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SOC16: Salsa gives 27.5/26+ some love with new 150mm travel Redpoint

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Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3718

Working their way down the spectrum of tire sizes, Salsa Cycles now has a full suspension rig built around 27.5″ wheels and tires. To this point Salsa has offered 29″, 27.5+, and even fat full suspension, but the 27.5″ bike has been missing from the line up. The new Redpoint fills that void while introducing yet another tire option – 26+. We’ve seen a few bikes at various trade shows playing around with the size, and even QBP’s own Surly Bikes has offered the Instigator with 26×2.75″ tires on 50mm rims. Now with more tire manufacturers coming on line with suitable tread options, it looks like 26+ may stretch the build options even further with bikes built around 27.5″ that are also capable of running 26+…

Salsa Redpoint full suspension mountain bike 275 26 plusIMG_3500

In its stock builds, the Redpoint will be sold as a 27.5″ bike billed as a remote destination trail/backcountry riding/singletrack mountain bike. At 150mm rear, 160mm front travel, that designation is a little different than the typical Enduro classification, but after all this is Salsa that we’re talking about. This is a bike for getting out there, and even when loaded up with gear, it should still provide plenty of confidence on the trail. As Salsa’s engineer Pete Koski put it, “on a recent trip I had the bike fully loaded and I was still able to clear things on the trail that I would have struggled with on other bikes.”

Salsa Redpoint full suspension mountain bike 275 26 plusIMG_3502 Salsa Redpoint full suspension mountain bike 275 26 plusIMG_3503

Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3725 Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3727

Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3729 Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3728

Continuing on with the Split Pivot rear suspension, the rear pivot is concentric with the rear axle. This inspired a Koski special with a pivot wrench stashed on the steerer tube. Since this is designed for remote backcountry riding, you should probably have a few spares on you – like a derailleur hanger. But even if you have that hanger, you probably won’t want to carry a 22mm cone wrench to replace the hanger. So the headset cap includes a 22mm socket that can be used with a 6mm allen wrench for trail side fixes. Brilliant.

Salsa states that the suspension is Trail-specific meaning it offers a more progressive feel than other Salsas allowing better climbing and pedaling than other bikes of this travel. The frame’s 150mm travel can be matched with either a 150mm or 160mm fork depending on the use. Other details include a 148 x 12mm rear axle, PF92 bottom bracket with ISCG05 tabs, a tapered head tube, and full size water bottle capability in the main frame.

Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3719

Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3721 Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3724

Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3722 Salsa Redpoint 275 26 plus full suspension mountain bikeIMG_3723

Even though Salsa won’t actually sell any bikes set up as 26+, the Redpoint was designed with this wheel size in mind. Specifically, using 45-50mm rims with 26 x 3.0″ tires like the new WTB Rangers that were leaked at the show. According to Koski, the sizing of 27.5″ standard compared to 26+ is actually more similar than that of 27.5+ and 29″ standard tires which should make the swap between sizes even more simple. The reasoning is the same – the frame can be used with standard 27.5″ wheels for a faster overall ride, or you can build it up with 26+ for improved grip and confidence and the same effective diameter. Theoretically, it should also offer the grip and ride of 27.5+ but with less weight (but without the rollover abilities of 29″). Based on what we heard and saw at the show, it won’t be long before 26+ becomes a lot more popular.

Redpoint geometry

In the Redpoint, the 3.0″ tires had plenty of room and apparently don’t change any of the frame’s geometry numbers. Speaking of which, the Redpoint has a modern fit with a frame that is designed to run a short stem and wide bar (50mm and 760mm) with a longer top tube so riders don’t have to size up to run a short stem and have more room for dropper posts. By the numbers the frame has 430mm chainstays, a 66.9º HTA and a 73.5º STA.

Salsa Redpoint full suspension mountain bike 275 26 plusIMG_3501

Salsa Redpoint full suspension mountain bike 275 26 plusIMG_3506

Offered in two carbon models and one aluminum, the carbon bikes include a removable front derailleur mount to keep things clean when not in use. The aluminum model ships stock with a SRAM GX 2x1o drivetrain so the front derailleur mount is permanent.

Salsa Redpoint full suspension mountain bike 275 26 plusIMG_3500 Salsa Redpoint full suspension mountain bike 275 26 plusIMG_3504

Salsa Redpoint full suspension mountain bike 275 26 plusIMG_3505

Already available and in shops, the Redpoint carbon will be sold with an X01 build ($5,499.99), GX1 build ($4,499), and a frameset at $2,499.99. The complete aluminum GX 2×10 build will sell for $3,499.99.

salsacycles.com

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Shanghaied
Shanghaied
7 years ago

What? Is 26+ a thing now too? Does it mean 26 is making a comeback? Glad I kept all my 26 wheels then, who’s laughing now?

