The goal with the new Chili was to add performance and features while maintaining the same proven ride geometry.  In the wet and muddy elements of cyclocross, fork chatter is a perennial challenge to reduce and overcome.  There are many differing opinions on the best approach to reduce fork chatter, including brake pad and front brake cable positioning.  Regardless, one thing is certain: larger steerer tubes produce less flex and thereby help reduce the fore-aft movement between the brake bosses and the cable housing stop. Together, this reduces brake chatter. The new Chili Con Crosso is spec'd with a 1-1/2" tapered headtube and matching Salsa full carbon fork to help reduce fork chatter. 

The full carbon steerer tube tapers from 1-1/8" to 1-1/2" where it meets the large crown. While the crown is extra bulky to increase stiffness between the brake posts and steerer, you can see that there is still plenty of tire clearance when fitted with a 35mm tire as pictured. The fork was stiff, stable and silent when I test rode it with the Avid Shorty 4 brakes and steerer-mounted cable stop as spec'd on the complete bike.  For those who wish to take reducing fork chatter one step further, the crown has a drilling where a custom-fitted cable stop could be mounted.  The headtube takes a standard I.S. oversized headset.  Both the complete bike and frameset come with a Cane Creek IS-3 headset featuring a blue anodized top cap to match the graphics package of the frame. 

Speaking of anodized parts, the complete bike comes chock-full of blue bits.  The Lip-Lock seat collar, hubs, skewers, Paul Components Chain Keeper, headset and Salsa top cap are anodized blue.  There is just enough ano to impress, but not so much that looking at the complete bike will send you into a dizzying out-of-body experience like what nearly happened when I first saw these things:

No, it's not Pac-Man playing chicken with Ms. Pac-Man, or looking at himself in the mirror. These are bolt-on dropouts that allow the option of running your new Chili Con Crosso as a singlespeed.  While there are quite a few SS capable cross frames, there are not many high performance options.  

The complete bike comes with a 1x10 SRAM Rival drivetrain and bolt-on vertical dropouts with the same hole drilling.  They are held in place by T30 chainring bolts.  Remove the bolts, slide the horizontal dropout in place, fasten the bolts down and you instantly have yourself a singlespeed-capable cyclocross frameset! Here is a close-up photo I took of Salsa engineer, Sean Mailen, riding on the Minnesota state championship CX course. You can see the vertical dropout held in place with chainring bolts on the non-drive side. 

Also notice that the classic flattened seatstays and chainstays carry over to the new frame.  These stays provide lateral stiffness while helping take the edge off, especially when riding on bumpy, firm surfaces such as gravel or pavement.  

Another carry-over feature from the previous design is the flattened section of the toptube. However, the length of the flattened section on the new Chili is significantly longer to accommodate a wider range of shouldering styles that affect precisely where the toptube rests on the rider. These refinements make run-ups and staircases much less painful than traditional tubes. 

Here's a side profile of the toptube to more clearly illustrate how the underside of the toptube curves. That little feature makes the bike fit perfectly on your shoulder.   

This year we started working with a new aluminum supplier and were able bring more value by using EV6 (high grade 6000-series) aluminum instead of scandium.  The new material has nearly identical strength properties as scandium.  Additionally, we are able to now use a mixture of different tube-shaping techniques, including hydroforming, to get the exact shape and ride quality we desire.  Ride geometry is the same as previous versions, with some small differences to account for other changes such as the internal headset (headtubes are slightly longer).  The well-balanced and stable geometry provides a confidence inspiring ride quality suitable for elite cyclocross athletes.  

BASIC DETAILS

The new Chili Con Crosso will be offered in 6 sizes: 51, 53, 55, 56, 58, 60cm. Please see the Geometry Chart on the Chili Con Crosso page of our website

The complete bike will come with a 1x10 SRAM Rival drivetrain, DT Swiss R450 rims, FSA Gossamer crankset w/42T Salsa ring, and Salsa bar/stem/seatpost. See complete spec on the Chili Con Crosso page of our website

Frame weight: 1520 grams (55cm)

Fork weight: 500 grams (uncut)

Availability: mid-October for bikes and framesets

MSRP: $1649 (complete bike), $799 (frame/fork/headset)

Singlespeed or geared: It can do both. You make the choice (both vertical and singlespeed dropouts included with complete bike and frameset)

While the timing of delivery is later than the first cyclocross events of the season, they will still be available in time to hit your local sandpit before the season ends!  Contact your local dealer to pre-order yours today. Bring on the cow bells!

Salsa is the title sponsor of the Salsa Two-Four, but MORC (Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists) puts on the event. Sure, we help out with some of the work but really it is on them to put it all together.

This year, Amanda from MORC has truly been kicking some organization butt. She's turned the Salsa Two-Four into the biggest, baddest, and probably loudest edition it has ever been. To put it simply there is simply more going on. More racing, more music, more art, more events...more.

