The Salsa Beargrease comes to the OutdoorGearLab fat bike test as the only model with a full carbon frame. The first thing testers noticed was how light and lively it felt thanks mostly to its stiff and responsive carbon skeleton. This bike is impressively efficient and it responds very well to pedaling input on flat and uphill terrain. It's also competent on the descents with a more relaxed 68-degree head tube angle and a shorter wheelbase and moderate reach and chainstay lengths that help to give it a short turning radius and relatively playful attitude. As a fully rigid bike, it is most at home on smooth snow or dirt, but it also has a little more forgiveness over slightly rougher terrain than some of the competition. The frame and fork also have plentiful bike packing and accessory mounts that make it a versatile ride that can be used for bike packing and adventure riding as well as snow biking and regular mountain biking.
Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 2019 Review
Cons: Budget component spec, excessive handlebar backsweep
Manufacturer: Salsa
Our Verdict
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 This Product
Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 2019 | |||||
| Awards |  |  | | ||
| Price | $2,299 List | $2,100 List | $2,499 List | $2,950 List | $1,999.00 at REI |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Inexpensive for carbon, lightweight, lively | Dropper post, nice build, great all-around performance | Front suspension, versatile, relaxed geometry, short chain stays | Front suspension, nice build, lighter weight, lower Q-factor | Reasonably priced, 12-speed drivetrain, comfortable geometry |
| Cons | Budget component spec, excessive handlebar backsweep | Moderately heavy | Heavy, expensive-ish | Expensive, wide seat stays--calf rub, tall front end | Has a speed limit, not exciting |
| Bottom Line | The carbon framed Salsa Beargrease Deore is lightweight and a solid all-around performer. | Capable and well-rounded, the Yukon 1 is the Best Overall fat bike in the test. | The versatile and playful Kona Wozo has modern geometry, front suspension, and a solid all around performance that you can enjoy year round. | The Borealis Telluride is a comfortable and quality fat bike with an interesting geometry. | A mid-pack performer, the Mukluk SX Eagle doesn't stand out from the crowd but is still a solid fat bike. |
| Rating Categories | Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore | Giant Yukon 1 | Kona Wozo | Borealis Telluride GX Eagle | Salsa Mukluk SX Eagle |
| Downhill Performance (30%) | |||||
| Uphill Performance (30%) | |||||
| Versatility (25%) | |||||
| Build (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Salsa Beargrease... | Giant Yukon 1 | Kona Wozo | Borealis Telluride... | Salsa Mukluk SX... |
| Wheelsize | 27.5" | 27.5" | 27.5" | 27.5" | 26" |
| Weight w/o pedals | 29 lbs 11 oz | 32 lbs 13 oz | 34 lbs 15 oz | 31 lbs 12 oz | 32 lbs 7 oz |
| Frame Material | High-Modulus carbon | ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminum | Fat 7005 aluminum | 6066 Aluminum | 6066-T6 Aluminum |
| Frame Size | Large | Large | Large | Large | Large |
| Available Sizes | XS-XL | S-XL | S-XL | S-XL | XS-XL |
| Fork | Bearpaw Carbon Fork | Rigid Composite with low-rider rack mounts | Manitou Mastadon Comp 100mm | Manitou Mastadon EXT Pro | Bearpaw Carbon Fork |
| Wheelset | SUNringle Mulefut 80 rims with SUNringle SRC hubs | Alloy rims, 90mm, with Giant hubs | SUNringle Mulefut 65 with Formula hubs | SUNringle Mulefut 80mm rims with Borealis hubs | SUNringle Mulefut SL 80 rims with SUNringle SRC hubs |
| Front Tire | Maxxis Minion FBF 3.8" | Maxxis Colossus 4.5" | Maxxis Minion FBF EXO 3.8" | Terrene Cake Eater 4.0" | 45NRTH Dillinger 4.6" |
| Rear Tire | Maxxis Minion FBR 3.8" | Maxxis Colossus 4.5" | Maxxis Minion FBR EXO 3.8" | Terrene Cake Eater 4.0" | 45NRTH Dillinger 4.6" |
| Shifters | Shimano Deore 10-speed | SRAM NX Eagle | SRAM NX Eagle | SRAM GX Eagle | SRAM SX Eagle |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano Deore 10-speed | SRAM NX Eagle | SRAM NX Eagle | SRAM GX Eagle | SRAM SX Eagle |
| Cranks | Race Face Ride | SRAM NX Eagle DUB FAT 5 | SRAM Descendant alloy | Race Face Next R Carbon | SRAM X1 1000 Eagle DUB |
| Chainring | 28T | 30T | 30T | 30T | 30T |
| Bottom Bracket | not specified | SRAM DUB Pressfit | SRAM GXP PF121 | BSA threaded | not specified |
| Cassette | Shimano Deore 11-42T | SRAM NX Eagle 11-50T | SRAM PG1230 11-50T | SRAM XG-1275 GX Eagle 11-50T | SRAM PG-1210 11-50T |
| Saddle | WTB Volt Comp | Giant Contact (neutral) | WTB Volt Comp | Borealis | WTB Volt Sport |
