When the Salsa Marrakesh came out, it was the first touring bike available in both a ‘short’ frame geometry for drop bars and a ‘long’ geometry for flat bars. This was a great move from a design perspective, as handlebar shape plays a large role in both how you sit on a bike as well as how it handles. The 2018 Salsa Marrakesh is unfortunately no longer available with a flat bar, but it has received a price drop, a fresh lick of paint, some wider tyres, and upgraded shifters and brakes.

Let’s take a closer look.

The 2018 Salsa Marrakesh

I’m only speculating, but the move to eradicate the flatbar model is likely due to a lower-than-anticipated demand. I’ve seen a lot of Salsa Marrakesh bikes both in shops and on the road, but all have been spec’d with drop bars, presumedly as a result of the strong preference for drop bars in the North American, Australian and British markets.

Even without the flatbar model, the Salsa Marrakesh is one of my favourite touring bikes. The frame geometry is flawless, with long chainstays, a slow steering speed and six frame sizes that get progressively larger based on their stack and reach measurements. The steel frame tubing is both internally and externally butted to create the stiffest front end possible. The frame employs sliding rear dropouts to suit internally geared drivetrains like the Rohloff Speedhub or Shimano Alfine – ideal for a custom build or perhaps later upgrade. There’s clearance for wide 29×2.0″ tyres too!

The frameset has a wide array of eyelets for all of your accessories including full-length fenders, front and rear racks, 5x bidon cages and 2x cargo cages.

The choice of parts is outstanding.

The 3×9 drivetrain yields a gear range of 21-122″ which will help you to get up the really steep hills at 6km/h (60 RPM). Gear changes are made by the ever-reliable Shimano barend shifters, but if you prefer integrated brake/shifters, check out the compatible Shimano Sora R3030 lever set.

Hayes cable disc brakes stop the bike on a dime in all weather conditions, plus it’s really easy to maintain and replace these cables on a tour. A Brooks B17 saddle is selected to complete the build; if you’re not familiar with them, they’re regarded as one of the most comfortable touring saddles.

Salsa’s fantastic sliding dropout design brings the biggest downside to the Salsa Marrakesh: the necessary use of their aluminium rear rack. It’s my experience that steel racks tend to do better in the long-term. It’s worth noting that other racks will technically fit but will result in your panniers sitting very high off the ground (not ideal for bike handling).

The Salsa Marrakesh hits the scales at 14kg (or 31lbs) which is typical of any modern steel touring bike. It’s available as a frameset for US $649 and as a complete bike for US $1499.

Want To Compare This Touring Bike With Dozens of Others?

Check out The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. The Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide does the same thing, however, with a focus on lighter bikes and models with more off-road capability. Both of these guides are updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2019 Cannondale Topstone
2020 Cannondale Topstone
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Unit X
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2020 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

Unveiled last year, the 2017 Salsa Marrakesh is undoubtedly one of the best off-the-shelf touring bikes in the world. I had to include it in my list of the 8 of the Best Touring Bikes!

This is for a number of reasons:

The geometry. The Salsa Marrakesh is the first touring bike that uses two different frame geometries based on whether you’d like to use a flat handlebar or a road handlebar.
The gear range. This long distance touring bike uses a touring crankset (48-36-26t) with a mountain bike cassette (11-34t). This yields gears for all occasions, even with four panniers (21-121 gear inches).
Rohloff compatibility. People who are after the maintenance-free nature of a Rohloff internally geared hub, will be happy to know that the frame is ready!
The price. This US $1599 bike is 5-10% more than comparable touring bikes (Trek 520 Disc, Surly Disc Trucker, Kona Sutra) but is still a bargain when you consider its features.
Tyre clearance. This touring rig is ready for 29×2.00″ offroad tyres if you wish. Or if you like fenders, you’ll still be able to squeeze in 700x40C.
The steel frame tubing. The Marrakesh uses triple-butted steel tubing that is normally reserved for much more expensive bikes.

The 2017 Salsa Marrakesh Bikes

For 2017, there’s been a shake-up with the colours, the rims are all now tubeless-ready and the bikes come with Panaracer Pasela gumwall tyres. Let’s take a closer look at the bikes and colours.

As I briefly mentioned above, the 2017 Salsa Marrakesh is available in two different frame geometries. Normally you would have to go up a size or two to achieve a long enough body position on a bike with flat handlebars. With the Salsa Marrakesh however, the dropbar frameset is both short and tall, which offsets the longer overall reach of a road handlebar.

There is a centre kickstand plate on all Marrakesh models that will fit dual-leg stands like the Pletcher Twin, or single-leg stands like the Pletcher Optima Flex.

