|3iker

Reading your shortened version of your post, I think all you need is a bike that could accommodate fenders and a rear rack. No need for front racks. As such, the Fuji Cross Comp would work.

acc

Mickey85: What is a drilled crown? How can I tell if the Salsa has it?

mickey85

If it has brakes that bolt to the top of the fork (sidepull/centerpull/dual pivot), it's drilled. I honestly haven't seen a fork that isn't drilled up there.

acc

Looking at pix of front racks online, it appears that most of them require a mounting point in the middle of the fork in addition to the crown and axle points. Is this true?

poopisnotfood

I can't comment on the Salsa, but I have a Cross Comp and have had good luck with it. Good solid bike, quality components at the price level. Only you can decide which is better for you, but I don't think you would be dissatisfied with the Fuji.

knobster

Most do, not all. Most carbon forks you'll find don't have this mount. My older Tricross has a rack mountable carbon fork. For commuting I don't think I've ever carried so much that I needed a front rack though. Touring, I don't know if I'd use anything other than a touring bike such as the LHT or Trek 520.

You can change the front chain ring to a 34 but I think your best bang for your buck is to simply get a higher cassette. I run a 11/34 on one particular wheelset and I use this wheel when I'm expecting to do some major climbing. Switch the rear deraileur to a long cage and slap the cassette on there. Probably no more than $100-130 and 10 minutes work.

P.S. I know some of those hills in Seattle. My car barely had enough gearing to get up some of them... Portland is flat compared to that.

CCrew

That's correct. Most do, although some designs do not. There would be a threaded hole about halfway up the outside of each fork blade, about midway between axle and crown.

Honestly though, neither bike is a loaded tourer so I wouldn't be looking to install a front rack.. If that's what you want then what you should be buying is the LHT.

rumrunn6

why ask? are you considering a return?

no1mad 

The Fuji will work for what you bought it for. When it comes to touring, either learn to make do without the kitchen sink or get a trailer.

CCrew

Rumrun6, if you reread his original post that's exactly what he was contemplating.

rumrunn6

doh!

acc

thanks again, everyone.

So, maybe this is a dumb question, but if i find a front rack that would fit on either bike, what would happen if it was loaded down too much. I understand that it's not ideal, but why is it not ideal?

fender1

Go with the Fuji. I have given up on Triples. I am currently riding a Salsa La Cruz w 46/34 up front and a 10 speed 11-34 in the rear. Unless you are carrying serious weight up large hills, the triple is overkill. You can talk to the shop about using smaller rings up front and a wider range cassette in the rear and get rid of a bunch of gearing you don't really need. Also if you want to try a steel frame bike, pick up a used one of of CL for cheap and make it a future project. Saving 3lbs of weight will make the ride more fun so you are more likely to ride more.

thdave

I would look your bike over carefully. I don't recall seeing a bike that has rear fender provisions but not front.

Also, "rear rack capable" is not good enough for many. Any bike can fit a weight limited rack that is clamped onto the seat tube. But that's not a suitable rack for me. I need a rack that has two mounts--one to the seat stays and the other to the frame at the rear drop outs. A rack has to be able to hold a pannier, imo, as well as a reasonable sized trunk bag.

M_S

It's worth pointing out that in some ways both of these bikes can work pretty well for what the OP wants to do. The casseroll is not a purpose built loaded touring bike either, and anyways that's not what would likely be best for the OP. I think a rear rack and some gearing modifications (34t front ring and 11-34 10 speed cassette w/ mountain derailleur, yes they exist, and shimano is going 10 speed soon with its mountain groups) would make it more than adequate. The 300+ dollars saved by going with the fuji gives you plenty of spare change to make modifications, add accessories, and heck, even swap out the frame if it just doesn't work quite right.

CliftonGK1

I'd stick with the Fuji. I ride with the Seattle Randonneurs, and I've seen my fair share of steel and alu/carbon bikes on the rides. Either one will handle what you're looking to do.
The Salsa's steel frame isn't going to be inherently better. An Alu/carbon combo with a pair of 28 - 32mm tires will smooth out the ride just as well. Both bikes can fit fenders and a rear rack; the Salsa can mount a front rack (I wouldn't put one on the carbon Fuji fork), but if you're only planning on moderately loaded touring, you can get away with just the rear rack.
The triple isn't necessary around here if you have a compact double. I use a 34/48 compact crank and an 11-32 mountain cassette and Deore derailleur. None of the hills around here have been harsh enough for me to want anything lower. Even loaded down with panniers, you'll probably not be on anything like the crazy steep 20% grades, so a compact and a wide cassette should work.

