PedalingWalrus

I pulled the trigger on a brand new Flatbar Marakesh today and I'm super happy about it. The new bike rack is rated for 60lbs as it was stamped right on it. It has a cool retro green color

I test drove a Large (I'm 5'11" to 6ft) and it felt great but then at home I put on Jones Loop bar and it felt perfect.

I ordered the front Salsa rack ... I think it's called Down under HD rack and I'm strongly considering their new Panniers (front and rear) Touring Panniers | Parts & Accessories | Salsa Cycles unless someone talks me out of it.

I am quite undecided about what kind of fenders would be ideal for this bike. Please fire away with recommendation.

Yan 

Congratulations. Wow 60lbs. You definitely won't be carrying that much on the rack.

Most people recommend the Planet Bike / SKS brands of plastic fenders, as theses can be knocked about and won't permanently deform like metal panniers. The plastic is very resilient. I'm partial to Planet Bike, due to their larger mud flaps.

Lt Stonez

Congrat man. Dont have it, want it!

PedalingWalrus

Thanks for the tip on the fenders.

Does anyone have a recommendation on the ideal position of the shifters? Offset and distance from the handlebar end.

Inpd

What I like about the Marakesh is that they didn't cut any corners. Most manufacturers will cut corners by say putting on cheap brakes, crankset etc. But apart from the micro shift shifters everything is high quality Shim ano deore. Heck, it even comes with a brooks saddle if I recall!

suburbanbeat

I assume you got the drop bar setup and not the flat? Please keep us posted on your experience. I'm in the market for a new tourer currently and the Marakesh is high on my list. I think I've heard that the weird dropout adapter makes fitting non-Salsa racks difficult. Either way, it seems like an awesome bike for a lot of reasons.

PedalingWalrus

I got the flatbar model because I wanted to use my Jones Loop bar on it.

MixedRider

Congrats on the purchase!
The wife has the down under HD on her vaya. Works great!
A little finagling with the disk brake, but fits the orlieb front rollers well.

PedalingWalrus

Got the front rack today. Installation was a piece of cake. Ordered the new Salsa panniers. Should be here Friday or next week.

Fenders are next to be ordered. Not sure which to choose.

Timequake

Photos!

PedalingWalrus

Soon 🙂

AdvXtrm

Congrats! Whats the deal I heard about that bike "only" being able to use Salsa's own proprietary rear rack, is that true?

PedalingWalrus

Not sure but since it already comes with a rack and it is a good rack I didn't give it much thought.

When I was attaching the front rack there were many brazeons however that seem to accommodate many options.

AdvXtrm

I'm interested in this because that bike is the only one on the market I'd really be interested in, if and when the time comes to buy another bike. Even if it is proprietary, I would imagine there is some kind of acceptable work around.

PDKL45

Many of the Salsa bikes have alternator dropouts, meaning that normal racks would sit too high on their attachment points. The alternator racks have shorter support structures to offset the higher attachment points.

Personally I wouldn't worry too much as any shop selling Salsa bikes will also sell Salsa alternator racks. You may be slightly limited in terms of choice but the racks come equipped on the complete bikes.

Plus, the alternator dropouts offer a range of options such as Rohloff plates, as well as allowing you to make a ad hoc single speed to limp out of an emergency situation.

AdvXtrm

Thanks for the info. I don't understand why any company would do this; create a proprietary setup like this.

PDKL45

It is so they can be flexible in terms of drivetrain using swinging dropouts. Single speed, geared, IGH, quick release and through axle hubs can all be used with the alternator dropouts.

As the dropouts swing (or pivot on a single point) you can adjust the tension of your chain. Say you take a stick through your derailleur and civilization is still 100 kms away, you can use a chain tool to shorten your chain and then use the dropouts to tension the chain.

Dream Cyclery

This is not the main reason.

The pivot points where the rear dropouts attach to the frame is much wider than other frames. Also the Wright style frame ends make the bolts recessed into the plates. Therefore no way to mount a rack without using 10mm+ spacers and 30mm+ bolts.

J.Higgins 

Darn fine bike, imho. GRATS! I'm envious, but the FB Marrakesh is the bike I've been saving for recently. I've been selling some of my useless schtuff so almost there! My plan if to see if I can also buy a Rohloff for it.

Again, congratulations!

robert schlatte

I've had SKS and Planet bike fenders. Both are plastic and they are absolutely fine. Recently, I put Velo Orange steel fenders on my touring bike and they are more rigid than plastic and they have better coverage. Plus, they look better although more difficult to install and more expensive. Mine are smooth but a lot of folks go for the hammered aluminum.

PedalingWalrus

My panniers came in today. I put them on the bike, stuffed them with some of my camping items like tents, hammocks, air mattress, tarp, rode around the house and took a two photos. :-)

ColonelSanders

It is a nice bike for sure, but why is that the only bike that you would be interested in?

AdvXtrm

Because it it's "Flat-bar" format it's the only one I've found that has the geometry, overall build, and general componentry I want in a bike. The only thing that gives me hesitation is the proprietary rack mounts.

J.Higgins 

My sentiments exactly. I have short legs and a long torso, so I figure that a flat-bar Marrakesh with a Jones Loop would be the perfect setup. I'm sure that it could even be dialed-in a little further by experimenting with various sizes of stem heights and lengths.

AdvXtrm

Exactly, and that's what I've done on my Novara - Safari, which is very similar to that bike. My short legs demanded a size small bike, but I needed to raised the bars; once I did the fit is perfect for me.