Want to blaze a straight line across plains of Kansas? The long, low OG Warbird had you covered. At a time when most people were racing high and tight ‘cross bikes at gravel events, Salsa wanted to provide a surefooted alternative.

The original 2013 Warbird was all about stability. Internally sleeved cable routing helps keep your cables clean and prevents rattling for a quiet ride, so you can enjoy the solitude of the open dirt roads.

It also enables you to carry all the food, fluid, and gear you need to traverse 50 to 100 isolated miles to the next aid station in a self supported race, with three to four bottle mounts (depending on frame size), a top tube mount, and rack compatibility. The bike seemingly skims over even fist-sized rocks thanks to Salsa’s proprietary Class 5 Vibration Reduction System (VRS), which pairs wishbone shaped seat stays with flattened chainstays and removes the bridges from both to absorb road vibration in the rear. The moment you put the pedal down, the Salsa Warbird is so lively and quick-even loaded down with three big bottles and two bags-yet so comfy and surefooted-even over rumbling, rain-rutted B-roads-you know immediately that it was built to crush gravel.

Top three Warbird models now come spec’d with the Shimano GRX gravel component group as well as new colors for 2020.

Slacker “gravel race” geometry (70.75-degree head tube angle and 430mm chainstays) for stability over sketchy terrain.

Class-leading cargo capacity with room for four bottles on frame sizes 56 and up.

It is designed and equipped to carry you and all your gear from start to finish over chunky, rutted, muddy roads both quickly and comfortably. The Takeaway: The Salsa Warbird remains one of the best gravel race bikes on sale.

Salsa warbird