# Salsa Las Cruces or Ritchey Break Away Cross



## ghex (Jul 28, 2006)

I am a cyclocross newbie who needs opinions from ya'll. I have the opportunity to get either a Salsa Las Cruces or a Ritchey Break Away Cross (both new) at absurdly low prices....you wouldn't believe the deals! I want to be a one bike guy. I will ride nasty pavement, dirt roads, a small amount of singletrack, and by next year, I plan to do a few races. 

In short...which should I buy? I can get the Salsa fully built for about 300 bucks less than I can get the Ritchey fully built....

Thanks in advance.


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## TOZOVR (May 19, 2005)

I lust after the old non-breakaway Ritchey's....not that the break aways are bad, but I just have no need for that feature. Do you need it to be a BA or can you do with out it?


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## ghex (Jul 28, 2006)

*I don't need the break away---*

I wish Ritchey were still making other bikes----I have no need for a travel bike? Does this mean I should be looking at buying the Salsa? 

I can get the BMC CX for a steal too, but it is still pretty damn pricey for a rookie bike.


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## dlbcx (Aug 28, 2002)

Remember that the Salsa has a 135mm rear dropout width so road wheels won't work without redishing the spokes and swapping out the axle. However, on the positive side, you can run disk brakes on the Salsa.


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## ss-jimbo (Aug 3, 2006)

ghex said:


> I wish Ritchey were still making other bikes----I have no need for a travel bike? Does this mean I should be looking at buying the Salsa?
> 
> I can get the BMC CX for a steal too, but it is still pretty damn pricey for a rookie bike.


If you don't get the Ritchey BA feel free to send me in the direction of a good price. I'm looking at getting a cross bike this fall, and the Breakaway is at the top of my list. I do travel alot and want a bike that can pretty much do it all, with rack mounts no less.

jimbo


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## The General (Feb 5, 2004)

I have a salsa and love it, no experience with the ritchey's. I use mine as SS and built up a couple White Ind EBB hubs for it.


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## versitalex (Jul 30, 2006)

*Solution*



ghex said:


> I am a cyclocross newbie who needs opinions from ya'll. I have the opportunity to get either a Salsa Las Cruces or a Ritchey Break Away Cross (both new) at absurdly low prices....you wouldn't believe the deals! I want to be a one bike guy. I will ride nasty pavement, dirt roads, a small amount of singletrack, and by next year, I plan to do a few races.
> 
> In short...which should I buy? I can get the Salsa fully built for about 300 bucks less than I can get the Ritchey fully built....
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Buy both and sell me the Salsa!


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## howiefelthersnatch (Jun 18, 2006)

BS! My Las Cruces accepts road wheels just fine. Just a longer skewer. Tighten it down and the frame pulls in.


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## ghex (Jul 28, 2006)

*Jimbo...*

I am leaning toward the Ritchey. For me the difference right now is that the rear hub spacing is 130 not 135 like on the Salsa (although I appreciate the comment that it is possible to force a road wheel onto it). 

The more I have researched, the more I have realized that this is a bit of an apples and oranges comparison. Based on my previous non-cross rides, I think I will like the steel bike. 

I would jump on this right now if it weren't for the "break away" feature. I am concerned that this feature will impair the potential racing performance of the bike. My fear has no rational basis. I know that I may never travel with the bike, so I just won't use that feature....and the risk???

By the way....I would be looking at a fully built Break Away with all Ultegra and par level rims, etc. for 1600. I have promised not to go directly to ebay to sell.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

salsa also has disc mounts, and IMO nothing is uglier than unused disc (or canti) mounts... if you're going disc, or might even consider it in the future, the ritchey has no mounts

'snatch, what you are doing is cold-setting that frame. yes, your 130-spaced road wheels will work, but that is not a good idea with alu


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## Cyclesmith (Jan 1, 2005)

ghex said:


> I am a cyclocross newbie who needs opinions from ya'll. I have the opportunity to get either a Salsa Las Cruces or a Ritchey Break Away Cross (both new) at absurdly low prices....you wouldn't believe the deals! I want to be a one bike guy. I will ride nasty pavement, dirt roads, a small amount of singletrack, and by next year, I plan to do a few races.
> 
> In short...which should I buy? I can get the Salsa fully built for about 300 bucks less than I can get the Ritchey fully built....
> 
> Thanks in advance.


I owned a Salsa and really didn't like it...I think I had for maybe 2 months and then got rid of it... Bad Geometry for me and I didn't like the ride. On the other hand I would also have no need for a breakaway cross bike. IMHO, I would try and renegotiate that deal for something else..... hell even something cheap like a Soma or a Surly I would take before either of those two frames.


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