The Bikes We Used on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route | SALSA FARGO TIAGRA REVIEW

[@joecole9475]

My wife has been riding a Fargo for years. We have toured Oregon, commute, weekend rides, you name it. The bike gave my wife confidence. We will riding the GDMBR in a few months. Congratulations on your accomplishment. By the way Oregon is a great state to bike tour.

[@steveretiredandcycling]

Great review and series. I’m currently on a bikepacking trip from Key West to South Carolina. I’m on day 7 of the ride. No issues with my tubeless setup either. AND my Infinity seat is like sitting on a pillow. Next week I will be celebrating my 68th birthday. Thanks for your videos. They are the best!!!

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you and Happy Early Birthday! That tour sounds like it would be amazing! That is good to know about the infinity seat. We will have to look into that. I think the thing we are most likely to upgrade is the saddle before our next bike tour. Thanks!

[@pedrofernandez8729]

You guys are so awe inspiring, congrats for doing all you do now that you're still young and able to do so. Worst thing in life is getting old and wishing you had done things you wanted to do and never did.

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you! Regret is a horrible feeling. Hoping to have many adventures ahead! ☺️☺️

[@markowsley4954]

The Fargo is a great bang for the buck. It’s my next bike specifically for the Great Divide and the Southern Tier routes. I was impressed how on your whole trip you didn’t let your lack of experience get you down. Great attitude when things weren’t perfect. Wish more travelers could be like you two. Looking forward to seeing any trips you may have in the future b

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you so much! That is so kind :) Sounds like you have some fun adventures ahead! I haven't heard of the Southern Tier Routes. Will have to look that route up!

[@markowsley4954]

@@PursuingMountains The Southern Tier was developed by the Adventure Cycling Association. It’s strictly a pavement route but it’s always interested me since I live in Jacksonville Fl which is near one of the starting points.

[@PursuingMountains]

@@markowsley4954 I just looked it up and that looks awesome! We haven't explored much of the southern US at all and that would be an epic way to explore it. I'm guessing it can be done in the winter as well?

[@markowsley4954]

@@PursuingMountains Winter or early spring is considered the best time. I sure don’t want to be riding across west Texas and Arizona in the middle of summer. I would avoid that even on my motorcycle.

[@PursuingMountains]

@@markowsley4954 Haha good point! We live in the PNW so that would be a really nice winter escape someday!

[@ChicaandSunsets]

Thanks for the informative video. I can’t wait to watch this series. My wife and I have done a lot of thru-hiking and actually own a hostel on the AT - but are seriously considering getting into bike packing. The Fargo is high on my list of possible bikes and I’m so glad your video came up in the search. Great seeing likeminded couples out there having fun. Cheers.

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you! Prior to the great divide, we had done many backpacking trips and a couple tea house treks in Nepal. I highly recommend Bikepacking, it allows you to be able to cover a lot of ground fairly quickly, but not so quickly that it feels like you’re missing out of beautiful scenery (like driving a car). Hopefully we can finish the divide this year. Best of luck on adventures!

[@JMS412]

I really enjoyed watching your divide trip over the last two nights! Thanks for putting out such great content.

[@PursuingMountains]

Thank you! We are so glad you liked them! We had fun putting together the videos and reliving the adventure :)

[@ryansager6100]

I also went with a Salsa Fargo, in 2017. I like the upright position and drop bars. I decided to not have suspension because this is one less thing to break on a long tour. I changed the drivetrain to a Rohloff and Gates and love it. Mine also has 27.5x3” tires, which change in air pressure can have amazing affect on the ride depending on the surface. It is slow on the road, but I’m not racing.

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi Ryan! That’s a good point about forgoing the suspension. Our bike repair skills are not good enough to worry about another thing breaking 😅 Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@pgreenx]

Buying a fargo now - why did you change to the Rohloff/gates? Thanks

[@ryansager6100]

@@pgreenx We started with the Rohloff and gates on a tandem with over 50K miles traveling. The reliability and ease of use is fantastic. Just ordered two more Rohloff equipped ebikes, making 5. I won't purchase a derailleur bike ever again.

