The Salsa Dos Niner seems to be one of the more popular 29ers on the market today - and it's easy to see why. This bike is well balanced, climbs like a champ, and provides just the right amount of rear cushion for the pushin' when it's needed.
The bikes rear triangle is uniquely designed with flat chain stays that flex under pressure. When combined with the Salsa Relish Air Shock it yields one inch of travel to flatten out some of the bumps.
The only complaint I have - and it's a question of taste - is that the color and graphics are a little 
overbearing. For some reason the green does not fully show off the unique shape of the rear triangle. Also, the graphics seem like they are blurry (no it is not the resolution of the camera - see Salsa's photo for comparison.)
This sub five pound scandium frame gets some slight, but necessary upgrades for 2006. Salsa made the rear seat stay yoke wider to permit larger width tires. In addition, the top tube has been angled lower along the seat tube to create additional stand-over clearance.
One interesting side note: We learned that both Salsa and Surly are owned by the same company, Quality Bicycle Products (QBP). QBP is a well known bicycle parts distributor and is located in Minnesota. Evidently all of the different divisions of the parent company are housed in the same building. Pretty nice marketing job if you ask me, since the only thing that appears in common between these brands is the street address.
Anyway, the Salsa Dos Niner is a worthy ride and if the price comes down (just over $1000 for the frame) and more paint options become available, may just find a home in the Go Clipless stable.
