Salsa Spearfish Review

Salsa Spearfish Mountain Bike Review

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2025 Salsa Spearfish Deluxe – Full Ride Review

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Video Review

Overview & What’s New on the 2025 Spearfish Deluxe

The 2025 Salsa Spearfish Deluxe we tested began as the stock XO Transmission + Flight Attendant build. For our Bentonville trip and the Little Sugar race, we swapped several components to match our preferred setup, including crank length, power meter, wheels, and tires. We also spent time riding the bike in both its stock configuration and with our upgraded race configuration.

This bike blends XC intentions with trail-bike geometry, offering a slacker front end and more upright seat tube angle than traditional XC race bikes. Those geometry differences dramatically influence how the Spearfish climbs, descends, and handles active singletrack.

Build Specs & Configurations

Stock Build Highlights:

  • XO Transmission drivetrain
  • RockShox Flight Attendant: SID fork + SIDLuxe shock
  • Flight Attendant control module (“the brain”) mounted at the shock
  • 165 mm XO crankset (replaced during our testing)
  • Salsa-spec’d 34T chainring
  • Level Ultimate Stealth 4-piston brakes
  • WTB wheels and tires (tested briefly)

Our Race / Bentonville Build:

  • XX crankset with power meter
  • 36T chainring (confirmed safe clearance; tight but clean)
  • XX Transmission derailleur + XX cassette
  • Carbon wheels with DT Swiss hubs (Bontrager carbon set used early in the trip)
  • Trail tires for Little Sugar (Wicked Will rear / Nobby Nic front)
  • Race Face Next carbon handlebar
  • 50 mm stem
  • AXS dropper

We ran as much as 16 oz of sealant in each tire for Little Sugar due to harsh Bentonville rock gardens, and it paid off. Our riders finished with no tire-related DNFs despite visible punctures in the casing.

Ride Impressions

Climbing
The bike climbs extremely well—better than expected considering its slacker XC/trail hybrid geometry. The steep seat tube angle and upright position keep the rider forward over the cranks for excellent traction on technical, rocky, or punchy climbs.

The Spearfish allows you to stay seated and grind up steep pitches while maintaining traction. Even with heavier trail tires, the bike still felt fast and efficient uphill.

Descending
The slacker geometry gives the Spearfish a trail-bike feel on descents and rowdy sections, even though it’s lighter and shorter travel than a true trail bike. You can push harder into corners, stay more stable through chunk, and maintain more speed without getting deflected.

It does not have the weight penalty of a 130–140 mm trail bike, yet it delivers a surprising amount of forgiveness for a 120 mm platform.

Handling
The bike flows through active singletrack extremely well. The stiffer 34 mm fork chassis helps during aggressive cornering or high-speed turns. Compared to ultra-steep World Cup XC bikes, the Spearfish is easier to ride at the limit and more forgiving for non-elite riders.

Flight Attendant Notes
We ran the Flight Attendant system primarily in fully-open bias mode. On this bike, the suspension platform climbs so well that constant lockouts weren’t necessary. Battery life was shorter than expected in Bentonville conditions—roughly 110 miles before needing a charge—so we often swapped the FA battery with the AXS dropper battery mid-ride.

For future builds, we’d likely skip Flight Attendant and build this as a traditional AXS setup with standard suspension.

What I Like

  • Excellent climbing traction and seated climbing efficiency
  • Feels fast even with heavier tires mounted
  • More forgiving and stable than a typical XC race bike
  • Slacker geo + stiff chassis = confidence on rough terrain
  • Versatile: XC race, endurance XC, or “downcountry” trail riding
  • 120 mm platform doesn’t feel limiting in rough terrain
  • Suspension works great in fully open mode

What I Don’t Like

  • Steep seat tube angle takes adjustment for riders coming from pure XC bikes
  • Flight Attendant adds weight, batteries, and faster battery drain
  • Level brakes are good, but heavier-duty trail brakes feel better
  • Stock saddle (WTB) may not suit all riders

Fit Notes

This test bike was a Medium, which I can ride, though a Large is my more ideal size. The steep seat tube and upright position take some dialing in, especially for riders used to traditional XC geo.

Once positioned correctly, climbing stability and forward power transfer are excellent.

Who This Bike Is For

  • Riders wanting a modern XC bike that isn’t nervous or twitchy
  • Racers doing endurance XC or marathon events
  • Riders who want one bike that can XC race and also ride trail
  • Midwest riders needing rock-capable XC bikes for events like Little Sugar
  • Anyone who prefers stability, confidence, and forgiveness over pure World Cup steep geo

History & Setups

Past Spearfish Rides/Races:

Wheelsets Tested:

Tires Tested:

Drivetrain Configurations Tested:

Longest Ride on This Bike:

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