Could The Fargo Gen 1 Be Replaced?

The 2008 addition of this Fargo to my stable made a HUGE impact on me.

The first iteration of Salsa Cycle's Fargo still makes many cyclist's top bike list. Why? It is a design that has stood the test of time, for sure, but what is it about this drop bar mountain bike that still stirs the heart?

Another good question is: "What bike could you get today that comes closest to what the Gen I Fargo was?

Obviously, you cannot just run out and buy a new Gen I Fargo, (or any 2020 bike, really), so it makes sense to look at what is out there that mimics the Gen I Fargo. Yes- you can get any number of custom frames or small company deals. I'm not going to look there. I'm talking about bikes you could get at a shop, that have normal stock levels, (when there is no pandemic, natch), and that are big enough companies that distribution and support are non-issues. This would fit what the Salsa Cycles Fargo is/was for adventure riders. Other considerations:

• Must be steel frame and fork
• Must have non-suspension corrected, (or nearly so) fork.
• Should feature many braze on attachment points
• Must not have modern 'trail bike' geometry, or any inkling of that
• Should have modern feature set for up-to-date drive trains, etc.

That pares things down significantly! For instance, many over the years have suggested to me that Trek's 920 model is a good Gen I Fargo replacement bike. Sorry! Not a steel frame and fork, and yes- that is a huge Big Deal. Completely different ride feel, especially in a touring frame tube spec bike. Even modern day Fargos fail because they are built with completely different steel tubing now and are kind of the evolutionary extreme of what the Fargo was best at. The new Fargos are really skewed to the MTB side, and all you have to do is look at the fork length and some other details to see that.

So, following are two bicycles that nearly meet the criteria, and maybe do for many of us that love Gen I Fargos. If I had to replace my Fargo Gen I tomorrow, these two examples I am showing here would make a strong case for joining my stable of bikes. There may be others, and feel free to suggest them, as long as they fit the criteria I've outlined here in my bullet points.

Now- on to the bikes.........

The Breezer Radar Pro

 Breezer Bikes Radar Pro: I had the pleasure of test riding a Breezer Radar for Riding Gravel in 2018. The newer Radar bikes are very similar. It is easy to see the Fargo influences here. Non-suspension corrected fork, multi-geared front crank, that rake to the top tube, and, of course, those skinny steel tubes.

The geometry is nice on this bike. Nothing I would change, really, in that regard. The Radar Expert I rode was stable and felt 'okay', but needed component upgrades in the bars, stem, and seat post to really bring it up to anything near the Fargo Gen 1's ride quality. If anything, where the Radar fails is in the basic bones of the bike- the frame.

The steel tubing used on the example I had was nothing to write home about. It was really pretty basic. It did not contribute to the ride quality, that's for certain. The frame and fork also are not through-axle compatible, and in 2020, that is a big miss. You just have to have through axles these days to accommodate the latest in wheels. Yeah.....I could get by, but considering that and the frame tubing's very basic nature, well, I'd probably have to have this be a last option before I'd want to add this bike. It is close, but not a 'replacement' for my Fargo. Still, it wouldn't be bad for anyone not spoiled by knowing what a Gen I Fargo was like. For what you can get now, it is a good option.

The Kona Sutra ULTD

Kona Sutra ULTD: While I have never laid eyes on one of these, much less ridden one, the Kona Bikes Sutra line gets a lot of good mentions and some have pointed this bike out to me as being something I might like. I'd have to say that 'on paper', this is a very interesting Fargo Gen I replacement bike to me.

The geometry is a bit more progressive than the Fargo Gen I, but is probably the closest I've come across too. A touch slacker head tube angle here, maybe a hair deeper on the bottom bracket, but all things I could accept easily. That 55mm fork offset is key. Added to that is Kona's reputation for nice steel frames and this one looks like a real good candidate for replacing what I've got and it has modern amenities like through axles, braze-ons aplenty,  and decent tire clearances.

Plus, you can get a frame set only. kinda just like, well.......a Salsa Fargo! 

Now the big question is, "Would I pull the trigger on this bike?" Good question. I'd like to check one out in person first. That would either put me at ease with what I have, or it might push me over the edge. There is a thing that happened recently which just might provide me with an easy way to check one of these out. (hint-hint) and we will have to see if that comes through or not. Stay tuned.....

I will say that a no-single speed option is a bit disappointing. But beyond that? Hmm......The Sutra ULTD is pretty tempting. That old Fargo will never go away, but as it ages, making upgrades becomes more of an issue. I'm not ready to park it just yet, but if the right bike came along? Yeah, I'd seriously consider it if it ticked all the boxes and put a little extra in the pot to make it sweeter. Things like that aforementioned single speed option and an ability to run 650B X 2.8"ers. (Not really interested in 3.0"er 650B tires, by the way) Now if that bike came along? Yeah, that'd be really hard to resist.

Got any other good suggestions folks? Let me know in the comments.

Could The Fargo Gen 1 Be Replaced?

The 2008 addition of this Fargo to my stable made a HUGE impact on me.

The first iteration of Salsa Cycle's Fargo still makes many cyclist's top bike list. Why? It is a design that has stood the test of time, for sure, but what is it about this drop bar mountain bike that still stirs the heart?

Another good question is: "What bike could you get today that comes closest to what the Gen I Fargo was?

Obviously, you cannot just run out and buy a new Gen I Fargo, (or any 2020 bike, really), so it makes sense to look at what is out there that mimics the Gen I Fargo. Yes- you can get any number of custom frames or small company deals. I'm not going to look there. I'm talking about bikes you could get at a shop, that have normal stock levels, (when there is no pandemic, natch), and that are big enough companies that distribution and support are non-issues. This would fit what the Salsa Cycles Fargo is/was for adventure riders. Other considerations:

• Must be steel frame and fork
• Must have non-suspension corrected, (or nearly so) fork.
• Should feature many braze on attachment points
• Must not have modern 'trail bike' geometry, or any inkling of that
• Should have modern feature set for up-to-date drive trains, etc.

