You don’t have to be over 40 to dream about a bicycle that is comfortable, durable, and as capable of an all-day ride in the country as it is on a club ride in the city. Finding one bike that will do it all is the goal of many road riders, and not just those that are new to the sport. Roadies with years of experience know the benefits of owning a second bike that has been set-up for commuting to work or training on days on wet, spring days.
Unfortunately, there are surprisingly few options for a bicycle that many call the “all-rounder.” Bikes that can go anywhere and do anything are functional, not flashy. As a result, these bikes don’t sell in the same volume, which explains why they are rarely advertised in magazines and unlikely to be on the showroom floor at the local bike store.
That is why I was so delighted when I stumbled upon the Salsa Casseroll at the 2006 Interbike Show. Here was a bike that was clearly designed and outfitted for long distance cycling. When I asked Salsa Marketing Manager Mike Riemer about the rationale behind the design, he told me that the folks at Salsa wanted a bicycle that they could ride themselves every day, whether commuting to work or cruising in the countryside. So they created the Casseroll in two flavors – fixed gear and triple.
My impressions on the Casseroll were published today at RoadBikeRider.com
In the course of the following year, we noticed that “Salsa Casseroll” showed up in the top search terms that readers were using to find Ready to Ride on the Web. I wrote to Riemer and shared the discovery. He shipped us a bike to test ride.
I rode a Salsa Casseroll Triple between November 2007 and March 2008. I put more than 400 miles on the bike. I used it for winter training rides, from a short, round-the-lake time trial in Lake Oswego, to a 100K winter exploration of the Columbia Plateau with The Kramer. I used it on the rugged roads of the Oregon Coast and the super smooth blacktop in wine country on two Oregon Randonneurs brevets.
My impressions on the bike were published today on RoadBikeRider.com. Click here to read the review, which will be available free to all readers until June 26. After that date it will move to the RoadBikeRider premium site, which only subscribers can access.
Tags: Bicycle design
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One Response to
“R2R Road Test: Salsa Casseroll Triple”
rounder
June 6th, 2008 at 10:53 pmThanks David for your views on this bicycle.
Recently I dusted off my 80′s Motobecane and trained and road my first century. I found out that the bike did not fit me too well and it plain needed work. My local bike shop (after sizing me up) recommended the Casseroll. So here I am on the net trying to get a better handle on the bike, will this be a frame I can live with for a long time (wheels and components come and go). It must not be a slug to be able to help you make a personal best on one of your rides. Thanks for your review.
Rick