Salsa Notch C (GX Eagle Transmission) Review | Take It Up A Notch

The Bosch ecosystem is clean and refined, and on the Notch, Salsa chose a minimalist approach with just the system controller and mini remote. There’s no large or frame-integrated display here. On a premium bike, I’ll admit I usually appreciate premium niceties, so I was a little bummed to skip a screen. That said, once I’m in the flow of a ride, I rarely look at a display anyway, so the clean setup makes sense.

The controls are responsive enough, though I do wish the buttons were just a bit larger. Still, it’s easy to bump power levels up or down on the fly. The controller uses LED bars to show remaining battery in broad increments, and for more detailed information, the Bosch Flow app fills in the gaps.

In the app, you get a more precise battery readout along with the ability to customize all four ride modes: Eco, Tour+, eMTB, and Turbo. You can adjust things like response, peak power, and torque to better match your riding style. It’s also useful for tracking how much time you spend in higher assist levels if you’re trying to manage range more deliberately. Ride planning and Strava syncing are built in as well.

Overall, the Flow app is one of the better motor ecosystems I’ve used. And if you really miss having a display on the Notch, a simple phone mount turns your smartphone into a fully featured screen with far more data than most dedicated bike displays. Let’s be honest, most of us are riding with our phones anyway.

To test range, we used our local loop that mixes green, blue, and black singletrack. In real-world riding, most people vary assist levels throughout a ride, but to establish a clear baseline, we run the entire course in Turbo. In this case, that meant the motor set to its maximum output with 750 watts of peak power and a 100Nm torque limit.

On the Notch C, I recorded 24.9 miles of range while climbing 1,760 feet of elevation. That’s a respectable result for a 625Wh battery.

A 625Wh pack sits slightly below today’s full-power average. It’s not small by any means, especially considering my last two eMTB reviews used 360Wh batteries, but many brands are moving to larger packs to offset rising motor power. The tradeoff is added weight and higher cost. Salsa chose a balanced approach here, keeping weight and price in check while still offering solid capacity.

The battery works efficiently with the Bosch motor and the rest of the lightweight carbon build. Broken down by efficiency, the bike averaged 25.2 watt-hours per mile, which is nearly two watt-hours per mile better than the eMTB class average we’ve tested. In other words, it’s making very good use of the energy it has available.

In practice, most riders should find the Notch C delivers plenty of range for longer rides. With more typical usage that leans on mid-level assist and taps into Turbo only when needed, you could realistically stretch that distance close to double our Turbo-only result.

For riders with consistently high power demands, Bosch’s Powermore range extender is worth considering. The additional 40 percent capacity would push total range to at least 35 miles based on our test data, making it a solid upgrade for bigger days in the saddle.

All eMTBs we review go through two hill climb tests. The first is our standard benchmark at Devil’s Backbone, which we use across all bikes. The second is our eMTB-specific proving ground at the Water Tower climb.

At Devil’s Backbone, the Notch C posted a climb time of 1:55 with an average speed of 15.8 mph. That ranks as one of the fastest eMTB results we’ve recorded on this hill since establishing the test nearly a year ago.

On the Water Tower climb, which has been part of our testing program for a couple of years now, the Notch C delivered the fourth-fastest time we’ve ever recorded. It completed the climb in 3:19 with an average speed of 15.7 mph.

We’ve tested the Gen 5 Bosch motor several times at this point, and consistency continues to be its calling card. Unsurprisingly, it delivered its best showing yet here, helped by the full carbon build and relatively low overall weight.

Riding a longer-travel bike like this really highlights how much motors have changed mountain biking. A 170/180mm bike would be a slog to pedal uphill on a traditional setup, where geometry and travel can work against you. With a motor this capable, the climb becomes part of the fun and leaves you fresher and more ready to enjoy the descent.

