Salsa Amigos

Iowa Gravel

2008-07-21T06:08:00.006-05:00

My first Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational is now behind me. I can assure you this will not be the last. Good friends. Good times. Miles and miles of gravel. Some may ask why gravel? Well, take a look at this little slide show and you just may get an answer to that question.

Special shout out to Guitar Ted. Thank you. For folks who don't know GT, he's one of the folks behind the gravel road movement here in the Midwest. Thanks Mark.

Edit

The first comment wanted some gravel info so I added a few links to the original post. Readers, I know some of you have very cool local scenes with lots of gravel goodness. Please post information and links as comments.

Here are a few spots that I've got on my daily/weekly blog read list.

IOWA GRAVEL

Guitar Ted. His gravel events are posted on the right with links.

Lincoln Crew

Dirty Kanza

I know there are a lot more links than this. Readers, put your link in the comments. Make this the gravel grinder thread.

Salsa Two-Four In Support Of MORC

2008-07-16T16:57:00.002-05:00

Some of you may remember that Salsa got onboard with MORC last year as the title sponsor of the 24-Hour's of Afton race they put on.

We signed on in that role with a two-year commitment, while acknowledging that we'd like it to be something that continues well into the future. Our goal is to make it more than a 24-hour race...more of a festival based around a 24-hour race.

The good folks at MORC are also excited about that possibility. To that end, they decided we could change the name of the event, thereby creating the...

Salsa Two-Four In Support Of MORC

That last part is important. Why? Because this event is a grand fundraiser of sorts, which works toward the improvement and growth of mountain bike trails across Minnesota.

So what's in store this year?

Well, there will be another tough 24-hour race course. Our 2nd Annual Homemade Salsa Competition and Tasting. And we've got a whole slew of fun events for folks to take part in, have a laugh, and get laughed at a bit perhaps.

All in the name of fun. All in the support of MORC and Minnesota mountain biking.

We'll post on the blog as more events are added to the schedule of events, but you can also go straight to the source at www.salsa24fest.com

We hope to see some of you out there, whether you are racing or not. Stop by, have some fun, camp out for the night, and enjoy the bicycling life.

-Kid

Polished silver stuff is cool - More new product

2008-07-16T12:03:00.004-05:00

OK folks, in case you didn't know, Salsa likes color. Bobby always says Salsa is Pro Ano. While its no secret we love colored bits, we also love no color, as in polished silver. So with that, here are few new polished silver items. These items are in stock and ready for purchase. Buy some.

Dedicated single ring cross bikes are so cool. Now they can be even more stylish and cool with a polished silver outer guard.

CR0401 Silver Crossing Guard, 110mm x 44 tooth max. MSRP = $45
CR0403 Silver Crossing Guard, 130mm x 44 tooth max. MSRP = $45

For all those 1x9 or SS folks, we also added our popular Ring Dinger in silver.

CR0407 Silver Ring Dinger, 104 x36 tooth max. MSRP = $37

We've also got a slew of new chain rings in stock with more on the way. All our rings have been updated with a new look, a new manfucturer and a new tooth profile. They are still dedicated flat replacement rings. Simple. Reliable. Proven. Available in a crazy number of sizes, both black and silver.

Too many chain ring part numbers to list on the blog. you can have your desired shop check www.qbp.com for details, stock and pricing. We don't even have them on then Salsa website yet. :(

Silver is good.

Oh....and we know folks want a silver Shaft post. Not happening without changing both material and manufacturer. :(

Fridays Rule

2008-07-11T09:11:00.005-05:00

Today started like most Fridays. Get up at 4:45AM. Check the weather. Eat some fruit. Fill water bottles. Pack up stuff. Leave house on bike to meet friends for breakfast.

* Photo Credit Joe Meiser - Product Designer

We've been meeting here at the Colossal in South Mpls for over a year. Some of the crew has been doing it even longer. After a hearty breakfast, we left for work.

* Photo Credit Joe Meiser - Product Designer

Today we had a great crew and the ride was just a bit more spirited than normal. Our group broke into two groups this morning, the road group and the urban adventure group. While the road group took an agreed upon potty break, the urban adventure group rolled on.

* Photo Credit Joe Meiser - Product Designer

Joe Meiser, our Friday morning tour guide and adventure route instigator, led the urban adventure group through the city. Our route consisted of pavement, gravel, dirt, rock, and the occasional grass yard/park section. Conan, I mean Martin, even pulled his trailer on today's ride. Crazy.

The zesty pace ended with a super slide and crash by Hinz while going way too fast through Hyland Park. Ouch. Sorry no pics of this, but it does look like a new left STI and some rest are in store for Trade Show Hinz this weekend.

This post isn't just about our ride. This ride is one of the best parts of my week. Even in crappy weather, I look forward to it every single week. It's helped me get healthier (despite the sizable breakfast!), helped me get stronger on my bike, and really helped me make some good friends that I just so happen to work with.

This post is about challenging each of you. I challenge and encourage each of you to get a group of folks together to meet once a week for breakfast followed by a ride into work. It could change you and improve your life. Even if it doesn't do either of those things, you'll at least have some fun and create some great memories.

Enjoy your weekend.

Calm Before the Storm

2008-07-08T14:26:00.007-05:00

I'm sure that some of you reading this title probably think I'm going to talk about the weather. While it is true much of the country has gotten slammed with severe weather this year, this post isn't about the weather. This post is about the brief one week calm we had last week and the storm that leads up to Eurobike and Interbike.

The Sol Sessions was a great thing for Salsa. We did something we've never done. In sporting terms, we swung for the fence. In visionary business terms, we asked what is possible and did it. In midwest farmboy terms, we got it done.

