If you had to have one bike?

[DaveInDenver]

I envision a Fargo built similar. But I see the disc brakes being a bit of a pain when switching bars quickly.

How are you dealing with it now? When you swap the lever do the housing and/or cables go with? The best solution right now for road/CX disc brakes is probably the TRP Hy/Rd.

These use regular brake cables all the way to the caliper, like the old Rock Shox brakes or the Hayes HMX-1. So it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out a way. Those old RS Discs had some cool machining, people did love CNC and purple anodizing.

 

[digitaldelay]

Fats and drops.


Slicks and drops.


Slicks and flats.


Fats and flats.
/QUOTE]

You win the tongue-twister award, lol.

Jason

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[Christophe Noel]

That looks incredible! As does the place you've parked it! You've got the two bikes that ,money being no object, I would own! Im leaning toward a steel Fargo after a day reading reviews, trawling forums and watching YouTube videos. I'd love a Ti but it would be well out of my price bracket.

I had a steel fargo for a couple years and loved it. While titanium has an exotic allure, the steel Fargo rides very well.

Search the home page for the Fargo piece I did late last year. Fun bike.

 

[squatch]

One bike? my Salsa TI Mukluk with two wheel sets 26x4 and 29x35mm I can run fat wheels, 29+, or 29 with a 100mm shock. I have a steel 2014 Fargo I rode today.Love it great for gravel during the long mud season up here. Love the woodchippers. But my MUK is a quiver killer!

 

[Ron Bones]

Some great ideas thanks everyone! Love the specialized rockcombo up there, that really does look like a good do it all bike.

But squatch, you may have just said exactly what I wanted to hear! A fat bike with another set of wheels for easier peddling. What can you go down to on the mukluk frame? Could 29 x 2.35 for instance go on there with spacers on the back and just a standard 29er shock up front? That could sell it! Also how is the mukluk geared for running 29s? Peddle ok? I keep watching videos of fat bikes loaded up and going on adventures and it looks like the most fun money could buy I'd just written them off as being too impractical for me day to day.

 

[Ron Bones]

^^ that is genius!! What an awesome idea. Why hasn't it ever caught on? I guess the bike manufacturers can't sell you two bikes.

 

[Jwood70]

That is a sweet multi use bike. Someone else mentioned the Specialized Hardrock. I have one that has become my favorite ride. The stock suspension fork sucks, but everything else on the bike is awesome. I have upgraded parts as I have gotten deals, but I still have the mecnahical disks (which I run on my Ss 29er) and the original drivetrain (sram X4/7 parts). I now run with a 40mm downhill/free ride style stem which gets me a little more upright (good 'ol football coming back to bite me) and I think that with another set of wheels with slicks, I could ride this bike anywhere.

The Fargo is a bike that I would have gotten for sure if I didn't already have the mix of bikes I do. With a hardtail, a SS (both 29ers) and a cross bike (with city style slicks) I have 3 bikes that do what the Fargo can do. Doing it over now, I think I would go with a fargo for sure.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Come to think of it, my Salsa Ti Fargo review in the Gear Guide issue of Overland Journal was somewhat couched as "One bike to rule them all."

At any rate, the Fargo and Dave's Gunner do straddle the middle of the extremes and as such offer a tremendous amount of versatility. Dave's assertion that the Gunner favors singletrack whereas the Fargo prefers gravel and the open road - is spot on. One of the challenges with technical riding on a Fargo is the lower BB. I just have to remind myself of that aspect when tackling techy sections, which I have to admit is super fun on a Fargo.

I just added a Rock Shox SID XX World Cup (carbon crown) 100mm suspension fork to my ti Fargo, but have yet to really rail on it off-road. I think that will greatly increase its singletrack chops. I really struggled with that decision as the new carbon fork on the Fargo is gorgeous and rides soooo nice. But, I want to explore more of the Fargo's singletrack potential.

With regard to the drop bars, they are really nothing like standard road drops. They have a serious flare-out that makes them as wide as most flat bars. For long rides those multiple hand positions are very nice and help extract the many personalities of the Fargo. On the road, I ride on the brake hoods and it feels like any other road-biased bike. On the singletrack I get in the drops (which are positioned quite high) or on the outer drops where the width helps me saw the bars on climbs. Moving around just breaks up the positions for greater all day comfort.

