# Salsa Colossal (new guy here)



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

*Salsa Colossal (with pics!!!)*

SCROLL DOWN FOR BUILD PHOTOS

Howdy, I've run across this forum lots of times in searches. Just Joined, I'm a member of MTBR and Weight Weenies. (sorry if thats taboo I figure riders are riders and if I can learn something/ help out I don't care what the URL is...)I've been riding off and on for about 15 years, started as a commuter in college, and now just do it for fitness/ stress relief/ productive release.

I do a little bit of all sorts of riding and my current road ride is great (Cervelo R5, Campy Super Record, Carbon Clinchers, KCNC ultralight brakes make for great ~14lb setup but less than ideal braking on descents and in foul weather) but not ideal for all types of road riding and all the conditions I find myself in, so I'm looking to get a backup road steed that can handle all kinds of weather and terrain.

I placed an order on a Salsa Colossal TI and I'm going to build it up with a Campagnolo Centaur drivetrain and leave the rest stock.

Does anyone have any experience with this bike? and If so post some photo's/ opinions...:thumbsup::thumbsup:

I've been looking to build a road disc project for a while, but I'm tired of waiting on Foundry to get something to market, so I'm going with the Salsa!


----------



## Zeet (Mar 24, 2013)

Good Luck on your new build! I'm sure she's gonna last forever! :thumbsup:


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

thanks,

I guess nobody else here has messed with one, I guess I'll have to take a ton of photos and post an in depth review


----------



## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

mjduct said:


> thanks,
> 
> I guess nobody else here has messed with one, I guess I'll have to take a ton of photos and post an in depth review


:thumbsup: sounds good!


----------



## SGGuy (Nov 26, 2005)

mjduct said:


> thanks,
> 
> I guess nobody else here has messed with one, I guess I'll have to take a ton of photos and post an in depth review


I have one, just haven't got around to taking pics 

She's a beaut, all weather road bike :thumbsup:


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

I just got shipping confirmation from my LBS, and it's looking like bad weather later this week so I'll see if I can get it put together and I'll start a photo thread and shame SGGuy into taking some photos of his!


----------



## Blue Star (Jun 9, 2012)

Not that I'm in the market (at the moment), but I'd very much appreciate your assessment of the Colossal. I have the older Centaur (2006 compact ultratorque) on my Salsa Casseroll and it continues to perform flawlessly with only chain replacements. What wheels do you have in mind?


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

I'm going to keep the stock wheels and just swap the free hub body to Campy:

32 hole DT Swiss 350 hubs
DT Swiss Champion Spokes
HED begium C2 rims (braketrackless)


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

this thing is hot! ride report coming ssoon, I built this one up with Campy Centaur- 10 speed and red accents


----------



## aureliajulia (May 25, 2009)

mjduct said:


> this thing is hot! ride report coming ssoon, I built this one up with Campy Centaur- 10 speed and red accents



Looks like an aircraft! Want!!!

The Salsas are supposed to be superb in handling and weight compared to the 'competition.' Looking forward to your reviews.


----------



## Blue Star (Jun 9, 2012)

It looks superb... enjoy the new ride!


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

So I got a chance to break it in a little today, I didn't have much time (baby asleep, wife trying getting ready to go shopping) so I just went to the largest Hill in my neighborhood and climbed/descended it 10 times. On the descent I bedded in the brakes by slowing to a near stop, accelerating again and repeating. I would do one whole descent with the front and the next using only the back. By descent 7 or 8 both sets were rock solid. 

The rear can lock it up anytime I want and I have to really position myself to deal with the force when I get on the front at 25+. The last two descents I played with feathering the brake and controlling my speed and there is a wonderful amount of modulation, much better than my KCNC brakes on my carbon rims on my other road bike where you can hear the brake and not feel anything until you put them to the bar and then they howl before they start working.

The bike isn't the lightest in the world. However, climbing was better than I thought it would be (My other road bike is a sub 14lb Cervelo R5 Mountain goat). The HED C2 rims are pretty chunky (whole wheelset with rotors is over 1800 grams), the 28mm challenge tires are pretty heavy as well, and the whole bike weighs a hair over 17lbs with pedals. I don't know if it was the stiffness of the frame or what, but It climbed very well to grades around 8% I'm sure I might struggle on some of my longer routes that have grades over 15% the frame had a fantastic feel to it, and it carves up the road nicely doesn't transmit alot of road imperfections as well as feeling alive when putting the power down out of the saddle.