That pares things down significantly! For instance, many over the years have suggested to me that Trek's 920 model is a good Gen I Fargo replacement bike. Sorry! Not a steel frame and fork, and yes- that is a huge Big Deal. Completely different ride feel, especially in a touring frame tube spec bike. Even modern day Fargos fail because they are built with completely different steel tubing now and are kind of the evolutionary extreme of what the Fargo was best at. The new Fargos are really skewed to the MTB side, and all you have to do is look at the fork length and some other details to see that.

So, following are two bicycles that nearly meet the criteria, and maybe do for many of us that love Gen I Fargos. If I had to replace my Fargo Gen I tomorrow, these two examples I am showing here would make a strong case for joining my stable of bikes. There may be others, and feel free to suggest them, as long as they fit the criteria I've outlined here in my bullet points.

Now- on to the bikes.........

The Breezer Radar Pro

 Breezer Bikes Radar Pro: I had the pleasure of test riding a Breezer Radar for Riding Gravel in 2018. The newer Radar bikes are very similar. It is easy to see the Fargo influences here. Non-suspension corrected fork, multi-geared front crank, that rake to the top tube, and, of course, those skinny steel tubes.

The geometry is nice on this bike. Nothing I would change, really, in that regard. The Radar Expert I rode was stable and felt 'okay', but needed component upgrades in the bars, stem, and seat post to really bring it up to anything near the Fargo Gen 1's ride quality. If anything, where the Radar fails is in the basic bones of the bike- the frame.

The steel tubing used on the example I had was nothing to write home about. It was really pretty basic. It did not contribute to the ride quality, that's for certain. The frame and fork also are not through-axle compatible, and in 2020, that is a big miss. You just have to have through axles these days to accommodate the latest in wheels. Yeah.....I could get by, but considering that and the frame tubing's very basic nature, well, I'd probably have to have this be a last option before I'd want to add this bike. It is close, but not a 'replacement' for my Fargo. Still, it wouldn't be bad for anyone not spoiled by knowing what a Gen I Fargo was like. For what you can get now, it is a good option.

The Kona Sutra ULTD

Kona Sutra ULTD: While I have never laid eyes on one of these, much less ridden one, the Kona Bikes Sutra line gets a lot of good mentions and some have pointed this bike out to me as being something I might like. I'd have to say that 'on paper', this is a very interesting Fargo Gen I replacement bike to me.

The geometry is a bit more progressive than the Fargo Gen I, but is probably the closest I've come across too. A touch slacker head tube angle here, maybe a hair deeper on the bottom bracket, but all things I could accept easily. That 55mm fork offset is key. Added to that is Kona's reputation for nice steel frames and this one looks like a real good candidate for replacing what I've got and it has modern amenities like through axles, braze-ons aplenty,  and decent tire clearances.

Plus, you can get a frame set only. kinda just like, well.......a Salsa Fargo! 

Now the big question is, "Would I pull the trigger on this bike?" Good question. I'd like to check one out in person first. That would either put me at ease with what I have, or it might push me over the edge. There is a thing that happened recently which just might provide me with an easy way to check one of these out. (hint-hint) and we will have to see if that comes through or not. Stay tuned.....

I will say that a no-single speed option is a bit disappointing. But beyond that? Hmm......The Sutra ULTD is pretty tempting. That old Fargo will never go away, but as it ages, making upgrades becomes more of an issue. I'm not ready to park it just yet, but if the right bike came along? Yeah, I'd seriously consider it if it ticked all the boxes and put a little extra in the pot to make it sweeter. Things like that aforementioned single speed option and an ability to run 650B X 2.8"ers. (Not really interested in 3.0"er 650B tires, by the way) Now if that bike came along? Yeah, that'd be really hard to resist.

Got any other good suggestions folks? Let me know in the comments.

Another 650B Tire

The Bubblegum Princess with the new Venture tires from WTB.

The subject of tires for any bicycle generally engenders a fair amount of discussion amongst cyclists. To be honest, a lot of the banter is pretty ridiculous. There are a lot of old, not very sensible beliefs about how tires work, what sizes are "best", what tread patterns work, and which tire pressures are best. (Max pressure!)

The thing is, many of these entrenched opinions were never tested by their adherents. They were just adopted out of necessity, convenience, or trust in a "knowledgeable friend". Sometimes all three at once. That isn't a good thing, and you should strive to think for yourself. That requires effort, time, and patience. Things in short supply in the "Age Of Information". People are just too darn busy to deal with that, so they just hear something and roll with it. When they are presented with opposing facts, they fall back on the source of their knowledge, or they just get angry because now you've shown them something and they might have to think about it. Oh! The horror! 

All that to say that I have an opinion on the whole 650B gravel wheel/tire thing and that I have ridden this format enough now with enough tires that I feel pretty confident in what I think about it for my purposes. Typically, if I wasn't running tires for testing, I wouldn't be on 650B very often. There are times I feel, again for myself, that it gives an advantage. That would be for softer, wetter conditions.

Then it gives me more float and stability. It doesn't do the "pizza cutter" thing and it makes riding in poor conditions easier. That's when I see an advantage over my "normal" 700c X 43-ish millimeter tires. But when it comes to drier conditions, it isn't an advantage. It isn't bad, but it isn't an advantage to run them.

More tire testing here. 700c Donnelly EMP in this case.

 One of the things a lot of folks don't think about when they swap out to 650B wheels is how the smaller diameter changes a few things. Maybe you already realize that the bottom bracket gets closer to the ground, which can cause pedal strikes at times. But that isn't all smaller wheels do.

They also change the handling of your bike. due to the idiosyncrasies of front end geometry, smaller diameter wheels make your bike less stable. Probably not something you may have thought about. Then too, smaller wheels also affect your gear ratios. Your big ring gets "less big ring" with smaller wheels. Your granny gear gets "more granny" too. If you have  a 1X rig, this is even more important to consider.

So, why bother with 650B wheels at all? That's a really, really good question. 

Part of the hoopla is industry driven. Someone creates a new platform, or, in truth, puts a new coat of paint on an old idea, and the marketing guys go to town on it. The hope being that "it" motivates you to part with your dollars. That's how the ball keeps rolling. It's what we do, so I understand that as well. Sometimes those ideas are goofy. Sometimes they are not.

