Salsa Notch

CarolinaCrawler

CarolinaCrawler

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Wanted to start a thread on the Salsa Notch. Not a lot of info on the new Salsa bikes on here. Salsa were running a massive sale so I picked up a Notch Cues 10 for the wife. I'm going to be demoing a Moraine from a local bike shop soon also so I'll make a separate post about that.

Salsa Cycles | Adventure by Bike

www.salsacycles.com www.salsacycles.com

I'll update once we get the wife's and we get a few miles on it.
 
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The Moraine is pretty awesome for my gal. I've done full rides on it as well and it does the job on those 2000+ft climbing days. Our climbs here aren't that bad, so i'm still trying to talk myself into a Notch.
 
I picked up a Salsa Notch Deore XL rental with less than 1000KM on it for a great price this fall. It is a very capable beast. I got about 6 rides in before winter set in Minnesota. It is my first emtb so I am still getting used to anticpating the inputs on technichal climbing but otherwise the BoschCX motor is very intuitive and natural feeling on the trail. The Rockshox Domain Gold 38 (a surprisingly good fork) and the Split pivot suspension with Fox Float X shock make this a comfortable bike on any trail and very exciting at speeds dowhill. The reach #'s read extra long but the aggressive seat tube angle makes the the cockpit seem compact. It seems more compact than my Ibis Ripley XL with much less reach. I am big guy(250lbs) and can get about 30-35 miles on a full charge with moderate climbing. The bike is heavy but I don't notice it getting in the way on the trail. I had no trouble with switchbacks and tight and twisty singletrack. I have studded tires on it now for general, winter mayhem riding. At the current sales prices it seems like a solid deal with the great suspension and BoschCX!
 
We were pretty much just buying a frame and motor. I have a slew of 205x65 shocks, several forks and several sets of wheels both 29 and mullet. I look forward to experimenting with this bike.

As of right now the plan is to swap some m6100 brake levers, her personal bars and pedals. Then just to ride it and test it out.
 
Now Salsa has my attention! Took 10lbs off the Notch while adding battery size!
 
At the current price, the Notch C GX AXS bike has a great bang for the buck. With that said, I hear the price is going up soon. If you’re in the market for one, and the size you want is available, now is the time to jump on it. They are a bit larger than the typical frame size name would suggest. Take a look at the geo chart, test ride if you can, and make the appropriate choice for the best fit.
 
coregrind said:
At the current price, the Notch C GX AXS bike has a great bang for the buck. With that said, I hear the price is going up soon. If you’re in the market for one, and the size you want is available, now is the time to jump on it. They are a bit larger than the typical frame size name would suggest. Take a look at the geo chart, test ride if you can, and make the appropriate choice for the best fit.
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Man! I missed out on this bike. However, I did order the other Carbon version which is the Deore 12. I plan on eventually bumping up the travel to 180 in the rear and 190 up front. Do you plan on making any modifications? My bike should arrive next week, I'm so stoked!
 
sheamus710 said:
Man! I missed out on this bike. However, I did order the other Carbon version which is the Deore 12. I plan on eventually bumping up the travel to 180 in the rear and 190 up front. Do you plan on making any modifications? My bike should arrive next week, I'm so stoked!
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I dropped the ZEB travel to 170mm and added a TruTune Flow as well. Other than that:
• shorter stem (32mm reach)
• Schwalbe Radial tires (Mary Trail front/Albert Gravity rear)
• Magura Gustav Pro brakes with 203mm rotors
 
Just picked this up from my bike shop today and had its maiden voyage this evening! Loving it so far.

IMG_0025.jpg
 
Made some major changes to my Salsa Notch Carbon Deore 12 build. On my second ride, I managed to get a flat spot on the rear rim and break a few spokes. I was already planning on doing some upgrades, so I kind of went crazy with it and got new suspension and wheels. I went 180mm in the rear and 190mm up front. Really stoked on a weight of 50.11 pounds! Insane!

IMG_0087.jpg IMG_0085.jpg IMG_0086.jpg
 
sheamus710 said:
Made some major changes to my Salsa Notch Carbon Deore 12 build. On my second ride, I managed to get a flat spot on the rear rim and break a few spokes. I was already planning on doing some upgrades, so I kind of went crazy with it and got new suspension and wheels. I went 180mm in the rear and 190mm up front. Really stoked on a weight of 50.11 pounds! Insane!

View attachment 162651 View attachment 162652 View attachment 162653
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How are you liking the ride now? Curious what size bike you normally ride and if you stuck with the same size because the reach numbers got way longer. I know the seat tube angle is steeper also.
 
2WHLFUN said:
How are you liking the ride now? Curious what size bike you normally ride and if you stuck with the same size because the reach numbers got way longer. I know the seat tube angle is steeper also.
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I have not gotten a proper ride in on it yet. I just installed a partial ride wrap kit Wednesday night so I’m hoping to give it a proper go in the morning as long as I don’t get rained out 🤘
 
2WHLFUN said:
How are you liking the ride now? Curious what size bike you normally ride and if you stuck with the same size because the reach numbers got way longer. I know the seat tube angle is steeper also.
Click to expand...
Okay…just got back from a proper trail ride and WOW! This bike RIPS! The suspension felt bottomless and it was so supple off the top yet it also had plenty of support for sending jumps and drops. Another thing I noticed was how insanely fast this bike is. If I were to start racing enduro on e-bikes again, this would be my weapon of choice.
 
