In the simplest terms, Split Pivot uses a concentric rear axle pivot. That pivot, in conjunction with precise wheel link, brake link, and control link placement, results in several performance gains:

Exceptional bump compliance

Maximum traction

Incredible pedaling efficiency

Predictable braking

Improved frame geometry due to the elimination of unwanted suspension movement during acceleration and braking
 

Stay tuned over the next days, weeks, and months, as we share more information with you on our first Split Pivot bikes.
 

Salsa Cycles Recalls Bicycle Forks Due to Fall Hazard

Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Recall date: June 12, 2013

Recall number: 13-213

Recall Summary

Name of product: Salsa Bicycle Forks

Hazard: The bicycle fork can bend above the disc brake mount, posing a fall hazard to the rider.

Remedy: Refund OR Replace

Consumer Contact:

Salsa Cycles; toll-free at (877) 774-6208 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or online at www.salsacycles.com and click on the Fork Recall button for more information.

Click here to link directly to the CPSC to Report an Incident Involving this Product

Recalled Salsa La Cruz bicycle fork	Batch code stamped on recalled bicycle fork's steerer tube
Salsa Vaya bicycle frameset	Salsa Vaya bicycle frameset

Recall Details

Units

About 1,700

Description

This recall involves all Salsa Vaya bicycle forks stamped with the batch codes 2011 02 21, 2011 04 11, 2011 06 14 and 2011 09 09 and all Salsa Cycles La Cruz bicycle forks stamped with the batch codes 2011 03 01, 2011 04 08, 2011 05 30 and 2011 09 09. The batch code is stamped on the steerer tube. The forks are made of tubular chromoly steel and can be installed on any bicycle that takes a threadless 1-1/8 inch steerer tube. They were sold individually and as original equipment on Salsa Vaya bicycles and framesets. Salsa Vaya bicycle forks are orange or dark gray. La Cruz bicycle forks are black. The manufacturer's insignia "CWI" is stamped on the steerer tube. "Salsa" is printed on the bicycle's frame.

Incidents/Injuries

Salsa Cycles has received eight reports of forks bending above the disc brake mount. No injuries have been reported.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately stop using bicycles equipped with the recalled Salsa Vaya and La Cruz bicycle forks and contact a Salsa dealer for a free inspection, replacement fork or a full refund.

Sold at

Bicycle stores nationwide and on various websites from February 2011 through June 2012 for about $100 individually for La Cruz forks and on Salsa Vaya bicycles for between $1,300 and $1,600.

Importer

Salsa Cycles, of Bloomington, Minn. (a wholly-owned brand of Quality Bicycle Products, Inc.)

Manufacturer

CWI, of Taiwan

Manufactured in

Taiwan

Please click here to access the Recall Poster

----------------------

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by the manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter OnSafety or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.

Spearfish is our ultra-endurance racing and riding machine, perfect for 100-milers, 24-hour races, and all-day singletrack sessions.

Aimed at pedaling and suspension efficiency, Spearfish offers stable, balanced handling that really shines toward the end of a long race or ride, when the rider is most tired.

Horsethief is our full-suspension 29’er trail bike, designed for all-day riding on rugged terrain.

A very capable climber, Horsethief does have a slight bias toward descending, letting you enjoy the fruits of your uphill labor. By designing the bike for use with a shorter than normal stem, the body is positioned better for aggressive riding.

Contact an authorized Salsa dealer for sale pricing and full details and to get geared up for your next great ride. Promotion available for US market only.

Errin will be riding in AK with Justin, Bobby, former Salsa guy Gnat, some folks from Fairbanks and it sounds like a whole bunch of folks from the Homer Bicycle Club. Color me jealous. Enjoy your trip Errin!

It seemed a fitting time to push the rewind button and revisit just a few of the special videos that resulted from the contest. Enjoy!

First off, Errin's winning video:

Next up, runner-up Jose Pascual's video:

And last, but not least, the video from Jose's little girl, Aurora...inspired from his effort.

To revisit all the entries from the contest, click here.

Explore. Tour mode. Sleep through the night. Slow down. Go where I please. Avoid too much sand. These are all goals of mine for the month of June.

I’m heading up to the Kaibab Plateau first, then the high plateaus of central Utah. Beyond that, I’m not sure where I’ll aim. I think I might head toward Moab, and then into Colorado. Or I could head north into the Wasatch. Or I could head toward Wyoming. But the destination doesn't really matter to me this time around. It's what happens in between here and there that I'm going to relish.

Lately I’ve drawn inspiration from the likes my friend Yvo who just rode from the Netherlands to Delhi, from a kind fellow named Steve who put us up for a night in Ottawa last summer and shared tales of touring through western China, from fellow Salsa rider Glenn Charles, from Cass Gilbert, from the legend of Frank Lenz, and from countless other bike tourers who likely experience more enviable adventures than nearly any racer ever could.

