Whether it is a cyclocross event in Portland, Providence, Louisville, Minneapolis, or Cross Vegas you are likely to see the Chili Con Crosso in action. It has developed a strong reputation among cyclocross athletes for its performance, ride quality, geometry, weight, and price. We love cross because the bikes are so versatile and capable. For many people, if they could only own one bike, it would be a cross bike. Today it is my pleasure to share the full details of the new Chili Con Crosso.
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
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!
As we shared earlier this week, Tim and Mark were in Taiwan overseeing production of our new Chili Con Crosso. Tim is on his way to Europe now and Mark is hand carrying this production frame back home. This images should give you just a bit more info about the details and features of this new frameset.
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.
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
Raneman and I are in Taiwan right now, working hard to bring you some new product. We are here checking samples, doing QC checks, and supervising production of the new 2011 Chili Con Crosso, as well as a few other new suprises that are yet to come.
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.
In the past couple weeks we’ve begun shipping the first of our new La Cruz Ti frames, so Jason asked me if I’d be willing to share some of my experience on the frame.
My experience on a prototype La Cruz Ti is most likely quite different than how a typical cyclocross racer might use the bike. At this point in my cycling career I’d likely be squarely classified as a ‘Gravel Specialist’. There’s nothing wrong with that and I suspect we’ll see quite a few La Cruz Ti bikes on the gravel scene in the coming seasons.
My frame was one of several prototypes that were ordered when Salsa began exploring titanium as a frame material. Details like cable routing, tire clearance, and accessory fitments are different than on the production frames, however tubing specification is the same. The changes on the production frames are all improvements and I suspect someday I will purchase a production La Cruz Ti.
My experience with cyclocross bikes began around 2001 with the purchase of a Bean Green Surly Crosscheck. It was my first ‘road bike’ that I purchased specifically to serve multi-purpose use that included year-round commuting, weekly training rides, crit racing, road riding, and ‘cross racing in the fall. Like many other folks, I immediately recognized the versatility of cyclocross bicycles.
Over the past several years I’ve spent hundreds of hours and thousands of miles riding and racing Salsa’s La Cruz Disc and Chili Con Crosso models. In 2009 I logged over 4000 miles on the La Cruz Ti. When I wasn’t training (riding my loaded Fargo) for the Tour Divide, I was riding that LC Ti proto.
In the fall of 2008 we took delivery of several titanium prototype frames from Lynskey. I built my bike with a SRAM Rival drivetrain, Tektro brakes, Alpha Q fork, DT 240 hubs w/carbon clincher rims, Challenge tires, Ti Moots seatpost, and Salsa Pro Moto stem and Bell Lap handlebar. Very few changes, aside from worn tires, pads, and drivetrain components, have been made since that original build.
While winter was beginning in Minnesota I began riding the bike, primarily commuting, 30+ miles a day. It stayed on its hook on the wettest of days and made round trips on the sub-zero days. In early March the weather broke and we began getting consistent above freezing days. Added to my commutes were base mile training rides of 80+ miles, a bit of gravel, and finally some higher intensity/faster paced riding. It wasn’t until I began to get the bike out on the longer rides and rougher terrain that I was able to identify the characteristics that I really liked.
The La Cruz Ti really shines on long rides and/or rough terrain. How long? In 2009 I raced Trans Iowa V5 and the 100-mile Almanzo with this bike. Trans Iowa V5 was my third attempt, second finish, and first win of the grueling 320-mile gravel race. Coupled with good preparation, conditions, and riding partners, the La Cruz Ti was an important part of my success.
I chose the bike based on two primary factors: weight and comfort. Weight plays into comfort, of course, but it also affects speed and endurance. When you push more weight, you will fatigue faster than you would pushing less weight. My proto weighs in near the 18 lb (8.1kg) mark. Riding a lighter bike helped me stay ‘fresh’ longer and cover ground faster!
Defining comfort is a bit more complex. I started out writing this review by defining comfort in relation to loss of power and speed (due to rider fatigue) over miles covered. I got halfway through that paragraph and realized that unless we have data and/or are talking about pro athletes (one of which I am not), plotting these factors is unnecessary.
For the vast majority of regular Joe’s (which I am literally), it is all about perception. I don’t own a power meter, I don’t use a heart rate monitor, and I definitely don’t monitor my caloric intake. I train, race, and choose my equipment based on perception and the experience I’m seeking.