It's easy to remember and focus on the fun stuff like the rides, new friends and two new bikes. That said, it wasn't an easy task and in some ways we are paying for our efforts. A few of our day to day things slipped. Our families took a little bit of a beating because we were vacant for a week prior, we were gone for several days during and when we returned we were simply knackered. In the end, I do believe the effort was worth it. I already can't wait until next year.

Thankfully, many of us had planned a little vacation and/or personal holiday over the 4th of July week. In talking with the crew, it was a great time to reflect and get a little perspective on the coming weeks and months. As noted in a blog comment, Joel did bust me testing some product at one of my local off road trails.

With that, I'm really sorry that we did not update the blog even once over the last two weeks. It certainly wasn't intentional. Holy cow time flies. So with that, I'll leave you with a few good nuggets to dream and speculate. We showed two new bikes last month and did something new, but we've got even more good stuff coming in the weeks and months ahead.

So, just exactly what will the next two to three months look like? Well, here's a quick and dirty over view.

- Salsa 24 hours of Afton
- Some new products including some shiny new bits
- Maybe a sneak peak at some new bicycle and frame models...Maybe!
- New catalog
- New tradeshow booth
- Website update
- Eurobike planning
- Interbike/Dirt Demo planning
- Outdoor Demo East planning
- A couple key dealer visits
- A couple of trips to Taiwan
- A lot of product testing and riding
- A few vacations
- A bunch of 2009-2010 product planning
- Staff planning and hiring
- Good food
- Good friends
- A whole lot of fun!

It's been an amazing year thus far. Thanks to all of you that have been following, helping and supporting Salsa. Stay tuned for what looks to be a even better 2nd half to 2008.

Ride & Smile!

Sol Sessions Slide Show

2008-06-23T21:24:00.008-05:00

The first ever Salsa Sol Sessions is in the books. Wow! It was an amazing time. I don't even know how to describe last week. It meant so much to Salsa and to me. It wasn't just a product launch. It wasn't just another camping & riding trip. It wasn't just a trip to hang out and schmooze with bike industry big wigs. The 1st ever Sol Sessions was a statement about who we are and where we are going.

Our goal for the Salsa Sol Sessions was to create an experience that folks would always remember and associate with Salsa. We created an event that we thought would give participants a real life example of our beloved Salsa brand. Our plan was simple. Connect media from around the globe and key dealers from the USA with our products, our people and our places. Sounds simple when you write it down that way. It was far from easy, but with a lot of help from a lot of individuals, we did manage to pull it all off with a genuineness that is sometimes lacking in promotional events.

With that, I'll share a few photos that I think represent the spirit of the week. This is by no means conclusive, but should give you a great idea of how the week went. It was the best week of work I've had in my 20 years in the bike industry. Do I really need to go back to work in the office?

That's a wrap folks. Already planning next year.

Dos Casserolls in RAAM 2008

2008-06-22T19:59:00.005-05:00

The Gran Fondo Fixies rode 3000 miles in 8 days, 4 hours & 21 minutes aboard our beautiful Salsa Casseroll bikes. As I've been told, Jeff Bauer and Kevin Kaiser are the first team to ever enter RAAM on single speeds. I don't know about you, but the thought of riding a single speed across the USA sounds like a death march. Apparently, single speed wasn't hard enough because they made it even more difficult and rode fixed. With the help of 10 other crew members they finished 1st in the single speed category. Wow.

Check out their amazing stories, pictures and times here:

Team Website

Team Blog

RAAM Website

Special thanks to Gran Fondo Bike shop in Nashville, TN for supporting Salsa and hooking Salsa up with Jeff, Kevin and the Gran Fondo Fixies.

Simply amazing. Congrats.

El Kaboing and Big Mama - A Pictoral

2008-06-17T10:00:00.006-05:00

Hopefully, you've already checked out our two new models. If not, please take a close look at our newest models, El Kaboing and Big Mama. These bikes started a long, long time ago. Thankfully, the time is here to share them. I'd like to take a few moments to introduce you to our new models and to share just a little about their history.

The story behind these bikes is that we really wanted to design and build the best all day riding trail bikes we could. These two model represent what Salsa believes is industry leading in performance, reliability, durability and attention to detail. That says something, but the reality is that these are bikes we wanted to build because we ourselves wanted to ride them. Frankly, for me personally, these bikes have allowed me to ride more, ride faster and ride longer without straining my lower back.

In the end, we think we've built 2 very cool bikes that have some very unique and innovative thinking designed into them. Here's a visual history and few words discussing some of the earlier prototypes and cool features. Please don't take my words as complete or as if I designed these bikes. While I was certainly involved in the end result and rode these bikes a lot, these words and pictures are just my experiences and thoughts. These bikes challenged us. Our whole team should be given credit for these great new products.

V1 is a fun bike. We wanted to try a few things with this bike that we hadn't done on our previous suspension bikes, the El Santo and Cabellero. With this prototype, we tested a forward pivot location and some hydroformed tubing. As I said already, this bike is fun...going downhill! With a forward pivot location, this bikes handles bumps really well. The long pivot arm (distance from front pivot to wheel axle) just feels like it gobbles up bumps. Unfortunately, we didn't like the way this bike climbed. I rode this bike quite a bit anyway because it was so darn comfy and fun. I also took this bike to Fruita with a short riser stem and big tires. I had a blast until I crashed and broke my shifter. The bike is currently being rebuilt as a "play" bike. The build includes a new Shimano SLX group, a prototype 120mm Reba, and Salsa Gordo rims with big tires. It will also be the test sled for our prototype Maxle rear drop outs. Sweet bike.

