Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from Kia of Melbourne, Australia, who presents a detailed look at the custom Salsa Cutthroat she recently rode on a solo bikepacking trip around British Columbia. Learn more about Kia and what bikes mean to her here…
Words by Kia Binch, photos by Kia Binch and Miles Arbour
Hello! My name is Kia. I’m from Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. I am obsessed with riding bikes. I started my cycling journey late in life. I don’t own a car; bikes have been a way for me to connect with my community, my form of transport, a way to challenge myself physically and mentally, help me live more sustainably, and a way for me to give back to others. Cycling has allowed me to connect with my community, particularly femme and non-binary riders. I have been part of the leadership group Melbourne Durt and Radical Adventure Riders Australia, including leading dirt-orientated group social rides amongst marginalised genders and establishing our own Bikepacking Gear Library (it’s nearly finished!).
My favourite form of cycling involves racks, bags, and dirt roads with a bit of chonk. Backcountry cycling is my preferred type of riding; there’s always the feeling you may be biting a bit more than you can chew, but you’re rewarded by alpine flowers, stunning views, and thrilling descents. I have recently begun my journey of falling in love with mountain biking and have occasionally have dabbled in ultra-endurance bikepacking races.
Besides bicycles, I love trail running, bouldering, hiking, spending time outside with friends, and being in the high country. I founded a grassroots trail running community for marginalised genders called Who Run The World, and we run the trails Yarra Trails in Naarm weekly.
I previously worked a few days a week at the best bike shop in the world, Off Course Bikes (formerly known as Commuter Cycles). This build was created and envisioned by the extremely knowledgeable team at Off Course, who helped me through every single decision every step of the way. I previously owned a Surly Bridge Club; the ultimate gateway bike to exploring. My times with the Bridge Club were a blast; however, the bike was heavy. I wanted bikepacking rig that would get me places faster and more comfortably. That’s how I ended up choosing the pint-sized joy machine, the Salsa Cutthroat.
I ride the Cutthroat religiously, and it has been a huge game changer for me. It’s made of carbon; which makes it super light and dampening. It’s capable, and I found myself able to cover longer distances easier and quicker. I chose flat-bar mountain bike bars over traditional drop bars for the Cutthroat because I personally find flat bars more comfortable and stable on the kind of terrain I prefer to ride. I usually run a RockShox SID 100mm front fork; however, for my British Columbia trip, I chose a rigid Salsa carbon fork for its convenience in mounting options on a big bike tour (I’m short, so I need mounting options). Having front suspension and a dropper post has been huge for my riding, and I find myself effortlessly picking up speed, especially when descending.
- Frame: 52cm Salsa Cutthroat Carbon
- Fork: Salsa Carbon
- Rims: 29″ EIE Carbon
- Hubs: SON (front) / DT Swiss 350 (rear)
- Tires: 29 x 2.35 Vittoria Barzo XC Race (front) / 29 x 2.35 Vittoria Mezcal Race (rear)
- Handlebars: SQLab 3OX Carbon 12 degree backseat low rise (15mm)
- Headset: Integrated cups running Cane Creek 40 bearings
- Crankset: Shimano XT, 165mm
- Pedals: Shimano XT dual-sided SPD
- Cassette: Shimano XT M8100 10-51T 12-speed
- Derailleur(s): Shimano XT Shadow+
- Brakes: Shimano Deore
- Shifter(s): Shimano XT
- Saddle: Ergon SMC women’s
- Seatpost: KS Lev Si, 27.2mm
- Stem: Random 80mm stem found deep in a box of stems at Off Course
- Front bags: Revelate Sweet Roll
- Frame bags: ~Vintage~ Framework Designs bolt-on custom frame bag
- Rear bags: Revelate Nano Panniers
- Accessory bags: Bolt-on Revelate Top Tube Bag, Revelate Feedbags
- Rack: Tumbleweed Mini Pannier Rack
- Lighting/charging: kLite MTB dynamo light, USB charging port, and dynamo rear flashing light
- Other accessories: Wolf Tooth Dropper Lever
My favourite part of the build is the carbon 29″ dynamo wheel build. A friend at Off Course hand-polished my DT Swiss 350 rear hub in silver to match my silver SON dynamo front hub. Matchy-matchy! I am also extremely forgetful person, so having a dynamo system and not having to remember to charge my lights before every ride is incredibly helpful for me. This bike is irreplaceable and the perfect bike for me. I am also now an Ambassador for Salsa Australia. I’m extremely grateful and honoured to be supported by a cycling company I respect so much.
All the photos here are from a recent bikepacking trip in British Columbia. It was my first solo international bike tour, although I had a friend Jacob from home join me for the first few days. I loosely followed three different BIKEPACKING.com routes: Sea to Sky, Tree to Sea loop, and Lower Sunshine Coast Bikepacking Route. They were incredible! I saw some bears and ate native berries! As a huge Alone fan, Vancouver Island was definitely a highlight for me. Even though I was biking solo, I met so many lovely bikepackers whilst travelling through British Columbia, and I was lucky enough to stay at Miles and Emily’s wonderful home in Powell River.
You can follow Kia on Instagram.
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