Gravel Grinder Gear: Salsa's New Titanium La Cruz

Note: From time to time Gravel Grineder News will feature gear related news and reviews. To kick this feature off, here is a new titanium offering from Salsa Cycles:

It should come as no secret that if you want to be competitive at gravel grinding, a cyclo-cross bike is where it is at. A great mix between a road bike, and something that can handle fatter tires like an all terrain rig, just not the really big meats!  If you want a great balance between comfort, control, and speed for gravel events, the cyclo-cross bike is it.

And when it comes to materials, titanium gives you a lot of what gravel grinders are looking for. Low weight, comfortable ride, and durable finish with a no rust metal that should last a lifetime. What's not to like? If the design is good, then a titanium bike might be your ultimate gravel weapon.

That said, titanium is pricy. This Salsa Cycles La Cruz model in titanium is going for $1850.00 for the frame only. Yeah......you could get a whole rig for that kind of money.  However, if you want the best tool for the job, it is hard to argue with the new titanium La Cruz!

And this bike has a "pedigree" already, as well. Trans Iowa V5 winner, Joe Meiser, rode a proto type La Cruz titanium machine to overall victory over a 320 mile gravel and dirt course. So, yeah.....it can do that gravel thing!

Salsa Cycles will be rolling out more details on this frame later, but if you would like to check in on the geometry, go here. Salsa is taking pre-orders through Salsa Cycle dealers only right now and the frames will be coming later in the summer. (Pre-order deadline is March 1st) So, if you want a rig that can dance over the barriers with you in the fall of 2010 and hit up the gravel in 2011, check out the titanium La Cruz.

If the price is too steep, Salsa hints that a steel, lower cost option, is in the works. So stay tuned!