It ain't easy being cheesy, but it's even harder to put on a kick butt event. Props to Amanda for all her hard work.

The Salsa Two-Four is a fundraiser for MORC. That's where the proceeds go. If you pay to do one of the races, the 'profits' after all the expenses are paid (and there are considerable expenses) go to MORC. If you eat a FREE burger, the money you put in the tip jar hopefully pays for the burger and results in a little extra ching making its way into the MORC coffers. If you come to listen to FREE live music on the Salsa Two-Four stage and choose to donate a few bucks into the hat that is coming around, those dollars will go to MORC.

This is Minnesota's mountain bike festival. If you are a Minnesota mountain biker and you are in the area, you should come out and spend some time here. You'll have fun AND you will help MORC develop and maintain even more great singletrack.

That's my plea to get a bunch of the local folks to stop out this year. But I also want to thank all the other sponsors that have signed on for this year's event...and there are a lot of them!

Thanks to (in no particular order!): Hammer Nutrition, Ergon, Light & Motion, Dirty Dog, Twin Six, Rack Attack, Pedros, CrankBrothers, Penn Cycle & Fitness, Resource Revival, Afton Alps, Jagwire, Timbuk2, Tifosi, Premium Waters, Spoke9, Thomson, Chamois Butt'r, Angry Catfish, Freewheel Bike, Shockspital, DWitt, Midwest Mountaineering, Sherpani, Fresh Start, Pro Bar, Equal Exchange, Adam Turman, WTB, The Four Firkins, Erik's Bikes, and Behind Bars.

These fine sponsors are helping make Minnesota mountain bike trails better through their support of this event. Please show them your support in return!

Thanks to the bands that have agreed to play for FREE at the Salsa Two-Four. That's right folks this is FREE, LIVE MUSIC ON AN OUTDOOR STAGE!

Friday, August 27 @ 8:30 PM & Saturday, August 28 @ 10:45 PM
Right from Rona - Rock/Pop/Indie: http://www.rightfromrona.com/index.html

Saturday, August 28 @ 9:45 PM
High Hopes - Hard Core Punk: http://www.highhopestc.com/

Saturday, August 28 @ 8:30 PM
Four on the Floor - Southern Rock: http://www.myspace.com/the4onthefloor

Saturday, August 28 @ 12:00 PM & Sunday, August 29 @ Midnight
Eric Swan - Acoustic Guitar: This is Eric Swan's fourth appearance at the Salsa 2-4

Saturday, August 28 @ 7:00 PM
Dad's Night-Time Friends - Covers

Thanks to the artists that are coming out to display and sell their bike-related art!

Lauren Strom - LaurenStrom - Bike T-Shirts
http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurenstrom

Brianna Auel - Broken Heart Social Club
http://www.etsy.com/people/BrokenHeartSocial

Erica Herker
http://www.etsy.com/shop_policy.php?user_id=10176758

Allison Johnson - Pot-Pour-Ri Jewelry
http://www.etsy.com/shop/potpourri4

George - What Knot Shop - Braided Rope Bracelets
http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatKnotShop

Holly Magner - Grove Craft - Bike Hats/Caps
http://grovecraft.com/

Anjee Mai - Claymation Creations - Figures
http://anjeemai.com/index.html

Emily Floyd - Jewelry
http://emilyfloyd.com/

William Dohman - WKD Studios - Photography, Prints, Wooden Toys & Recycled Signs
http://www.etsy.com/shop/WilliamDohman

Thanks to Danielle Musto and Tim Ek for putting on a FREE Endurance Racing Clinic TONIGHT!

6pm on the bike portion, 7pm off-the-bike Q&A session...

And thanks to MORC for the hard work they put into not just this event, but toward building and maintaining many of our Minnesota mountain bike trails. The dirt you help provide is much appreciated!

And that is it...show up and show your support...play a fun bike game or two and possibly win a prize. We hope to see you at the Salsa Two-Four!

Most of my miles, 6000-plus a year, come from commuting to and from work daily. The rest of my miles, an additional 2000 to 4000 come from training and racing endurance events.

In the fall/winter timeframe the commute is slow and steady. I’m focused on maintaining fitness and making sure I’m getting plenty of rest for the spring events. Typically March 1st is the start of any structured training miles. The weather starts to break and we get some days above freezing. In addition to the 160 commuting miles for the week I’ll add in a big Saturday, getting 60-100 miles in depending on route and weather.

At the end of March comes The Cannonball Run. This is a 160-mile training ride that includes a run south to the Cannon River Valley for some big climbs in and out of the river bluffs. Mid-April starts the race season with the Ragnarok 105, a 105-mile gravel road race with roughly 7000’ of climbing. It’s always interesting to see who has or has not been getting their base miles in. Ragnarok is a warm up for Trans Iowa.