In this case it was kind of a patch to get wider tires in a road-ish frame. It's not a new idea, (see above paragraph), but in these days of "plus all the tires" it was a way to slam in some 48mm tires with a road crank/cx style format. Then some bike packing folks got a hold of the idea and started tweaking out clearances, using 1X drive trains, and squeezing in 2.1'-2.2" 650B mtb tires. Some are even doing mtb drive trains and slamming in 3" 27.5+ tires and wheels.

This then begs the question- "Why not just do a 29"er drop bar mtb?" Another great question there. Of course, many of you are already saying "Fargo" as you read this. It would seem that the industry and times have come right back around after 10 years to where the Fargo has always been. A great example of which is the Mason Cycles "In Search Of". The Breezer Bikes RADAR Expert I recently had in for review is another good example.

My Fargo, December 2008. A bike way ahead of its time.

So going back to these new 650B tires coming out in the 47mm-50mm sizes. Well, I like to think of them as a stepping stone toward what I feel is already coming around again. More "Fargo-ish" bikes that can handle big 29"er tires and wheels but could also run a 45mm tire with ease.

The benefits of swapping wheel sizes works if you are limited with sticking to a road drive train, because frame clearances are limited to be able to run those cranksets. Yes, 1X gains you a bit of breathing room, but I believe this is also a stop-gap until something that should have happened a long, long time ago finally does happen. That being when road based drive train dimensions change.

Call it "Road Boost", or just "Neu-Road", or some other fancy marketing term, but road over lock dimensions for hubs and bottom bracket widths are going to get wider. When that happens, then the 29"er with a road based crank set and capabilities to run 2.4" tires easily will be all over the place. 650B will fall to the wayside as the "fat tire" option for gravel/back road/bike packing. Big wheels just roll over stuff better and that's a fact. Give those hoops some flotation capabilities over the current 43-ish millimeter widths we are stuck with now, marry that to a wide ratio road double, and then you'll have the bike of the future for the gravel/back road/bike packing riders wanting a wider tire than 45mm. 

But, as always, don't take my word for it. Think it over for yourself. I'm probably completely bonkers.

Another 650B Tire

The Bubblegum Princess with the new Venture tires from WTB.

The subject of tires for any bicycle generally engenders a fair amount of discussion amongst cyclists. To be honest, a lot of the banter is pretty ridiculous. There are a lot of old, not very sensible beliefs about how tires work, what sizes are "best", what tread patterns work, and which tire pressures are best. (Max pressure!)

The thing is, many of these entrenched opinions were never tested by their adherents. They were just adopted out of necessity, convenience, or trust in a "knowledgeable friend". Sometimes all three at once. That isn't a good thing, and you should strive to think for yourself. That requires effort, time, and patience. Things in short supply in the "Age Of Information". People are just too darn busy to deal with that, so they just hear something and roll with it. When they are presented with opposing facts, they fall back on the source of their knowledge, or they just get angry because now you've shown them something and they might have to think about it. Oh! The horror! 

All that to say that I have an opinion on the whole 650B gravel wheel/tire thing and that I have ridden this format enough now with enough tires that I feel pretty confident in what I think about it for my purposes. Typically, if I wasn't running tires for testing, I wouldn't be on 650B very often. There are times I feel, again for myself, that it gives an advantage. That would be for softer, wetter conditions.

Then it gives me more float and stability. It doesn't do the "pizza cutter" thing and it makes riding in poor conditions easier. That's when I see an advantage over my "normal" 700c X 43-ish millimeter tires. But when it comes to drier conditions, it isn't an advantage. It isn't bad, but it isn't an advantage to run them.

More tire testing here. 700c Donnelly EMP in this case.

 One of the things a lot of folks don't think about when they swap out to 650B wheels is how the smaller diameter changes a few things. Maybe you already realize that the bottom bracket gets closer to the ground, which can cause pedal strikes at times. But that isn't all smaller wheels do.

They also change the handling of your bike. due to the idiosyncrasies of front end geometry, smaller diameter wheels make your bike less stable. Probably not something you may have thought about. Then too, smaller wheels also affect your gear ratios. Your big ring gets "less big ring" with smaller wheels. Your granny gear gets "more granny" too. If you have  a 1X rig, this is even more important to consider.

So, why bother with 650B wheels at all? That's a really, really good question. 

Part of the hoopla is industry driven. Someone creates a new platform, or, in truth, puts a new coat of paint on an old idea, and the marketing guys go to town on it. The hope being that "it" motivates you to part with your dollars. That's how the ball keeps rolling. It's what we do, so I understand that as well. Sometimes those ideas are goofy. Sometimes they are not.

In this case it was kind of a patch to get wider tires in a road-ish frame. It's not a new idea, (see above paragraph), but in these days of "plus all the tires" it was a way to slam in some 48mm tires with a road crank/cx style format. Then some bike packing folks got a hold of the idea and started tweaking out clearances, using 1X drive trains, and squeezing in 2.1'-2.2" 650B mtb tires. Some are even doing mtb drive trains and slamming in 3" 27.5+ tires and wheels.

This then begs the question- "Why not just do a 29"er drop bar mtb?" Another great question there. Of course, many of you are already saying "Fargo" as you read this. It would seem that the industry and times have come right back around after 10 years to where the Fargo has always been. A great example of which is the Mason Cycles "In Search Of". The Breezer Bikes RADAR Expert I recently had in for review is another good example.

My Fargo, December 2008. A bike way ahead of its time.

So going back to these new 650B tires coming out in the 47mm-50mm sizes. Well, I like to think of them as a stepping stone toward what I feel is already coming around again. More "Fargo-ish" bikes that can handle big 29"er tires and wheels but could also run a 45mm tire with ease.

The benefits of swapping wheel sizes works if you are limited with sticking to a road drive train, because frame clearances are limited to be able to run those cranksets. Yes, 1X gains you a bit of breathing room, but I believe this is also a stop-gap until something that should have happened a long, long time ago finally does happen. That being when road based drive train dimensions change.

Call it "Road Boost", or just "Neu-Road", or some other fancy marketing term, but road over lock dimensions for hubs and bottom bracket widths are going to get wider. When that happens, then the 29"er with a road based crank set and capabilities to run 2.4" tires easily will be all over the place. 650B will fall to the wayside as the "fat tire" option for gravel/back road/bike packing. Big wheels just roll over stuff better and that's a fact. Give those hoops some flotation capabilities over the current 43-ish millimeter widths we are stuck with now, marry that to a wide ratio road double, and then you'll have the bike of the future for the gravel/back road/bike packing riders wanting a wider tire than 45mm. 

