Paul Petch

Salsa Fargo 800km update & first review

Close to 8 weeks have passed and I’ve pretty much ridden the Salsa Fargo every day to work as well as other city runs and a few Port Hills ventures. I’ve covered about 800km in total since I laid my sweaty little hands on the Fargo… so what do I think after some time in the saddle?

Getting comfy  & familiar with the Fargo

The Salsa Fargo can be a bit visually confusing, but it also confused my body too. After riding a mountain bike for so many years I was just not physically accustomed to the foreign riding position of the Fargo. The feeling of being so stretched out and cruising in the drop of the bars soon highlighted muscles that have simply not been used on a bike before! Infact, it was so much of a shock that the first month was a real battle to actually enjoy the bike at all- as it just did not “feel right”.

Once I had awoken some new muscle groups :)  I then swapped the massive (and silly option on a small frame) layback post for a inline one and raised the drop bars to a level where I was comfy while in the drops, and then things started to feel better. The more time I spent on the bike, the less I noticed the bars and shifters  too….BUT….I still have the occasional knee on shifter moment when attempting to navigate anything other than a straight line, so I’m still keen to explore other bar combos in the future.

As part of making things “fit” I also decided to bin the torture devices known as the Charge seat and bar tape after the first month….because they were really un comfortable. The tape was like paper and offered no padding- while the seat had a wide rear that caught my inner legs and also had practically no padding either. Others may have different experiences with Charge gear- but for me- I’ll not buy their stuff again. Visually though- the retro seat and tape looked good- but I think that’s the point with a lot of this hipster gear- it is about looks over function.

So, after two months I’ve now mastered the various riding positions available, and what seemed the most alien part of the new bike- the bar end shifting and cramped cockpit and it feels great out on the bike. I suppose it takes a fair while to get “dialed in” when you get a new bike- but to date- in all of the years I’ve owned a  bike- the Fargo has been the trickiest to tame and adapt to. I’ve also never owned a bike that I’ve wanted to sell- keep- sell- keep….. so much during this time  :) But after all of this tinkering and messing about- has it has been worth the hassles?

The “Salsa” ride

On my daily commute the Salsa sees mainly road and traffic with a bit of park single track here and there- and the Fargo takes it all in its stride. I often find myself in the drop bars even when I’m navigating urban obstacles and dirt, with this position bringing the bike alive. Riding in drops has been a new experience for me, but with a geometry that is optimised for the bars to sit high up front- it did not take long to get used to it. When the back starts to ache or the traffic starts to crowd me- the other positions available up front come into play. Basically, the Fargo allows for more riding options than any other bike I’ve owned- and great for getting from A to B comfortably no matter what the terrain throws at it.

With 29er tyres and the springy steel frame- the Fargo feels really comfy. The ride handles really well too, and is neither twitchy or slow up front- and feels pretty much spot on as it rolls forward. In my next review I’ll take a look at how the Fargo rides off road and while hauling some real weight on the frame. But until then, what I can comment on is how natural the ride feels with some fully loaded panniers on the rear on the road- in fact it feels like you are carrying far less gear than you are.

With such a low bottom bracket the Fargo feels stuck to the road/ park tracks even at speed. One characteristic that I’ve noticed though is how “vague” or “floaty” the rear can feel if there are no panniers or extra weight towards the back. I’m not really sure if its the long rear end or that I’m riding the Fargo 99% of the time with panniers so when they are missing- it just feel odd? I’ll also take a better look at this trait off road in future months vs the handling when fully loaded- as it just does not make sense. Traditionally a longer rear stay equals stability- but on the Fargo there seems to be a point where the rear has a mind of its own related to body weight position.

Overall, the Fargo ride quality is fantastic, planted and super comfy- even with considerable weight on the frame…..so I can’t ask for more really. One thing for sure is that I’ve never had a bike that has found me cruising with a take away coffee on-route so much :D The Fargo just loves to cruise…..and I like it too :)

Looks

It’s not difficult to get a bit bamboozled by the Salsa Fargo when you first see it with its thin steel tubes and what seem to be ridiculously large wheels on such a tiny frame. Its proportions are visually goofy – with a high post & front end with drop bars, long rear and aggressive top tube it looks like an angry goat :D

A few people that I’ve spoken too have deemed it a girls bike due to the easy to throw your leg over and “pop to the shops” top tube- while the majority just scratch their heads and declare “is it a road bike or mountain bike?”.  But what do I think about the look of the Fargo? Well, honestly, the kooky design means nothing to me really because the Fargo ain’t no hipster bike- it’s a practical machine designed to eat up the KM’s.  Saying that, if I could get the frame painted another colour- in say orange…. I would :)

Visuals aside, the Fargo so far has not disappointed me at all as it does what I want it to do and covers distances with what seems to be a freakish ease. Did I care for how it looked this morning as I hit grid lock traffic- to then cruise up onto the path with ease and then with a drop back down the kerb and keep on truckin’ with full panniers? No sir :)

Big Wheels

The 29er hoops on the Salsa Fargo are basically 700c wheels with a wider & seemingly stronger MTB rim and big bagged tyre. By all accounts, this added volume offers lots of extra comfort and they do roll over bumps and down things (kerbs for example) noticeably better than the equivalent 26″ wheel. Of course, what comes with larger wheels is the well documented need for more effort to get them up to speed and the Fargo does require a bit more of a spin up to get  the wind blowing through the hair. They are also heavy and a tad more flexier than a 26″ wheel, but do I really notice any of these negatives? not really…..as I’m not in any rush and there are these really cool things called gears :)

Once up to speed the larger wheels roll and literally want to stay that way! They are no weight weenie package either, but just love to pull the bike forward when cruising. So much so, I took the GT peace out for a ride the other month and it not only felt like I was on a kids bike- but it was far less efficient once I was up to speed and I found that I had to work far harder to keep things moving forward. I expected to feel a difference, but not as blatant as this!