Trans Iowa is a 320-mile gravel road race of biblical proportions. It typically takes place the last full weekend of April. Two weeks after Iowa is the stellar Almanzo 100, the second 100-mile Minnesota gravel race of the season. Between the spring events, the weekends are all rest time, unless of course the mountain bike trails have cleared up. Once the season is in swing my focus is on recovering after events, keeping fitness, and building speed.

No year is like the last. Each year I seem to get a little more focus and a slightly better understanding of how my body reacts to the stresses of racing and riding. If I have a focus event ahead of me, like the Tour Divide or the Trans Iowa, I make sure that my fitness and recovery is tailored for them. I’ve gone into events without a good amount of rest or preparedness. I can definitely tell when my head isn’t in the game and my body isn’t up to the challenge. Unfortunately it has taken a few poor performances to learn it.

My methods are a bit ad-hoc and in some ways unorthodox. I’ve always wanted to hire a professional coach (it would be worth more than any gear I could buy), but I’ve never committed to doing it. Mostly because I’m not sure I would be willing to follow their direction and advice. 

----THIS WEEKEND! SALSA TWO-FOUR, AUGUST 27TH - 29TH---

We've sponsored the Salsa Two-Four In Support Of MORC for the last 3 years. This year's event has really taken a step forward to becoming the bike, art, and music festival that we'd hoped it would eventually become. Massive props to Amanda from MORC for her work on this event. MORC runs it. Salsa sponsors it.

Here is some of what is going on: FREE endurance racing clinic, Friday Night DH Race, 24-Hour Racing, 8-Hour Racing, Bike Games With Salsa, Homemade Salsa Competition & Tasting, Artists Displaying & Selling Bike-Related Art, Live Music, Food, Bonfires, Camping...

And here is the kicker...aside from the racing, this is a FREE event! C'mon out and take part even if you aren't racing! For more info visit Salsa Two-Four

ONE OTHER NOTE -- Eki, who wrote this post, and another of our sponsored rider's, Danielle Musto (who wrote yesterday's post), will be conducting a FREE endurance racing clinic this Friday evening as the Salsa Two-Four gets underway here at Afton Alps in Hastings, Minnesota. There will be a riding portion, followed by a discussion/Q&A session.--

I've always been hesitant to write about my training as I fear it would only be interesting to me. So, one can imagine that I was a bit excited to find that someone out there actually may be interested in the topic. I think the concept of training is a very individual thing and what works for some may not work for others. I'll simply comment on what has worked for me.

The main component to my training is finding the balance between the mundane and the fun. If it loses it's fun factor than the risk of losing it all looms. The way I attempt to keep it interesting is by placing an element of adventure into the thick of my training months, which are over the winter. This adventure comes in the form of extremely long road rides in the cold temps of northern Minnesota. My training partners and I call these 'DBD' rides, which simply stands for 'Death Before Dishonor'. In other words, these rides are pushed to the point of wondering if you're going to make it or not. You know that, 'Don't quit, whatever you do, DON'T QUIT' kind of ride.

More specifically, my training is based on hours per week, not miles. The winter months are all about 'saddle time'. I don't worry about speed, just getting consistent hours per week. I try to set a rhythm to these hours with some weeks being heavy, while others are lighter. Snowmobile trails that are frozen solid make up my after work rides, while tar roads in the country on my cross bike meet the DBD requirements. If it gets crazy cold I will reluctantly climb aboard my road bike and trainer and pedal away some hours in the basement. All of these hours are complimented by daily commutes to work and home again. I haven't driven a car to work in over 7 years.

This of course is coupled with a healthy diet and typically some weight loss over the winter (ironically). I guess the weight loss makes sense considering the length of some of the winter rides, sometimes in the neighborhood of 13 hours in the saddle at once.

This regime has worked well for me over the last few years as I gear up toward the early season Trans Iowa. However, I sometimes find that my competition is finding their stride in midsummer while I wonder if I'm growing a bit weary from such a demanding winter and early season racing (i.e. Trans Iowa, Ragnorak, Dirty Kaza 200, WEMS 12-hour solos).

I believe in keeping it simple. I know that there are much more complicated ways to train, but I'm not that complicated of a guy. So, I often just break it down to riding the bike a lot and vary the way I do it. Oh, and make sure it's always FUN!

----THIS WEEKEND! SALSA TWO-FOUR, AUGUST 27TH - 29TH---

We've sponsored the Salsa Two-Four In Support Of MORC for the last 3 years. This year's event has really taken a step forward to becoming the bike, art, and music festival that we'd hoped it would eventually become. Massive props to Amanda from MORC for her work on this event. MORC runs it. Salsa sponsors it.

Here is some of what is going on: FREE endurance racing clinic, Friday Night DH Race, 24-Hour Racing, 8-Hour Racing, Bike Games With Salsa, Homemade Salsa Competition & Tasting, Artists Displaying & Selling Bike-Related Art, Live Music, Food, Bonfires, Camping...