HDManitoba
HDManitoba
7 years ago
Reply to  Shanghaied

26+ actually pre-dates 27.5+. Surly made the Krampus (29+) and Instigator 2.0 (26+) before 27.5+ was a thing.

Craig
Craig
7 years ago
Reply to  Shanghaied

@ Shanghaied. Yes but to run a 3″ tire on a standard 25-27mm width 26″ rim won’t work very well so it still means new wheels. I like the idea of it though, 26 x 3.0″ is the same diameter as 27.5 x 2.5″. Very cool.

Homer
Homer
7 years ago
Reply to  Shanghaied

@Shanghaied – No, 26+ is a completely different rim profile this translating to different overall wheel dimension with a wider tire installed (pretty close to 27.5). Your old 26″ wheel with a 19mm internal width and appropriate tire will make this sit lower and goofier than 26+

I imagine you should Craig’s list your old 26″ wheels if you want to stay in the high end frame market.

Shanghaied
Shanghaied
7 years ago
Reply to  Shanghaied

Lol, I guess sarcasm doesn’t really work in writing…

shawnnny
7 years ago
Reply to  Shanghaied

Except your old 26″ wheels will be way to narrow for plus tires. And, plus tires aren’t going to fit inside current 26″ frames, especially if it has a front deraillure.

MaraudingWalrus
7 years ago

Soon the industry will rediscover a long forgotten, more nimble, easier to accelerate wheel-size.

Aaron
Aaron
7 years ago

It’s not easier to accelerate when you add 1,000g of rotational tire mass.

Aaron
Aaron
7 years ago

It’s not easier to accelerate when you throw on a 3″ tire.

Jeremy Moore
Jeremy Moore
7 years ago

If you’re still rockin your 26″ bike, maybe in a year, you’ll be able to get 24+ tires!!!

Shanghaied
Shanghaied
7 years ago
Reply to  Jeremy Moore

Whatever happened to those 3″ Nokian 24″ tyres from 20 years ago? Way ahead of their time.

shawnnny
7 years ago
Reply to  Shanghaied

And twice as heavy as a current heavy DH tire.

Glass
Glass
7 years ago
Reply to  shawnnny

24×3.0 Nokian Gazzaloddis weigh 1400g the 26 version weighed 1600g. Neither is 2x as heavy as a modern DH tire (1000-1300g).

dustytires
7 years ago

Makes sense, the grip and cush of 27.5 Plus with quicker build up and turn initiation, I hope Hope revises the 130 rear end of their bike to accept 26 Plus, that would be insane.

bearCol
bearCol
7 years ago

26+ is pretty funny. 2.7 to 3.0 26″ tires have been done. Only difference now is the casings are paper thin rather than being DH.

I’m all about 26″ plus as long as it grows to include 2.5’s. I’ve run 2.6, 2.7, and 2.8 tires. There’s a point of diminishing returns. Rolling resistance, side wall roll and weight end up being bigger factors than added traction. To deal with the main negatives of fat tires the industry is addressing weight with thin casings, which just makes side wall roll more pronounced and of course reduces durability. Rolling resistance is being addressed with fast rolling tread patterns which diminishes the extra traction you would have from the larger contact patch. What you’re left with is a tire that will roll in corners when pushed hard, offer no more traction than an aggressive tread patter in a smaller size, and puncture at the sight of anything with a square edge.

I tried an 27.5+. Traction wasn’t as good as a number of 26×2.5 and even 2.35 tires I’ve run. For example, a magic mary 26×2.35 i brakes WAY better than the faster rolling tread patter 27.5+ tires I tired in spite of being a lot smaller. Not impressed to say the least. I don’t believe you can accomplish the same traction levels just by growing the contact patch. There’s more at play like penetration for example. Narrow tires with the same tread pattern can at times offer more traction for this reason. When you put shallow closely spaced treads on a fat tire you just float of skim over stuff with little traction, but when you may really want floatation like in deep sand for example, plus isn’t wide enough.

Dirty Sanchez
Dirty Sanchez
7 years ago

26+. Hmm. 26+. Twentysix+. Twenty fricking six plus……………is this truly the answer to the question that was never asked?

Duzzi
Duzzi
7 years ago

Yep … 26+, lighter, faster, more traction …. who would have guessed (besides many of us who did).

yard dog
yard dog
7 years ago

that front derailleur attachment sure looks janky.

sanchufulaBen
7 years ago

and the Gazz were pigs, same thing with Leopards, all rubber, not very compliant, and they weigh more than 1600gms!

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