Second Opinion: Salsa Fargo Review - BikeRadar

Surly's Cross Check is also on a 700c platform, and takes very fat tyres up to 45c. It is 'granny-ring' friendly. It has cantilever brakes, which don't have some of the issue (and added weight) of disc brakes. It doesn't have Salsa's nice paint job, but then it's also much cheaper. And if you like to travel far? There's the Surly Traveler's Check (A Cross Check frame with s&s couplers).

The way I see it, the Salsa Fargo is a bit of a modified, more dirt-oriented Salsa Casseroll on steroids (and with disc brakes) -- astonishing, yes, but ultimately distasteful. If you need six bottle cages, then you might as well take the train. You need to stop more often and enjoy your ride (and re-supply) when you're touring, even if the ride is ultra long.

That said, I think the Fargo would be much-improved if it was offered in a 26 in. platform as well as a 29er platform. Wheel and tyre availability issues aside, not all riders are tall enough to be well-fitted on a 29er.

God that's ugly! Why do I want one though?!?!

3 bad things for me:

non hydraulic discs - prefer standard v breaks for touring

29 inch wheels - spare issues

drop down bars - flat mountain bike bar with bar ends still the best for me

It ain't cool, but imagine the possibilities!

firstly great bike! i true long haul off road tourier, i am sure would be great up in scotland.

the non hydraulic brakes is a good thing, as anyone who has ever had a set that needed bleeding will tell you, i run cable discs on my Kona Dew and they are ultra reliable and great at stopping you.

29inch wheels may be an issue as they say, and salsa drop bars are very comfy.

It seems like not many comment-ers have actually ridden this bike, or a 29-er for that matter, or jusy have no idea what this bike is intended for. Yes, I own one and therefore I'm partially biased.

First, this is a touring bike for dirt/gravel roads but still fast on pavement. It eats up miles and miles like butter. Regarding comp. choices:

- Drop bars are definitely better for long distance touring, more hand positions as opposed to flatbars (which easily cause wrist pain).

- Mechanical discs: seriously, why anyone would need hydraulics for this bike doesn't understand its purpose, sorry... The only issue I see w/ discs is during shipping. It's better to take the rotors off so they don't get bend - impossible to fix.

- 29" wheels: You go faster, you don't front suspension and the unavailability of spares around the world is WAY, WAY, WAY overdone. If you break a rim, fix a 26" on it and you'll still do fine.

Jeez, I wish I had this bike when I crossed Western Tibet. Hell, I feel like I want to do the route again (Kashgar - Kailash), with some of the worst roads in the world, just to prove that 29" bike can do it easily, and better...

Richnyc - I completely agree. The more time you spend on this bike the more you appreciate it.

I took a caluclated gamble. I had never ridden a 29"er before, and had never had bar end shifters. I have a roadie and my trusty GF Cake - and was worried about how comfortable drop bars would be compared to traditional flat bar with bar ends.

Having read everything I could about the Fargo - and with no possibility to test ride - I took delivery in London early July - and have been smiling ever since.

Daily commute: 13 miles each way across London, potholes, roadworks you name it - the 29" wheels just suck them up. When there's clear road - the semi-slick WTB's roll perfectly. A lot of puzzled looks from roadies wondering how they have just been eaten up by a "tank". The admiring looks the bike gets at lights means you know you've made the right choice.

Touring: Late july - early August - I took the Fargo to Barcelona and rode 700km across the pyrennees to Biarritz then down th coast to San Sebastian. I has fully loaded rear panniers, handlebar bag and 20 litre dry bag on the rear rack. Mainly on-road - with a few paths, gravel tracks - the Fargo was the perfect machine. It was my first major tour. The multiple positions on the handle bar make a huge difference to comfort. I have Selle- Anatomica saddle - everything else is the basic package.

The 29" wheels were much faster than my 26" racing ralphs.

The riding position is more varied, more comfortable. The gears were slick. And disc brakes coming down the other side of the mountains at 70km+ gave me real confidence.

Haven't had too much single-track experience - but I have the Gary Fisher for that. For City centre commuting and long distance touring - This is the Bike!!

This is a tricky bike to get your head round... it's even picked up two bad reviews (what mountainbike did not get it what so ever, and here on bikeradar Guy K complained it had a harsh ride! Many naysayers on forums have not even seen one, let alone riden one.

But speak to any owner and you here a different story.

I have a salsa fargo demo bike in our shop in Swanage, Dorset. If you want to find out how they ride, get in touch ( http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/contact-us-2-w.asp ) and take it for a nice long ride.

I am posting this here, so people who are researching the fargo will know there is an opportunity to actually ride one. Salsa fargo is available from alternative bike shops ;-)

I rode this bike for Cycling Plus.

I stand by my advice that 29er parts (well, touring-worthy rims and tyres) are more of an issue to source than their 26in wheel equivalents, outside of the US and Europe.

Of course, many a tour is completed without any mechanicals, especially those that don't last 6 months or more. But should you be unlucky, rims and tyres are inevitably the cause.

As mentioned, there are ways round this. You could run an Extrawheel trailer with a 29er wheel, providing a spare rim and tyre. At a pinch, you could fit a 26in wheel to tide you over. In South America, there are plenty of shops stocking skinny road rims and tyres to keep you rolling (on pavement at least).

You could also have replacement parts couriered over. Unfortunately, being outside of the US and Europe also brings with it its fair share of bureaucratic shenanigans. I've rarely met a cyclist you hasn't had problems with import taxes and release fees, resulting in lengthy delays or extra $$$.

Lastly, I have yet to find a wide volume, 29er tyre that I'm confident can match the best of the 26in offroad touring tyres that are readily available, both with the longevity of its tread and its sidewalls. This could well change though, as 29ers continue to establish themselves.

Overall: 26in wheels simply avoid a lot of potential headaches. You can find them everywhere. Asia. Africa. South America.

Yet, all this aside, I prefer a 29er for roughstuff touring over a 26in wheel bike. The ride is noticeably smoother. If you're tall, the bike feels more in proportion. And even with a rigid fork, you can confidently tackle pretty much anything you'd ride with a front suspension hardtail. That's not to say that you can necessarily ride stuff that would be impossible on a rigid 26in tourer, but you'll certainly have a lot more fun doing so.

I'd love to tour on the Salsa. The provision for loads of bottle mounts is a massive bonus- even if they are only to fill up at the end of the day when you camp. Mechanical discs perform really well come rain or shine. As to drops or straights, well, that's a matter of personal choice - there are advantages to both.

Ultimately though, don't disregard 29ers until you've tried them out. You might just be surprised...