And here is the kicker...aside from the racing, this is a FREE event! C'mon out and take part even if you aren't racing! For more info visit Salsa Two-Four

ONE OTHER NOTE -- Danielle, who wrote this post, and another of our sponsored rider's, Tim Ek, will be conducting a FREE endurance racing clinic this Friday evening as the Salsa Two-Four gets underway here at Afton Alps in Hastings, Minnesota. There will be a riding portion, followed by a discussion/Q&A session.--

I do a variety of races throughout the summer, and my training varies depending on what's next on the schedule. I have an awesome coach (Lynda Wallenfels) who is an accomplished endurance racer, and she keeps me on track throughout the season.

Winter is a great time for me to work on building strength, so my coach has me doing intervals a few times a week. I usually do these on the trainer so that I don't have to worry about bad road conditions etc. The workouts are usually pretty short (under 2 hours) but so hard that I'm usually one minute away from falling off the trainer by the time that they are done. However, it's also really important to do some long rides outside each week. Michigan has a great cycling community and it's usually pretty easy to find people to ride outside with and we mostly ride at an endurance pace. Usually it's hard to ride actual snow covered trail in the winter, which is a shame. I feel like a Mukluk would enhance my winter training 100%!!!

Once winter breaks, I say good-bye to the trainer for good and do both intervals and long rides outside. There are a few hundred milers early in the season that I like to do, so I usually do a few longer races beforehand as training. For example, this season I did a four-hour marathon race in Arizona in February, then two 65-mile gravel road races in March and April. Training races are a great way to dial in race nutrition and pacing.

Summer is all about racing and recovering. This is when all of the hard training that I did over the winter and spring pays off. I still ride every day, but my training becomes very specific to what race is next. For instance, right now I have a 24-hour race coming up next weekend (the Salsa Two-Four). So this week I'm doing a few mountain bike rides in the dark to practice my night riding skills.

Another important aspect of training (especially during the race season) is recovering right. Too often it's really tempting to start training immediately after a race. But that can be detrimental to your fitness if your muscles aren't fully recovered from the heavy stress load you just put them under. During recovery days I try to get a little extra sleep, use the foam roller, and stretch!

Once fall hits most of my endurance races are done for the season. It's a good time to mix things up a bit, and I do as many cross races as possible just for fun. My training becomes a little less structured and my ride lengths depend on what I feel like doing. Once the snow starts falling my coach usually has me take a few weeks almost completely off and then it's time to start training for next year!

Although my training changes depending on the time of year, there is one constant that never changes. Having a strong core is very important, especially for endurance athletes. A good book to follow for core exercises is Core Performance: Endurance by Mark Verstegen. I hope this info helps! It works for me.

----THIS WEEKEND! SALSA TWO-FOUR, AUGUST 27TH - 29TH---

We've sponsored the Salsa Two-Four In Support Of MORC for the last 3 years. This year's event has really taken a step forward to becoming the bike, art, and music festival that we'd hoped it would eventually become. Massive props to Amanda from MORC for her work on this event. MORC runs it. Salsa sponsors it.

Here is some of what is going on: FREE endurance racing clinic, Friday Night DH Race, 24-Hour Racing, 8-Hour Racing, Bike Games With Salsa, Homemade Salsa Competition & Tasting, Artists Displaying & Selling Bike-Related Art, Live Music, Food, Bonfires, Camping...

And here is the kicker...aside from the racing, this is a FREE event! C'mon out and take part even if you aren't racing! For more info visit Salsa Two-Four

 Look for the full product launch with pricing, specs, & details of the new Chili soon.   We do want folks to know we will be selling the new Chili Con Crosso both as a frameset and as a complete bike.   We like options and we hope you do too.

----UPCOMING EVENT! SALSA TWO-FOUR TAKES PLACE NEXT WEEKEND, AUGUST 27TH - 29TH---

We've sponsored the Salsa Two-Four In Support Of MORC for the last 3 years. This year's event has really taken a step forward to becoming the bike, art, and music festival that we'd hoped it would eventually become. Massive props to Amanda from MORC for her work on this event. MORC runs it. Salsa sponsors it.

Here is some of what is going on: Friday Night DH Race, 24-Hour Racing, 8-Hour Racing, Bike Games With Salsa, Homemade Salsa Competition & Tasting, Artists Displaying & Selling Bike-Related Art, Live Music, Food, Bonfires, Camping...

And here is the kicker...aside from the racing, this is a FREE event! C'mon out and take part even if you aren't racing! For more info visit Salsa Two-Four

MG...ready to suffer?

