FS 54 Saluki

[George Chalekian]

Mostly immaculate.

$2,500.

This was my daily commuter four times weekly, 21 miles round trip, for four years.

Now my commute is 27 steps from the bed to my desk chair.

As a consequence the Saluki, which was a purpose-built as a Commuter / Rando bike with racks and panniers, has been relegated to grocery status.

Not a dignified life for such a bike so I'm posting it here, and only here, first.

So why not Rando or bicycle camp then?

Frankly, not much opportunity on the small island of Oahu.

I say mostly immaculate because there are a few dings in the paint.

Otherwise, the bicycle lived in the house or next to my desk at the office and still has that original clear coat shine because except for grocery duty it was never locked up our left outside.

And Grant knows his way away around parts, as you'll see below.

Everything works flawlessly.

This is one of the smoothest, easiest-riding, most comfortable bikes I've ever been on.

Pics attached, many more available if you're interested.

The Specs:

Frame & Fork

Lugged steel (of course) 54 cm, pewter with white detailing

Drive Train

You (potentially)

Front Derailleur

Shimano 105 

Rear Derailleur

Shimano XT 

Cassette

Shimano 9-speed 11-32t

Crank

Sugino triple 46/36/24t

Components

Headset

Chris King

Stem

Nitto

Handlebar

Velo Orange Rando (I will throw in a mustache bar which is great for everything except headwinds)

Shifters

Shimano Bar End

Brake Levers

Shimano

Brakes

Shimano Cantis

Seatpost

Nitto

Saddle

Selle Anatomica Titanico

Cables

Really? Cables? Yes.

Wheels

Front Hub

Schmidt Nabendynamo

Rear Hub

Shimano Deore

Wheels

Hand Built by Rich Lesnik of Hands On Wheels

Rigida Sphinx 36 hole rims

Tires

Panaracer Col De La Vie Randonée 650 B (I'll throw in two brand new ones)

 

Additional Goodies, Included

Twin Schmidt E6 Halogens (and possibly an extra bulb which occasionally appears in the panniers)

Nitto Front Rack

SKS Fenders (the rear one is damaged – thanks to an attacking shopping cart -- but functional – I mean it's a mud / rain flap afterall)

Near Field Pedestrian Warning System (aka brass bell)

[Lungimsam]

I was just in Oahu...Waikiki...Kailua...Pali Overlook...Shark's Cove...wild chickens everywhere...sigh...

[George Chalekian]

Ah yes, wild chickens abound here. Feathered alarm clocks set for about 5 am in the summer.

[David Person]

Nice looking bike.  Can I ask, what model is the rear rack?  Not seen one quite like that when surfing for Nitto racks.

[KLA]

Hello,

Can you provide some measurements, TT for example, thanks!  Kate

[George Chalekian]

K

You might be seeing this twice.

Saluki geometry chart is attached.

The measurements for the 54 cm frame are as follows:

BB Drop: 67 mm

TT Upslope: 1.5º

Rear Hub Spacing 132.5 mm

Standover: 78.6 mm (based on 650 x 38 tires)

ST Angle: 72º

HT Angle: 71º

Top Tube: 56 cm

Chain Stay 44.5 cm

[George Chalekian]

D

That is the Nitto "Campee" model.

G

[Liesl]

That's one the original runs of salukis before they changed the decals to script. Was that from the second batch? The first batch were kind of a sage/pea green stock color.

[James Warren]

I remember the first batches not having one color; buyers had many choices. The only stock color it ever had was the butterscotch, and that came later.

I remember admiring the colors of the early ones on this list: a burgundy (Steve P's?), some beautiful greens, sage pea and a Coleman. I think I remember a dark blue as well. And someone had a yellow that was true yellow, not butterscotch.

Salukis with center pulls and Col de Vie's always struck my fancy, even though they could never be in my 63+ size. I love how the bikes set up that way screamed "I know the things that work well on a bike." At that time, the center pull brake combined with 650B tire were as smart as you could get, given that both those parts were still far out of the mainstream then. Such a cool development in bikes.

I was excited when this goodness was brought to the tall folks with AHH, but when the models were rolled together, I wished that they had kept the Saluki name. But I guess if they had, then the Saluki name would not mean exclusively 650B. The name Saluki is iconic in Riv history.