The handlebars are Salsa’s own Cowchipper model. The bars are designed for touring, offering quite a shallow profile and 24 degrees of flare in the drops. The handlebar flare helps gain additional leverage over a front end load, allowing you to stabilise the bike a bit better at speed.

The 2017 Salsa Marrakesh Dropbar has two colour options. Either the ‘look at my shweeeeeet touring bike -orange’ or ‘fly under the radar -black’.

All Marrakesh models come standard with the Brooks B17 saddle. This has got to be the most popular touring saddle of all time, so it’s great to see it available on a stock touring bike.

The flatbar version of the Salsa Marrakesh is longer in the top tube to offset the shorter handlebar reach. When sized correctly, this results in a similar angle at your back, neck and shoulders between the different Marrakesh handlebar models.

The cockpit of the flatbar Salsa Marrakesh is pretty sparse and ready for accessories. Thumb shifters are a great option for an off-road touring bike, as they are so incredibly simple, and short of a nuclear blast – completely fail-proof. Other than the cockpit setup and longer frame geometry, the Marrakesh flatbar shares all the same parts as the dropbar model.

My only critisism of the 2017 Salsa Marrakesh is the proprietary rear rack. Salsa had to do it in order to use the Alternator sliding dropouts, but the aluminium rack available has a capacity of 27kg (59lbs) compared to a steel Tubus rack at 40kg (88lbs). I’m sure this is a conservative estimate, but it’d be great if Salsa could make a Tubus-comparable model in steel.

The 2017 Salsa Marrakesh Flatbar is available in the aqua blue above, or a rather retro minty green.

The stock grips on the flatbar are Salsa’s own ‘Adventure By Bike’ lock-on model. I’d highly recommend trying out ESI Silicone grips if you can! Silicone grips dampen vibrations like nothing else. They also don’t get sticky or hard over time.

Want To Compare This Touring Bike With Dozens of Others?

Check out The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. The Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide does the same thing, however, with a focus on lighter bikes and models with more off-road capability. Both of these guides are updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2019 Cannondale Topstone
2020 Cannondale Topstone
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Unit X
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2020 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120

Salsa has released a bunch of new bikes for 2016, including two touring bikes. One of them is the Deadwood adventure touring bike, the other is a more traditional touring bike called the 2016 Salsa Marrakesh.

The 2016 Salsa Marrakesh Dropbar

The key difference between this bike and other touring bikes: it’s available in two frame options – one optimised for flat handlebars are the other for road/drop handlebars. To my knowledge no other manufacturer does this! The flat handlebar frame offers an increased reach of ~60mm for each given size. That means you won’t need to go up a size (or two) if you wanted to use flat bars on a bike designed for drop bars. Smart.

The Vaya was Salsa’s best road tourer up until now, but that bike was always compromised for long-distance touring. It was set up more like a road bike with STI shifters, narrowish tyres and a road double crankset. The Marrakesh now offers barend (or thumbie) shifters, squeezes in 29×2.0 tyres and has a wide-range Shimano Deore crankset. That’s much more bicycle touring!

The frame/fork is made with 4130 cromo steel tubing, and offers all the eyelets you could ask for including 3-boss luggage mounts on the fork. The overall spec is great value for money too, with a Brooks B17 saddle, Salsa rack, Avid BB7 brakes and 36h wheels as standard.

The Alternator dropouts are both a godsend and can cause issues if you want to something other than Salsa’s own aluminium rack. The Alternator dropouts allow you to use different axle sizes, or perhaps even a Rohloff internally geared hub. They also bring the eyelets up a good few centimetres higher than ideal, making rack compatibility and fender fitting a bit more complicated.

If you’re a regular to the site you’ll know how much I like to discuss frame geometry; you’ll be glad to hear the geometry of the Marrakesh is 100% on-point! You’ll be able to get the Marrakesh in either handlebar spec for US $1599 after October. More info on the bike is available at Salsa Cycles.

Want To Compare These Touring Bikes With Dozens of Others?

Check out The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. The Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide does the same thing, however, with a focus on lighter bikes and models with more off-road capability. Both of these guides are updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!

Helpful Resources

All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?

Touring & Bikepacking Bike Overview

2016 Advocate Lorax
2018 All City Gorilla Monsoon
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Beyond
2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
2019 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2019 Cannondale Topstone
2020 Cannondale Topstone
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2019 Jones Plus SWB
2020 KOGA WorldTraveller-S
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2019 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Sutra and Sutra LTD
2020 Kona Unit X
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2018 Salsa Journeyman
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2018 Salsa Marrakesh
2020 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2019 Salsa Warbird
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2019 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2019 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Surly Bridge Club
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2019 Trek 520
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120