...but without a proper warmup, going hard was a brutal awakening. That said, the trails at Lewis & Clark Monument were absolutely primo and my El Mariachi Ti was handling so good that I couldn't resist laying it all on the line. I couldn't believe that, for all the calamity getting there, I was actually riding pretty well on the trail. It was about at that point of revelry that I could hear myself being caught from behind by my minute man, Ryan Feagan. I could tell he was on a rocket ride and if he kept it up, he very well might end up on the top step of the podium.

Little did I know, Minnesota pro, Jesse Reints had thrown down a blazing fast time earlier in the day that would beat Ryan's time by ten seconds, but out on the course, when it was just Ryan and I, and I knew he was putting it all out there, I had to holler for my brother. Once I let him around me, I absolutely buried myself so I could keep cheering "Go Feagan!" and "You can do it!" for as long as I could. You see, Ryan and his wife Roxy are the promoters of the Psycowpath series, so it was very cool to be able to witness this awesome performance from Ryan.

The effort was good enough to help pull me up and around my minute man, and into a fifth place finish in Cat 1 for the day. I guess the way I look at it, any day I can finish 'in the money' is a good day, so I was happy with my ride. And the course was so much fun, I went out for another lap after all the other racers had gone. All alone on the trail, riding at a 'normal' pace, I was able to take the time to enjoy the challenges and the beauty of the Lewis & Clark trail. It was one of those 'this is as good as it gets' moments.

I had to skip the STXC race Saturday night due to my 20th high school reunion... an event I simply couldn't miss.

Sunday's three hour marathon race was brutal. If you ask me what defined the day, it was the heat. At the finish when I got back to my car, the thermometer said 105 degrees. Unfortunately, similar to other times this season, I was not stellar in the heat.

I went into the race feeling confident that I could pull off a victory, but at the end of the day was left standing on the second step of the podium after being soundly beaten by a better prepared competitor. His name is Dale Pinkelman and he was even riding a Salsa -- a 2008 El Santo to be exact.

After taking the lead on the first lap, I had eaked out about a 45 second lead through the first two laps. Then, on the third lap of six we completed that day, Dale came back to me as I began to falter on the course's longest climb, a wide-open, switchback-filled beast that featured an absolutely sweltering with-the-wind section. He made his pass here, and almost immediately had a comfortable gap. I meanwhile, was in trouble. I'd gone out harder than I'd intended to go, and now was paying the price for my earlier effort in the heat. It was going to be a long next three laps. I had plenty of time out there to appreciate how well my bike was working though -- at least it was dialed! I couldn't believe how fast it was letting me flow through the serpentine singletrack on the back side of the course.

In the end, I was able to salvage my runner-up position, despite my challenges with the heat. I have to give a lot of credit to my equipment for helping me get to the line safely, because I was a wreck! I can't remember another bicycle race I was more glad to finish, and as soon as I did, I made a bee line for my Subaru and its ice cold air conditioning. Oh yeah, that's the stuff! In fact, I fell asleep so fast in the A/C that I almost missed the awards ceremony! Fortunately I got back out there just in the nick of time.

Next up is Gravel Worlds on Saturday, Aug. 21, right here in Lincoln, Nebraska. Are you gonna' be joining us? I sure hope so.

GRAVEL WORLDS 2010 from nocoastfilms on Vimeo.

------------------ UPCOMING EVENT: TONIGHT AT NORTH CENTRAL CYCLERY, DEKALB, ILLINOIS ---------------------

Tonight, Wednesday, August 18th Salsa will present a preview of some never-before-seen products at an event hosted by North Central Cyclery in Dekalb, IL. Salsa sales manager, David Gabrys will be present with the Mukluk, El Mariachi Ti, La Cruz Ti, the new steel El Mariachi and the background behind our Adventure By Bike direction. He will also be sharing some cool stuff that can only be seen by attendees of the event, so it will be worth your while to make the visit and see what’s happening for 2011.

The event begins at 7pm and will be followed by a campfire (and hopefully S'mores). There will be beer too! RSVP at rideaway@northcentralcyclery.com. North Central Cyclery, 534 E. Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL (815) 758-2403.

Our Chili Con Crosso adventure continued on Friday morning, when we commuted through the streets of Taichung out to Nantou to pick up a pre-production sample of the new Chili Con Crosso, and then carried it to our assembly factory for a complete bike build and check. 

Mark, Leeche, Joe Y and myself started the 25k ride earlier in the morning to avoid the sweltering mid 90-degree heat of later in the day.  We were treated to something I've rarely seen in Taiwan: a gorgeous sunny, blue sky day. 

The updated Chili Con Crosso has exceeded our best wishes for reduced weight and increased front end stiffness over the previous model, and it looks pretty hot to boot, even without paint.  Here's a shot of Mark on the unpainted sample.

Then, it was back to the frame factory to do a few more checks on the finer details of the frame

It was a tiring, exciting day, and it was well over 95 degrees outside so we decided to call it a day and head back to take a rest.  However, with some luck we were invited to join a friend's cycling club up at Sun Moon Lake for a weekend ride.  Sun Moon Lake is a very popular tourist destination up in the mountains from Taichung. It has the feel of a Chinese brush painting.  We were camping, so what better time to shoot a few photos of the sunset?

