Salsa makes a huge range of different bikes, from road bikes to full suspension mountain bikes and everything in between. Now they’re back with a new lineup – the Salsa Journeyer.
Salsa Journeyer is a perfect bike for mixed road riding and works excellently. This bike is ready for adventure, but that’s not all. It’s a great gravel bike, but it can ride on road just as well.
Not only can the Salsa Journeyer perform, but the bikes also look absolutely incredible and definitely stand out with excellent colors and designs.
Has Salsa kept up its reputation when it comes to the Journeyer?
Find out in our Salsa Journeyer review.
The Journeyer Series
The Salsa Journeyer series of bikes was developed to be the newer version of their legendary Journeyman series.
The new Journeyer series has some similar features to its predecessor – both drop bar and flat bar options are available, plus getting to choose between 700c and 650b tires.
And of course, the most similar feature of them all, both are made for adventure.
Starting at $999 for the entry-level model all the way up to $2,799 for the top-end model, the Salsa Journeyer offer a lot of variety.
Journeyer Advent
The Salsa Journeyer Advent comes in at an excellent $1,099, and you are getting a huge amount of bike for your money.
Starting with the frame, it’s not just made to be super comfortable, but with the low-slung frame, it’s built for a huge amount of off-road handling.
The frame and forks are both made of aluminum, making the bike feel stiff, light, and strong while being ridden.
It is equipped with a MicroShift Advent 1×9 Speed groupset which keeps gearing simple and offers a huge range on the rear cassette. It will make hills simple and be very easy to maintain.
The bike is capable of using 650b wheels with 47c tires and 700c wheels with 38c tires and comes in black and white depending on the wheel size you choose. The brakes are Tektro mechanical discs which will give ok stopping power and are very easy to maintain.
We love that the bike has internally routed cables, a huge amount of mounts to carry luggage, and can even be equipped with a dropper post for serious off-road riding.
It’s a lot of bike for the money and is going to be a lot of fun to ride.
Journeyer Claris
The Journeyer Claris, like the Advent, comes in at $1,099. The frame is made of aluminum as well.
The main difference between the two bikes is the gearing. The Advent has a MicroShift Advent groupset, and the Journeyer Claris has a Shimano Claris Groupset. The Shimano groupset isn’t like the Advent. Instead of being a 1×9, it is a 2×8.
Its gearing has a similar range compared to Advent’s but offers more options. It’s better for road riding, but it’s more complex to use because it has two shifters, not just one.
It comes with all the great features of having internally routed cables, lots of mounts for bikepacking bags and luggage mounting, and also that dropper post compatibility.
Journeyer Apex
The Journeyer Apex is another version, but this bike has some seriously upgraded components and some very cool colors.
The frame does differ greatly compared to the Claris and the Advent. Firstly the aluminum frame doesn’t use quick-release skewers. It uses the stronger thru-axles.
Salsa Journeyer Apex’s Waxwing carbon fork is much stiffer and lighter than an aluminum fork.
It also comes in both options of a 650b with 47c tires and 700c with 38c tires. The wheels are the WTB ST i23, and these are great lightweight wheels that are even tubeless-ready.
Consider also: Salsa Marrakesh
Journeyer Apex has, like the name suggests, the SRAM Apex groupset. It has a lot to offer with 1×11 gearing and a 11-42 cassette on the rear. It’s an amazing groupset for climbing uphill and is very easy to use.
You have the Tektro mechanical disc brakes, which are good for stopping and also very easy to maintain.
Journeyer Sora
Journeyer Sora comes in at a bargain price of $1,499. The Journeyer Sora has an aluminum frame with thru-axles. It is equipped with a carbon fiber Waxwing fork. It will make it feel light and agile and be fun to ride quickly.
Like the other models, it comes in two-wheel sizes – 700c and 650b. On the 700c wheels, you get 38c tires, and on the 650b 47c tires.
The groupset is a Shimano Sora groupset, and it is a 2×9 speed setup. You will get smooth shifting, and it is designed for road riding, although it will be able to perform when it comes to some gravel.
Tektro mechanical disc brakes are ready to stop you fast.
Journeyer GRX 600
The Salsa Journeyer GRX 600 comes in bright yellow and pearly white. The bike is great to look at and really stands out.
The aluminum frame looks super clean, and with all the cables running inside well worth anyone’s attention.
The bike, like the others, comes in two-wheel sizes 650b and 700c, made from WTB. They are equipped with either 47c or 38c tires. The groupset is excellent. It’s a 2×11 Shimano GRX gravel groupset with a 46/30 front chainset and an 11-34t cassette on the rear. Plenty of gears for any climb and descent.
Shimano GRX Hydraulic brakes are very efficient and incredibly powerful. They are great for stopping fast and staying safe.
The bike comes in at $2,399, which isn’t a small sum, but this bike is definitely worth it with its top quality components.
Journeyer GRX 810
The GRX810 is the best-equipped Journeyer on this list, and it’s extremely well equipped for some serious riding on the roads and on gravel. Coming in at $2,799, it’s a great value.
The bike comes in two colors, a green, and an aqua depending on the wheel size of either 650b or 700c. However, both wheel sizes will work on each bike if you we’re to swap them around.
The WTB EZR i23, tires are ready for adventure too. They are tubeless-ready and come with either 38c or 47c tires.
The Shimano GRX 810 gravel groupset is the highest of all Shimano gravel ranges. It’s a 1×11 set-up with a huge 11-42t cassette on the rear. It’s a simple setup ready to start crushing hills.
It also has excellent GRX hydraulic disc brakes, so stopping is effortless.
Sizing
Salsa Journeyer drop bar models come in six sizes, serving people from 4’7″, all the way up to 6’4″:
- 49CM: 4’7″ – 4″11″
- 51CM: 4’11” – 5’1″
- 53CM: 5’1″ – 5’6″
- 55CM: 5’5′ – 5’8″
- 57CM: 5’8″ – 6’0″
- 60CM: 6’0″ – 6’4″
For flat bar models, the sizing is a bit different:
- XS: 4’8″ – 4’11”
- SM: 4’11”-5’4″
- MD: 5’4″-5’8″
- LG: 5’8″-6’0″
- XL: 6’0″-6’4″
Final Verdict
The Salsa Journeyer is an excellent range of bikes and what makes it so special is that it has the ability to do so many different types of riding.
This bike is incredibly versatile. It looks incredible and is going to be a bike that you can enjoy no matter what cycling you’re doing.
Do we recommend it? 100%! It’s excellent value for money and well worth being anyone’s trusty steed.
If you love cycling and are looking for a bike to do a bit of everything, the Salsa Journeyer is a great bike to have.