I've ridden this bike in MN, IA, CO & CA. I love this bike. It is closer to our final product in several ways. It has the correct rear lower BB pivot point. It also has our custom, round drawn tubes. Every tube on this bike is custom drawn Scandium. Of all the prototypes, this is the bike I've ridden the most. I got it last July. I've had it set up light with my XTR group, DT 240s wheels with Semi rims, and fast 2.0 tires. I've also had it set up burly to serve as a borderline All Mountain bike with Gordo 35mm rims and 2.35 tires. Currently, I'm testing a FOX F29 120mm fork on it as this prototype has a slightly modified geometry that works really well with the longer axle to crown of the F29120mm. I also set the rear end up with a bit more sag. It is what I'd call my training or everyday bike. My body loves the plush 120mm. However, it is clearly not as dialed nor as fast as Version 3. If I am riding with my fast friends, I always pick V3.

This bike is very, very close to final production bike. Everything about this bike is refined quite a bit from the previous 2 versions. Geometry is optimized for longer offset 29er forks. Our new seat tube is so much cleaner and stronger with fewer welds. It has a 31.6 seat post if you want to run a height adjust post. It also uses our 1 piece forged link, as opposed to 2 piece on V1 & V2. Speaking of forgings, every part on this bike that isn't a tube, a bolt or a bearing is forged. Forging is stronger and on average 10% lighter than an identical CNC'd part. One other big difference is the upper pivot location on the seat tube. We changed this slightly to tune the flex of the rear seat stays. The result is amazing. This bike's been ridden a lot and currently is my main ride for our Tuesday night group rides. I made a special trip to California in Feb to ride this bike. I rode it in Malibu, Orange (San Juan), and in San Diego. In fact, the bike survived a long 6 hour day in Noble Canyon while I did not.

It's hard to pick a favorite part of this bike. Every part is really well thought out. We pained over little details, even the cable routing. All 3 prototypes above have different cable routing. In the end, we ended up having size specific cable routing. Every bike size is optimized to have the straightest and cleanest routing.

I'd like to share some close up visuals and details of the rear end. There are some very unique and cool things going on here.

The post mount disc brake mount is quite possibly the most innovative part of this bike. Do you think there is a reason why all the fork manufacturers are switching to post mounts? Post mounts are stronger. They are simple. They remove the sheer forces on the bolts. Totally cool. Do you think there is a reason no one has done them on the rear end yet? It's hard. It's costly. They have to be forged. It requires all new tooling and quality control. We did it anyway. One note, if you want to run bigger rotors, all you have to do is buy post mount fork adapters for your specific brand of brake.

In addition to the post mounts, the drop outs themselves are pretty well thought out too. Forged. Strong. Removable. Replaceable. Giant weld surfaces. Standard and durable chain ring bolt hardware. We are also testing prototype Maxle dropouts. Sweet.

As I said earlier, every tube on these bikes is custom drawn Scandium. The custom seat stays are tuned into the ride. They actually enhance the ride and are one of the reasons this bikes bobs so little and climbs so well. They are darn sexy too! Salsa has been pushing and innovating with the flat Scandium stays for several years and these are a work of art. For those folks wondering just how much flex is in the stays, the answer is 8mm of flex on the El Kaboing and 5mm of flex on the Big Mama. Not much. The custom drawn chain stays are pretty notable as well. Notice the swooping nature of the stays. This reduces chain slap and optimizes welding surface at the drop out.

In the end, we are really proud of these bikes. They ride so great. You can ride them all day. That said, we know not everyone will like them. Oh well, you can't please everyone. But even if you don't like like them, we think you can probably appreciate some of the finer details or design elements we put into these bikes.

Again, these are just a few pictures and notes from the prototypes. For all the other details on the final version, please take a look at the frame and bike pages at http://www.salsacycles.com/. Also look at the various animations of the suspension movement and the slide presentation.

These bikes are dialed. Now it's time to go ride them with some important industry people. They've come from as far as Japan and the UK. We are off to spend 3 days in the woods riding, camping and having fun. We'll be back in the office on Friday to answer questions.

El Kaboing and Big Mama. Two new bikes. Too much fun.

Ride & Smile!

Sol Sessions - Almost here

2008-06-12T15:20:00.002-05:00

Our new product launch is almost here. We are so excited. Of course, we hope you are too. It's been a long road. We are trying some new things. We are stretching ourselves a bit. We can't wait until we finally get to show these 2 new products. We've got a lot planned for the next several days. Every single person on the team is kicking it and getting it done. It's amazing. I'm so proud of our crew.

So....Just exactly how are the next few days going to play out?

Sunday, June 15th - Media from around the globe arrive. So much for Father's Day.

Monday, June 16th - Media day in our office. Meetings. Tours. Dinner. Evening product launch.

Tuesday, June 17th- New Salsa website. Make sure to check back. You'll probably see some coverage on various internet media sites as well.

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, June 17-19th - These days are still a bit of a mystery, but I will say this. Many of the Salsa crew will not be in the office. We'll have a few great folks here in the office to assist in urgent and dire situations. Just please be aware that we are running on limited staff during these days.

Friday - We'll be back in the office to answer questions on our new products. Heck, maybe we can even take a few orders. It is a business after all and we've got to pay for the previous 4 days!

Anyway, I was hoping to give you one more sneak peak here today, but truthfully, if we show you anything else, it shows too much. You'll just have to wait until Tuesday, June 17th. Check back here. We can't wait.

Dirty Kanza 200 - Guest Amigo Blogger

2008-06-09T08:47:00.010-05:00

Good day folks. Today it is my pleasure to introduce MG, our guest Amigo's blogger. MG's been a Salsa Amigo for a couple of years. You can read MG's stories here. Just over a week ago, MG rode our lovely La Cruz to a 5th place finish in this year's Dirty Kanza 200, that's 200 miles of gravel. Here's Matt's story.

