Bikepacking Bike: Spend $400 or <$4,000? Goals listed inside
#51
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
So I took the REI ADV 3.1 on a couple of mixed types of rides and think that I would prefer brifters for being able to keep 2 hands on the handlebars at all times. This showed especially when on the shoulder close to traffic and I swerve a little when shifting on long inclined roads.
With that in mind, I am starting to think of upgrading to a 29er and the practicality of a 29er for paved trails, as well as off road performance without suspension.
I have my eye on the Salsa Fargo, with the ability to put road / hybrid tires on for better paved stuff when needed.
With it being rigid without suspension, when would it be limited off road vs a full suspension mountain bike? Pretty much, What is the boundary of needing a full fledged mountain bike vs a rigid 29er with 2.4" tires?
With that in mind, I am starting to think of upgrading to a 29er and the practicality of a 29er for paved trails, as well as off road performance without suspension.
I have my eye on the Salsa Fargo, with the ability to put road / hybrid tires on for better paved stuff when needed.
With it being rigid without suspension, when would it be limited off road vs a full suspension mountain bike? Pretty much, What is the boundary of needing a full fledged mountain bike vs a rigid 29er with 2.4" tires?
#52
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 4,077
Bikes: Velo Orange Piolet
Mentioned: 28 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2228 Post(s)
Liked 2,011 Times
in
972 Posts
Take the tire width (say 2.4"), multiply by pi ≈ 7.5 inches. That's the max size of rocks in a river bed you can ride over without suspension.
#53
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Ontario
Posts: 558
Bikes: HP Velotechnik Streetmachine GTE, 2015 Devinci Silverstone SL4, 2012 Cannondale Road Tandem 2, Circe Morpheus, 2021 Rose Backroad, 2017 Devinci Hatchet
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 181 Post(s)
Liked 14 Times
in
12 Posts
#54
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Oh ok, good to know. So is the Salsa Fargo a good choice for versatility, with the ability to roll fast on paved roads if I put skinnier tires on?
#55
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 4,077
Bikes: Velo Orange Piolet
Mentioned: 28 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2228 Post(s)
Liked 2,011 Times
in
972 Posts
Sure you can put fast tires on it but I think a Fargo keeps you fairly upright so you can't escape the aero drag. You can't have everything, but I think a Fargo is a good all-rounder.
#58
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I guess it might not as much as a dedicated road bike, but hopefully would still be good.
#59
2-Wheeled Fool
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,346
Bikes: Surly Ogre, Brompton
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1385 Post(s)
Liked 677 Times
in
457 Posts
I applaud your choice of a Fargo. I love my ECR but I also thirst for a 29er pavement bike. The Treks are lackluster to my eyes, but a Surly Ogre or a Salsa Fargo would fill the bill nicely, and they'd be made of STEEL!
#60
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,614
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10964 Post(s)
Liked 7,491 Times
in
4,189 Posts
Really easy to use.
https://www.gevenalle.com/product/audax/ $150 and you could use the bar end shifters you already have.
Or buy the full set for $200 and just sell your current bar end shifters on craigslist or ebay.
Super easy to use, simple to set up/fix, shift from hoods, and you dont need to then buy an entirely different bike.
#61
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Ever heard of Gevenalle shifters? A set of those would allow you to shift from the hoods and still keep the mountain front derailleur.
Really easy to use.
https://www.gevenalle.com/product/audax/ $150 and you could use the bar end shifters you already have.
Or buy the full set for $200 and just sell your current bar end shifters on craigslist or ebay.
Super easy to use, simple to set up/fix, shift from hoods, and you dont need to then buy an entirely different bike.
Really easy to use.
https://www.gevenalle.com/product/audax/ $150 and you could use the bar end shifters you already have.
Or buy the full set for $200 and just sell your current bar end shifters on craigslist or ebay.
Super easy to use, simple to set up/fix, shift from hoods, and you dont need to then buy an entirely different bike.
#62
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
This is touring. How fast do you need to go? Aero drag isn't much of an issue in this instance imho.
I applaud your choice of a Fargo. I love my ECR but I also thirst for a 29er pavement bike. The Treks are lackluster to my eyes, but a Surly Ogre or a Salsa Fargo would fill the bill nicely, and they'd be made of STEEL!
I applaud your choice of a Fargo. I love my ECR but I also thirst for a 29er pavement bike. The Treks are lackluster to my eyes, but a Surly Ogre or a Salsa Fargo would fill the bill nicely, and they'd be made of STEEL!