I don't know if it was the Titanium frame, wide rims, fat tires, some combination of the 3 but the bike turns very well, begs for tighter corners, and makes all those gouges in the asphalt disappear (you know the weird ones that look like somebodies bumper fell of and chipped outta piece of the road)

The factory build comes with a compact crank, I put on a standard 39-53. I offset this a bit by going with a 12-30 cassette and a medium cage derailleur. I think a compact crankset would be great with this bike with chainrings in between like 36-52 with a more traditional cassette. Either way my granny gear is a 39-30 which is pretty low for a roadbike and I was easily spinning (avg cadence 110) in a gear or two lower than that on the climbs I did today.

final thoughts: 

Ti is real!
Disc brakes on a road bike are for real!
wider tires ~28mm feel great!

This is a great alternative to a weigh weenie build, it's a little heavy, and won't win any races under me, but it is a great bike for pounding around in, no matter the weather, road condition, or terrain. It can go up and down very well and with comfort.


----------



## aureliajulia (May 25, 2009)

I think the cornering might be due to the trail and head tube angles. 

My Pinarello is a tank. A very fast tank. I like the way these heavier bikes perform.


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

yeah, I like my heavy bike too!










and with the trailer+kid it might weigh more than some tanks!


----------



## aureliajulia (May 25, 2009)

mjduct said:


> yeah, I like my heavy bike too!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is that a Surly or a Salsa Fat Bike?  My N + Infinity list is getting hard to manage.


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

thats a Surly Necromancer Pugsley... and a cheap trailer from a Local Swap Meet.


----------



## Eastcoastislander (Sep 11, 2012)

mjduct said:


>


That is one beautiful bike, well done! I hope more people will post their Colossal builds in this thread, especially anyone who has a 60cm frame...


----------



## SGGuy (Nov 26, 2005)

Here's mine. 55cm
View attachment 282692


----------



## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

Very nice, I can't make out what kind of hubs you have. How about sharing?


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

Dt swiss 350 with campy free hub on mine (shimano hub from the factory with the 105 group)


----------



## TKB (Jul 10, 2013)

MJDUCT - Thanks for sharing this. I am interested in a build similar to your's. Would be interested in knowing how you selected the Colossal and how you chose size. I am on a 52 cm Cannondale CAAD8 that is getting long in the tooth. I am 5' 8.75" (really sensitive about my height!) but with absurdly short legs. The Cannondale fits fine and have done up to 100 miles a day on it, with no problems until recently. I am having periodic neck pain due to a mountain bike accident a year ago. Want to get a more relaxed road bike and this looks like a candidate.


----------



## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

nicely done. I'm a little surprise that a ti bike with 28mm can feel lively and responsive.


----------



## adamoneil (Jul 15, 2013)

*loving my colossal*



mjduct said:


> Does anyone have any experience with this bike? and If so post some photo's/ opinions...:thumbsup::thumbsup:


Just got my Colossal Ti a couple weeks ago, and love it. I got it for the disc brakes and because it suits my "hardcore recreational" style of riding. I'm not fast enough to race, and haven't been for a long time. I do like to push myself, but I'm really more about enjoying the terrain and exploring. I also love riding with friends. But the bike is certainly part of the equation -- my hardware needs to have some level of bad-ass.

I had ridden a Serotta Classique since 2001. It was a stock frame that I thought fit me pretty well (and it's a great bike, really). I didn't think there was much room for improvement, but the Salsa has turned out to be a better fit. It's got a slightly higher front end, and the 175 mm cranks feel better than the 172.5s I rode forever. It feels very stable in turns, and for some reason I climb more confidently. (Probably because I'm not hitting my knees against the bars on steep climbs, and the longer cranks yield slightly more leverage.)

The only downside was that the original tires were cheap--I had to replace those right away (mainly out of frustration with a small puncture I had early on that caused me to waste a couple tubes). Other than that, it's been a great balance of performance and comfort.