We’ll see where I end up. It may not be Asia, or even Mexico, but I’ve got a loaded bike and a stack of maps that cover most of the Colorado Plateau.

For 2013, my adventure will be riding the beaches of Alaska. Yes I am sure there will be many adventures for 2013, but this is the one that rises above the rest. Alaska has a special place in my heart. It is the untamed land in my mind. It is the place where modern day cowboys can ride their steel steeds and make their own rules. In summer, sunrise and sunset play little affect in what one considers the start and stop of your normal day. Alaska has land where a person can possibly put their foot for the first time…ever! It is the wild!

Days have come and go. The closer the trip gets, the slower it actually seems to arrive. I have packed gear this way and that way. I’ve even camped out in my front yard when the temps in Minnesota have matched the projected temps of Alaska.

I have new meaning behind riding the rest of my bikes. I pedal to build strength for the nearly 24-hours of sunlight each day…knowing full well we will only ride a portion of each day. Spearfish, Fargo, Colossal and Mukluk have all been used and abused in preparation for the beach ride. The best part is I ride them all with a new purpose!

The large adventure has given me more than just the trip to Alaska. It has made my days before the trip full. The air I breathe is powerful. Nights are full of dreams and thoughts of what is to come.

Go out and find your next adventure, but don’t lose sight of the entire journey. Share the experiences with your friends and family. Inspire others to get out of the day-to-day, if only for a moment in time.

In my eyes, Trans Iowa is the pinnacle of gravel racing simply because of the quality of racers that it attracts. I have to admit though, I was fascinated by thoughts of exceeding a triple century worth of gravel and the physical and mental challenges that it would put me through.

Months of the usual preparation were invested in this event; travel, accommodation and on-the-ground logistics are as big a challenge, if not bigger, than the race itself. After all, turning pedals is the easiest thing in the world, whereas hoping that the guy loading the bags at Heathrow Airport remembers to put my bike on the plane before his lunch break is just down to pure chance.

Although I had no control over getting my bike to the U.S., thanks to Guitar Ted I was to be adopted into the Fuller family from my arrival in Des Moines, Iowa until my departure. Steve Fuller is a gent and an awesome host, his family made me feel welcome and without them life would have been a ton more difficult.

Different continent or not, the pre-race deal is pretty similar when traveling to a race: unbox bike, dial it in as best as possible, eat as much food as your can, and rest as much as possible. This time was no exception with just the slight addition of traveling to the start in Grinnell, Iowa the day before the race for a pre-race meeting and meal.

I was so happy to meet so many people that I felt, through hours of online chat, I already knew, including the friends I had made from the Dirty Kanza the year before. I was feeling really relaxed about this event, with no pressure to do anything but turn the pedals for as long as I could and see what would happen.

Still, no matter how relaxed you are, I think the anxiety of just wanting to start gets to everyone. You have everything ready to a point where nothing can be changed and you are ready to go but yet a night's sleep is still in between you and the start. Luckily Guitar Ted, in an effort to reduce this period of limbo, starts the event at 4:00 a.m. in the morning! It was barely worth my head meeting pillow.

The Start
With 325 miles of gravel in front of us, you would think the start would be pretty steady; a lot of chatting and social riding for a hundred miles or so before the task of racing took hold. That is what I would of liked. Instead we started with a neutral roll out, drafting Guitar Ted's truck though the streets of Grinnel before hitting gravel a few miles later and immediately taking off as if it was a 100-mile race! Pace lining fresh gravel from the offset.

A little over fifty miles in, not far from the first checkpoint, my Salsa teamate Tim Ek got a flat. I was quick to eject from the crazy front group and stop to help. This race is LONG and I wasn’t gonna burn myself out in the first few hours. While fixing Tim’s flat we were joined by DK200 race director Jim Cummins and our first group of the race was formed.

The Groups
The trick to surviving the Trans Iowa for most (including me) is to get in to a good group. This can be difficult as everyone has their own pace and race agenda but for the sake of sanity it is a must for me.
The trio of Tim, Jim and myself was great and we were riding at a strong pace. Tim has finished Trans Iowa multiple times and Jim was plowing through fresh gravel like he was riding tarmac. We were making good progress and quickly began picking up more riders. Some were passed, some joined, and soon our small group grew to seven or eight riders strong.

The dynamic of the race meant that the group constantly changed as we filtered in and out of convenience stores to resupply, but the constant was that Tim and I had decided to see this thing through together, so when he flatted for the third time I was with him again. With the same tire giving him so much trouble it looked like his race might be done. After what must have been the tenth check of the tire between us, Tim’s eagle eyes spotted a tiny piece of flint barely pushing through the tread and must have been scratching a hole over hours in the tube. Tim’s Trans Iowa was back on again!