2WHLFUN said:
How are you liking the ride now? Curious what size bike you normally ride and if you stuck with the same size because the reach numbers got way longer. I know the seat tube angle is steeper also.
Click to expand...
Sorry I forgot to answer your question. I normally ride a size medium but I sized down for this bike and ordered a size small because the numbers seemed very long compared to my other bikes. I recently owned and sold a size medium pivot shuttle AM and that was previously the longest bike I had ever ridden. The notch feels very similar to the AM but more comfortable in cockpit due to the slightly steeper seat tube angle. Hope this helps.
 
Hi All! I am looking at a used 2025 Salsa Notch carbon 109 miles on bike paths only. Guy is asking 4500.00, they are 6100 new. I know you lose the Salsa warranty. I am thinking should more along the lines on 30-50% reduction in price? Thoughts and anything I should be on the lookout for being used?
 
If the motor is Bosch's Performance CX then will the warranty not transfer? Suggest contacting Salsa in writing and asking them about warranty transfer.

Edit: in writing
 
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Hi All! So bought the Salsa Notch which is awesome! I did come to the realization that it sadly does not fit on my Kuat bike rack as it is too long. Any recommendations on bike racks that fit the Notch as well as my analog Salsa?
 
AZSalsa said:
Hi All! So bought the Salsa Notch which is awesome! I did come to the realization that it sadly does not fit on my Kuat bike rack as it is too long. Any recommendations on bike racks that fit the Notch as well as my analog Salsa?
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If your rack meets the max weight requirement you might be able to lock in the front as usual then use an accessory strap for the rear wheel? Voile rubber straps are pretty cool
 
I bought the Notch from a local dealer who matched the online price—$5,200, free shipping, no tax.

I’m blown away.

I’ve owned a variety of e-bikes (Orbea Wild, Rise, Cannondale Moterra, Haibike, Bulls), and the Notch is one of the best I’ve ridden. The Wild was amazing—I only sold it after putting over 3,000 miles on it. This summer, I broke three vertebrae in a dirt jumping crash and had a lot of downtime to research my next ride. I’m glad I did.

Mini review:
I loved my Wild. It struck the perfect balance—agile, yet a full-speed bomber. The Notch is very similar. The biggest difference: the Notch feels quicker through corners, while the Wild felt a bit more natural in the air. But honestly, it’s splitting hairs. They both share a very similar suspension platform (split pivot) and geometry. The Notch has a super low stack height, so I had to add a bunch of spacers and a higher-rise bar to get it dialed—but it works. After a couple of months riding it, I’m impressed with how fast it is on steep terrain and how planted it feels in corners. I’ve been riding a lot of 30%+ grade trails on it, and it’s a blast.

My ideal e-bike is basically a shuttle to get me up the trail as fast as possible so I can get more laps and focus on descending. I race XC competitively, so I don’t need the e-bike for fitness—it’s all about base and recovery. Being able to ride trails that would normally blow up a recovery day and still work on skills has been game-changing. And the Gen 5 Bosch system? Next level. Quiet, smooth, and the power curve is ideal. I usually don’t even run it at full 100nm/750w because I ride with friends on Gen 4 and can’t feel much difference between 85/600 and 100/750. So I save battery, drivetrain, and motor wear by running lower power. (My Turbo mode is fully boosted, and I use it solo on roads or smoother climbs, but I prefer EMTB and EMTB+ most of the time.)

Why I chose the Notch:
I was originally planning to buy another Wild with the new Gen 5 motor, but I’m glad I kept digging. I found the Notch, and it checked every box:
  • Carbon frame
  • Mullet or 29er
  • Light (for a full-power build)
  • Gen 5 Bosch
  • 630 or 750 battery compatible
  • Coil compatible
My build:
I’m a pretty price-conscious buyer but also like building something unique. I usually buy a lower-spec bike, sell off the parts as new take-offs, and use that to fund upgrades—unless it’s an Orbea, because their MyO program is amazing.

Since I was recovering from injury and couldn’t ride for 3 months, I had time to part out and rebuild the bike exactly how I wanted. All in, I spent $5,600 on what would be an $11,000+ build from most brands.
  • Frame: Salsa Notch Medium High-Mod Carbon (29er or Mullet)
  • Fork: Fox Factory 38, 180mm
  • Shock: Fox Factory DHX2 225x75 (180mm travel) or Float X 225x70 (170mm)
  • Wheels: Oquo Carbon
  • Tires: Vittoria Mazza TNT 2.6 / Enduro 2.4
  • Brakes: Magura Gustav Pro
  • Rotors: Magura 200mm (2.5mm front / 2.0mm rear)
  • Drivetrain: Shimano M8100
  • Chainring: e*thirteen 36T alloy
  • Crank Arms: e*thirteen 160mm alloy
  • Motor: Bosch Gen 5
  • Battery: 630Wh or 750Wh
  • Bars: Race Face GL 40mm rise
  • Dropper: OneUp 210mm
  • Weight: 46.8lbs / 21kg (full 29, 630w battery)
I’m 180cm (5’10”) and the medium fits me perfectly. The long reach and steep seat tube took some adjustment, but sliding my saddle back helped, and I now love the centered, balanced feel—especially when standing.

