What a nice looking bike...as cyclocross bikes become more and more common manufacturers need to try harder to make their models stand out from the crowd, and Salsa has stepped up with a 'cross bike that is both functionally well put together and gorgeous.Many of us ride and/or race single speed cross bikes, but we'll admit that occasionally it would be nice to have some gears. It's a classic trade off between the simplicity and efficiency of a single geared bike and the optimal gearing options of a multispeed rig. Is there a compromise? Often in the cycling world compromise leads to no one being happy, but in this case there might be a happy a middle ground: The 1x10. The Con Crosso comes with 10 Sram Rival gears in the rear for gearing options but keeps it nice and simple up front with a single chainring. This saves weight and helps ensure that you have a decent chain line in almost any gear (especially important in muddy 'cross conditions), and due to the Paul Components Chain Keeper up front there's virtually no chance that your chain will fall off no matter the conditions or how many times your rubber side faces up. What's more, the Chain Keeper is anodized blue to match the hubs, headset, and seat tube collar. Nice.
The other usual 'cross features are all here, like a flattened undersection of the top tube to allow for good shouldering and a high bottom bracket to clear obstacles easily, and the rest of the components are great value for the dollar. We currently have one of these complete bikes built up and another frameset hanging from the wall waiting to be custom spec'd. Come and check them out today.