At my LBS, they currently have an 03 Salsa Caballero frame with 03 SID shock for a great price of AU$1000.

As I currently ride a hardtail, this is very appealing, however I cannot find much information whatsoever and this website has nothing (that I can see).

Does anyone know what these frames are like? I know that Salsa make some great components, but I am not sure who makes the frames for them, what the technology is like etc.
Thanks

At my LBS, they currently have an 03 Salsa Caballero frame with 03 SID shock for a great price of AU$1000.

As I currently ride a hardtail, this is very appealing, however I cannot find much information whatsoever and this website has nothing (that I can see).

Does anyone know what these frames are like? I know that Salsa make some great components, but I am not sure who makes the frames for them, what the technology is like etc.
Thanks
I purchased the Caballero with the 5th element and absolutely love it. I originally built the frame with components off of my Raleigh M80 but have since built it up quite nicely.
It rides good, handles good, and climbs like a goat! The top tube is short so that might be an issue with you - expect to ride a longer stem than you are accustomed to. I have had no issues with the frame at all and I have been pretty rough on it. You won't believe the weight of that frame even with the rear shock..Scandium is light! My wife rides the Salsa Bandito. I would definitely purchase Salsa again. I hope that helps.

you won;t be disappointed! i switched over from a really stiff Azonic KZ1 hardtail...and the most obvious thing to me is how much fresher i am after a ride.

as for handling, i ditched my riser for a flat bar on the Cab, and it feels like a whole different bike now. It climbs beautifully, and surprised me as to how efficient it is (one of my concerns with going FS from a HT is bob during climbs). my frame has the SID rear, and not the 5th Element, but I find setting it up pretty straightforward.

More pics and info on this thread:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=58587

The 2003 models are black (really nice), I have an 04 which is red. they won;t be selling Cabs in 2005 though.

happy trails and happy new year!

good luck on your purchase!

Thanks!

What did you pay for them, this one is the black and gray 03 model.

How good is the lockout on the SID and does the frame bob much when pedalling?

Thanks again

I got it!

Just came back and bought the black/silver model with rock shox shock. Ended up getting it brand new for AU$925 (about US$715), pretty darn good I think!!

Thanks for the advice, if you have any further advice, I'd appreciate it. I have now joined the club! :)

What headset are you guys running, I currently have a Cane Creek Zero Stack, would that be OK, or do I need something else?

Thanks again!
Ryan

congratulations on your purchase! the 03 model is essentially the same as the 04- I got my 04 for slightly more...around $750 equivalent.

the rear SID doesn't have a lockout, but it does a good job at minimizing bob. I set mine up according to the manual, positive air at my body weight (less 15 lbs), and matched the negative air to that. my rebound dial is set around halfway.

it also helps to have a smooth, even pedal stroke (as much as possible, sometimes this is quite hard because of trail conditions like rocks).

other Cab owners find the toptube a bit short, and running a longer than normal stem will help extend your cockpit if you find it a bit short. I run a flat bar with a 120mm stem and I like how it feels. Experiment but make sure you make incremental changes, so you can keep track of what you adjusted.

my headset is a WTB Momentum Greasguard- no worries with it!

I got it!

Just came back and bought the black/silver model with rock shox shock. Ended up getting it brand new for AU$925 (about US$715), pretty darn good I think!!

Thanks for the advice, if you have any further advice, I'd appreciate it. I have now joined the club! :)

What headset are you guys running, I currently have a Cane Creek Zero Stack, would that be OK, or do I need something else?

Thanks again!
Ryan
congratulations!!! sweet bike for sure and for the price, killer deal!

I know people comment on the short top tube but for me, the 2 best climbing bikes I have ever ridden are my Element (virtually identical geometry to the Cab) with a close second being a 2000 Specialized S-Works, which is one year before they started making longer top tubes.

I am no physicist but theory or not, I climb much better on bikes with so called shorter top tubes, period.

You will love the bike!

Cheers

hmm maybe they should add Salsa to the manufacturers' forums?

I agree, they should have it on the manufacturers forum.

By the way, In Australia our retail prices are ridiculously expensive normally... for example an XTR rear derailleur is normally around AU$300, Hutchinson Gold Elite pythons about $100, Giro E2 $265, XT Cassette $165, and the salsa cab frame was supposedly around AU$2500??

I LOVE EBAY!!!! :) :)

Therefore the deal of AU$925 brand new was ridiculously priced, I kept telling and annoying my wife until she let up!! :)

Happy new year!

hi amigos!

Here's a thread that I started for us Cab riders...

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=70392