2023: Salsa Chaise Lounge
Chase the Chaise, by Salsa Cycles
For many cyclists, one of the most appealing aspects of gravel cycling is that it represents a break from the traditional constraints, or rules, of other cycling disciplines. Early gravel riders simply wanted to get out and have great adventures with friends, without boundaries. Events were decidedly less serious and more inclusive, with competition taking a back seat to camaraderie.
As one of the earliest supporters of the gravel cycling movement, Salsa Cycles understands what makes the scene special. When a long bike ride with friends in a remote, picturesque place is the goal, sometimes you’ve got to stop and take in the moment. It was that thinking that led Salsa to introduce its Chase the Chaise campaign at the 2018 Mid South.
According to Salsa’s Mike ‘Kid’ Riemer, the goal of the Chase the Chaise was to embrace and document the gravel community during events, on the course in real time. It’d be a surprise mid-ride break where riders could relax, chat with other riders, and then ride off with a unique memory that made them feel like they were part of something greater than the ride itself.
The idea spawned from a series of brainstorming sessions that also included Salsa’s creative director at the time, Kelly MacWilliams, and Mark Sirek, the brand’s copywriter at the time.
“Community is one of the strongest things gravel cycling has going for it,” Riemer said. “In 2016 or 2017, my original idea was to take portraits of all of the participants during the race. Unfortunately, the idea wasn’t very well fleshed out, so it didn’t go anywhere.”
“Later, after I’d had a chance to think through it a little more, I proposed we should use a piece of furniture as the prop to photograph riders right in the middle of the course,” Riemer said. “KellyMac was into it but noted we couldn’t use just any piece of furniture. It had to be something you’d never expect to see on the side of a gravel road.”
“Like a chaise lounge,” MacWilliams said.
“And then Mark starts throwing out all sorts of great ideas, like ‘welcome to the gravel living room’, and other phrases that would eventually make it into our copy,” Riemer said.
Riemer, MacWilliams and Sirek pitched the idea to Justin Julian, Salsa’s brand manager at the time, and he was immediately on-board. And with that green light, plans began to introduce the Chaise at the 2018 Mid South.
The plan was simple: show up at five different gravel events and place the Chaise at a spot on the course, typically past the mid-way point. There would be a photographer on-hand to document everything, and every rider received a special patch and free access to their portrait after the event.
And while the Salsa team believed the Chaise would be a fun way to connect with riders at gravel events across the country, it ended up being much more meaningful for riders than they imagined it would.
The original red velvet Chaise traveled to five events in 2018, including Mid South (Oklahoma), Le Grand du Nord (Minnesota), Gravel Pursuit (Idaho), Unbound XL (Kansas) and Unbound Gravel (Kansas). With each event, the popularity and notoriety of the Chaise grew.
After the overwhelmingly positive reception of the Chaise in 2018, the Salsa crew knew it had to bring it back in 2019. However, after seating thousands of sweaty, dirty gravel cyclists, it was time for a fresh cover, this time in gold velvet.
The Chaise’s notoriety skyrocketed in 2019, and it appeared at six premier gravel events across the country, including Mid South, Unbound, Unbound XL, Ochoco Gravel Roubaix (Oregon), Unpaved of Susquehanna (Pennsylvania), and Gravel Mob (California).
After two incredible seasons traveling the country, Salsa retired the Chaise after the 2019 season. However, after the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021 the Salsa team decided the gravel community needed a little lift from a familiar friend. They brought it out for a surprise appearance at the Incredibly Socially Distanced Mid South in 2021. And while the Chaise didn’t get to greet riders on the course, its return felt like a beginning of a return to normalcy.
In 2023, Salsa brought the Chaise back to the Mid South sporting a hot new leopard-print ensemble, however its appearance was unannounced prior to the event. It also traveled to Michigan for Barry Roubaix and to Kansas for its induction into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame.
Over the years, the Chaise has inspired riders to create countless iconic poses, including the Costanza, the Upside-Down, the “Just me and my bike”, the Hide-and-Seek, the Fainter, the Cirque de Soleil, and the Proposal, among others. Its success is a testament to how ‘right’ the Chaise was, and is, for the gravel cycling community.
That’s why you won’t find anything like it anywhere else.