And Mark found a great spot for some Chili testing...

Mark and I will be spending this week taking these Chili Con Crosso samples and moving them through further testing, paint and decals. By week's end we will give you a 'real' presentation of the 2011 bike, complete with colors and graphics.  We will also be working on creating some new sneak peaks on a few other models that are up and coming.

------------------ UPCOMING EVENT: NORTH CENTRAL CYCLERY, DEKALB, ILLINOIS ---------------------

On Wednesday August 18th Salsa will present a preview of some never-before-seen products at an event hosted by North Central Cyclery in Dekalb, IL. Salsa sales manager, David Gabrys will be present with the Mukluk, El Mariachi Ti, La Cruz Ti, the new steel El Mariachi and the background behind our Adventure By Bike direction. He will also be sharing some cool stuff that can only be seen by attendees of the event, so it will be worth your while to make the visit and see what’s happening for 2011.

The event begins at 7pm and will be followed by a campfire (and hopefully S'mores). There will be beer too! RSVP at rideaway@northcentralcyclery.com. North Central Cyclery, 534 E. Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL (815) 758-2403.

Our itinerary was a week of riding in Whistler, British Columbia. More specifically, riding DH bikes in the bike park.  If you've ever spent time riding in this neck of the woods, you know what I'm talking about. Whether it's in the bike park or off the mountain on the numerous killer trails in the valley, making it from A to B, while adapting to changing weather conditions and keeping yourself and your rig in one piece is always an adventure. Three flats in three consecuctive runs? Yup, that happens.  Bears on the trail? Expect it. Bent hangers and munched derailleurs? Come prepared! Sudden thunderstorms? The mountains are unpredictable.

We here at Salsa are a diverse group of cyclists, and we enjoy all types of riding. We work hard to offer bikes, frames, and components that appeal to a wide range of users.  In addition to the big ticket, attention grabbing frames and complete bikes we offer, we also have a variety of components to fit almost every type of adventure you can get yourself into (and hopefully out of) on a bike.  I'd like to highlight four different Salsa components I used during our trip, some of which may or may not be familiar:

Salsa Chainrings:  Our AL-7075-T6 general purpose chainrings are great for both SS setups and also as replacements on multi-speed cranks.  I run a single 104 BCD 34T in my chain guide. I've also been experimenting with a 45T-34T combo on my 10-speed Rival equipped Vaya. We offer these rings in a variety of BCD's, tooth counts, in black and silver.  Look from more BCD, tooth, and color options in the near future!

Whammy Bars:  First off, these bars are NOT intended for downhill use, however, they do pass all the rigorous European testing standards. Secondly, it's my job make sure the products we design are worthy of your hard-earned cash. Rest assured, if I can rally these bars as hard as I have been over the last year, they will hold up on your all-mountain or singlespeed bike just fine.  The Whammy Bar comes in both a 20mm low rise and 11-degree flat bar configurations at a ridiculous 780mm wide. Wide bars offer more control over front wheel deflecting impacts which makes holding a line in rough sections (especially at speed) easier.  Around these parts, the thick woods and smooth dirt makes riding wide bars less of a necessity. However, out West in the mountains or the desert, the wide bars really shine. Whenever I head out to a riding destination with this type of terrain, I opt for a wider bar on which ever bike I happen to be taking.  We make 'em extra wide with the intent that they can be trimmed down to an optimal width just  for you. I find I like 740mm.  Like chainrings, handlebars are another catagory in which we currently have quite a few projects in the works and we'll soon be able to show some exciting new stuff!

The third Salsa component I was using was a set of Gordo Disc rims. (Sorry no picture.) The rims I have are prototype versions we had specifically rolled into a 26-inch configuration for some intentional abuse while we were developing the Gordo 29'er Disc rim.  Please note we only produce and sell the 29-inch Gordo Disc rim type.  These two-six proto hoops have been going strong now for 3 years, which includes a couple Whistler trips, and shuttle runs at Bootleg Canyon, NV.  If you are looking for one of the toughest 29er rims available, I suggest considering the Gordo 29'er Disc.

The last piece of Salsa componentry on my bike is a Salsa Flip-Off seat collar. It's the original adjustable height seatpost, not to mention the classic styling and various color options.  No bike is complete without a Salsa collar.

So that's a quick highlight of some of the Salsa components I used during my recent excursion way out west.  As I hinted at, we are currently working hard behind the scenes to expand our portfolio of component offerings to suit all types of adventures by bicycle.  Stay tuned to the blog for more info in the near future.