Pics on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamoneil/sets/72157634475735871/


----------



## Triggsie (Sep 19, 2011)

I am going to be building up the steel version of this bike. My frame should be coming in today. I am going to be using SRAM Red components, FSA Energy crank, BB7 brakes and Stan's 340 Alpha Disc wheels. I can't wait!!!


----------



## jalm3yda (Aug 28, 2012)

Hi Mjduc, I'm close to pull the trigger on a ti frameset deal, just concerned about the size, 
Im 173cm tall, with 83cm of inseam... I do like the bikes on the smaller side, but am a bit concerned with toe overlap...

I would appreciate the feedback...

Cheers


----------



## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

mjduct said:


> Dt swiss 350 with campy free hub on mine (shimano hub from the factory with the 105 group)


I was wondering how you got a Centaur disc bike.


----------



## fab4 (Jan 8, 2003)

@Triggsie Did you ever built a steel version of the Salsa Colossal frameset? I'm thinking about getting one and would like to read about your experience with it if you did built one.



Triggsie said:


> I am going to be building up the steel version of this bike. My frame should be coming in today. I am going to be using SRAM Red components, FSA Energy crank, BB7 brakes and Stan's 340 Alpha Disc wheels. I can't wait!!!


----------



## Triggsie (Sep 19, 2011)

fab4 said:


> @Triggsie Did you ever built a steel version of the Salsa Colossal frameset? I'm thinking about getting one and would like to read about your experience with it if you did built one.


I did and I LOVE IT!
I have mine built up with SRAM RED components and BB7 brakes but I wish I had gone with Shimano M785 Di2 levers and hydraulic brakes. These BB7's always seem to need adjustment to get the best bite and minimize noise.
Mine is the 2013 model so it has a PF30 BB which is my other gripe. I already took the BB out to re loctite it in the fall and it's creeking again.
However, I don't know if it's the steel or BB30 but this thing climbs like a beast. All the power I put in goes to the ground and it flies up the hills.
I started out a little scared to take this thing on gravel but once I got the courage to venture out there I call the bike my "gravel muncher". It flies on pavement and rolls great over gravel.

If you have any other questions regarding the bike or builiding up the frame, feel free to PM me.


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

TKB said:


> MJDUCT - Thanks for sharing this. I am interested in a build similar to your's. Would be interested in knowing how you selected the Colossal and how you chose size. I am on a 52 cm Cannondale CAAD8 that is getting long in the tooth. I am 5' 8.75" (really sensitive about my height!) but with absurdly short legs. The Cannondale fits fine and have done up to 100 miles a day on it, with no problems until recently. I am having periodic neck pain due to a mountain bike accident a year ago. Want to get a more relaxed road bike and this looks like a candidate.



Sorry I missed this one before.

I know I'm about a 53, my cervelo is a 54 and my colnago is a 50 (wierd Italian sizing) just get what you normally get and throw away salsas reccomendations based on height, the bearded guys smoked a little too much before making that table.


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

cs1 said:


> I was wondering how you got a Centaur disc bike.


Brakes are avid BB7s road ---cable actuated and set up for road levers actuation ratios


----------



## GOTA (Aug 27, 2012)

mjduct said:


> Sorry I missed this one before.
> 
> I know I'm about a 53, my cervelo is a 54 and my colnago is a 50 (wierd Italian sizing) just get what you normally get and throw away salsas reccomendations based on height, the bearded guys smoked a little too much before making that table.


I'm 5'7 with a 29" inseam and a longish torso and ride 55 Colossal. I've also found that the Small size Giant frames fit very well. Sizing is always tough to figure out but I'm very glad that I went with the 55 Colossal instead of the 53.


----------



## mjduct (Jun 1, 2013)

For reference I'm about 5'7" with a 30" inseam and I'm on the 53. I've got a pretty short torso...


----------



## dhfox (Mar 30, 2011)

I saw it mentioned that the frame/fork has clearance to fit 32mm or 35mm tires. Has anyone tried to fit either of those two tire sizes? I'm looking to use mostly 28mm road tires, but I really would like the option to put on a 32 or 35mm file tread tire for the really rough roads. 