As I sat on the start line of the 2008 Dirty Kanza 200 mile gravel grinder conversing with eventual race winner, Cameron Chambers of Team 360, the promoters contemplated postponing the race start to allow a strong thunderstorm to the southwest of Emporia, Kansas to move through the area. But instead, seemingly in an instant, the racers were deemed not to be in danger and the decision was made to go ahead with the planned 6am departure. So, just a few minutes behind schedule, after a brief rider's meeting, 67 racers rolled through town behind a neutral start to the Emporia city limit. And over the next 13 hours and 58 minutes (the time it took me to complete 203 miles and change), I saw a lot of old friends, met several new friends, nearly lost lunch a couple times, but in the end, rode waaaay faster over 200 miles than I thought possible just a week ago.

Image credit: Cornbread

Matt Wills and I were talking about our DK200 experiences earlier tonight, and we both agreed that the 'Kanza has less of a "death march" factor than Trans Iowa. Perhaps it's the fact that it's more than a hundred miles shorter. Or that it comes a month later in the year. Whatever it is, the DK200 was a distinctly more attainable goal for me than T.I. was this year.

Image credit: Cornbread

That said, I almost went out hard enough to ruin my own chances of finishing the DK200. I was feeling good in the early miles and the pace didn't feel hard at all, though looking at my computer told me that our average speed was in the 18.5mph range -- pretty fast. We pulled into the first checkpoint in a little over two hours, and were in and out quickly. The lead group was down to six at that point. We were fifty miles into the race. Cornbread and I felt like Cameron Chambers looked the strongest by far. 2007 Kanza winner, Dan Hughes, looked strong, but clearly could not match the more lithe Chambers at the crucial moments.

The one person who did have the power to match Chambers' massive out-of-the-saddle accelerations was Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey. Cornbread, known as such for his penchant for bringing panloads of cornbread to races, was helping Chambers put time on Hughes. An alliance was born. Or so it seemed for a while... until the flat tires started. Eight of them, exactly. I gave him the tube to fix number nine if he needed to do it, but it never happened. Thank God.

Image credit: JoelDyke

You might think that eight flat tires would ruin a guy's performance. Not Cornbread. He still finished in seventh place overall. What a stud! He did it on a Michelin tire being held together by duct tape! Incredible... He's one of those guys that's an unsung hero sitting just below the radar screen of the major teams today. We'll see what tomorrow brings. The boy's good, and man, if he could focus on training, it'd be amazing to think of how good he could be...

Cornbread and I actually hooked up late in the race, after the sleepy town of Americus. I had taken a pass on the Casey's convenience store in town, and paid the price. When Corey rode up on me, I was sitting in a ditch, basically emptying the contents of every sugary food I had in my bag into my mouth. It worked. I somehow was able to come back around and have a great last 20 miles of the race. Unfortunately, Cornbread had some leg cramps and was forced to stop and stretch his calves out near the finish. As a result, he lost a couple of positions near the finish. Was he bummed? Naaaaah... Corey took it all in stride with his trademark smile. He had a blast. And why not? He spent the day on his bike. It certainly could have been worse. But that said, there are a lot of "racer types" who forget the joy of riding bikes all too easily. Cornbread proves that not all talented racers ride to race. Some simply love to ride bikes, and if you know what to look for, it's easy to tell who those cyclists are.

Photo credit: JoelDyke

DK200 promoter, Jim Cummins, is one of those people, though. He finished in fourth place overall, just ahead of me. What an awesome cyclist to put on the event and compete in such a challenging race. Amazing!!

My new friend Jason Gaikowski is another rider I'd put into that category. A former Minnesota resident now living in Kansas City, at the exit of the final checkpoint, Gaikowski took a wrong turn and ended up 20 miles away from the finish in Emporia, in the town of Madison, putting an end to a stellar ride that very well might have seen him ride into the top-three overall by the race end, had he stayed on-course. But he handled it like a champ, and even bummed a ride back to Emporia in the truck of a fellow cyclist that had been out on a road ride, so while he definitely got his 200 miles in, he didn't have to get 220 miles getting back to Emporia (and nobody had to go get him).

I'd like to thank Jim, Craig, Joel and all of the Heartland Racing crew for putting on the Dirty Kanza 200. It was an awesome event, and I'm already looking forward to the fourth version of the race in 2009. Visit the Heartland Racing Website for more information about the Dirty Kanza 200, or any of the races in the Heartland Racing Series.

Image credit: MG

My Salsa La Cruz Complete was the perfect ride for the DK200, as the abusive flint rock roads would have made me queasy on a super light steed. Steel's the real deal on that stuff, as far as I'm concerned. So are disc brakes -- 100 percent. There were times where I'd be braking hard and rocks would get kicked up against the rims and I'd think how lucky I was to have discs on-board. They're the ticket all the time -- road and mountain. The future, mark my words. The fork on the La Cruz is a work of art -- approaching perfection. I don't know how you guys tuned that thing to ride so incredibly, but kudos. Jesse P and I were talking earlier tonight about how incredibly they handle, feel and soak up bumps, and on the flint rock in Kansas, you could see as well as feel it working. It was awesome! And in switching to the La Cruz 'cross bike from the mountain bike I used last year helped me shave a full three hours, one minute and 33 seconds off my time, and improve my finish placing from ninth to fifth. Thanks Salsa, for making the La Cruz such an awesome bike for these types of rides and races. It was perfect for the Kanza.

Salsa Sol Sessions - New Product Launch Details

2008-06-01T20:38:00.015-05:00

June is going to be a big, big month for Salsa. We've been hinting at some new stuff coming for quite a while. We've even seen a few spy photo's on various websites. In some cases, we've even shown it here and you didn't even see it. Ha! Well, we are finally going to show you some of the stuff we've been working on. During the week of the summer solstice, we are launching 2 new bikes. That's right, 2 new bike models.

