Bikes Of 2016: Gen I Fargo

The gen I Fargo as seen at Gravel Worlds this past August

The time of year has come that I will be reviewing the bikes I used the most throughout 2016 and why. The ups, downs, changes, and more will be discussed.

Salsa Cycles Fargo (Gen I):

I was really fortunate to have this bike in the stable this year. Without it, well....... I don't know that I would have had the ability to do as much as I did this past year. The shoulder injury I suffered at the end of 2015 really made riding many of my bikes more than an hour a real painful experience. The only bike I could spend time on all throughout the year with little to no shoulder issues was the Gen I Fargo. Just the way I fit on it, the handle bars, (Long out of production Luxy Bars), and with that Cirrus Cycles Body Float post, it really added up to a rig that took less of a toll on me than the others. I needed that this year.

The shoulder has progressively gotten better, but I am not at 100%, and I may never really ever get back to that. Who knows? But the Fargo really has made things easier this past year and going forward, I can always count on that rig to give me the least trouble.

So, I wouldn't dare change a thing, would I? Ha ha! I wish! I am always thinking, and I have a few ideas to make the Gen I Fargo even better. I used to use carbon wheels with this bike, and while that was okay, the wallet splitting prices that carbon hoops go for just do not appeal to me from a performance/ride quality standpoint. I feel aluminum rims can do just as good a job as carbon with only a slight weight penalty and with a lot lower price tag.

So, I am thinking of a new wheel set for the Fargo. The Black Flag wheels I have now are okay, but the back wheel is a bit flexy and those Sun-Ringle' rims use a Stan's tubeless bead diameter which is less than good with most tubeless ready tires. In fact, I may have to cut those Cannonball tires off if they are as stubborn coming off as they were going on.

It is kind of funny when I see the few references to certain bikes being able to run up to 45mm sized tires in 700c format or up to 2.1"ers in 650B size. Well, the Fargo can do skinny tires and fatter tires all on the same wheel set. Why own two wheel sizes when you can get the job done with one? The Gen I Fargo is that bike. Trouble is no one is making this sort of configuration anymore.

I was asked what I would want in a 10th Anniversary Fargo, if one were to be built. I said I would do a titanium version of this bike. I would add through axles and maybe change a few minor details. But this bike- the geometry, the non-suspension corrected fork, the drop bar specific design, and all the bottle mounts are what sets this bike apart.

But I am not getting a 10th Anniversary Fargo unless Salsa Cycles decides to do one like I would want, one very close to what I have now, only better.