As for the big wheels and their ability to carve up single track- I’m yet to really push them in this environment but with Spring well and truly here- I’ll be sure to have a play in the coming months. What I do notice though is that the larger wheels can have a mind of their own :D Unlike smaller wheels where you can get away with changing direction “late” – the big wheels and tyres require a little more notice. In the first few weeks, when heading to work and navigating parked or stationary cars- I did have some pannier v’s car work moments :/ Weaving through objects on a crowded high street also caught me out a few times too :D  But once I had got used to these characteristics things become quite natural. Need I say, I prefer the feeling of a 29er now when it comes to covering any kind of distance & so much so that I’m selling the GT Peace . Yes- big wheels make sense to me now  :)

Summer plans & bike changes

Put simply, I’m enjoying the Salsa Fargo immensely but I’m also reserved to make a final judgment until I’ve ridden it further and harder. In a life span of a bike I’ve just scratched the surface of what the Fargo offers and after this summer I’ll have a far more comprehensive review.  I’ve got a few trips planned that will take me and the Fargo off the roads onto the dirt as well as events that will suit this bike perfectly.

As part of the summer antics, I’m also keen to swap over and add some parts that include some proper racks (front and rear), Cross mark tyres and even some STI shifters/ brakes if finances will allow. What ever happens though, I’ll be sure to take the Fargo places and write up my thoughts/ experiences here in future reviews.

Conclusion

With the adjustment issues/ bike changes aside, I really enjoy riding the Fargo…..and it does everything that I expected it to do. Yes, the super skinny tubes and ugly sloping top tube, big wheels and odd shaped drop handlebars still confuse me on occasion- but that’s changing the more I ride it. What’s more, this “freak” offers a stella riding position, rolls like it has a purpose and is ridiculously confidence-inspiring with or without gear hanging off it. What else do I need?

Having only been in the saddle for 2 months- it’s easy to draw conclusions about a bike without really giving it a fair go and I’m glad that I stayed with it…and gave it a good go. I cruise to work and back each day with a lot of crap on the back on road, river trails and rooty/ gravelly park singletrack and it just eats it up. For the purpose of why I picked up the Fargo being commuting/ touring/ cargo carrying- I can’t think of another bike that would offer such versatility and freedom. I love it.

Overall;

Frame & fork: A quality, classy & well finished tubing. I’d go as far to call it a classic. (9/10)
Handling: Once set up correctly it handles amazingly well. The big wheels took me a while to get used to their handling…but it only takes a few rides to adjust. (8/10)
Kit: Nicely specced; and a good sensible mix of “old school” and “modern gear”. You have to love the disk brakes. (8/10)
Wheels: The big wheels could be lighter and some real off road tyres would be better- such as Maxxis Crossmark. The XT hubs are fast spinners and offer a good “heart” to the wheelset. (7/10)
Ride quality: Planted, trust worthy & smooth – but it can feel a little light at the rear if it’s pannier/ gear free. (9/10)

Pros;

Disk brakes: Avid BB7′s have fantastic modulation and stop surprisingly well. I’m also impressed with their easy set up and looks.
Great traveller: Once up to speed the Fargo is unstopable….it seems to make distance “your friend” and does it in style too.
Bosses, screws & more: They are everywhere & provide the ability to hang what ever you want off it….from mud guards and racks to five water bottle cages.
Flexibility: Road, dirt, gravel….what ever. The Fargo does it all.
Gear: The Fargo has sensible and hassle free gear hanging everywhere. Enough said.

Cons;

It’s fugly: No matter how you look at the Fargo it is not a pretty bike.
Not a true off roader: There is no doubt that the Fargo can handle some single track & gravel roads – but it has a very low bottom bracket so it does not take kindly to rocks and drops.
Bike weight: Overall, the Fargo is heavy. Strength of course is a positive when you are carrying many KG’s of gear in the middle of nowhere- but it is still very heavy.
Rotational weight: The big wheels are heavy….and during hill climbs or short bursts- you feel it.
Ratio is whack: For the Fargo to truly ride off road or big hills the ratios will need to be changed. Running 48/36/26T with 29er wheels and large tyres is just not going to cut the mustard when you have a fully loaded bike.
Gear set up: Simply put- I’d prefer some integrated shifting and braking to make the whole experience a bit more fluid.
Colour: Something brighter would be nice. Camo green is a bit meh.

Related posts:

1. Salsa Fargo update & the first off road ride!
2. Salsa Fargo – first impressions
3. Say hello to my Salsa Fargo adventure touring bike
4. Salsa Fargo has entered the building…
5. Salsa La Cruz Cyclocross vs Salsa Fargo monstercross :)

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 13th, 2009 at 6:49 pm and is filed under Bike & Gear Reviews and tagged with adventure, commuting, fargo, Gear and Reviews, road, salsa, touring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.