The Sol Session starts with a product launch on the evening of June 16th. At this time, we are keeping the plans of that week to ourselves. I'm betting a few people reading this blog will think they know the details of this week. You might know parts, but we are asking you to keep what you know quiet. This is important Amigo's, so please keep quiet if you know any details. Thank you.

I'm betting that there will be coverage of our product launch somewhere on the internet the evening of June 16th. If for some odd reason, coverage isn't posted on the 16th, for sure something will be up by the 17th. We are also updating our website that week. My point is that you should have plenty of places to view and gather information on these 2 new exciting products.

And it gets even better. If you are lucky enough to be going to the Big Wheel Ballyhoo, you will get a chance to not only see, but ride these 2 new bikes. That's right, we are taking our bikes directly from the Sol Sessions to the Big Wheel Ballyhoo for 2 days of riding fun. The challenging Decorah, Iowa trails should be a great proving ground for these bikes. We'll also bring some of our other great models like the Dos Niner, Mamasita, and El Mariachi. Stop by to test ride our bikes, meet the crew and have some fun. We can't wait.

Well, there you go. I said it. We aren't saying any more right now. More details to come. Stay tuned.

Two new bikes. Too much fun.

More New Products

2008-05-29T06:12:00.011-05:00

Wes, Kid Riemer and Dave have been super busy. Seems like almost every week, we've got something new to share. Look for more next week. Today, we'd like to introduce our new Rasta Stripe jerseys. That's right. We've got 2 new jerseys. Based on feedback from this weeks Tuesday night ride and from Dave's Saturday 5 hour epic at Lebanon Hills, this jersey could be one of our best selling jerseys of all time.

JT8500 = Small
JT8502 = Medium
JT8504 = Large
JT8506 = X-Large
JT8508 = XX-Large

MSRP = $75

JT8510 = Small
JT8512 = Medium
JT8514 = Large
JT8516 = X-Large
JT8518 = XX-Large

MSRP = $88

Both feature 3 pockets on the back with one small rastafied Salsa Pepper Globe on the middle pocket. One note on the long sleeve. The fabric isn't the heavier fabric we use for our long sleeve Pepper Power jersey. It is the same lighter weight fabric used on all our short sleeve jerseys. We wanted a lighter weight long sleeve jersey for those cool, but not cold, rides.

Both models and all sizes are in stock. You should buy one of each! Ask your local bike shop to order one with the part numbers listed above. Or, if you don't have a local shop and are looking for a place to buy these fine products, please check our Salsa dealer page and contact one of our great Salsa dealers.

Ride & Smile!

Riding Season - Part 2

2008-05-23T12:47:00.003-05:00

Greetings folks. I hope you are all planning to have a great 3 day weekend. I also hope that the next 3 days involve riding, fun and family. Today, we've got a guest blogger. Joe Meiser, Salsa Industrial Designer brings you part 2 of our Riding Season Series. We generally don't let the designers blog because we need them working on all those pesky little details that make our products great. Here goes.

This morning a few of us met for our weekly Friday Colossal Ride. The plan was to ride from Colossal Café in S. Minneapolis to our office via the famed River Bottoms Trail that follows the Minnesota River south of the city. This weeks ride group was smaller with the holiday weekend coming, 6 of us met for breakfast, with four heading to the trailhead on pavement and the other two headed in their respective directions. This morning’s weather was absolutely incredible with temps in the mid-50’s and the sun burning off the clouds as we made our way through Bloomington to the trail

The River Bottoms has been written about before here on the Salsa Blog. It is a classic trail here in Minnesota one that many natives will tell you was where they learned to ride. I would venture to say that everyone who has ridden it has fond memories, or at least memorable experiences to tell about. It is by no means a destination trail for Minnesota Mountain Bikers, but it is a great trail to take new riders. From my neighborhood in South Minneapolis to the office I can ride 25+ miles off streets 15+ of that being single track. This makes it a great trail for a commute to and from work when I make the time.

This morning the trail was in fantastic shape, we dropped in at the Indian Mounds School trailhead and rode to the Lyndale trailhead enjoying the descent down the bluff. As we rode the dirt road connecting the Lyndale trailhead back to the single track Pete practiced his wheelies.

From there we had to take a bit of a detour up the bluff and through the neighborhoods of S. Bloomington. Last week, Adam and Pete discovered that hooligans had cut out the raft that allows riders to ferry across the mouth of Nine Mile Creek where it empties into the Minnesota River. We are left to believe that this raft built by hard working volunteers is on its way down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Our detour led us to a trailhead entrance that we had not explored before. It was an unexpected surprise and an incredible view. We descended down a dilapidated paved service road that threatened to swallow us whole, through the woods that opened up onto Coleman lake where we were able to traverse a narrow land mass that separates the lake from the surrounding wetlands. As we arrived at the lake the view was stunning.

We stopped to take in an incredible view and snap a few photos on a beautiful morning. From there we connected back to the trail and rode the rest of the way to work.

The Minnesota River Trail is immensely important to Minnesota Mountain Biking, our local ecology, and the people who have experienced it by foot or bike. It connects us to each other (as cheesy as that sounds) and it connects us to our local environment. I had started to write here the effects that industry has on our local environment and the Minnesota River in particular, but this isn’t a post about being self-righteous or pressing my arguably liberal environmental values on you. It is a post about enjoying some time spent with friends and co-workers on a local trail that presides in an incredible natural resource that we have in our back yard. I’m guessing that as most of us that read this blog started to think about our three day weekend we thought long and hard about taking a road trip out of town with gas prices soon to reach 4.00 a gallon. Let this be a reminder to, as many publications as of late are printing, “Be a tourist in your own city, town, or county”. Even better than being a tourist in your own backyard, be a tourist in your own backyard on foot or by bike. I think you’ll be surprised at what you’ll find and what you’ll experience when you slow down, get out of your physical and proverbial box, rub your eyes, and look around. I know I was this morning as I looked out over Coleman Lake watching the wildlife in awe of the glass top and reflections of the forest around it.

