Today, I turn 30.

While a lot of people start to expand their homes at this milestone, I’ll be shrinking my posessions in favor of expanding my horizons. I take comfort in the fact that a lot of my favorite things will be put to good use by close friends for the year (which also helps with storage!)–favorite dresses to my sister, favorite kitchen appliances to foodie friends, the live edge table I built to friends with a new home. But really when you get down to thinking about it, you just don’t need that many things to have fun. Having a few long tours under my belt, I’ve already learned that less is more and don’t expect to need more for this year-long adventure than what I’ve carried for a 7-day tour.

So my new home is this beautiful Salsa Cutthroat built up by Bobby Wintle at District Bicycles in Oklahoma. Jay Petervary, a friend of my dad’s from the Iditarod Trail Invitational for whom Salsa designed the Cutthroat, referred me to Bobby to help me craft the perfect bike for this mega-adventure. Bobby has done the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route himself on a Salsa Cutthroat and had incredible advice on every detail, from the spokes down to the pink Sinewave Cycles Beacon that hooks into my Dynamo generator hub. Thanks, Bobby! Speaking of that hub, I’ll be generating the power for our electronics (navigation, camera, blogging), and I’ll be sure to remind Devon of that when I’m feeling slow.

Caitlin's Cutthroat

About my rig

Frame

  • 2018 Salsa Cutthroat Carbon

Drivetrain

  • Front Derailleur: Shimano XTR 9070 Di2 2X11
  • Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR 9070 Di2 2X11
  • Cassette: Shimano XT M8000 11 speed (11-42)
  • Crankset: Shimano XTR (42/28)
  • Shifter: Shimano XTR Di2
  • Brakes & Rotors: Shimano XT M8000 hydraulic
  • Chain: Shimano XT 11 speed

Components

  • Headset: Cane Creek 40
  • Stem: Salsa Guide
  • Handlebar: Salsa Cowchipper, Siren Bicycles Fred Bars, and Profile Design T3+ Aerobars (aerobars not mounted in photo)
  • Seatpost: Thomson Elite
  • Saddle: still debating between current Brooks saddle and WTB Koda

Wheels

  • Front Hub: Schmidt Son28 Generator Hub
  • Rear Hub: DT Swiss 240S
  • Rims: Race Face Arc30 29”
  • Spokes: DT Swiss Competition 2.0
  • Tires: Vittoria Mezcal TNT G+ 2.25” for Alaska, Canada and the Rockies, Vittoria Mezcal TNT G+ 2.6” for Baja, TBD beyond that…

Bags (not all on in photo)

  • Frame: Rogue Panda waterproof roll-top
  • Handlebar: EXP Series Anything cradle, Revelate Designs Sweetroll and Revelate Designs Egress pocket (waterproof)
  • Cockpit: 2 Revelate Designs mountain feedbags
  • Toptube: Revelate Designs Gas Tank and Jerrycan
  • Seatpost: Revelate Designs Terrapin (waterproof) and Spocket
  • Miscellaneous: 3 Salsa Anything Cages and waterproof Anything Cage Bags on the fork and bottom of the downtube
A light to shine the way
We need gears, lots of gears