2016 Warbird

Warbird CARBON Rival 22

2016 Warbird:

Today I am going to outline Europa's Warbird offerings for 2016. The Warbird has been around for a few years, but Salsa Cycles recently stepped up their game in regard to this bike, and now it makes more sense than ever for many cyclists to take a harder look at this bike. 

So, just what is this thing?

Isn't this just a road bike? What's the big deal? Well, these are all great questions. Here's the deal here- these are not your typical road racing based bicycles. The Warbird is the fast paced road going bike that doesn't flinch when you hit that pothole. It doesn't mind those rail road crossings. Rumble strips? Big deal. The Warbird soaks all that up and spits it right back out. But that's just scratching the surface of the capabilities of the Warbird line. 

The Warbird Tiagra

   The Warbirds are bikes that can also go on gravel, dirt, and anything that resembles a road is its domain. 
So, don't limit yourself! These bikes are waaaay more versatile and capable than anything you've thought about for a road bike. 

But what about those tires? Won't they slow me down?  

See, this is the perception of a lot of cyclists. What is ironic is that studies are showing, based off of scientific findings using power data and measurements of other kinds, that fatter tires are actually faster than skinnier ones, especially at moderated pressures. Think about that in terms of a car. You don't put the skinniest tires with the highest pressure rating you can get on your car because it would make the car less efficient, not to mention less comfortable. The same rules apply with bicycles. Weight? Take a look at that white Warbird. It weighs 19lbs. So, no, you aren't going to be held back by anything this bike has on offer. Get a racing bred machine with skinny tires and you'll maybe feel faster, but you won't be, and you'll be less comfortable and stuck on smooth paved trails or roads. Why do that to yourself when Iowa has so many roads you could be riding on that aren't baby-butt smooth? How about upwards of 70,000 miles of gravel roads? There are soooo many places you could be going, but you can't, on a traditional road bike. 

The Class V Vibration Reduction System starts here

I haven't even told you about the ClassV Vibration Reduction System that these bikes have, which erase high frequency vibrations, give you tons of comfort, and smooths out any road you want to try. In fact, the aluminum framed Warbird is so smooth, it supplanted titanium in Salsa's line up because they found it was better than their previous titanium frame in reducing vibration. Up to 6% better, as measured by accelorometers placed on their test bikes over gravel test tracks. The carbon frame is 9% smoother than the Ti one was!  

There is a whole lot more we can talk about when it comes to the Warbird bikes. Things like lightweight, state of the art carbon construction, a custom designed carbon fork just for this bike line, or how the SRAM Rival 22 comes with hydraulic disc brakes. The aluminum line can be had with Shimano 105 or Shimano Tiagra groups, and both come with the excellent Avid BB-7 brakes. The aluminum frame is hydraulically formed for optimum frame wall and strength characteristics. Through axles grace both ends of the bike, and are so ridiculously easy to use, and make the bike track so well, you'll wonder why on earth you've never had them before. 

Check out the Warbirds on offer at Europa Cycle & Ski soon!