The Notch C earns its name, with the “C” standing for carbon. The frame, handlebar, and wheels are all carbon, giving the bike a stable, vibration-dampening, and lightweight foundation. From a performance standpoint, it’s an excellent starting point and helps keep the usual weight penalties of an eMTB from becoming a major complaint.

Salsa’s split-pivot rear suspension design plays a big role in how the bike rides. By allowing braking and suspension forces to operate independently, the system delivers strong control and consistency. The overall ride feel is firmer than I initially expected, but not harsh. With some tuning, it’s easy to find a sweet spot. The suspension leans more supportive than plush, which works in the bike’s favor when grinding through technical climbs without excessive sag, then charging downhill on a platform that feels stable and predictable.

The RockShox suspension setup is a strong match for the bike’s geometry. All that travel, combined with the frame design, gives the Notch a true enduro personality. It feels comfortable railing steep descents while staying composed through corners. The stock 170/180mm setup is more than enough for our local terrain, but the platform can be pushed even further if you want. The bike is compatible with up to 200mm of travel and a dual-crown fork for riders chasing a more downhill-focused build.

The split-pivot design also pairs well with the braking system. Keeping the suspension active under braking is only part of the equation, and the SRAM Maven brakes deliver the stopping power to match. This is the year I’ve fully come around on what Mavens bring to the table. They’re extremely powerful and inspire confidence when things get fast, steep, or unpredictable and you need quick, controlled stopping.

The GX Eagle Transmission remains a favorite here at Electric Bike Report. Electronic shifting isn’t a necessity, but it’s a genuine luxury on an eMTB. More importantly, it’s practical. The system manages shifts under load, helping ensure the Bosch motor’s high torque doesn’t prematurely wear chains or cogs.

The bike rolls on full 29-inch wheels with Teravail Kessel tires, which feel rugged and offer solid grip across a range of conditions. If you prefer a mullet setup, the Notch is mixed-wheel compatible with a 27.5-inch rear wheel. A flip chip allows you to make the necessary geometry adjustments to match that configuration.

The 444 chainstays with 27.5-inch rear would give you a fairly maneuverable setup. As is with the full 29-inch tires and the bike’s fairly long wheelbase, it’s more of a blanted experience, but one that feels relatively light and agile for it’s size.

After spending time on the Notch C, it’s clear this is a bike that knows exactly what it wants to be. It’s unapologetically big, confident, and aimed squarely at riders who prioritize descending performance but don’t want to dread the climb back to the top. Salsa didn’t try to soften or water this bike down. Instead, they leaned into what modern eMTB tech does best and built a machine that feels composed, capable, and intentionally aggressive.

The ride quality reinforces that focus. The supportive suspension tune, split-pivot design, and long-travel RocksShox setup give the Notch C a planted, predictable feel when things get fast or rough. It’s not the plushest ride out there, but that firmness works in its favor, especially when pushing hard through technical climbs or loading the bike into corners on the eway down. The carbon frame, wheels, and cockpit help keep weight in check, which goes a long way toward making this feel like a true performance build rather than a freight train.

Bosch’s Gen 5 performance Line CX motor is a big part of what makes the Notch C work so well. The power delivered feels natural, predictable, and strong, in either standard tuning or tapping into higher levels of power. The GX Eagle transmission helps handle all the torque and shift with ease, letting you focus on line choice instead of mechanical sympathy. It’s a setup that feels refined and purpose-built for aggressive eMTB riding.

Value is where the Notch C becomes even more compelling. In a segment where prices climb fast, Salsa delivers a full carbon build with top-tier suspension, brakes, and drivetrain for under nine grand. Sure, that’s not cheap, but it’s competitive for what it is if you want a no-compromise enduro/downhill machine, and it keeps you out of five-figure territory.

If your idea of a good ride involves technical climbs, aggressive descents, and pushing your limits without getting beaten up in the process, the Notch C is built to be ridden exactly that way.

Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Salsa Notch down in our comments section.