Building a Fargo…

So, following on from an earlier thread, I have concluded that I will probably be building a Salsa Fargo. I have been offered a good price on a new frameset and now need to look at building one up.
As this new fangled 29″ wheel thing has passed me buy and I have also never built an offroader with road parts, drops, shifters etc.
Im after a bit of advice…
Best options for groupsets and wheels (ideally 2nd hand, or any mega deals out there at the moment)?
Suitable, pretty cranks?
Im planning on using std quality mtb bits, in relation to stem, post and other extras
Anything else I should think about?
If it ends up close to the price of a Sonder Camino, I will just buy one of them but Im hoping I can build on much cheaper.
Cheers

Need to be careful regarding cranks (mountain bike needed) and brakes (road pull brakes needed). Loads of info on the Salsa Fargo MBR thread (google it)

Groupsets: Do you want single double or triple? Hydraulic or mechanical disc brakes?
Bars: How much flare do you want on the drops? Giant Connect Bar at £15 is good value for minimal flare (Similar to Salsa Cowbells)
Wheels: Others will be more up to date on current offers than me

I bought mostly from German bike shops online and here second hand.

My Ti Fargo is XX1 crankset/Force+Rival Hydraulic shifters(SRAM brakes)/Rival RD and 10-42 cassette
Steel Fargo is XO crankset/Rival mechanical shifters (BB7 brakes)/NX RD (best not to use a mountain RD, even though I did) and 10-42 GX cassette

Road shifters and mtb gearing can be a minefield, so have a look at the salsa archive for older setups of Fargo to see what can be done and go from there. The Camino AL is £800 so I doubt youd beat that, but the Fargo is such a nice bike id be happy to take that over a Camino.

I have a mix of 5700(105) and SLX on mine, along with Avid BB7s.

Salsa woodchippers, and XT hubs on Mavic Rims.

Its spot on, although to be fair I’m thinking of selling it as It doesn’t get the use it deserves.

Thanks so far everyone, lots to think about and reinforced the issues I thought with cranks, brakes etc. Thanks for links to other threads, that’ll be a big help.
Dougal, the spec on yours and on the ti, sounds amazing
As I said if this gets too privy I will just consider buying a Camino ti
Teetosugars, let me know if you do think of selling! I may very well be keen

Mines built with XT 10 speed cranks, cassette, front derailleur and chain. 105 10 speed shifters on woodchippers and a non shadow 9 speed short cage XT rear derailleur (non shadow version as more durable). TRP Spyre brakes. Hope Pro2/Stan Arch wheels running Maxxis IKON 2.35 tyres. All been faultless so far. Will dig out a pic later.

Maybe use bar-end shifters on friction?
You’ll get away with *all* kinds of gearing options then.

(I run almost everything on friction these days given the freedom it gives me in mixing up component choices (plus I prefer the way it feels)).

😉

Mine is XT trekking chainset (48/36/26), 105 STIs, 5703 (3×10), 105 front mech, XT 770 shadow 9 speed rear mech, 10 speed 11-36 cassette and chain, Salsa Bell Lap bars with crosstop levers, BB7 brakes, standard 29er wheels, Ritchey stem and post, Brooks to sit on. Bluemels guards to keep me dry, Tubus racks when I load it up.

How has everyone got on with sizing? As I can’t try one first and I have read a few blogs that claim salsas sizing chart are wrong.
I’m 5’11” and I think, a 31-32″ leg

I’m 5’11 and 33 inside leg and I have large frames. Where you based.. I’m sure someone gets will let you try out?

I’m the same height, and mines a Large…
I’m in Cheshire if you want to try it..

Cheers tee and Dougal but your a long way from me, I’m in cornwall
Thanks anyway

I’m near Bath if that is any use? I’ll even throw in a free Sora 9sp triple front mech if I can dig it out.

Cheers Dougal, your a legend. If I’m heading up that way before I either find one or buy the frameset,ill give you a shout. Might be up for the Christmas market at the end of the month

had a fargo. it was the oddest bike ever…….neither here nor there.
sold it, bought a jones+ which is what a fargo aspires to be…. 😉

Another Large, 6’1″ and wear 34″ leg trews. Did have an XL before, both could be setup fine for me for road, but hardly any standover space on the XL so swapped when an L came up at the right price. You could likely make an M work if you wanted, but if you’re planning on getting bikepacking bags, there will be more room in and around an L frame.

I’m six foot with shortish legs and worried about the stand over height. I went for a medium which turns out to be a smidgen too small, if anyone has a large frame with the 1 1/8 steerer I’d be interested.

a jones+ which is what a fargo aspires to be….

Eh?

😯

Nope, stick loop bars on

5’11” here on a Large Fargo 3, wouldn’t want a smaller one.