I will say this - technical descents get a little tricky on the drops as the brake reach is really only suitable for the drops which is not at the widest part of the bar. Takes some getting used to, and you do have to reign it in a bit, not a big deal for a bike designed for all-day rides with less aggressiveness.

 

[monkeyrider]

I'm a fan of the Woodchipper handlebar. Both my Fargo and Casseroll have woodchippers. Not a bad little movie either

if you are in the UK, you get a Singular Griffin
http://www.singularcycles.com/shop/index.php/frames/singular-gryphon.html
geared or SS

 

[96discoXD]

Not the ideal expedition bike per se but I have to say my Specialized Epic Carbon Expert with the Roval carbon wheels works quite well on the road thanks in part to the DT swiss internals in the hubs and it is simply amazing in any sort of single track or gravel roads. I wouldn't take it on a pure bike expo, but short of that I can't imagine choosing my hardtail or cyclocross bike over it.

 

[Co-opski]

Some great ideas thanks everyone! Love the specialized rockcombo up there, that really does look like a good do it all bike.

But squatch, you may have just said exactly what I wanted to hear! A fat bike with another set of wheels for easier peddling. What can you go down to on the mukluk frame? Could 29 x 2.35 for instance go on there with spacers on the back and just a standard 29er shock up front? That could sell it! Also how is the mukluk geared for running 29s? Peddle ok? I keep watching videos of fat bikes loaded up and going on adventures and it looks like the most fun money could buy I'd just written them off as being too impractical for me day to day.

Yes. Here are some Alaska Mukluks on 29*2.3 in Nicholas' blog. He is all over the place with bikes, kind of fun to watch. Looks like he may be done with the Mukluk and ECR and move onto something new.

http://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/week-end-beach-klunk/

 

[squatch]

Ron, The Muk works great with 29er wheels. Just need a 170mm rear hub and 29er rim. As for a front shock, The offset is 51mm so rock shock or fox make 100 mm forks with that offset. I really like the Magura fork but not sure on offset. I really like the wide stance on the pedals (Q factor). I find it easier on my hips and knees. Industry Nine, DT Swiss, Hope are all making 170mm hubs now. Rumor has it that a 170mm Rohloff is in the works too. The Salsa Mukluk can do it all!

 

[Ron Bones]

Thanks again everyone for all the help and advice. I really appreciate it. I think I'm leaning toward the mukluk idea with a set of 29's and a 100mm fork for when I want an easier ride! Just got to get some cash together and keep an eye out for a used bike or frame or a good offer. Biggest trouble is, I've shown them to the mrs and she wants one too!

As much as I love and want a Fargo too, or the singular, which also looks fantastic, I've got something of a fat bike itch that I need to scratch. Our off grid truck is going to be complete over the next couple of months and we'l be heading off on our travels shortly after; snow, sand, and wilderness all await so a pair of his and her fat bikes could be just the ticket!

I'm going to try and get a set of wood choppers and try them out on my kona for the time being, I'm really intrigued to see what they're like. Anyone know of a fatty running them? I do favour drops over flats for long distances purely for the option to move around a bit when my hands and arms are tiring.

 

[monkeyrider]

Thanks again everyone for all the help and advice. I really appreciate it. I think I'm leaning toward the mukluk idea with a set of 29's and a 100mm fork for when I want an easier ride! Just got to get some cash together and keep an eye out for a used bike or frame or a good offer. Biggest trouble is, I've shown them to the mrs and she wants one too!

As much as I love and want a Fargo too, or the singular, which also looks fantastic, I've got something of a fat bike itch that I need to scratch. Our off grid truck is going to be complete over the next couple of months and we'l be heading off on our travels shortly after; snow, sand, and wilderness all await so a pair of his and her fat bikes could be just the ticket!

I'm going to try and get a set of wood choppers and try them out on my kona for the time being, I'm really intrigued to see what they're like. Anyone know of a fatty running them? I do favour drops over flats for long distances purely for the option to move around a bit when my hands and arms are tiring.

The history of drop bars on mt bikes dates back to Charlie Cunningham and of course Johnny T rode a drop bar Yeti for years.

a friend of mine has a woodchipper on his custom fatgo. The geometry of this bike is part mukluk, part fargo. Notice the stem rise. That puts the drops in a comfortable position for trail riding.



he also built this Pugsley SS with drop bars



and this one belongs to a local frame builder.

 

[monkeyrider]

here is a better picture of the fatgo so you can see the stem. Those hubs are custom ano Phil Wood fatbike hubs.



hubs