LeeG

you are relishing this buyers remorse big time. "too much" means it doesn't handle well and "something" is more likely to break/damaged. Kind of like if you put on too much weight or you put in too much air in the tires, or you slathered too much oil on the chain. Too much is a meaningless term without numbers and method of attachments. A radial front wheel isn't a wheel designed for heavy loads. What's a heavy load? Oh hell, 25lbs would be a heavy load. I bet you could configure 5 lb-8lb load with either fork and have no problem. If you were a 250lb rider instead of a 150lb rider maybe no more weight up front would be appropriate for the carbon fork. 5-8lbs is a significant portion of a light touring set up. It could be 25%-50% of your total load.

Can't say until someone comes up with some empirical data on those respective forks/wheels and does some loaded drops off of curbs and endos over objects with racks configured to cantilever bosses or p-clamps to blades.

This is where you gotta stop spinning out on possibilities. If you wanted a touring bike that could carry heavy loads you'd by that. It's not what you want so you didn't buy that and were enticed by the good deal of a cross bike with adequate clearance for fenders and adaptable for light touring.

acc

Hi everyone,
Thanks again for all your suggestions, and I'm sorry to bump this thread again, but I found another bike that I'd like some input on:

Masi Speciale CX

11/28 cassette (vs 12/25 on the Fuji), 50/34 crankset (vs 46/36 on the Fuji). This gives me the wider range of gears some suggested. Not quite 1:1 at the lowest, but a lot lower than the Fuji, and barely higher than the Casseroll with its triple. Masi range: 1.21:1 - 4.55:1. Fuji range: 1.44:1 - 3.83:1. Salsa range: 1.2:1 - 4.17:1.

Also, it has proper braze-ons for both front and rear racks, so it should handle a front rack better than the Casseroll, right? It apparently has a lower bottom bracket and longer wheel base than a typical cross bike.

The downside appears to be components - Tiagra brifters and front derailleur as opposed to 105s on the Fuji and Casseroll, and a 105 rear derailleur as opposed to the Ultegra on the Fuji. But many folks have suggested switching out the ultegra for a mountain derailleur in order to accommodate a cassette with a wider range. I don't know much about non-Shimano components anyone have any insights on these?

It is slightly heavier than the other two, but not much: Fuji = 22.8 LB, Casseroll = 23.5 LB, Masi = 24.5 LB

The Masi is on sale for $850. I paid $900 for the Fuji and can get the Salsa for $1300. Plus I can get the Masi (or Salsa) from my small local bike shop, rather than from Performance.

Any thoughts on the Masi? Anyone use it as a loaded touring bike or even put a front rack on? How did it handle? Any thing else I should know? Not a whole lot of reviews online, but most seem to be quite positive. Thanks again.

P.S. to LeeG: Yes, I do have buyer's remorse, although I'm not particularly relishing it I made a semi-impulse buy based on a sale that was ending the same day I tested the Fuji. I was upfront with the salesman about this and that I might return it if I found something better. This is a large purchase for me, and I'm just trying to get the best bike I can. I have very limited knowledge and this is my only real source of info that doesn't come from a person trying to sell me a bike. The Fuji is not offered in the same shop as the Salsa and the Masi, so of course even the most honest salespeople are going to be somewhat biased towards what is offered in their stores. Thanks.

Torrilin

All of these bikes will get you from point A to point B, even if A to B is a really long distance. By really long distance, I'm talking over 100 miles in a day.

Since you do not ride a lot right now, you don't have a way to judge if the fit is right for you or not. There are guidelines a store's fitter can use, but without getting your butt in the saddle and riding, you can't tell the fitter things like "I really need a bike that can haul 50lbs of groceries". And you can't tell them "I have stupidly short legs, so I really need a low bottom bracket or I fall trying to dismount at stop lights." Yes, these are real bike fit problems. Yes, I really have almost fallen from having about a 3" drop between my fully extended toe and the road, and not having 3" of space between me and the top tube.

So right now, the important thing is to pick a bike, and get your butt in the saddle. The bike will be the wrong fit. This is ok, normal, and kind of goes with the territory. For the average rider, the wrong fit will be pretty fixable with some help from a fitter and by swapping some parts. For me, not so much... but the average rider is not an arthritic 32 year old woman with a 29" inseam and 5'6" height who needs to haul 50lbs of groceries and store her bike in the basement. Odds are excellent you don't need anything as specialized as what I need. Even my partner, who has a similarly long torso, has an easier time finding a suitable bike than I do .

Stop stressing, keep the bike, and get some miles on it.