Every ride I go on, I’m more impressed with this bike. Super happy I picked it up.

IMG_1292.jpeg IMG_1261.jpeg IMG_1163.jpeg IMG_1164.jpeg IMG_1287.jpeg
 
Anyone run this as a mullet? I’m curious how a mullet 190F/180R setup would be. I’ve ran the geo and it’s interesting.
 
Yotaismygame said:
How did you end up liking it? We're not far from each other, I'm in salem. I tempted to pick up a medium carbon deore but I'm 6' and it seems close. My current marine alpine trail e1 is really similar in specs and is a large.
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There remain certain aspects of the bike I don’t prefer but they are minor for me. I can live with the headset cable routing (AXS so only rear brake for my build) and the 1.8” bottom headset/steerer spec.
The battery size has worked out well for me. I had considered ditching the stock 625Wh battery for a 750Wh but now like having the lower overall weight for smaller ride days. When it’s going to be a bigger day, I bring along my PowerMore 250.
Currently my fork is at 170mm and that matches the rear travel with the 70mm stroke. I’ve considered going back to the stock 180mm fork travel, just to have this bike be a greater difference from my lightweight eMTB (151/160).
I’m playing around with it set in the LOW position instead of the default. The angles aren’t radically different so what I notice most is the BB height (-7.5mm) and making contact with the pedals more often now. I might leave the Flip Chip as is and install 150mm crankarms (160mm now) to provide a bit more clearance, and I’m curious just to try a shorter crank length in general.
I’ve bought two other eMTB since this one but I’m enjoying the Notch most at the moment. The fit numbers look a bit weird on paper but I’m happy on the Medium, and I typically ride a Medium in other brands, being that I’m 175cm in height.
 
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coregrind said:
There remain certain aspects of the bike I don’t prefer but they are minor for me. I can live with the headset cable routing (AXS so only rear brake for my build) and the 1.8” bottom headset/steerer spec.
The battery size has worked out well for me. I had considered ditching the stock 650Wh battery for a 750Wh but now like having the lower overall weight for smaller ride days. When it’s going to be a bigger day, I bring along my PowerMore 250.
Currently my fork is at 170mm and that matches the rear travel with the 70mm stroke. I’ve considered going back to the stock 180mm fork travel, just to have this bike be a greater difference from my lightweight eMTB (151/160).
I’m playing around with it set in the LOW position instead of the default. The angles aren’t radically different so what I notice most is the BB height (-7.5mm) and making contact with the pedals more often now. I might leave the Flip Chip as is and install 150mm crankarms (160mm now) to provide a bit more clearance, and I’m curious just to try a shorter crank length in general.
I’ve bought two other eMTB since this one but I’m enjoying the Notch most at the moment. The fit numbers look a bit weird on paper but I’m happy on the Medium, and I typically ride a Medium in other brands, being that I’m 175cm in height.
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Dang i was not expecting you to say you're 175cm on the medium notch. So the deore build, which I plan to build out comes with a 1.5 steer tube fork. You can buy the appropriate cups to make whatever you need work.

I ended up ordering the deore build in a medium. I compared geo to several popular e-bikes and the medium is what most are calling larges.
 
Yotaismygame said:
Dang i was not expecting you to say you're 175cm on the medium notch. So the deore build, which I plan to build out comes with a 1.5 steer tube fork. You can buy the appropriate cups to make whatever you need work.
Click to expand...
The Medium size is on the larger side of what is typically found from other brands so it’ll likely work for you, although maybe not right out of the box. Hopefully my previous comments haven’t caused too much anxiety for you.

I have a 1.8” to 1-1/2” reducer crownrace on hand, as well as 1.8” replacement bearings, so adaptability/compatibilty wasn’t my concern. It was more me questioning ‘why 1.8”?’ when the company that popularized the ridiculous trend had already abandoned it.
 
coregrind said:
The Medium size is on the larger side of what is typically found from other brands so it’ll likely work for you, although maybe not right out of the box. Hopefully my previous comments haven’t caused too much anxiety for you.

I have a 1.8” to 1-1/2” reducer crownrace on hand, as well as 1.8” replacement bearings, so adaptability/compatibilty wasn’t my concern. It was more me questioning ‘why 1.8”?’ when the company that popularized the ridiculous trend had already abandoned it.
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All good. I tend to like bikes slightly smaller anyways. Is the 1.8 less prone to creaking steer tubes? I’ve dealt with that before. No bueno.
 
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