Have a great holiday weekend, stay safe, and most importantly enjoy the time you have to spend with family and friends here on this round ball hurling through outer space.

Joe

Riding Season

2008-05-19T10:52:00.007-05:00

It's finally riding season. While some folks in other climates may find that statement funny, it's pretty evident here in MN. Yes, we do ride all year, but there is still a riding season.

I'll define riding season as the season where it is comfortable and easy to go riding. No layering needed. No special winter sock, vapor barrier or boot installation. No goggles. It may be easiest to understand if you take a look at it from a kids perspective. My 5 year old boy asked me on Sunday if it was warm enough to wear short sleeves. I said "Yes, I think so." He squealed with joy stating "That's 4 days in a row that I can wear short sleeves!"

Seriously, it is May and we haven't had 4 warm days in a row. So...what are we all doing now that it is riding season? Riding. Lot's of it. It's glorious. In fact, the mornings have been so amazing this past week that when we get to work, it has been difficult to walk through the doors. When at work, it's hard to concentrate. I find myself browsing photos and finding excuses to try to take work outside.

At times, work and riding do mix. Occasionally, we get outside and get to call it work. Here is a shot from last fall taken while riding up the Ribbon trail in Grand Junction. I was test riding a couple of new prototypes in Colorado. What an amazing day!

Photo credit: Mikesee

Days like that just don't happen with enough frequency, at least for me. That said, the Salsa crew does have some fun outside days planned. This week we are shooting a video for a project. It will also involve test riding a couple of new bikes. June is packed with riding as we've got a Salsa Ride Day planned for June and then a week later, we've got the Big Wheel Ballyhoo. I can't wait. It's going to be a great riding season. Who knows what July will bring?

Heres to riding season. I sure hope all of you are getting out and getting in miles and miles of two wheeled fun.

Hiring Product Designers

2008-05-09T10:49:00.004-05:00

Wow, it's been a crazy good year and our future plans are coming together nicely. As we add details to our future plan, it is clear we are in need of some additional design support. In fact, we are hiring two positions.

They are posted at http://www.qbp.com/. For more details, go here: Design and Engineering Jobs

Additionally, for the first time since October, I disabled comments because I don't want potential candidates to make comments, recommendations, or self promote here on the blog. If you are interested, please click the link or go to http://www.qbp.com/, review the postings, and if you want to apply, please follow the instructions.

Have a great weekend everyone. Ride your bike and be thankful for Mom's on Mothers Day!

Some New Products!

2008-05-05T10:01:00.009-05:00

I've been asked for less talk about world economics and prices and more talk about product. I think that was a good suggestion. Product is more fun anyway.

So...Here are a few of our newest products.

Trailbuilder belt buckle with dual beverage openers
QBP Part = CL2122
MSRP = $40
In Stock!

Ball Cap
Part #'s = CL2180 (S/M), CL2182 (L/XL)
MSRP = $30
In Stock!

Fidel Cap
Part #'s = CL2184 (S/M), CL2186 (L/XL)
MSRP = $28
Coming Soon!

And since this post is about new product, here are few pics taken while riding a prototype out in beautiful and sunny California. Thanks Mat B for the pics. What a day that was!

2008-04-30T18:17:00.006-05:00

Colorado, Fat tires, and Beer

So what do these three things have in common other than the fact I love them all? You guessed it, the 13th annual Fruita Fat tire festival! This is by far one of my favorite fests in the country. Its all about great people getting out on great trails and having a great amount of pure unadulterated fun. What more can you ask for? Well...here is a couple things about the first couple days of the trip.

This year was a bit differnt that years past in that we actually flew into Denver and then drove out to meet the truck comming back from Sea Otter in Fruita. Katie, Steve and I flew in bright and early on Wednesday morning , jumped in the retal and away we went. I70 though the mountains is definately one of those drives that test how well you can pay attention to the road and check things out around you at the same time. They have recieved a lot of snow in the Mountains this year, so much infact that there was still 80 inches on the ground in Vail pass. Here is a sorta funny pic of the rest area building that we stopped at for a moment of reprive. Thought this captured the moment quite well. :)

As you head away from the high mountains and ski areas you wind down into Glenwood Canyon. This is one of my favorite drives as far as a freeway goes. The way that the west bound and eastbound lanes are actually on top of one another to avoid making too big of an impact on the canyon is pretty darn cool. As you wind in and out of tunnels you can see the Colorado River snaking through your same path below you. We stopped for a brief pic of the crew in front of the river.

Thursday was set up day and we had lots to do. Tents to set up in town and permits to pick up with the local land management folks for doing the demos, and of course...an afternoon ride. We hooked up with our truck drivin' mates and the BMC folks at the hotel and a buch of us headed out to the Kokopelli trails to ride Horsetheif Bench. Horsetheif is a pretty sweet trial that winds its way along the rim of the colorado river. Here is a shot of the green beast enjoying the view.

The ride is very scenic and will literally take your breath away in places. Nothing like this in the Midwest. We had a killer ride and then it was back to town for dinner and bed.

Thats all I got for now. I'll post more about the demos and the rest of the festival over the next few days.