[@mickhurley7305]

You guys crack me up... totally naive but went for it anyways .. its amazing . I really enjoyed your series of vlogs.. come to Ireland some time . You did it with a 1x , did it with flat pedals , overloaded with gear, took nutella instead of a better tent, didnt do any training, carried loads of video gear ... I love your story.

[@PursuingMountains]

Wow Thank you! Yes, we definitely were super naive going into this but we are so glad we went for it 🚵🏻‍♂️🚵‍♀️

[@joserojasyt]

You are definitely making me consider getting a bike!! it looks so fun and I surely need some new workouts to try out, biking is definitely one of them. New sub! :)

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi! Thank you so much! You should definitely get a bike! Bike touring /packing was way harder physically than we anticipated but was so much type 1 and 2 fun :)

[@noelheaton2941]

I toured a fair amount on a trek 520 which was fine but always had my eye on a Fargo. Then I wanted more dirt capability and one mule that could do it all. So I have come to enjoy and really love the way my Fargo just gets better all the time. Longer tours on and off road and simple hour rides around my home. One- up flat pedals and Moloko bars make it super user friendly. I might get a Brooks b17 saddle but really don’t need anything but more campsites in front of me.

[@todd92371]

The Redshift suspension steams and seatposts really open up a lot of comfort.

[@sabamacx]

I bought my Fargo in 2018 in anticipation of doing the Tour Divide. But life meant I ended up riding it across Japan and South Korea flawlessly with just a road-biased tyre swap. It has its quirks, but It's an outstanding machine built for a lifetime that emphasizes and encourages a slower pace and taking in nature.

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi, thanks for commenting! That’s good to hear your positive experience with the Salsa Fargo. How was biking across Japan and South Korea? That sounds amazing!!

[@pgreenx]

What are the quirks?

[@karlos1066]

Cycled the Carratera Austral continuing onto Punta Arenas 2 years ago. It's amazing. Highly recommended. Really enjoy your videos.

[@PursuingMountains]

Wow that sounds amazing! Is it primarily pavement or dirt/gravel roads? We are so glad you enjoyed the videos ☺️ thank you for watching and commenting :)

[@karlos1066]

The Carratera Austral itself is about 60% paved, 40% gravel. Lots of free camping, national parks and more glaciers then I've ever seen. The end is Villa O'Higgins. From there it's a very interesting trip to El Chalten where you hit the Patagonian step. We should have really continued to Ushuaia but finished at punta arenas

[@PursuingMountains]

@@karlos1066 wow sounds amazing!!! Would love to do that someday

[@karlos1066]

We had the gdmbr organised for this year. From England so obviously that didn't work out. Focusing on that for next year now . Really hope it works out..... Keep the good content coming...

[@PursuingMountains]

@@karlos1066 thank you! So sorry your planned GDMBR wasn’t able to happen this year. Hopefully next year 🤞

[@devoidbmx1]

The Fargo was a great choice, and in the end the price is actually affordable compared to some other bikes. I own a Salsa Fargo - I actually use it regularly as a mountain bike. It works quite well on the green and blue trails. I've owned front suspension mountain bikes, but to be honest you dont loose much comfort or control with the fully rigid Fargo, especially if you run fat tubeless tires at low pressures and dont ride dangerously fast on the rough stuff. The great advantage of not using suspension is the big weight savings as well as the added simplicity and also ability to carry more things attached to a rigid fork. I use the Fargo regularly for a variety of rides from dirt to pavement, and also for bike packing. I have 3 inch wide tires so it works surprisingly well on the fat bike trails in the winter as well. I also love the drop bars, but thats a personal thing - many people prefer flat bars or Jones bars.

[@PursuingMountains]

Awesome! Thanks so much for detailing that out! We’ve taken our Fargo’s on a few mountain bikes routes since. We find turns can be challenging with the drop bars, but overall it works for some easy routes :)

[@todd92371]

Do you find yourself riding in the drops a lot with this bike?