| Seatpost | Salsa Guide | Giant Contact Switch dropper | Kona XC/BC alloy | Borealis Carbon | Salsa Guide |
| Handlebar | Salsa Rustler | Giant Connect Trail, 780mm | Kona XC/BC, 780mm | Borealis Carbon, 740mm | Salsa Rustler, 800mm |
| Stem | Salsa Guide | Giant Contact | Kona XC/BC | Borealis | Salsa Guide Trail |
| Brakes | SRAM Level | SRAM Level T | SRAM Level T | SRAM Guide RS | SRAM Level |
| Warranty | Five Years | Lifetime | Lifetime | Five Years | Three Years |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Salsa has been producing quality bikes for many years now, yet they have remained on the fringes as somewhat of a niche brand. That hasn't stopped them from growing their product line to include everything from gravel grinders and touring bikes to high-end full suspension mountain bikes and several models of fat bikes. The Beargrease comes to our fat bike test as the only full carbon model, up against a competitive field of comparably priced and equipped alloy framed competitors. In addition to being lightweight and looking really cool, the Beargrease shined with a solid all-around performance, decent component specification, and reasonable price (for carbon).
Performance Comparison
Downhill Performance
The Beargrease is more capable and fun to ride on the descents than you might expect a fully rigid bike to be. Much like its other rigid competitors, it excels on smooth snow or dirt and tends to be a little harsh on choppy or rugged terrain. Thankfully, it has a 68-degree head tube angle which is among the slackest in the test and actually does help to calm the front end of this bike down and perform better when the trail steepens. At the same time, the shorter wheelbase and moderate length reach and chainstays help maintain a lively and somewhat playful demeanor on the descents. The 80mm wide SUNringle Mulefut rims give the 27.5" x 3.8" Maxxis Minion FBF and FBR tires a nice wide profile and ample traction on both packed snow and dirt alike.
Our gripes with the downhill performance of the Beargrease are few and somewhat nit-picky build related complaints but they do affect the ride. The Salsa Rustler handlebar is a great width but testers felt the 11-degree back sweep to be a bit much and it wasn't quite as comfortable as some of the competition, it just felt a bit off. Obviously, we'd have also loved for this bike to come with a dropper seat post, but since it didn't we think a quick release seat post clamp would be the way to go to expedite the saddle height changing process.
Uphill Performance
Fully rigid bikes are inherently good at going uphill, rigid bikes with lightweight carbon frames are even better. The Beargrease is the lightest model in this test at 29 lbs 11 oz, that's with 80mm rims and 27.5" x 3.8" tires with tubes, thanks to its full carbon frame. That same lightweight frame is super stiff and responsive to pedaling input and there is no energy lost when climbing, except for a little through the soft and wide tires. When you put effort into pedaling this bike uphill it responds and feels fast and efficient. The 73-degree seat tube is steep enough, and combined with the moderate length reach puts the rider in a comfortable seated climbing position. Thanks to the short-ish wheelbase, it is very maneuverable and weight is distributed relatively evenly which helps to keep the front end from wandering when the going gets steep.
There was little not to like about the Beargrease on the climbs, this bike is efficient and comfortable. If we had to find fault with its uphill performance it would have to be in its drivetrain setup. The 11-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain works well, but we feel that it could use a little lower range. The 28 tooth chainring and 11-42 tooth cassette provided a huge range, but considering the soft and potentially challenging conditions you are likely to encounter on this bike we'd love to have at least one easier gear.
Versatility
The Beargrease is a very versatile fat bike. This carbon-framed beauty is good for just about everything, snow riding, adventure rides, bike packing, and everyday mountain biking so long as you don't mind riding a rigid bike. The frame and fork come equipped with all the mounts you'll probably ever need to attach all of your overnight gear for bike packing adventures. The complete bike is also light enough that you could easily use it for fat bike racing or all day suffer-fests if that's your thing. If you're looking for an all-around performer in a lightweight carbon-framed package, the Beargrease should be on your shortlist.