Thanks for the applaud, maybe I am on the right track!
For speed, I would just want to keep up with my paved trail friends on their 700c hybrids. Sustained speeds of 15mph or so, and ability to climb without crushing my leg fatigue over 50 mile days.
#63
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Ontario
Posts: 558
Bikes: HP Velotechnik Streetmachine GTE, 2015 Devinci Silverstone SL4, 2012 Cannondale Road Tandem 2, Circe Morpheus, 2021 Rose Backroad, 2017 Devinci Hatchet
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 181 Post(s)
Liked 14 Times
in
12 Posts
The internet is a very two-sided place for my wallet. On the one hand it is a good place to exchange a lot of experience, learn a lot, and socialize in different ways. But it also is extremely good at convincing me that I urgently need product XYZ, it will make me super happy and it will realize all my cycling dreams. Until I'm back in my workshop and realize that other more basic issues are more important and I could also get by with much less bling or a fraction of these expenses.
I don't know how it is for you, but at this point, for the money's sake I would take a step back and try more before buying.
#64
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Do you have friends with bikes that ride the way your are thinking of? Try their bikes!
The internet is a very two-sided place for my wallet. On the one hand it is a good place to exchange a lot of experience, learn a lot, and socialize in different ways. But it also is extremely good at convincing me that I urgently need product XYZ, it will make me super happy and it will realize all my cycling dreams. Until I'm back in my workshop and realize that other more basic issues are more important and I could also get by with much less bling or a fraction of these expenses.
I don't know how it is for you, but at this point, for the money's sake I would take a step back and try more before buying.
The internet is a very two-sided place for my wallet. On the one hand it is a good place to exchange a lot of experience, learn a lot, and socialize in different ways. But it also is extremely good at convincing me that I urgently need product XYZ, it will make me super happy and it will realize all my cycling dreams. Until I'm back in my workshop and realize that other more basic issues are more important and I could also get by with much less bling or a fraction of these expenses.
I don't know how it is for you, but at this point, for the money's sake I would take a step back and try more before buying.
I strongly agree that money shouldn't be thrown away by buying something that I'd later regret. That's why I'm currently only looking to buy from REI for their 1 year return policy. And they happen to sell the Fargo, but no Surly bikes or Niner bikes etc.
#65
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150
Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times
in
43 Posts
So I took the REI ADV 3.1 on a couple of mixed types of rides and think that I would prefer brifters for being able to keep 2 hands on the handlebars at all times. This showed especially when on the shoulder close to traffic and I swerve a little when shifting on long inclined roads.
With that in mind, I am starting to think of upgrading to a 29er and the practicality of a 29er for paved trails, as well as off road performance without suspension.
I have my eye on the Salsa Fargo, with the ability to put road / hybrid tires on for better paved stuff when needed.
With it being rigid without suspension, when would it be limited off road vs a full suspension mountain bike? Pretty much, What is the boundary of needing a full fledged mountain bike vs a rigid 29er with 2.4" tires?
With that in mind, I am starting to think of upgrading to a 29er and the practicality of a 29er for paved trails, as well as off road performance without suspension.
I have my eye on the Salsa Fargo, with the ability to put road / hybrid tires on for better paved stuff when needed.
With it being rigid without suspension, when would it be limited off road vs a full suspension mountain bike? Pretty much, What is the boundary of needing a full fledged mountain bike vs a rigid 29er with 2.4" tires?
#66
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Western Florida
Posts: 1,581
Bikes: 2017 Kona TI, 2016 Bike Friday Haul-A-Day, 2015 Bike Friday New World Tourist (for sale), 2011 Mezzo D9, 2004 Marin Mount Vision Pro - for now :)
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 103 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
Thank you for your detailed reply. I realistically wouldn't mind spending $3000 for a bike that can do it all, or $1500-2000ish for a bike that can do most of it all so it leaves room to buy a dedicated MTB also.
Like a Salsa (Fargo or Cutthroat) or Surly (Karate Monkey or Krampus) bike? Are they good for being able to roll well on paved roads and also tackle dirt touring with some tough stuff?
It seems like all the bikepackers have a Salsa or a Surly, and my ignorance to the subject is what I'm trying to understand...
Like a Salsa (Fargo or Cutthroat) or Surly (Karate Monkey or Krampus) bike? Are they good for being able to roll well on paved roads and also tackle dirt touring with some tough stuff?