But, as always, don't take my word for it. Think it over for yourself. I'm probably completely bonkers.

Single Track Leftovers

The Breezer RADAR Expert with 29"er tires

Last week I got a couple of decent.......well, kind of decent, single track rides in locally. It was as good as it was going to get for the remainder of 2018. I was willing to put up with less than ideal conditions since, well, it was either take that or nothing for the entirety of Fall. Pretty much anyway.

I had slapped on some Michelin Wildgripper 29"er tires on the RADAR Expert and that needed to get tested, so that was another reason to get out there. Well, that and the forecast last week was for another possibility of snow. We dodged it this time, but that wasn't always going to be the case. I was staring December straight in the face. It was only going to be a matter of time before a fat bike was going to be the only bike that would make sense out there.

So I made a foray into a bit of single track I knew wasn't blocked by downed limbs and wasn't flooded. It went well, actually, except for one bit I probably should have known better about, but went through anyway. That gooped up the tires real good and then, of course, that gathered to itself leaves and sand and more debris. I was tossing up chunks of stuff like an old fashioned manure spreader the rest of the way home.

It was fun, but it wasn't. There were a lot of places where the flood debris had gathered and was just cleared off enough to make it rideable. There were a lot of greasy spots, so speeds had to be kept in check. Basically, it wasn't anything ideal. But it was single track. I got a ride in during Fall, well........kind of. I know the calendar says it is still Fall, but the weather says "Winter" and that's really what is happening now.

Hmm......looks like it's gonna be cold and dry-ish for a while yet into December. Maybe I can sneak another ride or two in. Time will tell.

Single Track Leftovers

The Breezer RADAR Expert with 29"er tires

Last week I got a couple of decent.......well, kind of decent, single track rides in locally. It was as good as it was going to get for the remainder of 2018. I was willing to put up with less than ideal conditions since, well, it was either take that or nothing for the entirety of Fall. Pretty much anyway.

I had slapped on some Michelin Wildgripper 29"er tires on the RADAR Expert and that needed to get tested, so that was another reason to get out there. Well, that and the forecast last week was for another possibility of snow. We dodged it this time, but that wasn't always going to be the case. I was staring December straight in the face. It was only going to be a matter of time before a fat bike was going to be the only bike that would make sense out there.

So I made a foray into a bit of single track I knew wasn't blocked by downed limbs and wasn't flooded. It went well, actually, except for one bit I probably should have known better about, but went through anyway. That gooped up the tires real good and then, of course, that gathered to itself leaves and sand and more debris. I was tossing up chunks of stuff like an old fashioned manure spreader the rest of the way home.

It was fun, but it wasn't. There were a lot of places where the flood debris had gathered and was just cleared off enough to make it rideable. There were a lot of greasy spots, so speeds had to be kept in check. Basically, it wasn't anything ideal. But it was single track. I got a ride in during Fall, well........kind of. I know the calendar says it is still Fall, but the weather says "Winter" and that's really what is happening now.

Hmm......looks like it's gonna be cold and dry-ish for a while yet into December. Maybe I can sneak another ride or two in. Time will tell.

Fittings And Fat Bikes

The ped/bike bridge across HWY 58 in Cedar Falls

It was sometime last week. I was driving "The Truck With No Name" in downtown Waterloo when it happened. All of a sudden like. A crack. Right in front of my very eyes. A crack in my windshield twelve inches long.

No rocks, nothing..... Weird!

So, that precipitated my having to source a company to repair this. I know some folks would "just let it go", but not I. It isn't safe anyway. So, I was thinking this was gonna hurt financially, but thanks to Cedar Valley Auto Glass, I was able to get it done for a little more than $200.00.  Nice! I love small, local businesses.

So, anyway, I had to drop it off and I decided to ride back home, which also meant I had to ride back over when it was finished later that day. This afforded me the opportunity to see some of the bike paths over on the West end of this area I never had checked out before. The big highlight was the pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Highway 58, not far from where I had the work on the truck done. So let it be written- let it be told! If you cities and towns out there build the infrastructure, it will get used. All year long. I'm a good example of that. Plus, even on a cold, blustery November day, others were out on the paths too.

People who think bike paths are only used in Summer think that because they don't go out there once the temperatures drop below 60°F. Look.......you don't see us, so you don't get it. Rant over. I just love it when people think they have it all figured out about how this sort of stuff is "wasted money". Whatever.............

700 X 2.1"ers in there, with room for mud!

After that 20 mile fat bike ride was over I fitted the Breezer RADAR Expert I have here for a bit with bigger shoes. Breezer says this bike will take 29"er X 2.1" tires. Well.......whatta ya know! It just so happens that I had these Michelin Wildgripper 29" X 2.1" just laying around. So, I figured we'd put Breezer's claim to the test. And guess what? Well......you already can see it worked. 

There is proper room for mud here, but you aren't going to shoe horn in a bigger tire. The frame design really wouldn't allow it. But yeah...... That's rad. Almost Gen 1 Fargo "rad". To my mind, the Gen 1 Fargo is this bike's distant cousin.

Some might call it "monster cross", and some may say, "Well, it is a 29"er after all." Pfft......it is a drop bar off-roader adventure vehicle. It kind of defies classification. Just like that original Fargo did. But trying to classify this rig as something or another is really a waste of time. Just ride it! It is a fun bike, despite some of its "lower end-ness". If this were my rig to play with, well........ You folks that read this blog know exactly what would happen, don't you?

There would be different wheels, a new seat post, a different stem, different tires, an upgrade to Gevenalle shifters/brake levers, and who knows what else. It would end up becoming a gravel rig, and basically "another Gen I Fargo" in my stable. Yep.......

But back to reality. This rig fits 2.1's and that makes me smile. I like that versatility. The next mad experiment will be to see how this rig does with 650B X 47's......... Stay tuned......

Fittings And Fat Bikes

The ped/bike bridge across HWY 58 in Cedar Falls

It was sometime last week. I was driving "The Truck With No Name" in downtown Waterloo when it happened. All of a sudden like. A crack. Right in front of my very eyes. A crack in my windshield twelve inches long.

