The Shakedown - Salsa Cycles

Titanium bikes are a lot like drugs. You don’t think you want one. Then someone let’s you ride theirs on a whim. “Wow that feels pretty nice!” Then you venture out and buy your very first Ti bike. “One won’t hurt, will it?”

Late last summer I got my hands on a Mukluk Ti. Wow, my very own Ti bike! And I fell in love with it. The ride was quick and responsive, yet compliant. Smooth and supple the titanium soaked up the harshness of whatever I threw into my bike's path. Dang, I was addicted. 

The next bike was an easy choice. I love the do-it-all nature of my Fargo. From singletrack trails to gravel roads, to a bit of pavement sprinkled in with a few gravel connectors, the Fargo is my Jack-of-all-trades bike. The Ti frame graced my hands and the ideas of the build started flowing. In my opinion, with Ti it is imperative to build with a single color in mind. The whole bike comes together nicely when you have that one little bit of information to tie it all back together. My color choice was blue. 

Building a bike in the winter is nice...and it isn't. You think you will slowly chip away at it in your basement since the idea of riding in sub temps is numbing. But if you are like me, you just can’t. I put in the blue headset and the rest of the parts started flying on. What a beauty. 

Spring came the day before I finished my build, and as in many other areas of the world its arrival has been a cold one. But nonetheless, it was time to ride the bike, shakeout any bugs,  and stretch those new cables. But this being a special bike, it needed a special shakedown ride. 

[Keep reading at Salsa Cycles]