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For those that have read this far, I will offer one last bit of gear that I utilized during our trip that fits squarely in the 'adventure' product category.  Over the last couple years you have seen pictures and read stories on the blog from Joe, Jason, Tim, and Kid utilizing frame bags for various adventures and races.  In case you have not figured it out yet, frame bags are all the rage these days.  Getting gear off you and onto the bike keeps you fresher and free to move about. Frame bags are a great alternative when traditional racks and panniers are not an option.  This holds true from commuting to gravel racing to turning laps in the bike park.  During past trips to Whistler I have employed either a hydration pack or my shorts pockets to hold my spare tube, tool, mini pump, etc. This year, I took a cue from the cool kids and whipped out what might be the first ever 'adventure DH frame bag'.

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It sits above the BB between the DT and ST on my frame.

It is just big enough to hold a neatly rolled tube, mini pump, tool, wrench for rear wheel removal, and small patch kit.  I am happy to report that it worked flawlessly. Being it was 'just' large enough to squeeze my kit into it, all the items were tightly packed and nothing rattled around. The bag held it's shape nicely and didn't move around on the frame while riding.  I never even noticed it was down there. Using the frame bag allowed me to ride without a pack or stuffed pockets all week long. It was great. This freed me up to move around more and get extra rad on the bike. If you have not yet tried a frame bag on your bike, no matter what kind it is, I highly recommend you do so.

One last thing: If you've never hit up the Whistler bike park, put some serious effort into making it happen. The trails are fantastic and they've got a range of difficulty. Your skills will get a solid boost from riding at the park, and each run ends down in the village where good food and beer await!  -PK

------------------ UPCOMING EVENT: NORTH CENTRAL CYCLERY, DEKALB, ILLINOIS ---------------------

On Wednesday August 18th Salsa will present a preview of some never-before-seen products at an event hosted by North Central Cyclery in Dekalb, IL. Salsa sales manager, David Gabrys will be present with the Mukluk, El Mariachi Ti, La Cruz Ti, the new steel El Mariachi and the background behind our Adventure By Bike direction. He will also be sharing some cool stuff that can only be seen by attendees of the event, so it will be worth your while to make the visit and see what’s happening for 2011.

The event begins at 7pm and will be followed by a campfire (and hopefully S'mores). There will be beer too! RSVP at rideaway@northcentralcyclery.com. North Central Cyclery, 534 E. Lincoln Hwy, Dekalb, IL (815) 758-2403.

The HC 100 starts off at the ungodly hour of 5:30 in the morning with a mass start up a road climb. I arrived at the starting area with about 15 minutes to spare before the race started and was actually still getting all my gear together when the race promoter, Mike Ripley, started calling people to the line with his megaphone. I was barely able to make it to the starting line before the large pack of 200 riders began rolling out of the parking lot. With no warm-up and also having the sensation of needing to pee, I decided to go pretty hard up the first road climb to put my head and body into race mode. I do this often at the beginning of a race. Not so much because I have a plan to ride away from everybody, but because it clears my mind of other thoughts and at least puts me in the front group where I feel I need to be for a successful race.

After leaving the pavement, the large pack of riders turned onto a rough dirt fire road. Almost immediately, a cloud of churned up dust made visibility on the course nearly impossible. An email sent out earlier in the week by the race promoter suggested that riders should consider wearing a dust mask for the start. I had one packed in my jersey pocket and was real close to putting it on, but did not because I was afraid to take my hands off my handlebars in order to remove it from my jersey and place it on my head, since it was hard to see what was coming up on the trail. Since we were still climbing, things split up pretty good anyway, so the mask was really not needed after the first off road mile or so.

Eventually, the long initial climb came out in the parking lot of the Mt Bachelor Ski Area. I looked over my shoulder while riding through the parking lot and noticed that I was the lead singlespeed racer and did not see any others around me. I also noticed that the cold morning temperature of around 35-degrees had caused my fingers to go numb. This is not a great feeling to have before entering the first long technical section of singletrack. Shortly after entering this singletrack containing many section of lava rock outcrops, I saw two of the overall pre-race favorites ( Schaulk and Tostado) fixing flats on the trail side. After getting a flat the weekend before, I could empathize with the frustration they were probably feeling and also began to worry about the possibility of one of my tires being torn by the razor sharp lava covering this section of the course. Perhaps it was this feeling that caused me to ride a little bit conservatively through the many lava rock outcroppings on the trail. In any regards, I soon heard someone heckling me from behind. I looked over my shoulder to find Team Niner rider and fellow singlespeed racer Deejay Birch fresh on my wheel. Deejay was the only other SS rider I knew in the race and I also knew that he would be giving me a run for the money at the event.

