Would you buy a Salsa El Mariachi instead of a Scandal? Or is it not worth the extra dosh? For a singlespeed built.

Kia vs Alfa imo. Both do the job but do you want a run around or something to polish and love?

My On One SS is lighter than my mate’s Salsa

APF

I carry some 5lbs pf extra padding, not bothered about the weight, more like quality, pleasure, long-term not-having-to-replace-ability.

Simple answer is Yes!

Weight isn’t everything think about the ride quality, the Salsa costs more for a reason!

Kia vs Alfa imo

More like Audi vs Skoda, as far as i’m concerned. A Salsa would be nice, but would i enjoy it any more than an On-One? i’m not so sure.

Audi vs Skoda

A cock vs. a skint cock, hmmm…

Not actually ridden an Ala Carte but I know from experience that there’s nothing lacking in the ride of the Scandal… Lovely frames.

More like Audi vs Skoda, as far as i’m concerned. A Salsa would be nice, but would i enjoy it any more than an On-One? i’m not so sure.

I guess it’s all about whether you would want to wear a casio or a Seiko/Citizen/insert reasonably priced nice watch brand. Would you feel the benefit when you tell the time. Probably not but when some one else notices your nice watch and tells you that they like it. Maybe. Not to mention not having to replace a battery or cheap scratched lens or strap…
Not that I’m dissing scandals. I have cheapo bikes and expensive ones and like them all. Don’t have a casio though 😉

The Salsa’s look fantastic and may well be, I havent owned one. This however is a great bike disappears when your riding it ( not literally ). For me the best xc so far.

I have had both in 29er single speed versions, scandal and scandal prototype plus a salsa selma. The on ones are great bikes if you ignore the nichebikelabelwhores, but the salsa definitely has that something extra. For the money check out the tomac flint as well as that is a ripper with spot on geometry and handling for less than the elmar and is lighter than the scandal.

The two will be very different as the Salsa is steel and the Scandal is aluminium. The El Mar has swinging dropouts so you can run it SS or geared out of the box. The swinging dropouts are beautifully made and very simple to use. The frame is also very nicely finished. The paint is also a lot better than I’ve found on previous Salsas, which is great too, If you want a top end steel frame and like the ride of steel, get an El Mar. If you want light ad don’t mind the harsher ride of aluminium, go for a Scandal. Bottom line is the frame material choice, plus the ’boutique’ brand of the Salsa, which I like.

GB

Basically it comes down to marketing. USA brands are better at pushing the image which costs more.

@tazzymtb, thanks a lot, she’s a beauty! And cheaper than the Salsa too.

Not really a marketing decision when you are looking at 2 different fame materials…

salsa are “boutique”?

bugger, as long as they don’t count as niche I’ll be ok otherwise I’ll have to sell it and get something more in keeping with my dirty scutter status

More like Audi vs Skoda, as far as i’m concerned. A Salsa would be nice, but would i enjoy it any more than an On-One? i’m not so sure.

I guess it’s all about whether you would want to wear a casio or a Seiko/Citizen/insert reasonably priced nice watch brand. Would you feel the benefit when you tell the time. Probably not but when some one else notices your nice watch and tells you that they like it. Maybe. Not to mention not having to replace a battery or cheap scratched lens or strap…
Not that I’m dissing scandals. I have cheapo bikes and expensive ones and like them all. Don’t have a casio though

As a matter of fact, i do wear a Casio (G-Shock)! I bought it in Kuwait some years ago, have worn it every day since (in various places across the middle east, Africa, Scandinavia, etc, etc…) and i couldn’t ask for any more. In fact, it’s still showing a full battery!

To each his own, of course – but would you wear a Seiko/Citizen/insert reasonably priced nice watch brand working long days in Afghanistan?

NB – There’s a vaugely cycling related metaphor in there, somewhere!

@Duffer, I probably would (scratch and neglect).
BTW I also wear a G-Shock, which I wear all the time.
Ona serious note, how much more uncomfortable would the Salsa/Tomac be than a Scandal if they both had CF posts? Can’t be that much, or can it?

the tomac is a super light aluminium frame so would be more comparable with the scandal which is also an aluminium frame. The el mar is a chunky steel frame so it’s not as supple and steel feelin as something like a niner SIR so the difference would not be that much. The scandals are not a harsh ride by any means either.

You have it backwards – steel frames (Salsa) are more ‘comfy’ than alu frames (Scandal).

GB

gee – Member

“If you want light ad don’t mind the harsher ride of aluminium, go for a Scandal.”

My Scandal was the old, scandium version but it was anything but harsh- if you did a blind test of that scandal and the inbred of the time you’d likely think the scandal was the steel one. Very nice.

Duffer, I suppose its a matter of taste. 😀 😉

or

The alu scandal is much “comfier” than steel kona it replaced.

the honest answer is that they are all good bikes, pick which one you like the look of the best and that will be the prefect bike for you 😀

Baldy beardy absynthe weirdies ride them both. Hi Tazz 😉

hello darling, how are you? 😀

Ok, so basically anything from an Inbred to Salsa (with Surly, Tomac etc. in between) is fine if I like the looks of it. Great, whatever I can save up for that comes in a small(-ish) size then.

Great thanks Tazz, just supping a leffe and wondering which dress with 2″ red kitten heels.

something floral, maybe a little black number with red flowers on it to co-ordinate with the shoes.

this would set off your tattoos beautifully 😆

Great minds. Almost exactly what I had in mind but I’m thinking a little more 50’s.

You two, get a room (and set up a webcam)!

You two, get a room (and set up a webcam)!

Are you the type of guy that gets off watching cross dressing, tattooed blokes getting a sweat on. Freak.

Isn’t it what we all do?

Ssshhh 😉

Speaking of Surly; I was contemplating a 1×1 a while ago. Had a look at a frame, seemed very heavy, only basic tubing, not particularly well made, and really rather overpriced for what it was. With no stickers on it, I wooduv thought it was a cheap Chinese frame or something. Really coon’t see why it cost so much.

I think I’d go with the Swedes’ choice of dress, personally.

Just class.

that is possibly the ugliest salsa I’ve ever seen, a dropper seatpost and mongy bars dear lord 😯

Duffer, I suppose its a matter of taste.

You’ve got me there… Some of those G-Shocks are gopping.

Just jealous.

The gf has got a salsa, and imho they are much nicer in terms of paint and finish than the on ones, really nicely put together…