Imagine a wilderness that you ride through on a bike that will go through anything and that you can rely on. You are part of a family of "fools" who seek freedom and adventure. It doesn't matter if you're riding with the wind for a race or at a pace that suits you. The most important thing is to experience it all whether it's being lashed by rain, the wind at your back, messin' around on the trails or the smell of freshly brewed coffee overlooking the rising sun. These are the bikes of choice for those who aren't afraid to veer off the beaten path to discover what's in the next valley.

The iconic American brand was founded by Ross Shafer, who welded his first road bike frame in Paradise, California in 1976. A few years later (1981) he became head frame builder at Santana Cycles, where he built his first mountain bike frame on 650 B rims. At the same time as working at Santana Cycles, he started production of his six mountain bike frames, customizing them to the needs of the future owner. In order to achieve a more precise fit, he begins making custom stems in 1982.

It's 1987 when Ross restarts mass production due to high demand for bikes and also becomes the official stem supplier to the US Olympic mtb team. Especially for the women's team.

When the brand was founded, Ross didn't want to enter the market with a brand named after himself, as everyone did at the time. He wanted something juicy and spicy... then he realized what he had for lunch almost every day. Salsa was always on the table, so Salsa Cycles was born!

Meet the maker of the original Salsa mountain bikes, Ross Shafer. In the video below you can listen to a fun interview where Ross discusses his early (and often wild) beginnings at Salsa Cycles, his inspirations, guitars and the future. The bike seen in the video is none other than the legendary Salsa #5. 

You can see this and other models from the brand's early days at The Pro's Closet's Vintage Bicycle Museum in Boulder, Colorado. So when you make your way by, be sure to stop by! 

In 1997, Ross decided to sell Salsa Cycles to Quality Bicycle Products, which, along with Salsa Cycles, also manufactures other unique bicycle brands such as Surly Bikes and All-City Cycles.

Any cyclist with even a little bit of an adventurous spirit will love Salsa bikes. The range includes sharp gravel racing bikes like the Warbird and Cutthroat, the bulletproof bikepacking legend Fargo and the gravel/touring model Vaya.

The Salsa is also very popular with riders on really fat tyres. The fat bike models Beargrease and Mukluk are some of the most popular in the wet, snowy and desert parts of the world.

Recent additions include the Cassidy enduro model and the Blackthorn all-mountain model, which Salsa has introduced as new for the 2020 season. In total, there are over two dozen different models for everyone, including two kids' models.

In addition to bikes, Salsa also produces its own components, panniers and accessories

Above the roaring cliffs of Harris Island, a singletrack path leads around the bay. Three friends on bicycles set out not only to follow this mail route, but also to get a glimpse of the island's history.

Until the road opened in 1990, the singletrack road was the only overland connection between Rhinigidale and the outside world. Kenny Mackay - the last postman to walk the road with letters - shares his stories - stories of community, survival and love.

The trail is not just a simple physical connection between two places. It symbolizes the emotional and practical connections to the landscape that the people of the island call home.

The Silk Road Mountain Race is considered the hardest race on the planet. The first edition was held in Kyrgyzstan in 2018 and surprised even such seasoned ultra cycling matadors as former Salsa ambassador Jay Petervary, who was riding Salsa Warbird at the time. Find out what conditions they faced in the Yangshan Mountains in the short documentary Wild Horses.

Racing doesn't mean anything to you and you prefer to roam the countryside undisturbed? Then the bikepacking expedition of the Italian duo Montanus, who decided to cross Iceland from north to south, will definitely suit you. Make yourself comfortable and immerse yourself in an indescribable landscape full of volcanic ash, endless glaciers and fascinating beauty.

Even children know that musicians tour, but there are very few musicians who tour by bicycle. One of those bohemians is Ben Weaver, who after five years of touring by bike, decided to ride the 2,700-mile Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Canada, to the U.S.-Mexico border to play for free to people along this iconic route. After watching, be sure to add Ben to your favorite adventure playlist.