Mines standard spec bar the odd consumable. Very comfy and as long as you’re happy with “its pace” then you’ll go all day on it. I’m running 9nspeed shimano with bar-end shifters. Fine unless you’re hoofing it over stiles and you get jabbed in the groin by a shifter. I’ve done over 11,000 miles on it so it’s not a deal breaker by any means.

6’1″ on a 2014 XL
Loop bars nice and up right ride.
Had large before, XL close in size but I have bigger frame bag and no toe taps from panniers.
Fargo’s are ace
(I am not young)

should have added, found my surly disc trucker better on the road for touring, and found a hardtail 29 better for offroad stuff.
the fargo did not excel at either.

the jones feels just as good on the road and is a heck of a lot better offroad.

Problem with that is beating the Fargo with a disc trucker and a hard tail means two bikes and beating it with a Jones means doubling your budget.

So hooja how are you getting on with your build?

I’ve just got the last Large frameset from CTBM and considering building it up with 2×10 hydraulic kit. SRAM is the obvious choice for compatibility although I generally prefer Shimano.

Using 10 speed as opposed to 11 as I think it would be less sensitive to adjustment when “adventuring by bike”! So the only option is S700 shifters and probably GX rear mech, I have some Middleburn cranks already.

Trying to find Cowchipper bars is proving impossible, Triton is showing stock coming in next month?

Dougal365: interested is why road mech is better for the rear, I’m looking at using an 11-36 cassette.

Double post.

happybiker: See here regarding ratios:
SRAM 10 speed road/mb interchangeable.
SRAM 11 speed not supposed to be (although bizarrely my rear 11 speed NX mech works fine, even though it shouldn’t..I hadn’t realised it was incompatible when I bought it)
http://blog.artscyclery.com/science-behind-the-magic/science-behind-the-magic-drivetrain-compatibility/

Thanks, I’ve seen that before. SRAM 10 and 11 can be mixed as long as the shifter matches the cassette, the derailleur doesn’t mind. I think you can get a wifli road mech (32 max) to work on a 36 cog but it’s not ideal. I think an MTB mech will be the safest bet.

Anyone any ideas where to find a fargo frameset, without spending a fortune. Have been looking for a while now, for a used one and no joy!
Any european shops, cheaper than uk? its a pricey frameset and its in danger of ending up a pricey build all in, which I’m trying to avoid
cheers

hooja – Member
Anyone any ideas where to find a fargo frameset, without spending a fortune. Have been looking for a while now, for a used one and no joy!
Any european shops, cheaper than uk? its a pricey frameset and its in danger of ending up a pricey build all in, which I’m trying to avoid
cheers

Seem to be gold dust trying to find them second hand, i have the original Mk1, and wanted to upgrade to later model with alternator plates at rear and to take tapered fork, couldn’t afford the £900 they wanted for new frame and forks, so ended up getting mine powdercoated for a new lease of life.

Some slightly cheaper medium and large frame on Pinkbike

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2080524/

Cheers Scud, Yep had a chat to those guys, nice guys too but its still a bit more than i can justify, as i know the rest of the build cost will inevitably snowball.
Im also nervous about spending so much on a frame, when I am dead between the medium and large, based on size charts and everyone feedback.
Its easier to take a punt on getting the right size when you are spending less money

I don’t think you will get an unused frameset with the firestarter carbon forks for less than that website. The German sites were more than that when I last looked in Feb.
They do come up on ebay but you will need to decide if important for you to get Gen 1 or 2 (or newer). I don’t have the differences to hand.
Bigpeaks in Devon used to do Salsa stuff.

Hi hooja

You may or may not be interested but I have a Singular Gryphon in large that
I want to sell on. I too wanted a Fargo but the Gryphon, as far as I am
concerned is a superior bike. It’s ace off road, has toured Flanders and
Outer Hebrides with aplomb and I also used it to commute. It doesn’t quite
have the rack mounts and fork mounts as the Fargo, I used a Thule pack
and pedal rack and Ortlieb panniers, worked v well.

Anyhow, email in profile if you want to consider.

Thanks for all the advice…
For anyone thats interested, I have taken a punt on a new 2016 frameset in medium (i figured i will be riding on trails and single track 80% of the time and only offroad touring occasionally, so taken a chance on geometry similar to what i ride on a hardtail mtb)
Build from a few bits i have, some new on order and a couple I’m still looking for:
Stans crest wheels
Skinwall ardents
woodchippers
Sram force cx1 1×11 shifters
sram nx r mech
11-40 sunrace cassette
32t middleburn Rs8 crank
Trp spyre brakes
Thomson stem and post
Cambium for the ass
Hope for the spinny bits

Cant flippin’ wait!!!

Big thanks too, to the chaps at Pedals in Edinburgh… A pleasure to deal with and a big help!