-Jim W.
Berkeley, CA (for this week)


Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 3, 2015, at 4:27 PM, Liesl <li...@smm.org> wrote:

> That's one the original runs of salukis before they changed the decals to script. Was that from the second batch? The first batch were kind of a sage/pea green stock color.
>

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[Liesl]

Hi Jim, I have one of the very first run myself, and so I can verify that there was a stock color sage/pea soup green--but so many came in unpainted that folks very often got to choose their own color or got them perhaps before Riv chose the color. I went with Riv red and canti's, not centerpulls (see recent tweedster post for a photo) . The butterscotch color came with the script decals. I still though have a question about whether there was a run of silvers before the butterscotches. I know there was a last run of silver QB's, but when I saw this silver saluki it jogged my foggy memory. Anyway, yes, Salukis are the mark for the 650B (along with the Wilbury and Glorious).

I hope this beautiful and beautifully built up bike finds a good home!

Liesl

[Lungimsam]

Gorgeous bike. And cantis! Makes it easy to install racks and fenders!

[Fullylugged]

RBW called it "yellowish green"  It is slightly iridescent as well. A nice color.

[Steve Palincsar]

On 07/04/2015 01:36 AM, James Warren wrote:
> I remember the first batches not having one color; buyers had many choices. The only stock color it ever had was the butterscotch, and that came later.

There was a stock color that I called "baby poo green."

[Kellie]

Here's the pea green. 10 y/o Saluki, 50cm

[James Warren]

Thank you. I remembered incorrectly. So many of you original buyers at the time did such a good job taking Riv up on their offer to paint in other colors that it erased my memory of a default color. And that pea sage is a beaut as well. And so is the butterscotch. In fact, I've never seen a Saluki in a color that's anything but excellent.

Sent from my iPhone

[Bruce Herbitter]

The bar tape is a great contrast. Came out very nicely Kellie. Hope you pedal many enjoyable miles on it.

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[jeffrey kane]

I've owned this one since January 2011 ... am the second owner. It's the caliper/CP type and is figured to be of the first or second run. The original owner described the color as "Caramel" and offered this for explanation:

This frames set has a little history--it is the very first caramel Saluki--it's from the first or second batch of frames.  They were offered in Pewter or green or custom for an upcharge.  I emailed and talked with Grant about wanting something sort of like the Harvest Gold that he uses on customs, but darker and richer.  He came up with the color for me and declared it his favorite bike color ever and make it the stock paint for subsequent Saluki frames.  It also has the upgraded cast police badge-style  head badge.

Whatever the color, it's a beauty. I am always taken aback at how amazing this bike feels when I get on it after riding my others for a while. I've since drunk the BQ cool-aid and have diversified my 650b all road holdings  --- but this Saluki remains a favorite ... and is unlikely to ever leave my stable.

[Liesl]

Ah, so yes! Pea soup green, pewter, or pick your own--especially if it hadn't been painted yet. The upgraded head badges came in bronze or pewter; otherwise they were cloisonné.

The butterscotch Salukis are so pretty.

The Salukis are so pretty.

[Kellie]

Here's a photo of the cloisonné head badge, production #83 

[Tim Gavin]

More precicely, it's the Nitto R20 "Mt Campee" rear rack.  It is supposedly meant for 26er touring bikes, but it fits 650b + fenders with plenty of clearance.  

Riv's "Big Back Rack Medium" 32R is very similar, but it has an added lower top rail with triangulation.  

They're both great racks.  The R20 is one of the cheapest Nitto rear racks.  With the F20 lowrider, it's part of a matching set (that doesn't match).

Tim

[Evan E.]

"The Salukis are so pretty."  (< Liesl)  I agree! About six years ago, at a Rivendell garage sale, Riv was selling a small Saluki frame, brand new, in a color that looked a lot like the Rambouillet orange. The finish was opalescent and it glinted gold in the sunlight. (I wasn't hallucinating, I swear.) About 30 minutes later a woman bought it. She was beaming. It was awesome.

Evan

[Steve Palincsar]

On 07/06/2015 01:42 PM, Evan E. wrote:

"The Salukis are so pretty."  (< Liesl)  I agree! About six years ago, at a Rivendell garage sale, Riv was selling a small Saluki frame, brand new, in a color that looked a lot like the Rambouillet orange. The finish was opalescent and it glinted gold in the sunlight. (I wasn't hallucinating, I swear.) About 30 minutes later a woman bought it. She was beaming. It was awesome.

Truly, the ride is even more awesome.

[George Chalekian]

Wow, lovely.

G

[George Chalekian]

Admitting my bias, I have to agree on the ride. : )

G