The Night
As darkness fell and the temperatures dropped, the group had consolidated into what would be its final format; myself, Tim, my Iowan host Steve Fuller, Jay Barre, Ben Oney, Charles Parsons, Mike Johnson, Paul Carpenter, and silent most of the time but always there, Chris Wells. It was an eclectic mix of novices and finishers that came together by chance but were solid through the whole night.

The temperature took a few racers by surprise and as I would find out later resulted in the retirement of the other Brit in this crazy race, Vin Cox. He was simply too cold to continue even after raiding recycling bins for insulation. Tim managed to gather up some spare clothes from the group and when the final convenience store was reached he went all out and bought himself a Mountain Dew sweatshirt to see the rest of the cold night out through.

The Finish
As dawn started to break again, we must of only had 25 miles left. The thought of the finish line, the realization that it was going to happen, and the lift in spirits from the rising sun meant that peoples spirits soared and the pedals seemed to turn a little easier. Every hill now was a little race between Jay Barre and I. While Tim eased back with some nagging knee pain, the miles went by easily as Jay, Steve, Paul, Charles and myself continued to play. Then, just as we were playing on another one of what must have been hundreds of climbs this race includes…BOOM! Tim comes past absolutely on the gas. He had lifted his saddle a touch which had instantly cured his knee and he was set on getting the race done as soon as possible.

As we rolled up to the finish line barn we were handed a well-earned beer and then the previous 325 miles didn’t seem so bad. The good thoughts prevailed, burying the bad moments out of sight and mind.

In their fury to finish and race each other Tim and Steve had hooked a wrong turn as they finished a few minutes after to again more beer and congratulations, both well deserved.

My Trans Iowa experience could not have been a better one. Steve Fuller really looked after me, the weather cooperated and was fantastically warm and dry during the day and mercifully dry during the night. The people I rode with inspired me to come back over and over again. The group I was part of was rock solid and every one of those guys contributed to me being able to finish. The Salsa Warbird I rode for 325 miles in Iowa and countless training miles in the UK? I could not have asked for a better bike for the task.

It's difficult to truly appreciate the enormity of Trans Iowa. Even having ridden the event I find it difficult to quantify the experience to anyone. I guess the experience is one you have to try for yourself.

A huge thanks to all those who helped me in completing this phenomenal challenge. From Guitar Ted (Mark Stevenson) organizing this thing, and his helpers performing a great job manning the checkpoints, the Fuller family for looking after me so well while I was in Iowa, Salsa Cycles for not only providing me with a great bike (a Salsa Warbird) but also making me part of the Salsa family and allowing me to ride with great racers like Tim Ek, and every single rider I met on course showing me that there others out like me willing to suffer to be rewarded by achievement.

Photos courtesy of ImagineGnat

The complete version of this story and additional photos will appear in the next issue of XXC Magazine due out early this summer.

Hello again, ladies! PRACTICE builds CONFIDENCE! So I hope you have all been getting out and practicing your riding skills; shifting, braking, cornering, climbing and descending…while hopefully not changing too many flats.

CONFIDENCE is actually a skill that takes practice. Yes, confidence is a skill. Believing in your riding ability so that you can overcome challenges and difficult times takes practice.

You are the only one who can challenge yourself and know what challenges you'd like to conquer. Whether your reason for riding is to win or just finish a race, complete a century ride, get in shape, save money and resources by commuting, just for the love or riding, or because you'd like to see what you are capable of…you have to want it.

Remember, every time you get on your bike, you are a pedal stroke closer to becoming a better and more experienced cyclist. Surround yourself with like-minded, positive people. Friends, family, and teammates can encourage you and lift you up when you’re feeling down. Find a training partner. I have experienced a boost in motivation and in my ability to push harder when I have a partner to ride with.  

So, challenge yourself. Enter a race. Maybe get a friend to join you and ride it together. Get out of your comfort zone. Push yourself a little harder to reach the point that you are slightly uncomfortable. It will only last a short while and can become addictive once you've gone there and know what you are capable of.

Remind yourself of the long term goal you want to achieve, maybe doing a 50 or 100-mile non-stop ride, a 6-hour race, or riding over a steep pass to get to work.

Start with shorter rides and work your way up. Think of challenging situations and imagine how you will respond to them.

What will you do if you have to fix a flat or repair a chain in the pouring rain?

What if you bonk (run out of energy) during a training ride or even a race and got dropped?

What if you were out on a ride and got lost?