[@MarkInArizona]

Given what you have purchased, when your tires get tired -- upsize the front tire from the 29x2.2 to at least 29x2.6 or even a 2.9x3.0 will fit on your Fargo front forks. Keep the narrower rear tire for mud clearance. And give you are running tubeless, adjust your air pressures! Liz's should be able to run 3-5psi less than Alex does. If I know I'm on gravel or bumpity dirt roads, I will run 22psi all the way down to 15psi. No problem with pinch flats or other things. When I hit pavement, I get out the air pump and air them up to 30psi or more. You can greatly "tune" your bike with air pressures. An accurate tire pressure gauge helps. I've gone through several sets of Maxxis Ikon's (on a Cutthroat) and getting about 2500-3800 miles per set. I could get more if I ran the same size front and rear tires and thus swap them at about 1500 miles -- but I like the greater width front tire given myself not having suspension.

[@PursuingMountains]

HI Mark. Thank you for the suggestions! We did actually have 29X2.6 Alex misspoke (we put a little text in their correcting it, but it was easy to miss). That is good to know about the tire pressure. We only have a pump that does not have the ability to know the psi. We should probably get one next time. :)

[@kstkn]

Liz's rear cassette is not big enough by my opinion (lack some more "low" gears = the biggest sprocket can be bigger... but, at the end you both adapted incredible way to these bikes and bike packing ...). Top choice tbh with the bikes! Keep going you are both so sweet, and it is so relaxing to watch your adventures.

[@PursuingMountains]

Aww thank you! We are glad you enjoy the videos ☺️☺️ As we’ve done more bikepacking trips now I (Liz) do feel like I would like a couple of lower gears for those big hill climbs and a higher gear or two would be nice as well :)

[@kwilliamson1096]

Clipless all the way. Near the begging of the video you had a shot of the pedals on your bike and I just shook my head and thought someone is a glutton for punishment. In my experience, I will never ride with platform pedals ever again. When I first got into bike riding about 15 years ago at the age of 45 I looked at clipless pedals and figured they were a suicide mission. But I kept seeing lots of people using them on the local bike paths. One day while at my local bike shop I got into a conversation with the mechanic about the pros and cons of using clipless pedals. My fear was exactly like yours, what if I can't get out of the pedals in time and I fall over. His response was, if you're smart you'll only fall once, if you're even smarter you never will fall. Then he proceeded to explain to me the different angles your feet need to be in to release from the pedal. He then went on to explain about the adjusting screw that can be tighten or loosen to change the amount of grip the clips have on your shoe. This to me was somewhat of a game changer. He advised me to adjust the clip very loosely until I got used to releasing from the pedal and then begin to tighten it up until I find just the right amount of tension to gain the advantages of having a clipless pedal. Wow, what a difference. It definitely made claiming hills a lot easier. And as far as getting out of the pedals I guess I fall somewhere between smart and smarter. the first time I tried my clipless pedals on the local bike path I did really well the first four or five times I stopped because the clips were on my mind. Then at about my fifth stop I totally forgot about being clipped in and started to fall to one side but caught myself at about a 45° angle. I didn't hit the deck but I was on my way down. That was the first and last time that I nearly fell with clipless pedals. That experience branded the thought in my mind and I have come to subconsciously unclip whenever I need to. I own a pair of clipless pedals that have a clip on one side of the platform and then just the regular platform on the other side so if I need to ride without a clip I have that option. The only time I've ever used the flat platform is when I'm riding in Street shoes and that's no fun. You might want to look into front forks that can be locked out. For me they work great when I'm on gravel but when I'm on pavement I can simply lock out the fork and I have more rigid front suspension. I just found your channel because it was suggested by KZbin. Take care. K

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi! Thank you so much for the info. If there’s an easy way out of the pedals or if I can unclip during sketchy parts I would feel much more comfortable that’s for sure. Thank you for watching and commenting :) Happy Holidays!

[@briane5992]

I read your comment and I have to say I circled the wagon like you guys are with clipless pedals. I'm a NICA MTB coach and all of my beginning riders struggle with this issue. But, 9 out of 10 kids feel the exact way about clipless after riding it for awhile. We say, "I don't feel comfortable, safe or as fast 'Not' clipped in!" The experience for myself was the same. Now I wouldn't consider riding a bike without clips. Crazy. Recommend starting out with clips on your bike but, while the bike is mounted to a trainer. After a month of getting on and off clipping and unclipping. You tend to get into the habit of rotating your feet outward to remove the shoe from the pedal. This is the secret cure 4 clipping over syndrome. Lol! I'm also trying to get a friend to consider tubeless so you guys are ahead of the curve with that. One more observation to note with the front shock I like the remote lockout. Get front suspension forks with the remote lockout and just remember to close 4 climbing open to descend. Awesome vids.....cheers!!!

