journeyer!

Road to 100k subs! Noice!

I'm similarly curious how the Journeyman fits into the mix. On paper it seems like less zippy than the Warbird and Warroad, but along the spectrum

Good geometric comparison, but would have liked to have the tire/wheel size and crankset/cassette comparison also... You know us picky viewers 😝 Mainly I would love to get your take on the 1x, 42t Force SRAM ~ you may have addressed that in another vid? Nice Job on reviewing the Salsa’s though!

Any thoughts on a Fairdale Weekender Nomad. Steel frame with descent components and looks like a good value to us budget cyclists.

Good info! Sounds like there's enough difference to own them all lol.

Nice SKX 😉

What would be the best commuter with occasional offroad use?

great video. Quick question... What is the bag on the handlebars that is holding the water bottle??

Thanks for another great review, Russ. How would they compare with the Fargo? I have a Fargo, which I love. I wonder how it compare with the Cutthroat, in particular.

I have watched your Fargo and Cutthroat videos, but how do the two compare especially for the price point? I am a tall heavy rider that tends to prefer steel over carbon or aluminum due to my weight.

Hi Russ!! Do you have tested the " Surly Long Hault Trucker" Any time? Best Regards from Brasil!

With all the bikes you've ridden since you did the Dirty Kanza; if you were to do it again, would you select the Cutthroat or a different bike?

Can you compare the Kona Rove and the Kona Sutra? im debating between these and a journeyman. Many people really vouch for a midnight special but im curious about these Kona bikes.

Where would the Vaya fit into this lineup?

Thanks for this I told my wife you did this because of me. :-)

How do the vaya and journeyman fit into the spectrum?

Is that an SKX on your wrist? Me gusta.

Where would something like the Fargo or journeyman be?

Ever tried the Cutthroat with a suspension fork?

Another useful point of view from PLP. I wonder how the Warroad compares to the Open UP(PER). Intuition from geometry says the Warroad would be more comfortable/useful for bike-packing while the UP would be racier. My Cutthroat (Apex 1) killed my quiver dead but I can never resist shiny things...

I like my Fargo. Being an old fat guy the Fargo works perfect. I put 2.1 inch tires on the rig. The ones Fargo came with too wide. I have been looking at a cutthroat

Really beautiful bikes. But why do they have such cruel names. I don't want to travel the world with a bike that has the word "war" in his name. That puts me off. Sorry Salsa, but I will look elsewhere for my next gravel bike. Peace ✌🏼

The answer is Journeyman, it is smack in the middle of all three.

Have you considered asking "Giant" if you could review their gravel line (Revolt 0, 1 or 2). I enjoy your videos, but as a rider of Giant bikes I'm not sure where I fit since most of your reviews seem to be of Salsa, Breadwinner, etc.

These are 4,000 bikes.... this community is already relatively small.. with this price good luck growing the channel

Is this sponsored?

The Salsa systems for mounting bags on these bikes are just plain stupid. Looking at the Cutthroat I see 3 water bottle mounts inside the front triangle, a water bottle underneath the down tube, a bento box mount on the top tube, two triple mounts on the fork, AND NO UPPER MOUNTS FOR A REAR RACK. A rear rack is the best way to mount bags on a bike, but Salsa decided that a water bottle mount underneath the down tube near the bottom bracket that 95% of cyclists will never use is more important. I do not have a problem with having the extra mounts, but why put on all these extra mounts, and leave out the mounts for the rear rack, which are the most useful mounts for carrying stuff. Salsa wants to show everyone they are the cool kids. The bike packing scene is cool, it's better than the old way of carrying things, it's the latest trend, it's new, all the bike magazines are writing about it so it must be better. (Yes I'm being sarcastic).

i simply still do not get it. it has to be a gimmick. first of all the handle bars are wrong actually there dangerous for so called gravel bikes. now im seen gravel bikes with front suspension ?? hang on its now a hybrid with stupid killer handlebars. so why was this gimmick bike invented lol it makes no sense as hybrid bikes does it both gravel and road already and with a frame that can swap out for 29r wheels if need be. its like opening a chip shop then someone moves next door selling chips. if i swap my handle bars for racer ones my hybrid is now a gravel bike lol