Sea Otter 2025 – Salsa Cycles Reboots Dirt Lineup with New Mountain Bikes & eMTBs

Revamped Spearfish, Blackthorn, and Notch platforms will be unveiled at Sea Otter Classic

This week, Salsa Cycles will launch four new mountain bikes and eMTBs at Monterey’s 2025 Sea Otter Classic. The brand is proud to introduce the Spearfish Carbon endurance XC, Blackthorn Carbon 125 trail, and 145 all-mountain and Notch Carbon eMTB.

The launch continues the brand’s 44 years of mountain biking evolution with significant engineering and design updates to four platforms. This will be one of Salsa’s largest mountain bike releases ever, with something new for a wide range of riders, from XC racers and trail riders to all-mountain and e-assist categories.

“Salsa is pleased to share revamped Spearfish, Blackthorn, and Notch platforms,” said Salsa Product Manager Joe Meiser. “Spearfish is back and built for the world’s toughest single and multi-day races. Blackthorn 125 and 145 are highly tunable trail bikes that can take on nearly any trail, anywhere; they’re also the only trail bikes with two bottle mounts. Notch C is a monster of a carbon enduro eMTB with travel adjustment from 160–180mm; it harnesses the power of e-assist for lap after lap of skill-building trail experiences. Together, these bikes represent Salsa’s continued excitement in the rapidly evolving mountain bike space.”

Salsa will reveal these bikes on April 10 as part of their activation at Sea Otter Classic, an annual bicycling festival held in Monterey, California. Salsa will build on the launch with a months-long “For the Love of Dirt” campaign featuring reviews, athlete stories, demos at regional events, and more.

Riders can find these new mountain bikes at their local Salsa retailers this spring; Notch C is available at retailers now.

Spearfish

Spearfish is Salsa’s 29” Endurance XC bike. It’s built to thrive in the world’s toughest single- and multi-day races, from Marji Gesick to the Arizona Trail Race. Spearfish is lightweight, efficient, and capable – a formula that makes all the difference in the 11th hour. This rig is in its element on long, rugged courses with endurance XC geometry for sharp handling and speed, whether climbing or descending. The Spearfish is adaptable to multiple trail types and rider preferences.

• Spearfish C Deluxe XO AXS Transmission: $10,999
• Spearfish C Deluxe GX AXS Transmission: $6,499
• Spearfish C Eagle 90 Transmission: $4,999
• Spearfish C Deore 12: $3,999
• Spearfish C Deluxe Frame: $3,499

Blackthorn 125

Salsa’s latest trail bike, the Blackthorn 125 is a well-balanced machine for riders who want the speed and agility to handle anything the trail may bring; it’s fluid in the tight sections and precise when navigating techy descents. It is designed to bring everything riders need for the long ride without weighing them down.

• Blackthorn 125 C GX AXS Transmission: $5,999
• Blackthorn 125 C Deore 12: $3,499

 

 

Blackthorn 145

Salsa’s latest all-mountain bike, the Blackthorn 145 is a rugged rig that’s ready for backcountry trails and rowdy lines. It’s most at home on the steep and techy terrain – both up and down the
mountain. Built to be capable, confident, and cargo-friendly without being a handful, Blackthorn 145 brings the fun to big days on the trail.

• Blackthorn 145 C XO AXS Transmission: $7,999
• Blackthorn 145 C GX AXS Transmission: $5,999
• Blackthorn 145 C Deore 12: $3,499
• Blackthorn 145 C Frame: $2,999

Notch Carbon eMTB

Notch is Salsa’s electric enduro bike. It’s a balanced platform that’s inspired by extra laps, big backcountry miles, and the thrill of exploring new trail systems. With geometry poised for stability at speed, a Bosch Performance Line CX Class 85nm 1mid-drive motor is powerful and compact, efficient Split Pivot suspension and on-bike storage features, it’s versatile enough to roam far on rowdy terrain or battle between the tape in an eMTB enduro event. Take on vast singletrack adventures with Notch.

• Notch C GX AXS Transmission: $7,499
• Notch C Deore 12: $5,499