[@KatieEvans140]

Hi Liz and Alex. Congrats on reaching your goal! I really enjoyed your video series and the honesty you portrayed. My son and I are planning to ride the Divide June 2024 so we are in the planning stages. We have done a considerable amount of cycling but new to bikepacking. One thing I have realized is that I actually converted from clipless to pedals like yours. I just couldn't find a MTB shoe that was comfortable for bikepacking and much more prefer my Keen sneakers. We do ride clipless on our road bikes though with no problems. We did a lot of gravel riding last summer and realized that we prefer suspension. the nicer forks allow you to lock out the suspension when you are climbing on smooth surfaces so the better quality the nicer the lock-out system is. My plan, for now, is to go with a 2.8" or 3" tire. I am not sure about the geometry of the frame yet but I recently purchased a Growler American Stout and it is really comfortable. I may swap out the fatty wheelset and ride that bike. It would be great to hear more about what you did for food and any other helpful planning tips. Happy Holidays!

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi Katie! Thank you so much! We are glad you enjoyed the series! That is so exciting that you are planning on doing the divide with your son! So cool! Thanks for providing info about your experience regarding the pedals and suspension! :) Happy Holidays!

[@mickhurley7305]

Katie, I think the fatter tire might not be a good idea. Consider a bigger wheel size rather than a fatter tire for more economical cycling , even on rough roads.

[@lweleven3423]

Great story ,inspiring Fargo’s you can upgrade to suspension, and fair play to you embarking on such a journey only just buying the bike , few issues that you had was minimal so lucky , I would love to come to the US and do such a trip but at 56 and minimal experience I’m not sure I will ….mmm Maybe

[@PursuingMountains]

It’s a great adventure if you get a chance to do it

[@lightracer8632]

For my 2021 bid of the TD, I went the middle ground with my new Binary build and put a Lauf fork on it. It’s incredible with no regrets. Also, I understand your initial fear of clipless, but I would recommend SPD pedals with the Shimano multi-release cleat (H56?) and then low tension setting. This has worked great for thousands of miles on all of my bikes. Enough for efficient pedal strokes, but releases easy for the errors in judgement 😅 or encounters with a moose.

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi thank you for the info! If there are error proof ones that would definitely better for us 😂 Do you find they make you a lot faster?

[@spektrumB]

If you decide to do part of the Silk Road someday, especially the Pamir highway part. Going without suspension is I'd prefer for the sake of low maintenance and reliability when you visit some really remote places. And upgrade to 2x11 drivetrain for the ultra low gear for steep climbs in high altitude.

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi! Thank you for the suggestions! That is a good point about the low maintenance factor. That would be our preference. Having some lower and higher gears would be nice. Do you know if that is something that can be easily adjusted on a bike?

[@spektrumB]

@@PursuingMountains As you already experience that it isn't very often to do more than 25 m/h with a heavily loaded bicycle even on flat road. I've a 38T big ring and never feel I need more. It's the granny(small) chainring that matters most for climbing. I've a 24T granny pairs with 11-42T cassette. At near sea level and without extra load, you will find it hard to believe how on earth you ever pair a 24T chainring and a 42T. But trust me, at above 4000m+ and with a 45Kg loaded bicycle, you'll need it. I think for a 1x system, a 10-52 cassette can get you pretty close. But you have to look at the cost of conversion for your particular bicycle. Also consider putting sealant in the tube instead of running tubeless. Because you need to deflat the tires for air transportation. To re-inflat a tubeless set up, you need a very powerful pump. Most hand pumps simply can't do the job. In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, there're two decent bike shops. And then all the way to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, about 1800km without a single bike shop there. The next city with a good shop will be in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. That's why I said simplicity and reliability are much preferred. Before your next big cycling trip, get to know your bikes better. Learn how to adjust and maintain the deraileur and the brakes is certainly useful.

