Salsa Timberjack vs Surly Karate Monkey
Both published charts held against each other, on the specs that decide what the bike carries.
The short answer
The Karate Monkey is ahead on frame bag space, tire clearance and bottle positions. Nothing here goes the other way.
Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them, so it cannot drift from the table. Every figure is the manufacturer's; nobody here has ridden either bike.
Where they differ
5 of the 7 things we can compare come out differently. The rest are close enough not to decide anything.
Frame bag space
188 cm² more on the Karate MonkeyFront-triangle area at the largest size, computed from stack, reach and seat angle. It is what decides how much full-frame bag you can run, and a frame bag is the one place weight sits low and central.
Widest published tire
5mm more on the Karate Monkey on 650b / 27.5inThe frame figure, not the fork's — forks are routinely cut for more rubber than the rear triangle, and compared only on a wheel size both frames publish. Loaded, tire width is also seat-pack clearance: a big tire and a sagging pack compete for the same space.
Rear rack
only the Timberjack publishes a rear rack answerRead from each maker's own mount wording. An adapter is a real cost the price tag does not mention, and 'not published' is not the same as no — it just is not something to buy a rack on.
Fork cargo mounts
only the Karate Monkey publishes somewhere to bolt a cageCage mounts on the fork blades. This moves weight low and off the bars, which is where a heavy bar roll does the most to the steering. A frame with none published may still have them — it means the maker does not say.
Frame bottle positions
1 more on the Karate MonkeyThe maximum the maker publishes across sizes. Worth knowing before you buy a frame bag, because a full-frame bag covers most of them.
Side by side
Including the rows where the two are level, because a spec that doesn't separate them is still a spec you might be checking.
| Salsa Timberjack | Surly Karate Monkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame bag space | 1456 cm² | 1644 cm² |
| Widest published tire | 66mm on 700c / 29in, 71mm on 650b / 27.5in | 64mm on 700c / 29in, 76mm on 650b / 27.5in |
| Rear rack | Needs an extra part — Rack-Lock seatpost collar | Not published |
| Fork cargo mounts | None published | Published |
| Frame bottle positions | 2 | 3 |
| Chainstay | 420mm | 423mm |
| From | $1,799 | $1,849 |
| Sizes | 5 | 5 |
| Frame | Timberjack 2.0 aluminum / 6061-T6 aluminum | 4130 Chromoly, Natch tubing, double-butted main triangle |
Drawn to scale
Largest published size of each, built from the charts rather than illustrated. The front triangle is the part that decides frame bag fit.
