Key Takeaway: Salsa's Cassidy is a long, low, slack 29er enduro frame with 180mm front / 165mm rear travel, Split-Pivot+ suspension, a 63.8° head angle, and a flip chip for geometry tuning. Retailing at $2,649, it's currently $1,099 at Jenson USA — a 59% drop. For riders who already have an enduro parts box (or a donor bike), this is one of the most interesting frame deals of the season. Large size, Brushed Aluminum only at this price.
Why the Cassidy Matters in 2026
Aluminum enduro frames tend to fly under the radar next to carbon flagships, but they quietly do most of the work that matters on hard-riding lines. The Cassidy sits squarely in that category: long reach numbers, a genuinely slack head angle, and a suspension platform that has been refined over multiple Salsa generations.
Salsa's Split-Pivot+ layout is the headline feature. It's a derivative of Dave Weagle's Split Pivot design, now in its plus variant, and it's what lets this frame combine compliant small-bump response with the anti-squat you need to climb long fire roads without melting your legs. On paper this is a descent-biased platform — 180mm up front tells you where its heart is — but in practice the 75.7° effective seat tube angle keeps you over the bottom bracket on steep climbs.
Frame and Geometry at a Glance
- Material: 6061-T6 aluminum, double- and triple-butted, heat-treated
- Front travel: 180mm (170–180mm fork recommended)
- Rear travel: 165mm
- Rear shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+, 230 × 62.5mm (air-only)
- Head tube angle: 63.8° (flip chip adjustable)
- Seat tube angle: 75.7° effective
- Reach (Large): 481mm
- Chainstay length: 432mm across all sizes
- Wheelbase (Large): 1,262mm
- Tire clearance: 29 × 2.6" or 27.5 × 3.0"
- Rear axle: 12 × 157mm (Super Boost)
- Bottom bracket: 73mm BSA threaded
- Seatpost diameter: 30.9mm with internal dropper routing
Three things are worth pulling out of that spec sheet. The headset is ZS44 up top and ZS56 down below, which means any of the widely available angle-adjust headsets will drop in if you want to go even slacker for bike park days. The rear end is Super Boost (12 × 157mm), which gives you a stiffer rear wheel and more chainline flexibility — just double-check your hub and rear wheel are compatible before buying parts. And the 73mm threaded BSA shell is a quiet win: no creaking press-fit headaches, easy to service anywhere in the world.
The Flip Chip: More Than a Marketing Line
The geometry flip chip adjusts both head tube angle and bottom bracket height. In practice this lets you do two useful things. If you're running the Cassidy as a 29er all-day enduro rig, keep it in the low/slack setting for stability at speed. If you want to dabble in mixed-wheel (MX) builds with a 27.5" rear, flip it to recover some of the bottom bracket height you lose with the smaller rear wheel. That flexibility is unusual at this price point and genuinely extends the useful life of the frame as your riding tastes evolve.
Who This Frame Is For
This isn't a quiver-of-one frame for riders who spend most weekends on flowy blue trails. With 180/165mm of travel and a 63.8° head angle, the Cassidy wants chunky enduro terrain, bike park laps, and long, technical descents. Climbing is capable rather than exciting — that's the trade-off for the descending chassis.
Specifically, the Cassidy is a strong pick if you are:
- An existing enduro rider who's wearing out a frame and has most of the parts to transfer
- Someone building a dedicated bike park or shuttle bike on a reasonable budget
- A home mechanic who prefers threaded bottom brackets and serviceable aluminum over proprietary carbon layups
- A rider in the 5'10"–6'2"+ range who wants a modern, long-reach geometry without paying carbon flagship prices
It's less compelling if you want the lightest possible chassis for pedal-heavy trail days, or if you don't already have a parts donor. A from-scratch build around this frame will cost real money once you add a fork, drivetrain, brakes, wheels, and dropper.
Value: What the Numbers Actually Say
At $1,099, this frame-and-shock package is priced like a mid-tier hardtail frame, but with a modern full-suspension enduro chassis and a quality RockShox rear shock bundled in. Comparable aluminum enduro frame-plus-shock packages from Transition, Santa Cruz, and Yeti typically sit in the $1,600–$2,200 range when not on sale, so a 59% drop off MSRP is a real discount — not a manufactured sticker markdown.
If you already have a 180mm fork, dropper, and drivetrain in the parts bin, you can build a respectable enduro bike for well under what a complete bike at this spec level would cost. For riders who ride hard enough to break things, an aluminum frame also has a much lower anxiety cost per rock strike than carbon.
Community Take
Salsa's Split-Pivot+ platform has been well-reviewed across the mountain bike press — Pinkbike, Mountain Bike Action, and Vital MTB have all covered it favorably, and MTBR and forum threads consistently flag the frame's climbing efficiency as a standout trait for a bike with this much travel. The aluminum Cassidy in particular gets praise for durability and serviceability versus the carbon Blackthorn.
The Verdict
If you're already in the enduro parts ecosystem and want a modern long-travel 29er chassis without writing a carbon check, the Cassidy at $1,099 is one of the best frame deals on the market right now. The flip chip, Super Boost rear, threaded BB, and Split-Pivot+ platform are all grown-up spec decisions that'll age well over several seasons of hard riding. Sizes and stock are limited at this price — Large is available now.
Bottom line: A $2,649 enduro frame for $1,099 is a rare kind of deal. If you know you want to build one, you probably shouldn't wait.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Split Pivot+ and the original Split Pivot?
Both are Dave Weagle designs that locate the lower swingarm pivot concentric to the rear axle, isolating braking forces from the suspension. The "+" variant refines the kinematic curve and tunes anti-squat for longer-travel applications like the Cassidy's 165mm. The fundamental ride characteristics are the same: braking traction stays excellent, suspension stays active, pedal bob stays minimal.
Can I run a coil shock on the Salsa Cassidy?
No. The leverage rate is tuned specifically for air shocks. Stick with the included RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ or another 230 × 62.5mm air shock if you want to upgrade.
Will my existing wheelset work, or do I need new wheels?
Front spacing is conventional 110mm Boost, but the rear is Super Boost 12 × 157mm — wider than the 148mm Boost spacing on most modern trail bikes. If you're transferring wheels from a Boost-spaced bike, you'll need a new rear hub or wheel. DT Swiss, Industry Nine, We Are One, and most enduro-focused wheel brands offer Super Boost 157mm options off-the-shelf.
How does the alloy Cassidy compare to the carbon Salsa Blackthorn?
The Cassidy weighs roughly 700–900 grams more than the carbon Blackthorn and costs significantly less, especially at this discount. Ride feel is slightly more compliant on alloy and slightly stiffer/snappier on carbon. For riders building a bike park or shuttle-day rig, the alloy frame's value-to-performance ratio is excellent and the weight penalty is barely noticed on the descents the bike was built for.
What sizes does the Cassidy come in, and which one fits me?
The Cassidy is offered in four sizes (Small through Extra Large) fitting riders roughly 5'5" through 6'2"+. The discounted Large size in Brushed Aluminum is sized for riders 5'10"–6'2" (180–188 cm) with a 481mm reach. If you're between sizes, Salsa recommends a shorter stem to complement the longer front-center across all sizes — sizing up gives you more high-speed stability, sizing down gives you more maneuverability in tight terrain.