At the finish of Trans Iowa V5, after close to 25 continuous hours on the bike I could hardly walk. I hobbled to the hotel room, whacked out on adrenaline and exhaustion, and climbed into the shower to rid myself of accumulated limestone dust. It took a strong dosage of coffee, a hot shower, and repeated cycles of stretching to stand up straight, push my shoulders back, and arch my back. The physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion weren’t a surprise. What was a surprise though was the speed of my recovery. I was back on the commuting regimen Monday morning, just over 24 hours after getting off the bike in Iowa. The ride to work was definitely at a recovery pace, but my body wasn’t nearly as fatigued as I’d expected. I believe the bike had something to do with the rate of my recovery. I believe it absorbed more of the impact from the road surface, slowing the rate of my fatigue and preserving my body to ride another day.
Frames built with titanium have long been coveted for their blend of performance characteristics. They have been described as having the ride quality of high-end steel in a lightweight and durable package. While they are expensive in comparison to steel and alloy, they are, dare I say, an heirloom quality product. No, you probably won’t pass the frame on to your grand child, but I doubt you’ll be looking to replace your frame any time soon.
Like I said, my experience with the La Cruz Ti may be different from that of most ‘cross racers. But it might be right up the alley in terms of what many riders are experiencing or looking for, there is gold in them there gravel hills after all...
In the coming weeks I'll be gluing tubular tires to rims and taking the occasional whiff of embrocation to adjust the senses for cyclocross season. During this time we will be releasing small bits and pieces about the new Chili Con Crosso to get you thinking about the changes we are making for the 2010 cyclocross season!
Monday September 14th, 2009
| 1 Comments | Kid Riemer
We are proud to continue to work with the CLIF Bar Developmental Cyclo-Cross Team. While doing their darndest to kick ass on the 'cross circuit, they are also trying to kick ass environmentally.
Here's is the team's press release and roster. We hope you get a chance to see them in action this season. -Kid
CLIF BAR Development Cyclo-Cross Team Enters Sixth Season, Focusing on Climate Change
Boulder, Colorado, September, 9 2009—The CLIF BAR Development Cyclo-Cross Team is set to begin its sixth season this month, looking to build not only on its past racing success but to continue to raise awareness about important environmental issues.
This season’s focus on climate change lines up perfectly with the timing of ‘cross season:
- CLIF BAR’s Start Global Cooling campaign is always promoted through the Team and at the US Gran Prix of Cyclo-Cross Series;
- 350.org is working to unite the public, media, and our political leaders behind the goal of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 ppm, harnessing the power of the Internet to coordinate a planetary day of action on October 24;
- Brighter Planet will be helping the CLIF BAR Team and the cycling community measure their carbon footprint, discover simple ways to reduce it, track their progress, and share their experiences;
- ClimateCounts.org, a collaborative effort to bring consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change, will be working with the CLIF BAR Team and its sponsors;
- During the U.S. Cyclo-Cross National Championships, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark is taking place.
Team members will be learning, helping create awareness in the cycling community and their own communities and schools, and taking action themselves.
The CLIF BAR Development Team features an exciting roster of top young cyclo-crossers, led by first-year Elite Colin Cares and veteran Under-23 racer Alex Howes, who has been with the program since its first year in 2004. The team also has several returning and first-year Under-23 riders, and many promising Juniors ranging from 14 to 18 years old.
The team is looking forward to a strong season, following many podium appearances at the 2008 Cyclo-Cross Nationals last December and a summer filled with National Championship medals and top results in road, track, and mountain bike races.
For the third year, the CLIF BAR Development Team will be riding the Salsa Chili Con Crosso, with SRAM drivetrain, Chris King headsets, Crank Brothers pedals, TRP brakes, fi’zi:k saddles, and MAVIC wheels. Pedro’s will keep the team rolling with race support, tools, and bike care products. Pearl Izumi and Patagonia will outfit the team on and off the bike.
CLIF BAR Development Team riders will be focusing on the US Gran Prix Series, Boulder Racing Series, New England Championship Series, Bay Area Super Prestige Series, and the New York State Series – before ending the season with the US Nationals.
You can keep up with what the kids on the team are up to, and learn more about how you can take action in the fight against climate change at the team’s blog:
http://www.sustainablecycling.blogspot.com
Team Roster:
Andrew Barker, U23 - Boulder, CO Alex Howes, U23 - Boulder, CO Bjorn Fox, Jr – Stinson Beach, CA Cody Cox, U23 – Golden, CO Colin Cares, Elite – Colorado Springs, CO Conor Mullervy, U23 – Grand Junction, CO Curtis White, Jr – Delanson, NY Danny Hiller, Jr – Boulder, CO David Kessler, Jr – Littleton, CO Kevin Mullervy, U23 – Grand Junction, CO Mitchell Hoke, U23 – Colorado Springs, CO Nate Morse, Jr – Cohasset, MA Robin Eckmann, Jr – Boulder, CO Russell Finsterwald, U23 – Colorado Springs, CO Yannick Eckmann, Jr – Boulder, CO Zack Gould, Jr – Boulder, CO Zane Godby, Jr – Louisville, CO
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