No rocks, nothing..... Weird!

So, that precipitated my having to source a company to repair this. I know some folks would "just let it go", but not I. It isn't safe anyway. So, I was thinking this was gonna hurt financially, but thanks to Cedar Valley Auto Glass, I was able to get it done for a little more than $200.00.  Nice! I love small, local businesses.

So, anyway, I had to drop it off and I decided to ride back home, which also meant I had to ride back over when it was finished later that day. This afforded me the opportunity to see some of the bike paths over on the West end of this area I never had checked out before. The big highlight was the pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Highway 58, not far from where I had the work on the truck done. So let it be written- let it be told! If you cities and towns out there build the infrastructure, it will get used. All year long. I'm a good example of that. Plus, even on a cold, blustery November day, others were out on the paths too.

People who think bike paths are only used in Summer think that because they don't go out there once the temperatures drop below 60°F. Look.......you don't see us, so you don't get it. Rant over. I just love it when people think they have it all figured out about how this sort of stuff is "wasted money". Whatever.............

700 X 2.1"ers in there, with room for mud!

After that 20 mile fat bike ride was over I fitted the Breezer RADAR Expert I have here for a bit with bigger shoes. Breezer says this bike will take 29"er X 2.1" tires. Well.......whatta ya know! It just so happens that I had these Michelin Wildgripper 29" X 2.1" just laying around. So, I figured we'd put Breezer's claim to the test. And guess what? Well......you already can see it worked. 

There is proper room for mud here, but you aren't going to shoe horn in a bigger tire. The frame design really wouldn't allow it. But yeah...... That's rad. Almost Gen 1 Fargo "rad". To my mind, the Gen 1 Fargo is this bike's distant cousin.

Some might call it "monster cross", and some may say, "Well, it is a 29"er after all." Pfft......it is a drop bar off-roader adventure vehicle. It kind of defies classification. Just like that original Fargo did. But trying to classify this rig as something or another is really a waste of time. Just ride it! It is a fun bike, despite some of its "lower end-ness". If this were my rig to play with, well........ You folks that read this blog know exactly what would happen, don't you?

There would be different wheels, a new seat post, a different stem, different tires, an upgrade to Gevenalle shifters/brake levers, and who knows what else. It would end up becoming a gravel rig, and basically "another Gen I Fargo" in my stable. Yep.......

But back to reality. This rig fits 2.1's and that makes me smile. I like that versatility. The next mad experiment will be to see how this rig does with 650B X 47's......... Stay tuned......

Solo Turkey Burn

A woodchuck caught sunning itself.

Whoa! We didn't even get a flake! Dodged that bullet. I'm speaking, of course, about the big snow storm I mentioned last Friday in my post which was supposedly going to bring an end to the gravel riding season around these parts.

The whole mess went South and messed up their gravel season, so, yeah...... That sucks, but I am rejoicing that maybe December gravel travel will be a thing yet this year. We'll see.....

At any rate, on Saturday it was very nice for late November. Friday it had rained, and rained pretty steadily, all day long. I wanted to get out for a sort of "turkey burn" ride. You know....a post feasting caloric burn. People usually eat turkey here on Thanksgiving, thus the "turkey burn" name. Anyway, it technically doesn't fit for me since we had ham. Okay, so maybe "hamburn"? Maybe I try to hard........

There was a history for the term here though. Every year for several years in the 00's we'd gather the Saturday after Thanksgiving and do the "Turkey Burn" ride. The last mention of this ride I can find on my blog was back in 2012, but I missed it due to having to get my son's hair shorn. The first reference I found for it was back in 2005, but it may have been going on as an unorganized group ride activity before then. Not sure. Anywho......

Those rides were always up at Camp Ingawanis' North Side, which was always the preferred area to ride in before it was abandoned to the "horse people" around 2014 -15 or so. I've done my own, solo "burn" rides ever since, mostly on gravel roads though. The year I missed the last "official" "TB" ride I went out the very same afternoon and did my own ride in town on the local single track.

An old "flyer" for a Turkey Burn ride

The "turkey burn" thing caught on with me, at least, and I've been at it, pretty much every year since these started, and since that first 2012 solo ride, on my own. Saturday was too nice to stay inside anyway, so I just had to keep the streak going.

I decided to use the Breezer RADAR Expert here on test for a while for RidingGravel.com. That bike lends itself to the "multi-surface" approach, so I linked up some of my "dirt home from work" routes and alloted a couple of hours to get it done.

The winds were out of the Northwest, and since I was basically following the Cedar River, I was headed straight into that with the promise of a tailwind back home. The air temperature was hovering right around 40°F or so, and keeping warm wasn't an issue. Even headed into the wind I was fairly comfortable. I was layered up mostly in wool stuff. I did use some thermal Trek branded tights, and those things drive me bonkers. They always sag in the crotch and then you know what happens..... snag on the nose of the saddle! I hate it when that happens!

I gotta get over to Goodwill and see if I can score some old wool trousers and convert them into riding pants, or find some real wool tights, or...... I actually have pretty decent luck in Winter riding in Dickies or just any ol' blue jeans I find that are comfortable. I'm not too picky, that is, unless my shorts or pants, or tights snag. Then I get testy! Anyway, sorry about the mini-rant about clothing. I just was reminded on this ride how I hate saggy tights.

The plan took me down alleys and then over toward the Hartman area where Shirey Way awaited me. Now, with that rain the previous day, I had no ideas whether or not I'd even be able to get through. I know I got turned back a few weeks ago, I think it was, when I found that it was still too muddy after the Fall flooding.

Shirey Way. The "in town" Level B Road, essentially, but in reality a service road now for Lower Hartman Reserve

It was actually passable. I had to tip-toe the RADAR through a couple of "iffy" areas, but I actually didn't have too bad of a time. The mud down along either side of the Cedar is pretty "greasy" when wet, so there were a few exciting moments while trying to find traction at the limits of what the WTB Riddler 45s were able to give me. Once off that I hopped over to the Riverside Bike Trail to get to the Pfieffer Park bridge, then over to George Wyth State Park.