It seems like all the bikepackers have a Salsa or a Surly, and my ignorance to the subject is what I'm trying to understand...
#67
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Well guys I took the plunge and ordered a 2018 Salsa Fargo in Cream White for $360 off of the MSRP of $1800. The deal was good, so going to try it out. Also having the LBS upgrade the brake cables for $80 per their recommendation of being worth it.
Hopefully this is the one that I will be happy with. It should be ready on 9/28 and will post back after some usage.
Now it comes down to what should my spare wheel sets be for it, since I can go as big as a PLUS 3" tire, or skinny as a roadie tire for communiting.
Hopefully this is the one that I will be happy with. It should be ready on 9/28 and will post back after some usage.
Now it comes down to what should my spare wheel sets be for it, since I can go as big as a PLUS 3" tire, or skinny as a roadie tire for communiting.
#68
2-Wheeled Fool
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,346
Bikes: Surly Ogre, Brompton
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1385 Post(s)
Liked 677 Times
in
457 Posts
Well guys I took the plunge and ordered a 2018 Salsa Fargo in Cream White for $360 off of the MSRP of $1800. The deal was good, so going to try it out. Also having the LBS upgrade the brake cables for $80 per their recommendation of being worth it.
Hopefully this is the one that I will be happy with. It should be ready on 9/28 and will post back after some usage.
Now it comes down to what should my spare wheel sets be for it, since I can go as big as a PLUS 3" tire, or skinny as a roadie tire for communiting.
Hopefully this is the one that I will be happy with. It should be ready on 9/28 and will post back after some usage.
Now it comes down to what should my spare wheel sets be for it, since I can go as big as a PLUS 3" tire, or skinny as a roadie tire for communiting.
#70
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I blindly took their word for it aside from him saying that it's worth $80 when I asked, and that it will make the brakes more sensitive and less squishy / more responsive.
I tried to look at my order number to see what the brake cable make and model is, but it just says misc part. I'll get the details and post back when I pick up the bike.
#71
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,614
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10964 Post(s)
Liked 7,491 Times
in
4,189 Posts
There is no justification for the shop to sell such an expensive bike with anything less than quality lined brake housing, so the only real update would be compressionless, which ive heard improves disc brakes.
#72
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 163
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 123 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Hopefully its compressionless brake housing. Anything other than this is just unjustifiable in my mind- for both cost and claimed necessity. https://www.amazon.com/Jagwire-Kevla.../dp/B00KXQIY8Q
There is no justification for the shop to sell such an expensive bike with anything less than quality lined brake housing, so the only real update would be compressionless, which ive heard improves disc brakes.
There is no justification for the shop to sell such an expensive bike with anything less than quality lined brake housing, so the only real update would be compressionless, which ive heard improves disc brakes.
Yokozuna Premium Cables, Housing and Brake Pads
What do you guys think? Worth it?
#73
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150
Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times
in
43 Posts
I bought Jagwire compressionless for Disc Trucker brakes & derailleurs, figuring it would help a lot since DT, like Fargo, has full-length housing. After a year the rear brake cable housing ruptured at rear ferrule spot. I assumed I might have used wrong ferrule or something so replaced with compressionless again; later read Sheldon's info that one should use compressionless housing for shift cables (indexing works better) but not for brakes due to chance of catastrophic failure. OTOH it notes Nokon compressionless housing/cable can be used for brakes due to the different design.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html
#74
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Metro Detroit/AA
Posts: 8,207
Bikes: 2016 Novara Mazama
Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3640 Post(s)
Liked 81 Times
in
51 Posts
Ah makes more sense now. No clue if it is better, but it definitely sounds more reasonable than them tossing in a couple of $5 cables and charging you $70 for five minutes of labor that I originally had in my head
#75
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,614
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10964 Post(s)
Liked 7,491 Times
in
4,189 Posts
I bought Jagwire compressionless for Disc Trucker brakes & derailleurs, figuring it would help a lot since DT, like Fargo, has full-length housing. After a year the rear brake cable housing ruptured at rear ferrule spot. I assumed I might have used wrong ferrule or something so replaced with compressionless again; later read Sheldon's info that one should use compressionless housing for shift cables (indexing works better) but not for brakes due to chance of catastrophic failure. OTOH it notes Nokon compressionless housing/cable can be used for brakes due to the different design.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html
But since that article and update, there is now compressionless brake housing which uses kevlar to hold everything together and keep the housing from busting out.