Bobby
Salsa Cycles

World Economy and upcoming pricing updates

2008-04-30T14:11:00.002-05:00

Hello Salsa fans, friends and industry spies. Thought I'd spend a little time and share my thoughts on a few things going on in the bicycle industry and beyond. I'll also update everyone on Salsa's plan for moving forward.

First, a little back ground. There are two things going on right now in the bicycle industry. Our beloved industry is experiencing a raw material cost increase and then there is the controversial US economy recession and it's impact on the value of the US dollar.

Recently, I travelled to China and then I went to the Taipei trade show. In both places, we were continually "Warned" of the looming material crisis. We actually met with the president of China Steel and he said that due to the mass construction going on in China over the last year, that raw steel prices surged 79% in 2007! Additionally, some vendors also indicated that the cost of aluminum and other materials are going up as well.

Regarding the economy, I won't spend much time discussing this. I will only state the one fact that matters to many bicycle manufacturers, the exchange rate. The fact is that the US dollar is weakening. This means it takes more US dollar(s) to buy the same product, labor or service.

So...What does this mean for Salsa? Good question.

The good news here is that due to the way our products are manufactured, sourced and secured, only a good handful of our products are going to be impacted in the short term. Many products will not change until the 2009 model year. Additionally, we have taken other measures to maintain our prices. In some cases, we aren't changing prices right now and will simply reduce our margin a bit. On others, we got lucky and timed our productions right so we won't have to raise prices until 2009. In other cases, we will have no choice but to raise some prices.

So what's our plan?

Well, starting May 1st (tomorrow), we will be raising a good handful of our prices. Depending on the product, one of the two issues cited above made enough of an impact on our margins that we must raise our prices to remain sustainable. Hey, Salsa is a business right?

Here are the details. Effective May 1st, the following products will be adjusted.

Size O Matic Stem - Up a few dollars
Salsa rims - Up a few dollars.
Shaft seat posts - Up a few dollars
Moto Ace stems - Up a few dollars
All carbon bars - Up a few dollars

What are likely the next products to be impacted in the coming months? The short answer is anything made with a considerable amount of steel.

- CroMoto stems - We got a little lucky here and should have inventory for some time at the current price.

- Steel Frames - We are still negotiating prices here. They will be going up, but that shouldn't happen until the next production. This could be on a model by model basis as we don't produce all frames at the same time.

- Complete bikes - We launched 5 steel bikes this year and they are going EXTREMELY well. Our next shipment is scheduled to arrive late May. This shipment should not be impacted by the price hikes from our steel suppliers or the component manufacturers. We are still negotiating pricing beyond the May arrival. I'll prep you though and say that after June, our prices will likely be adjusted up.

Beyond that, who knows. We can only control the things we can control. Our focus is on great product and great service. We are committed to produce fine products at fair prices. We are committed to serve and support our dealers and our customers. Those parts don't change.

Sea Otter Wrap Up

2008-04-23T17:40:00.001-05:00

Another Sea Otter is in the books. As always, Sea Otter draws thousands of people & hundreds of bike vendors. It also brings crazy weather. This year was no exception. In the end, we had a great trip. We made some new friends. We talked with a lot of old friends. We showed our stuff. Sold some bikes. Made some good contacts. All in all, a success in my book.

Day 1 & 2 were spectacular. Here are a few pictures of Blake & I riding some new prototypes out on the course. I sure wish everyday involved riding prototypes in new locations. That would be a sweet job!

Day 3 & 4 were a little more crazy...at least in the weather department. Day 3 was cloudy, cold and windy. Day 4 was sunny, cool and windy. Check out this picture of the Felt tents flipping up and landing on the BMC tents.

Day 4 also means it's the final day of the show. Day 4 always involves one of the most difficult tasks, loading the truck. Consider loading 4 brands (Salsa, Surly, BMC and Fulcrum) with who knows how many bikes on one 26ft truck. Also consider that every person helping thinks they know the best method and order for loading. That is a recipe for disaster. Well, I can honestly say that it went pretty darn well and we got everything loaded in 1.5 hours! I took this last shot just before loading our Salsa bikes. Can you tell which El Mariachi Bobby built?

The final Expo day ended with friends and a little Thai food. While it wasn't the best Thai food I've ever had, it sure was a fun and relaxing evening. Maybe this helped.

That's it folks. Sea Otter 2008 is in the books. Next stop? Fruita. Another crew leaves for Fruita today. If you are going, make sure to stop by to say hello to K-Rocker, Shrek and Stevie.

Happy Earth Day

2008-04-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

Today is Earth Day. Perhaps you want to do something to celebrate it?

Here are three quick suggestions.

1) Take a quick lunch break today, grab a bag, and go pick up some garbage around your home or workplace. You don't have to do it for long, but every bit helps. It doesn't take much effort and it may be something you find yourself enjoying doing every couple weeks. If others see you, great! It may encourage them to do some picking up someday as well.

2) Run through the list of 'extras' you've been thinking about buying lately. Think about whether you already have something that does the job of one or more of those items. If you do, tell yourself you'll wait until Earth Day 2009 before considering that purchase again.

3) If you've got children, take out the calendar tonight and pick a date for a scheduled outdoor activity like camping, hiking, or a bike ride. Getting your kids outdoors and enjoying the environment speaks to the future of our planet.

Simple ideas that can have a positive impact in many different ways.

Peace out.
Kid

Sea Otter Classic - Day 1

2008-04-17T09:13:00.003-05:00

We got in yesterday and got set up. We also got a quick 30 minute loop in yesterday. I was on dirt and wearing shorts! A highlight for sure. One other highlight is Hula's, a great little Tiki bar. Typically, we go to Hula's at least 3 times over the 5 days. Yes, we love it that much. This year is different though, because Kid Riemer isn't here. So....This one is for you Kid!

We miss you.