[@PursuingMountains]

@@spektrumB Yeah We definitely need to get to know our bikes better before our next bike trip. That is a lot of distance on the Great Silk Road without any bike shop! Are you referring to a guide book for your planning? We tried to look up one and couldn't find a dedicated bike touring guide book for the Great Silk Road. Thank you for all the tips! :)

[@spektrumB]

@@PursuingMountains I rode part of it. So I still remember some details. Actually, there were two bike shops in Dushanbe. But they are closer to junk yard part shop than a typical bike store. And mainly service those old Chinese commuter bicycle. So it isn't much use for the bicycle we have. Greenhouse guest house is the "center" of long distance bike touring there. You will find plenty of fellow cyclists there during the summer.

[@PursuingMountains]

@@spektrumB nice thanks for the tips! Can’t wait to do part of the Silk Road someday

[@rogervancleave8670]

Great review and the Fargo was a great choice for this ride in my opinion. I’m amazed you actually found them in such short time given the inventory shortages that shops are encountering. Also glad to hear you supported the local bike shop (LBS). I believe the ridged fork is the way to go for this route. The Northern section seems to be a bit rougher, but past Montana it seems to be more gravel roads. You can possible add a suspension fork to your frame, but it likely adds weight and something to possibly break. If you had more time before you left, you might have been able to try and find more comfortable saddles. I’ve never had a stock saddle that was comfortable. Thanks for sharing this. Looking forward to hearing more about the gear you took.

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi. Thank you for the tips! Yeah, were were so happy to actually get them given the inventory shortages. We have been wondering about getting a more comfortable saddle. Do you have any recommendations?

[@rogervancleave8670]

@@PursuingMountains Check back with your LBS and see if they have a demo program. This is the best way to find a comfortable saddle. Some bike shops offer a fitting service similar to getting a fitting for your bike. Saddles are so personal, it’s hard to recommend any one saddle. I ride a WTB Pure on my mtn bike but use Fizik saddles on my road and gravel bikes. I personally prefer a wider saddle and discovered that most stock saddles are too narrow for me. Hope this helps.

[@devoidbmx1]

@@PursuingMountains I actually use a Brooks saddle on my Fargo. I found the factory WTB saddle caused lots of chafing and the Brooks leather saddle negated the need for padded cycling shorts and allows me to ride in jeans with comfort. Keep in mind that everyones body is different, so this may not work for you - some people love Brooks and some people hate them.

[@sabergo1]

Alex looks pretty grim in this video. Good review of your bikes, was one of them better at climbing those mountains (1x11 vs 2x8)? Keep up the bikepacking/touring and have fun for all of us.

[@pgreenx]

id like to know this too!

[@grjoeb6189]

Good luck on finding any bike related items right now.

[@PursuingMountains]

Yeah I’ve heard that. It was hard to find them in the summer last year as well

[@Scor-ah]

I love my Trek 920 for touring but they dont make them anymore. I also have a Priority 600X which is a belt drive for less maintenance and more of a mountain bike set up. It has loads of options for tying stuff on your bike bike but it is much slower on roads than the 920. In fact I took the 600x to Ragbrai last year and nicknamed it the slug as it was so much slower and harder to ride on paved surface. In the end all that matters is that you are out having fun and are comfortable with what you choose. I ride clipped in on pavement but if I am doing trails I like a flat pedal. I have tipped over clipped in a couple of times..(not pretty)🤣😂

[@PursuingMountains]

😂 yes that is what I am worried about. I will fall if I’m clipped in on a trail! 🤣 that’s interesting about the difference in your bikes. We have only ever rode the salsa Fargos for multi-day adventures so wouldn’t even know if we are riding super slow 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@stevemullin1195]

Can you put front rack for panniers on the fargo?

[@PursuingMountains]

I think you can with most racks, there are tons of mounting points.

[@noelheaton2941]

Yes , I have salsa racks on front and rear of bike.

[@bennetthasty7886]

Awesome I wasn’t sure the type but I thought they looked Salsa - I have the Salsa Vaya Deore steel gravel/touring

[@PursuingMountains]

Nice! How do you like your bike?

[@bennetthasty7886]

@@PursuingMountains love it but if you ever look for something different check out Priority bikes they do maintenance free belt drive bikes - I’d like to get one of those next

[@timparsons2741]

Can you tell me if the Fargo rear hub is one of the loud hubs ? Thank you .