Being prepared mentally, physically and technically will help you get through these times. You can do it! Lots of people do!

I live in the mountains where the weather is “consistently inconsistent” most of the year. I can start a ride in sunshine and then be greeted with rain, snow, and high winds within a few miles. Or sometimes I just have to start my ride in the rain, snow and wind, and hope that conditions will improve. I'm not a fan of riding a trainer so I rarely use one.

So what do I do? I put on my well-tested rain gear, or heavier layers and I get out there! That is why they make the stuff, right?  I am not concerned about riding in unfavorable conditions. Do I like it? Not always. But, because I have prepared and tested my gear in such conditions, I am confident I can handle whatever Mother Nature throws at me and I will be as comfortable as I can be.

Believe me, it is not easy. Staying motivated to ride in these conditions can be a challenge, but the more you practice riding in these conditions the more comfortable you will get. So expose yourself. Go ride in the rain with nasty headwinds or whatever conditions you don't like and test your gear. This will give you confidence that you are prepared for any condition, at any time. Practice eating and drinking on the bike, riding with no hands, and carefully taking your jacket on and off while riding.

It has taken me YEARS of cycling to be as confident as I am today. I am still learning and having fun!

Enjoy the ride!

Tracey putting her confidence to good use on the Tour Divide...

The first GM ride took place in 2010. After being captivated by there promo video, I decided I needed to check it out. I emailed that first Gravel Metric video to my friend Andrew and then gave him a call. After talking with him, all he wanted to know was when we where leaving. I tuned up the La Cruz, picked up my friend, and headed to DeKalb, Illinois.

 
Thinking back to that ride, a few things really stick out.

First, is the heat. It was unusually warm that spring, and the weather went into full summer mode that weekend. The temperature rose above 100 that day.

Second, is the feeling of the cool water at the creek crossing. I remember specifically standing in the water for a few extra minutes before riding on. I needed to stay cool and hydrated because of the third thing.

Gravel! I had recently cut my teeth on gravel racing at the Ragnarok 105, about six weeks earlier down in Red Wing, Minnesota.

But my day on the bike out with the NCC Crew is really what sealed my gravel road infatuation. Everything about that ride got me hooked: the riders, scenery, attitudes, and the unforeseen challenge of finishing.

Near the end of the ride, my friend Andrew and I took a wrong turn, and ended up circling the city, and adding ten miles to our ride. Unfortunately, due to the extreme sun and heat, those ten miles felt like an additional 60 miles! But it only ended up making the beer taste that much better at the end!

This year the course won't be marked (obviously that didn't help me back then), a few extra challenging sections have been added, and the rest stops have been removed. So I will need to bring my A-game when I head down there this weekend. Game time is 9AM this Sunday, May 26th.

And this year, I get the privilege of bringing my little brother with me, and introducing him to his first Gravel Metric. If the gravel bug is giving you the itch, I highly recommend this ride. See you there!

Salsa is proud to be a sponsor of the event.

A few folks here in the building had their Almanzo bikes with them today, so I asked if I could shoot a quick photo or two, and let them tell you about their bike setups, but more importantly, why they’re doing the Almanzo and what they hope to take from the experience.

Jeff Blackmore

My Casseroll is set up for all-day comfort; carbon fork, Thudbuster seatpost, and 40mm tires.

I turned 60 years old in April and the Almanzo 100 is one of the events on my list of things to do this year. My goal is to beat my time from several years ago, which was the last time I did the Almanzo.

Alix Magner

I’m riding my La Cruz Ti. I rode this bike in two gravel events last year, and since then, it’s become my go-to bike. For Almanzo this year I’ve taken off my commuting wheels and put on some bombproof Fulcrum Racing 1 wheels that look very sweet with the Ti frame. I’ve moved my water from my back to a Revelate Designs Tangle Bag.

For me, doing gravel races gives me a chance to feed my competitiveness. I love racing, but with two little kids, I don’t have the time to train for road racing every weekend. Most of my training has been on my daily ride to work. Last year at Almanzo, I suffered hard in the heat and wind, had a broken chain, and it ended p being a much longer day than I expected. This year my goal is to finish faster than last year.

Jeff MacPhail

I’m riding a Fargo Ti with Woodchipper bars.

I recently moved back to Minnesota from Utah, so I’m eager to explore the Midwest cycling events that have good cultural aspects. Pounding gravel sounds a lot more fun than road centuries, and I like the self-supported nature of the event. Oh yeah, and it’s free! My goal for the event is simply to finish comfortably, feel accomplished, thoroughly enjoy the riding, and hang out with some cool people.

To all of you taking on the Almanzo tomorrow, we wish you the best of luck. Stop by our tent and say “Hi” to Andy. Ride safe and enjoy the journey.