Off to Sea Otter and Fruita!

2008-04-14T10:52:00.003-05:00

Hello folks. Spring is officialy here in MN and Sea Otter, the season's first big race and consumer event, is just around the corner. Our bikes and gear are already in transit. The Salsa crew can't wait to get the season going and to talk with dealers, media and consumers. We also typically get a chance to ride in some pretty darn cool places. Here is our plan for the next few weeks.

Sea Otter - Sea Otter is this coming weekend. Blake (Engineer and Single Speed Guy), David (Sales Manager) and I (The Butcher) will all be in attendance. If you are riding, racing, or just plan to hang out at the Otter, please consider this a formal invitation to come by our booth.

Fruita - Fruita is the following weekend. Bobby (All around Salsa Sales guy), Katie (Sales, Service and Dog Lover) and Steve (International Man of Mystery) are the lucky ones going to Fruita. They'll have El Mariachi, Dos Niner, Mamasita and El Santo demo's. If you are going to this event, please stop by to say hello, have some fun and test ride at least one of our sweet rides.

See you out there!

Ride & Smile!

La Cruz Spring Cleaning

2008-04-09T06:32:00.006-05:00

Today, I'm going to do it. Spring is in the air. I know we will likely get a lot more rain. I know we might even get more snow. I still need to do it. Today, I'm going to clean my trusted and beloved La Cruz.

The La Cruz has become my main ride. I made a commitment to ride outdoors this winter. An indoor trainer is a great tool, but for me, it just doesn't give me what I need. I need the wind. I need the outdoor air. I need the feel of the road. I need the interaction with the environment. My La Cruz has helped me stay motivated to ride. It's also helped me lose about 20 pounds this winter. I love this bike.

For all the readers that either rode all winter or are just thinking about getting your bike out. Good for you. Treat your bike right and give it a good cleaning.

Here it is!

2008-04-01T08:43:00.006-05:00

This won't be in our booth at Sea Otter, but you may see us testing prototypes while riding and racing.

Ride & Smile!

A closer look at Salsa steel road bikes

2008-03-31T08:43:00.007-05:00

If you've been reading the blog and blog comments for anytime, I think most of you readers know the retiring of the S3 Primero and the OX Plat La Raza has been a hot topic. I thought we'd take a little time to dig a little deeper into these two models and briefly discuss some direction for Salsa steel road bikes.

First, just a little history to bring folks up to speed and to get readers on the same page. Last year we discontinued the Primero road bike. The Primero was our highest end road bike and our most expensive production bike we've ever done. It was a beauty and while many folks debated the merits of a sloping design vs traditional, few could find fault in the way this model rode. It is a beauty and those whom are lucky enough to own one rave about the ride quality. We discontinued the Primero because the s3 tubing proved difficult to manufacturer on a larger production scale and frankly, we didn't sell enough of them to justify the time, money and effort. It is sad. I know of at least 2 of the Salsa crew that still wish they would have bought one....Me being one of them.

To make matters worse, we also discontinued the OX Platinum steel road model this year. The La Raza is a beautiful bike. Classic lines. Simple and effective carbon fork. A real looker if you ask me. The La Raza is quite a contrast to the Primero. Not only did the bikes have vastly different geometry, they had very different price points and in the end, they had very different reasons for leaving our range. The La Raza left our range because it was in our range just a little too long in its current configuration. It lasted 3 years with the same paint, same geometry and very few changes. That's a long time for a model to endure and a testament to its classic nature.

That leaves our beautiful, comfortable and versatile Casseroll as our lone remaining steel road bike. Despite the great ride and simple beauty of the Casseroll, we know this isn't the high end bike that many folks desire from Salsa. I want to acknowledge that. While I personally thought the Casseroll would hurt the La Raza in sales numbers, it wasn't until recently that I personally realized how much I appreciated the beautiful and classic La Raza and believe there is a unique position in our line up for such a bike.

From our perspective, we think it is pretty darn interesting that we've heard more about these models since we discontinued them than when we had them in stock. There are a lot of potential reasons for that including a growing demand for Salsa, a decline in high quality production steel bikes, and the fact that our Casseroll doesn't meet the needs of the high end performance steel customer. I know there is more to this than that, but this is long post and I don't want to make it longer.

So....If any of our readers or dealers want to purchase either a Primero or a La Raza, here is a fairly complete list of remaining inventory from our Authorized Salsa Dealers. Pricing and details are between you and the following dealers. Call them, email them or stop in to check for complete details. Check geometry here in the archive. Remember, the Primero is a sloping design (add 7cm to the frame size for the effective top tube length)

Grand Performance
Saint Paul, MN
Primero 49, 51

Robinson Wheelworks
San Leandro, CA
Primero 47
La Raza 49, 54, 56, 58

Alpine Shop
St. Louis, MO
La Raza 54, 56

World of Bikes
Iowa City, IA
La Raza 54, 56

Bicycle Business
Sacramento, CA
Primero 49
La Raza 52, 54, 58

Cycle Smith
Salt Lake City, UT
Primero 47

Bath Cycle and Ski
Woolwich, ME
La Raza 54

Bike Works
New Braunfels, TX
La Raza, 54, 56

Counter Balance Bicycles
Seattle, WA
La Raza 52, 60

Surfin Cycle Xenia
937 376 7873
Xenia, OH
La Raza 58

Hollywood Pro Cycles
Hollywood, CA
La Raza 54, 58

Now....Onto the future.

One thing that is partially out of our control is timing. We sure wish we didn't have this void of high end performance steel road bikes in our line up right now. We know we do. While we are not ready to talk about the exact details of our future line up, we can tell you that we hear you and we are working to deliver a high end steel road bike for model year 2009. That's all we can say right now.