[@PumpkinVillage]

How did you find the gearing? Which one do you think was best? Thanks for the video. Take care and stay safe, Al

[@PursuingMountains]

Hi! It's hard to say which bike was best because we only used our own. I (Liz) had some gearing issues with mine but I don't think that was due to the 1X11... Take care and stay safe too!

[@SteliosSavva]

i cant find that salsa fargo frame nowhere :( im in love with that olive color

[@PursuingMountains]

I fell in love with the olive color too. I found it in a small bike shop in SE Idaho. I hope you can find it somewhere 🤞

[@davejohn5876]

Just curious, why did both of you have your handlebars positioned the way you did? The angle that your bars are at it appears that you were never going into the drops at all. One of the advantages of a drop bar handlebar is it affords you more hand positions and thus more rider positions which can help with fatigue on long rides. The advantage of different hand positions can help your hands and arms from becoming numb or sore. Plus if your drops are positioned correctly it puts your hands and wrists in a much more natural position. It's true that the majority of your time will be spent on the hoods sitting more upright. But when you have the luxury of a mellow stretch of road where you can kick up your pace a bit dropping into the drops is also more efficient for power transfer to the pedals. Also riding in the drops is the best way to make your form more aerodynamic for when you're fighting a headwind.

[@PursuingMountains]

Interesting, I'll look into this, we actually didn't adjust the handlebar position at all, we just kept them in the position they came in.

[@Whatevah232]

Did you notice a lot of sway or flex in the frame when you rode it fully loaded?

[@PursuingMountains]

No we did not notice any swaying or flexing.

[@Whatevah232]

@@PursuingMountains Sweet, thank you for the reply!

[@naldovaz9157]

You get what you pay for,, Fargo is a nice bike, and steel frame, cool

[@PursuingMountains]

Yes 🙌🏼 we love our fragos!

[@SomeplaceOrAnother]

I always thought bike touring might been fun 👍

[@PursuingMountains]

It’s is! You should try it if you haven’t yet 😀

[@arcoulant87]

Haha thats a bummer having to upgrade .Chapeau .

[@PursuingMountains]

😂 yeah, at the time I was bummed because I wanted to save money but I definitely don’t mind the upgrade 😉

[@christinefournier685]

My mother tongue is French so it's a mystery for me why what I literally call "pedals with clips" get to be called "clipless pedals" in English. But I agree with you : those need a little bit of getting used to and it was better to go with traditional pedals a week before starting the trip.

[@dougfromsoanierana]

It doesn’t make any sense in English anymore, either. It comes from distinguishing toe cage pedals from modern cleated shoes: kadenapparel.com/blog/why-are-clipless-pedals-called-clipless/

[@PursuingMountains]

haha it doesn't make sense in English either. I kept clarifying with Alex while filming this that they were indeed called "clipless pedals."

[@mhernandez4576]

So....do I try a salsa fargo...or zipp tires....hmmmmm....TX riding...

[@mhernandez4576]

Btw....I know we are doing Katy trail in MO next year...but other than that..we are on the road....🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@christopherking2999]

I will never part with my Fargo.

[@PursuingMountains]

Thats good to hear! We are hoping to get many years out of them!

[@davidodell4687]

Trek 920 is the best I think salsa are so slow

[@PursuingMountains]

Oh interesting. I remember we considered some trek bikes as well. Have you tried both?

[@davidodell4687]

@@PursuingMountains yes I have a 9:20 right now it's really an excellent bike I had a Fargo it was really good on the fire trails and single track but once you got it on the flats it was so slow

[@PursuingMountains]

Thanks. Interesting hearing from someone who’s tried both. Maybe that’s why we were slow...not our lack of training at all 😉

[@spektrumB]

@@davidodell4687 Bikepacking bike touring isn't a race. A reliable and comfortable ride make way more sense than a little extra speed. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter much you make it to the camp ground at 4:15pm or 4:30pm.

[@davidodell4687]

@@spektrumB never said it was a race the 920 truck is my personal best that's all I'm saying I had a Fargo thing was slow as snail snot