What is the largest tire anyone has ridden with on your Colossal Ti? Do you have a picture by chance that shows the rear tire / chainstay / seatstay clearance? And also, you're sure that the fork will accept a 35mm tire? 

Thanks!


----------



## Msquared (Jun 30, 2014)

You can't run a 32 or 35mm tire on the Colossal. I have the 2013 steel model and am running 28s with no extra room. 

Looks like the 2015 Ti Colossal can handle up to 30mm: Salsa Cycles


----------



## GOTA (Aug 27, 2012)

They changed the clearance for the 2015 models. For my 2013 steel Colossal I use 28mm but I think there would be room for 30mm depending on the tire. Forget about 32 or larger. It's not that kind of bike. The roads where I am are terrible but I've had no issues with using 28mm on them. Currently I'm using Continental GP 4 season and they've been great.


----------



## Raymo853 (Feb 15, 2005)

Triggsie said:


> I did and I LOVE IT!
> <cut>
> However, I don't know if it's the steel or BB30 but this thing climbs like a beast. All the power I put in goes to the ground and it flies up the hills.
> I started out a little scared to take this thing on gravel but once I got the courage to venture out there I call the bike my "gravel muncher". It flies on pavement and rolls great over gravel.


Your post may have swayed me to choose the steel Colossal frame to replace my 15 year old IF Club Racer. I love the IF except for the rim brakes. I've tried many things over 15 years and have never been happy with the brakes. 

Any idea what the frame weighed bare?


----------



## Raymo853 (Feb 15, 2005)

Does anyone have good photos of tire clearance in the newer Ti or steel frames. Planning to order a Ti 55 next week probably sight unseen. Risky I know but the geo numbers are so close to my 2004 IF Club Racer that needs to be replaced.


----------



## Raymo853 (Feb 15, 2005)

GOTA said:


> I'm 5'7 with a 29" inseam and a longish torso and ride 55 Colossal. I've also found that the Small size Giant frames fit very well. Sizing is always tough to figure out but I'm very glad that I went with the 55 Colossal instead of the 53.


Glad I re-read your post. At 5'9" and 29" I was assuming I should go with a 55, but now am thinking the 56 will fit better. I failed to notice how Salsa measures the top tube, a 56.5 sounds way too big for me compared to my current 55.5. However the 55.5 is center of head-tube to center of seat-tube unlike Salsa who does it center of head-tube to a line extended at the seat-tube angle up to horizontal. 










10 cm stems are much cooler than 15 cm stems anyway.


----------



## Raymo853 (Feb 15, 2005)

Crap, my hope to order a steel 56 were squashed today. My local shop looked and found out they are out of stock for the foreseeable future. Could be weeks or months. The store manager is meeting with QBP in three weeks and hopes to get more info for me then.

This appears to be an East Coast thing only due to the San Diego dock worker strike. The frames can be unloaded but not reloaded to new ships for the journey to the East Coast. 

I might decide later today to pony up the extra cash and get something like a Trek Boone frameset.


----------



## Raymo853 (Feb 15, 2005)

My Orange 56 cm Salsa Colossal arrived last week. JUst unboxed it and weighted it. The frame bare weights 2598 grams. The fork with the axle weights 544 uncut. 

It looks great, however, when I tried to put in a rear wheel I discovered the entire rear dropout is twisted. Shoot. It is going to have to go back. I am not happy.


----------



## Raymo853 (Feb 15, 2005)

The dropout is so bent a rear wheel cannot fit into it. This is not in. The box was perfect. I am assuming it was just made badly or bent in the factory.


----------



## bullit_cn (Mar 14, 2006)

Thanks a bad news!
I just got a noticed from my LBS that my 55 Colossal ti arrives.
Im excited!


----------



## benmills (May 13, 2014)

I know that 30mm tires are officially the max, but has anybody tried to squeeze a 32mm tire on to the Colossal? I've seen photos that indicate there's plenty of space in the front. It also looks like there's space in the back, though it might be getting a little tight at the chain stays.


----------



## Raymo853 (Feb 15, 2005)

Mine has a specialized 32 in it right now on a Grail 20 mm rim.


----------

