Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More
From the looks of things at Sea Otter, Salsa Cycles is the next brand to venture into the world of eBikes. Not-so-hidden in their booth were two new bikes – the Confluence gravel prototype, and a prototype MTB called the Notch.
Clearly labeled as a prototype, the Notch is the more secretive of the two bikes. Salsa wouldn’t give us any details other than the fact that they’re working on an e-MTB, and what we can see – like the Split Pivot suspension design. Equipped with a Bosch motor and battery system, the Notch prototype had 29 x 2.6″ Teravail Kessel tires front and rear and a Rockshox ZEB suspension fork that looked to be in the realm of 160-170mm of travel.
Confluence Gravel Prototype
More is known about the Confluence gravel bike, even though it is still a prototype – the color and spec above are not production, but close. Built with a MAHLE SmartBike X35 system, the bike is a Class 1 with a 20mph top assisted speed, with 40 Nm of torque and a 250 Wh battery in the downtube. Like other MAHLE bikes, it will be compatible with their 208 Wh range extender to increase total battery to 458 Wh.
Designed around a 6061-T6 aluminum frame, the Confluence will be offered in six frame sizes for dropbar builds, and five frame sizes for flat bar builds. The frames will include a Confluence-specific full carbon gravel fork with a 12x100mm thru axle, and the bikes will have a 700c x 50mm tire clearance.
Other frame details include internal droper post compatibility, 68mm threaded bottom brackets, rack and fender mounts, and cargo mounts. Complete bikes will start around $2,499 with availability TBD.
salsacycles.com