Checking out some single track in Geo Wyth

I stopped after crossing the bridge, because I needed to check the time. My original, ambitious plan was to go to Black Hawk Park, get in a bit of that fire road access trail up to the Ford Road cut off, back on Ford Road, then back along the river toward home. But I had no where near that kind of time. Typical "me". Over achieving plans and not enough time to implement them.......

So, I figured I'd try a bit of Geo Wyth single track on and see how the RADAR Expert did on that. Unfortunately, it was a wee bit too greasy to really get a good read on what the bike could do.  What wasn't too wet to ride on without balling up a ton of mud on the tires was not really secure enough to go hard on, especially into turns. I gingerly made my way over to the campground and stopped for a nice photo opportunity by the banks of the Cedar River. After that I went on the old, old fitness trail, (whatever name they have given that, I don't know, as I must have missed the sign), and out the other end to go around "East Lake". (Again, the lake has a different name too, but I'll be danged if I know what they changed it to.)

Then it was onward toward home going through Exchange Park and eventually back over the Cedar River to my neighborhood. It was an easy, fast trek, what with the wind at my back pushing me right along. Then I veered off into the old Elmwood Cemetery for a lap. They have almost finished eradicating the ash trees in there. Unbelievable how infested they were with the Emerald Ash Borers. You can walk up to any bit of log or limb they still have sitting about, peel back the bark and see the bored in tracks. Such a shame all those trees had to go. The cemetery looks positively naked to the sky now.

Back at home I declared it a good turkey burn ride and a fun outing on the Breezer. It probably would be a bit better at this point if I put on some 2.0" 29"er treads on it now. These conditions are going to be gone, but the rougher, frozen trails and gravel necessitate some voluminous comfort in the form of a bit bigger tires. I'll have that swapped in soon. Then we'll see how the weather comes along this coming week.

Solo Turkey Burn

A woodchuck caught sunning itself.

Whoa! We didn't even get a flake! Dodged that bullet. I'm speaking, of course, about the big snow storm I mentioned last Friday in my post which was supposedly going to bring an end to the gravel riding season around these parts.

The whole mess went South and messed up their gravel season, so, yeah...... That sucks, but I am rejoicing that maybe December gravel travel will be a thing yet this year. We'll see.....

At any rate, on Saturday it was very nice for late November. Friday it had rained, and rained pretty steadily, all day long. I wanted to get out for a sort of "turkey burn" ride. You know....a post feasting caloric burn. People usually eat turkey here on Thanksgiving, thus the "turkey burn" name. Anyway, it technically doesn't fit for me since we had ham. Okay, so maybe "hamburn"? Maybe I try to hard........

There was a history for the term here though. Every year for several years in the 00's we'd gather the Saturday after Thanksgiving and do the "Turkey Burn" ride. The last mention of this ride I can find on my blog was back in 2012, but I missed it due to having to get my son's hair shorn. The first reference I found for it was back in 2005, but it may have been going on as an unorganized group ride activity before then. Not sure. Anywho......

Those rides were always up at Camp Ingawanis' North Side, which was always the preferred area to ride in before it was abandoned to the "horse people" around 2014 -15 or so. I've done my own, solo "burn" rides ever since, mostly on gravel roads though. The year I missed the last "official" "TB" ride I went out the very same afternoon and did my own ride in town on the local single track.

An old "flyer" for a Turkey Burn ride

The "turkey burn" thing caught on with me, at least, and I've been at it, pretty much every year since these started, and since that first 2012 solo ride, on my own. Saturday was too nice to stay inside anyway, so I just had to keep the streak going.

I decided to use the Breezer RADAR Expert here on test for a while for RidingGravel.com. That bike lends itself to the "multi-surface" approach, so I linked up some of my "dirt home from work" routes and alloted a couple of hours to get it done.

The winds were out of the Northwest, and since I was basically following the Cedar River, I was headed straight into that with the promise of a tailwind back home. The air temperature was hovering right around 40°F or so, and keeping warm wasn't an issue. Even headed into the wind I was fairly comfortable. I was layered up mostly in wool stuff. I did use some thermal Trek branded tights, and those things drive me bonkers. They always sag in the crotch and then you know what happens..... snag on the nose of the saddle! I hate it when that happens!

I gotta get over to Goodwill and see if I can score some old wool trousers and convert them into riding pants, or find some real wool tights, or...... I actually have pretty decent luck in Winter riding in Dickies or just any ol' blue jeans I find that are comfortable. I'm not too picky, that is, unless my shorts or pants, or tights snag. Then I get testy! Anyway, sorry about the mini-rant about clothing. I just was reminded on this ride how I hate saggy tights.

The plan took me down alleys and then over toward the Hartman area where Shirey Way awaited me. Now, with that rain the previous day, I had no ideas whether or not I'd even be able to get through. I know I got turned back a few weeks ago, I think it was, when I found that it was still too muddy after the Fall flooding.

Shirey Way. The "in town" Level B Road, essentially, but in reality a service road now for Lower Hartman Reserve

It was actually passable. I had to tip-toe the RADAR through a couple of "iffy" areas, but I actually didn't have too bad of a time. The mud down along either side of the Cedar is pretty "greasy" when wet, so there were a few exciting moments while trying to find traction at the limits of what the WTB Riddler 45s were able to give me. Once off that I hopped over to the Riverside Bike Trail to get to the Pfieffer Park bridge, then over to George Wyth State Park.

Checking out some single track in Geo Wyth

I stopped after crossing the bridge, because I needed to check the time. My original, ambitious plan was to go to Black Hawk Park, get in a bit of that fire road access trail up to the Ford Road cut off, back on Ford Road, then back along the river toward home. But I had no where near that kind of time. Typical "me". Over achieving plans and not enough time to implement them.......

So, I figured I'd try a bit of Geo Wyth single track on and see how the RADAR Expert did on that. Unfortunately, it was a wee bit too greasy to really get a good read on what the bike could do.  What wasn't too wet to ride on without balling up a ton of mud on the tires was not really secure enough to go hard on, especially into turns. I gingerly made my way over to the campground and stopped for a nice photo opportunity by the banks of the Cedar River. After that I went on the old, old fitness trail, (whatever name they have given that, I don't know, as I must have missed the sign), and out the other end to go around "East Lake". (Again, the lake has a different name too, but I'll be danged if I know what they changed it to.)

