Well, It's About Time!

Saturday in the Turkey Burn announcement, (You missed it? Click Here!), I mentioned that I was going to use the Fargo Gen I because I didn't think that I had ridden it all year. 

Well, upon thinking about that further, I was in error. I had ridden it several times to work earlier in the year. But....I hadn't had the bike out of town on a ride and not since last year had I ridden gravel with it. 

So, I decided it was about time to get that out of the way and end that drought for the Fargo. To that end, I needed to do a few things to get it back into tip-top shape. Plus, I wanted to add some more comfort to the set up for the metric century I have planned for the Virtual Turkey Burn. So, that's what this post will be about.

The first thing to tackle was the sealant refresh. I noted that the rear tire wouldn't hold air overnight after I tried pumping both tires up last week. That's a sure-sign that the sealant needs a refresh, so I went ahead and did that to both wheels. The drive train was relatively new and I did not need to do anything there. 

So I focused on a few details. One being the handlebars. I had thought initially I was going to invert the stem from its positive rise to a negative to lower the bars a bit. However; after a short test ride I decided that, for now, things won't change. Even though this bike has the tallest handlebar in my stable, it just feels "right" for now.

But I did add the Redshift Sports Cruise Control Grips, (only the lower ones) and those are going to really help with hand pain. I re-used the old Salsa tape and just wrapped it with more overlay. That thickens things up, but more importantly, it gives those parts of the handlebars more "cush". And, of course, I didn't have to use up more handlebar tape when this stuff was still good. 

The Cruise Control grip is a lock-on style grip.

Much like the Ergon grips, you have to fine tune the angle of the 'paddle' on the Cruise Control Grip or it will seem like a waste of time to put it on. Once you get it right, it will be very noticeable. 

The grip is also a lock-on style grip, so it probably is a no-go on a carbon drop bar. Maybe if your carbon bar is rated for bar end shifters, but in any case, I'd check with the manufacturer of the carbon drops before trying to use a Cruise Control Grip. I am using the aluminum Redshift Sports Kitchen Sink Bar here. 

The Kitchen Sink Bar has a loop out front which, at first glance, would seem like an aero bar kind of design. But the extension of that loop precludes it from really being used 'long-term' in that position. It does, however, make a great place to hang a bag from. And that's exactly what the folks at Redshift Sports must have been thinking because they made a nifty little bag that fits into the negative space outlined by the loop out front of the Kitchen Sink Bar.

The Kitchen Sink Bar Bag also has a Garmin/Wahoo mount.

This bag is pretty cool with its zippered and magnetically closed top. I leave mine unzipped most of the time so I can just flop the top open and let the magnet hold it closed, which it does well with the Wahoo Elemnt ROAM on top of it. That GPS unit fits because the bag comes with a Garmin mount that can be turned 90° so it can work with a Wahoo GPS as well. 

That helps solve a bit of storage issues with plenty of room in the bag for a camera and snacks. The light, a Raveman unit I bought a couple years ago, mounts off the front of the bar and so all my electronics can be right at hand along with that storage space. It makes the shortcomings concerning the aero bar use of this handlebar's loop a bit less of a bummer. 

I did a longer multi-terrain test ride Sunday and I am pleased. I need to do some cable housing/cable maintenance at some point. Those old housings are breaking down, but I will need an extra long rear derailleur cable, so I'll have to visit the local bike shop Tuesday. Stay tuned....