Salsa  Vaya GRX 600 Bike

I bought this bike in March 2021 when bikes were somewhat difficult to find - I probably would've gone for a cheaper bike (sub-$2000) made of Aluminum had one been available. That being said, steel has grown on me immensely and despite a few early hiccups I'm extremely happy with this bike! Prior to the Vaya I owned a 2018 Kona Dew hybrid and a 2005 Cannondale R900 road bike. Except for a bikepacking trip (which was amazing) I had been doing most of my riding on the R900. It was very light and nimble but didn't fit me well and the components were definitely showing their age. My hope with this purchase was to replace the R900 with a bike that was more comfortable on longer rides and offered more versatility. In this way, the Salsa Vaya has been absolutely perfect. Due to knee injuries following my bikepacking trip, I stepped away from biking for a couple years, but in the last year and a half I've put about 2,500 miles on the bike - mostly on the road, a bit on gravel, and once on an easy MTB trail. Likes: - Lots of space for wide tires - I've run Snoqualmie Pass 44 (suuuuper plush on Michigan's bombed out pavement) and Pathfinder Pro 42's (excellent on our gravel roads) with no issues - GRX 600 groupset shifts very smoothly and the derailleur clutch is great when the road gets rough - For my purposes, mechanical shifting and brakes are ideal. I wanted something I could MacGyver while bikepacking if necessary - External cable routing makes maintenance easy - Frame feels very sturdy yet pliable. It's great to remember you're riding on steel after hitting a large, hidden pothole - Tons of mounts: fork mounts, mount under the downtube, rack mounts, etc. - Speaking of fork mounts, the carbon fork seems very nice. I haven't ridden a ton of bikes to compare, but I find it incredibly comfortable Dislikes: - The seat post collar slipped a few times when I first got the bike and ended up scratching the seat post. I now use tighten it a bit past spec. I contacted Salsa about this when the bike was new and they offered to send me a new seatpost and seat collar, but then didn't followup when I sent my address... - The rear wheel that came with my bike was making a lot of noise and I could feel it vibrating through the frame when coasting. Servicing the rear wheel is a nightmare - WTB's hub design here is not good. Because I noticed this issue late, it was not replaced under warranty. - Mismatched front/rear dropouts make finding replacement wheels very difficult. I ultimately had to have a replacement set custom ordered (not cheap!) Mixed Bag: - The front can feel pretty light at times. If you're planning to strap cargo to the fork, this could be a positive. It doesn't really bother me but sometimes going up steep hills can feel a little sketchy when unloaded. Overall, I'm extremely happy with this bike and expect to keep it for a long, long time. For my casual, but long rides on Michigan roads (some of the worst in the nation, surely), it's been incredibly comfortable and plush. It's been equally useful for running errands, quick trips around town, and I can't wait to take it on its first bikepacking trip.

I left a great review before , but after taking on a touring trip . Not so impressed. The chain ring came loose just like another review stated. I was lucky to find the spacers by back tracking my path , and finding new screws since the next bike shop was 60 miles away. I think the overall quality is poor , spokes loose, rim tape folded over causing flat . Even the handle bar tape keeps coming loose and fraying . Maybe I had the bike overloaded but the frame felt like it flexed a lot causing wobbling .

This is heavier than the cannondale I was riding , but has many more attachments for bike touring, I don’t even notice the weight it seems even more efficient and comfortable, wider handle bar. Feels Great to ride ! Very happy with this bike so far . Used on 5-day touring trip . Looking forward to taking this on 3 week trip along the west coast soon I’ve had issues with bikes and I Found REI stands behind their product .

I generally like this bike, but was very disappointed when on my morning commute on smooth trails the front chainring came apart. less than 200 miles on this bike and no gravel or rough riding yet. Very disappointed and hope REI can send me the replacement bolts which were lost as well. Great bike...bad assembly I guess.