Then it was onward toward home going through Exchange Park and eventually back over the Cedar River to my neighborhood. It was an easy, fast trek, what with the wind at my back pushing me right along. Then I veered off into the old Elmwood Cemetery for a lap. They have almost finished eradicating the ash trees in there. Unbelievable how infested they were with the Emerald Ash Borers. You can walk up to any bit of log or limb they still have sitting about, peel back the bark and see the bored in tracks. Such a shame all those trees had to go. The cemetery looks positively naked to the sky now.

Back at home I declared it a good turkey burn ride and a fun outing on the Breezer. It probably would be a bit better at this point if I put on some 2.0" 29"er treads on it now. These conditions are going to be gone, but the rougher, frozen trails and gravel necessitate some voluminous comfort in the form of a bit bigger tires. I'll have that swapped in soon. Then we'll see how the weather comes along this coming week.

Friday News And Views

What does this term even mean anymore?

Retail Burnout:

This last couple of weeks, well......it was bad. Then on Wednesday it got waaaaaay worse, and Thanksgiving Day? No breaks for e-mail bots, apparently. I guess they don't observe familial traditions. Whatever......

I don't know about you, but I didn't even look at the 30+ "Black Friday" e-mails I got and I pretty much tuned out from any media. It's just too damn much anymore and I don't have to listen to it. So, forgive me my little mini-rant here, but retail has gone to the dogs. It is ridiculous. No wonder people shop online. If the traditional retail stores weren't so obnoxious and unceasingly shrill, I'd maybe pay attention. If they weren't offering, mostly, what is going to end up being junk in a couple of months, I'd consider their products. If it all just went away....... Well, that isn't going to happen, now is it?

To be fair, I remember when I was a child that it wasn't really much better. It was just that there were only so many channels of info coming at you, (easily ignored), and it didn't start at all until post-Thanksgiving and went away after December 25th.

Here's hoping you can find peace and wholeness despite the onslaught of garbage info being slung everywhere this season. My advice? Get outside and leave the cell phone off. Good luck.

Decent day for late November. Looks like this will be about it for gravel for a bit though.

Get Out And Ride:

So, continuing on with the escape from madness theme I have going today, I wanted to report that I actually did heed my own advice and went out for a pre-meal ride on Thanksgiving Day.

I took out the Breezer RADAR Expert I have here to test. I figured that with the forecast of "impending doom" that has been issued for Sunday, I had best get my behind on that bike's saddle. It figures. I get a bike to test on gravel and it brings a blizzard. sigh..... I mean, yeah, I have a fat bike, so part of me rejoices. We haven't had decent snow for that activity in quite some time. So, if the forecast 6"-8" of white stuff materializes, I'm ready. Bring it on!

The ride Thanksgiving day was toward the South because the wind was out of the Southeast. I didn't push things too hard since I had been pretty under the weather the weekend before. The roads to start out were still frozen, but as I went things got sloppier. The RADAR Expert was stable and sure-footed on the icy and snowy patches I ran into on the way out. It was smooth on the few rough patches I ran across on the gravel. I ended up putting two hours in on this bike which was enough for Thanksgiving Day. Hopefully y'all had a wonderful day, whatever you did.

Maybe next week will look like this?

Fat And Ready:

Like I said above, if the snow does come, I'm ready. The ol' Blackborow DS will be seeing a lot of action. Maybe you didn't know it, but the Blackborow wasn't always a "cargo/fat bike", or "longtail fat bike", or whatever that thing is they have now. At first it was a cool fat bike and it was offered in a 2 speed, "Parallel Single Speed" drive train option. Some call it "dingle speed". I call it "fun".

The Blackborow DS solved a problem I had which was that I was not getting the kind of flotation I wanted in the 4" tires that I had been on before. Traction was also a big issue. Finally, roaching drive trains in Winter "car slop" commuting back and forth to work was also solved by getting this "rust resistant" drive train on the Blackborow DS. Okay, that's more than one problem this bike solved. 

Anyway, some of my friends have said I need to get that new, longer Blackborow. I'm sure it is good, but it isn't better than what I've already got. My rig pops the front end as high as I need it whenever I want to do that. My rig carries exactly enough, and that's without a frame bag. My drive train is "just enough" and it has lasted four years without any part of it needing replacement. That includes the PressFit bottom bracket. (I know! It is even quiet! Will miracles never cease!) My rig can be easily portaged downstairs into my shop, over logs, or whatever. It's just flat out better.......for me.

There is only one way I'm ever replacing this bike, sans any tragic accident or breakage, and that's if they make it in titanium. I know I could score a custom version in titanium, and maybe someday...... I might just do that, but this bike refuses to let me down, and besides swapping the handle bar for a Carbon Jones Loop Bar, the bike is bone stock. That's a very unusual thing for me to leave a bike alone. I just don't think it can be improved upon.

That's it for this week. Hopefully you get a chance to get out on two wheels this weekend and "Turkey Burn".

Friday News And Views

What does this term even mean anymore?

Retail Burnout:

This last couple of weeks, well......it was bad. Then on Wednesday it got waaaaaay worse, and Thanksgiving Day? No breaks for e-mail bots, apparently. I guess they don't observe familial traditions. Whatever......

I don't know about you, but I didn't even look at the 30+ "Black Friday" e-mails I got and I pretty much tuned out from any media. It's just too damn much anymore and I don't have to listen to it. So, forgive me my little mini-rant here, but retail has gone to the dogs. It is ridiculous. No wonder people shop online. If the traditional retail stores weren't so obnoxious and unceasingly shrill, I'd maybe pay attention. If they weren't offering, mostly, what is going to end up being junk in a couple of months, I'd consider their products. If it all just went away....... Well, that isn't going to happen, now is it?

To be fair, I remember when I was a child that it wasn't really much better. It was just that there were only so many channels of info coming at you, (easily ignored), and it didn't start at all until post-Thanksgiving and went away after December 25th.

Here's hoping you can find peace and wholeness despite the onslaught of garbage info being slung everywhere this season. My advice? Get outside and leave the cell phone off. Good luck.

Decent day for late November. Looks like this will be about it for gravel for a bit though.