Build
The Beargrease Carbon Deore has a relatively standard budget-minded build attached to a full carbon frame. What the build of this bike lacks in wow factor it makes up for with functionality and affordability, for a carbon frame. The front and rear triangles of the frame are all carbon fiber with Salsa's Bearpaw rigid carbon fork up front. The Bearpaw fork has carbon legs and an aluminum steerer, plus a set of 3-pack mounts on each side. The frame has typical modern fat bike thru axle spacing of 15 x 150mm in the front and 12 x 197mm in the rear. The front and rear triangles also come with a variety of mounts to accommodate all of your bike packing/adventure biking accessories.
The Deore build of the Beargrease Carbon comes with, not surprisingly, a Shimano Deore 1x11-speed drivetrain. This includes a Deore Shadow+ 11-speed rear derailleur, a Deore shifter, and an 11-42 tooth cassette paired with Race Face Ride cranks and a 28 tooth front chainring. This drivetrain setup provides a good amount of range that will be suitable for most riders, although the easiest gear is a bit tougher than some of its competitors. Like most of the other models in this review, the Beargrease is equipped with SRAM Level brakes and 160mm centerline brake rotors front and rear. We typically prefer the power and braking feel of higher-end brakes, but the Levels work relatively well, especially for the low to moderate speeds of fat bikes.
The cockpit of the Beargrease is well-appointed and consists of a handful of Salsa's own parts. They've used their own Guide stem and Rustler handlebar with comfortable lock-on grips. Testers liked the width of the handlebar but felt that it had a bit more back sweep than they like making it feel a little bit off. In the rear, they've mounted a Salsa Guide seat post with a quality WTB Volt saddle. Of course, we'd love for this bike to come equipped with a dropper seat post or at least a quick-release seat post clamp to speed up saddle height changes.
SUNringle dominates the fat bike wheels market and like most fat bikes the Beargrease is clad with one of their wheelsets. It rolls on a set of 27.5" SUNringle Mulefut 80 rims laced to SUNringle SRC hubs. The 80mm rim width is nice and wide and pairs well with the 3.8" Maxxis Minion FBF and FBR tires giving them a slightly wider profile than a narrower rim.
Geometry
The Beargrease has a 68-degree head tube angle which qualifies as somewhat slack for a rigid fat bike and helps to give this bike a more easy-going feel when pointed downhill. It's also got a short-moderate length wheelbase of 1158mm and medium length 442mm chainstays which keep this bike nimble and relatively playful. The 73-degree seat tube angle isn't exactly steep by today's standards, although it's only 2 degrees off the steepest in our test, but it works and puts the rider close to right above the cranks and not too far out above the rear wheel. The seated pedaling position on the Beargrease is quite comfortable, you aren't bent too much at the waist, stretched out, or cramped, it nails the middle ground nicely.
Value
With a retail price of only $2,299, we feel the Beargrease Carbon Deore is a very good value for any bike that comes with a full carbon frame. This bike weighs the least of all the models we tested and has a stiff, precise, and nimble ride quality. The component specification won't knock anyone's socks off, but it's functional and on par with most of the competition. If you want a premium carbon frame at a very competitive price, the Beargrease Deore simply can't be beat.
Conclusion
Testers found little they didn't like about the Beargrease. This lightweight carbon-framed ride is a comfortable and adept climber, a playful and relatively competent descender, and a versatile enough to go bike packing one day and take on a snowy backyard ride the next. It's also an impressive value, with a full carbon frame and a build specification similar to the other models in the test. This is our Top Pick for Racing.
Other Versions and Accessories
Salsa makes 4 versions of their Beargrease Carbon fat bikes, including the Deore version reviewed here.
The Beargrease Carbon XO1 Eagle ($4,699) has the same carbon frame, but with their Kingpin Deluxe fork that has a full carbon steerer and more accessory mounting options on the fork legs. It comes with a SRAM XO1 Eagle drivetrain, SRAM Guide RS brakes, a carbon handlebar, and seatpost.
The Beargrease Carbon GX Eagle ($3,699) has the same frame and fork as the model above but comes with a SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, SRAM Guide R brakes, and alloy wheels.
The Beargrease Carbon NX Eagle ($3,049) has the same frame and fork as both models above but comes with a SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, and SRAM Guide T brakes.
Salsa also makes two other fat bike models, the Mukluk and the Blackborow. The Mukluk is designed for maximum floatation and comes in two versions ranging from $3,149 to $1,999 with massive 4.8" wide tires. The Blackborow is intended for fat bike touring and adventure riding and has a cargo-bike design that includes a rear rack. It comes in a GX Eagle version only and retails for $3,299.
— Jeremy Benson, Pat Donahue