Deejay and I rode the singletrack together for about 30 minutes or so, before his bike started making a bad squeaking noise. He stopped to check his equipment over as I continued down the trail. At this point, I knew there was a lot of time remaining in the race, so I didn’t push myself too hard. I figured the break from head-to-head competition would provide a chance for me to eat, drink and return to riding the more technical stuff a little more conservatively. During this time, I was also able to get some great views of high alpine lakes and enjoy the natural beauty of the Cascades, which would have been hard to do with another rider with me. Before I knew it, I was done with the first loop and arriving back to the main checkpoint and transition area. I did a quick grab of a filled camelback and two bottles, before rushing off to do loop number two.

Without a doubt, loop number two was the toughest of the three and this immediately became evident on the first trail leading out of the transition area, which is called ‘Ugly.’ This trail is basically a logging road that climbs partway up the mountain again. It is called Ugly because it is cover by 3-6 inches of moon dust, which covers hidden roots and rocks under all the mess. I was so happy to be on a singlespeed with all the dust being kicked up. I could not imagine the havoc it would cause to the drivetrain of a geared bike. At the top, things did not get much better as the trail descended down into a pit filled with small to medium-sized loose lava rocks. I was able to handle the descent down with no problems, but the steep climb out of the large pit was covered with the same rock and it became a hike-a-bike portion for me. It was at this point that I realized I forgot to remove my long sleeved Salsa jersey at the transition area and I began to notice it was warming up fast. I thought about ditching the jersey by a tree or bridge and picking it up later, but figured instead it would be better to wait a little while and leave it at the next checkpoint, which was only about 20 miles away.

Loop two continued to climb up the mountain and I eventually came to a section the race promoter warned all the riders about at the pre-race meeting. Apparently, there was an angry grouse at this section of trail and she was reported to be very protective of her territory. I checked for the bird and was glad that she had decided to let me pass her home without consequence. Other riders reported after the race that they were not so lucky. After making it passed the angry grouse section, I came to what I thought might be the top of the climb. I decided to stop here and resolve two issues I was having. The first priority was to remove a small stone that somehow had entered my shoe and felt like it was digging a hole into the bottom of my foot for the last 15-20 miles. After removing my shoe and knocking all the junk out of it, I took care of issue number two. During a 100-mile race, there are times when it becomes necessary to relieve the body of excess liquids. I figured this was as good of a place as any to allow myself this relief, since it appeared that I was all alone and in the middle of nowhere. It always feels good to take a quick pit stop, but sometimes it is hard to allow the time for the relief.

Not long after I jumped back on my bike after my pit stop, I heard the familiar heckling of Deejay behind me again. It was actually good to hear his voice and I yelled back at him, “Where have you been?” We then rode some of the best singletrack on the mountain together for about the next hour or so. It seemed during this time that we were in a constant state of descending. But, I knew eventually the long fun ride down the mountain would end and when it did I knew we would have a long journey back up to the top. My guess about the course wasn’t wrong, but I had no idea that the course was basically going to go up for the next two hours of ride time.

It was during all of this climbing that I was able to get a pretty good gap on my closest SS competitor. It was also another great section of amazing trail, which eventual lead all the way back up to Mt Bachelor and even passed a handful of snow piles along the way. The pristine beauty of the high mountains has always been a favorite of mine and the Cascades did not disappoint me with the views I saw on that trail.

After leaving the Mt Bachelor checkpoint, it was mostly downhill again leading back down to the ‘Ugly’ trail, which then led to the main and final checkpoint. I was shocked as I rode down Ugly and saw other racers just starting a trail that I had entered about 4 hours earlier. I felt like stopping to warn them of the obstacles ahead, but decided they would be better off not knowing what loop two had in store for them. It felt great coming back into the transition area and the final checkpoint, leading to the super fun loop number three.

Since loop number three is only 13 miles long, I did a pre-ride of the loop the day before the race with my fast friend Josh Tostado. It was great having at least an idea of what to expect going into the last leg of the race. But, at the same time, I had no idea what my gap was on Deejay and feared the possibility of being caught with so little course remaining. So, to maintain my lead, I stayed on the gas and tried to keep things smooth on the BMX-ish style loop. This section of the course is so awesome because it has tons of banked berms, large tabletop and double jumps, and basically just has a nice flow to it. There is no way to become bored with riding on this trail, even after completing 87 miles prior to starting it.

I was able to finish loop three without any trouble and secure the hard-earned singlespeed victory with a winning time of 8 hours and 55 minutes. After finishing, I rode up the parking lot a short ways turned around and then noticed that my friend and competitor of the day, Deejay, had finished a short two minutes and one second later. On a course containing so much climbing, I was surprised to see that my finishing time was actually good enough for a 6th place overall finish out of 200 riders.

It was a great feeling to finally get another win at a NUE Series Race after struggling at many of the races this season. It was also nice to not have to dig so deep within myself to find the energy and courage to finish a race for a change. These feelings coupled with the course layout and the amazing singletrack trails of the race may lead for me to refer to this race as the sweetness, instead of the HC 100. Yeah, it really was that good.

Happy Trails, Gerry