Get Out And Ride:

So, continuing on with the escape from madness theme I have going today, I wanted to report that I actually did heed my own advice and went out for a pre-meal ride on Thanksgiving Day.

I took out the Breezer RADAR Expert I have here to test. I figured that with the forecast of "impending doom" that has been issued for Sunday, I had best get my behind on that bike's saddle. It figures. I get a bike to test on gravel and it brings a blizzard. sigh..... I mean, yeah, I have a fat bike, so part of me rejoices. We haven't had decent snow for that activity in quite some time. So, if the forecast 6"-8" of white stuff materializes, I'm ready. Bring it on!

The ride Thanksgiving day was toward the South because the wind was out of the Southeast. I didn't push things too hard since I had been pretty under the weather the weekend before. The roads to start out were still frozen, but as I went things got sloppier. The RADAR Expert was stable and sure-footed on the icy and snowy patches I ran into on the way out. It was smooth on the few rough patches I ran across on the gravel. I ended up putting two hours in on this bike which was enough for Thanksgiving Day. Hopefully y'all had a wonderful day, whatever you did.

Maybe next week will look like this?

Fat And Ready:

Like I said above, if the snow does come, I'm ready. The ol' Blackborow DS will be seeing a lot of action. Maybe you didn't know it, but the Blackborow wasn't always a "cargo/fat bike", or "longtail fat bike", or whatever that thing is they have now. At first it was a cool fat bike and it was offered in a 2 speed, "Parallel Single Speed" drive train option. Some call it "dingle speed". I call it "fun".

The Blackborow DS solved a problem I had which was that I was not getting the kind of flotation I wanted in the 4" tires that I had been on before. Traction was also a big issue. Finally, roaching drive trains in Winter "car slop" commuting back and forth to work was also solved by getting this "rust resistant" drive train on the Blackborow DS. Okay, that's more than one problem this bike solved. 

Anyway, some of my friends have said I need to get that new, longer Blackborow. I'm sure it is good, but it isn't better than what I've already got. My rig pops the front end as high as I need it whenever I want to do that. My rig carries exactly enough, and that's without a frame bag. My drive train is "just enough" and it has lasted four years without any part of it needing replacement. That includes the PressFit bottom bracket. (I know! It is even quiet! Will miracles never cease!) My rig can be easily portaged downstairs into my shop, over logs, or whatever. It's just flat out better.......for me.

There is only one way I'm ever replacing this bike, sans any tragic accident or breakage, and that's if they make it in titanium. I know I could score a custom version in titanium, and maybe someday...... I might just do that, but this bike refuses to let me down, and besides swapping the handle bar for a Carbon Jones Loop Bar, the bike is bone stock. That's a very unusual thing for me to leave a bike alone. I just don't think it can be improved upon.

That's it for this week. Hopefully you get a chance to get out on two wheels this weekend and "Turkey Burn".

Kind Of Like It- But Not

This cuts a similar profile to something I've seen before. Hmmm.....

The whole "Adventure by Bike" deal really got kicked off about ten years ago when Salsa Cycles coined the term and used it as their catch phrase since then. Obviously, back in those days the term "gravel bike" was something only a few Mid-Westerners were even using, let alone aware of.

A lot has changed since those days, obviously. It boggles my mind, to be truthful about it. I never imagined a day when we would have "gravel specific" tires, let alone tubeless ready ones. I could go on........

But one thing always made me scratch my noggin in wonderment since 2008. That being that there are not a lot of Fargo-ish bikes out there. It took several years, but finally a Fargo imitator arose in the Bombtrack Beyond. You don't see many of those around, but it's about as close to a modern take on a Gen 1 Fargo as there is. In fact, I'd like to think it is what the Gen 1 could be today, if Salsa had not "mtb-ified" the concept.

Now that gravel bikes keep pushing the limits on tire sizes, I am starting to see other bikes that are getting "Fargo-ish". 650B and wider tires, knobby patterns, and more "braze-on zits" than you can shake a stick at. One bike that is a bit different than that is from a series that Breezer Bikes has dubbed "RADAR". An acronym standing for Road And Dirt Adventure Rig, this bike reminds me a lot of something that might result if you were to cross a Tamland and a Fargo together. You get the extra braze ons, tire clearance, and mtb drive train from the Fargo matched up with the skinnier steel tubes, geometry, and overall profile of a Tamland. The result here looks pretty cool to me.

While the RADAR Expert I have around for a while to test and review for RidingGravel.com isn't a Fargo, it is kind of like one. More so than anything that has come around since the Bombtrack Beyond. That's a good thing, if you ask me.

Kind Of Like It- But Not

This cuts a similar profile to something I've seen before. Hmmm.....

The whole "Adventure by Bike" deal really got kicked off about ten years ago when Salsa Cycles coined the term and used it as their catch phrase since then. Obviously, back in those days the term "gravel bike" was something only a few Mid-Westerners were even using, let alone aware of.

A lot has changed since those days, obviously. It boggles my mind, to be truthful about it. I never imagined a day when we would have "gravel specific" tires, let alone tubeless ready ones. I could go on........

But one thing always made me scratch my noggin in wonderment since 2008. That being that there are not a lot of Fargo-ish bikes out there. It took several years, but finally a Fargo imitator arose in the Bombtrack Beyond. You don't see many of those around, but it's about as close to a modern take on a Gen 1 Fargo as there is. In fact, I'd like to think it is what the Gen 1 could be today, if Salsa had not "mtb-ified" the concept.

Now that gravel bikes keep pushing the limits on tire sizes, I am starting to see other bikes that are getting "Fargo-ish". 650B and wider tires, knobby patterns, and more "braze-on zits" than you can shake a stick at. One bike that is a bit different than that is from a series that Breezer Bikes has dubbed "RADAR". An acronym standing for Road And Dirt Adventure Rig, this bike reminds me a lot of something that might result if you were to cross a Tamland and a Fargo together. You get the extra braze ons, tire clearance, and mtb drive train from the Fargo matched up with the skinnier steel tubes, geometry, and overall profile of a Tamland. The result here looks pretty cool to me.

While the RADAR Expert I have around for a while to test and review for RidingGravel.com isn't a Fargo, it is kind of like one. More so than anything that has come around since the Bombtrack Beyond. That's a good thing, if you ask me.