I’ve finally built up the Fargo. First impressions up and down the drive are good, the position isn’t as radical as the frame design would suggest and its really stable.

I’m having a job tuning the front mech and I’m wondering if there is a tiny incompatibility with my mix of parts. 9 speed Ultegra triple stis, a ten speed XT 771 front mech and an XT772 ten speed crank. While the front mech shifts cleanly enough on each ring, the chain rubs on the outside of the front mech cage using the smaller rear sprockets. Depressing the sti lever moves the mech just a couple of mm more to stop the rub. Is the throw different for 9 and 10 speed shifters?

Nice.

It took me ages to finally fettle my Fargo. All the cable lengths were non standard and the position was down to try it and see. Several stems and bars came and went until I settled on this ugly looking setup which is actually very stable and comfy. It’s currently in winter commute mode which allows Velocross 55 guards to be fitted, turned out to be a godsend for this extremely aquatic year. I have managed some truly godawful “wetter than an otters pocket” rides on this without suffering the mtb’ers version of footroot!

After a bit of front mech realignment side to side and a bit of cable tweaking the gear is working better. It really needs to sit a fraction lower but the clamp is tight against a water bottle boss.

I had another spin on it this afternoon, it’s much quicker than I anticipated and the big wheels do roll better. I’m liking the high position of the bars and possibly for the first time ever I will be able to use the drops.

I’ve got a set of wide SKS mudguards to fit and a pair of Tubus racks. I test fitted them today, rather than bend the seat stay mounts, I’ve order a Salsa rack lock, it keeps the stays a little shorter which should help rigidity. Im itching to get out and do some offload touring on it.

how the fek are you supposed to carry a pile of wood around on that ❓

I thought mtb front mechs need a bit of bodging to play nicely with road STIs anyway?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/shimano-road-stis-and-mtb-front-mechchainset

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/mtb-mechs-and-road-shifters-do-they-work-together-ok

First ride on mine today, forgot to set Endomondo going but between thirty five and forty miles, pretty much all offroad after the first mile. Nothing gnarly, but lots of squishy mud. 50mm Big Apples just steamroller along, but not quite ideal for changing direction in gloopy mud. Great fun, especially charging back along the riverside in the mud at full pelt a good hour and a half after sunset with no lights. I love this bike already.

I went with a 48t front chainset, and a 105 roadie front mech to match the shifters and it just works, though there was a bit of faff before deciding to run the BB without spacers on the drive side. I was under the impression the road and mtb mech moved different ratios rather than it being an 9/10 speed issue. Might be my XL frame or the bigger ring but the band sat happily between bottle bosses. The bottle sat on happily enough with a pump clip underneath spacing it out a tad, but would have gone on ok but touching the band.

Bad points, it doesn’t quite fit me as is, I’m a scant 6’2″ and it’s an XL, there’s a 110mm stem on there, an I think I’ll need either 80 or 90mm to be proper comfy. The saddle is pretty much where I want it for comfy legs, I could maybe squeeze another 10mm forward on the rails. Got tubus racks already waiting but not sure what mudguards to put on it. It’s also going to get flat pedals.

Reading the links here and on the CTC it looks like fitting a road triple front mech is the way to go. would switching the spacer on the drive side to the non drive side help the front mech throw. I wonder how will it will work with smaller chainrings.

Looks good MLC, I’m going for a spin along the coast tomorrow.

Swapping spacers might just do it. I couldn’t quite get enough movement on the mech without, but thought it was down to XT chainset being wider than a road triple, but not sure.

MLC yours is an XL and you are 6’2″, I’m 6’1″ and mine is a medium. I checked the geometry and stand over heights against my 26″ wheeled hard tail and didn’t think I’d even be long enough in the leg for a large.

I fitted a 100mm stem but could go another 10mm. I need to get some miles on it over varied terrain to really see where it’s strengths and weaknesses lie.

Mudguards?

I ordered a pair of these which came super quick from Germany
http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a63551/bluemels-set-28-65mm-black.html?lg=en&cr=GBP&cn=gb&gclid=CIK216K4rrMCFczHtAodHC0AVQ

But they come up a little short at the ends so I’ve ordered a couple of these flexy mud flaps too.
http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a31657/p-65-spoiler-pro.html

On the Mk1 there’s only 25mm difference effective top tube on the frames M-XL, so I could have gone for any, but this frame came up on the classifieds so I took a punt. Standover is just OK, but manageable. If I play with frame bags I guess I could get a lot more in than if I had a medium! A 20mm shorter stem won’t kill the handling, I could just as well have bars with shorter reach just to be just right on the hoods and drops, but I quite like these Bell Laps and I’ve done the controls and wrapped it now.

Would they fit my Vaya McM?

Not to be inflammatory, but is this bike anything more than a drop bar 29er with a long head tube and lots of braze ons?

Looks lovely but I’m wondering how different it would be to my Big Kahuna.

Would they fit my Vaya McM?

The mudguards? They are probably too wide for a touring bike.

Have a look here, bike discount are cheap but some eBay shops also stock them.
http://www.sks-germany.com/?l=en&a=product&r=mudguards&i=6409800121&CHROMOPLASTICS

Al it’s probably not that different from your bike, but the thing that appealed to me is that it’s a ready to go off road tourer with easy to fit racks around the brakes and the option of fitting wide tyres which I couldn’t do on my On One CX. So it’s for the chop. Yours probably inspired me most to go for the Fargo after ther ride down from Aviemore.

Losing a bb spacer on the drive side worked on my Fargo (the same model as midlifecrashes but the XXL) and its not missed a beat in over 3300 miles. Tiagra 9 sp mech,105 shifters and a Deore 48/36/26 chain set.

Shakedown ride today, a spin down to the Forth and along the coastal path. Faffing around in the shed, I couldn’t find a big 700c tube. What would be the chances of a puncture on benign trails with new tyres? I rode as far as North Queensferry and found I had a slow puncture. Worse my pump was falling apart.

I called a mate. In South Queensferry, who luckily was just in from a ride, he had a spare tube and a working pump. I managed to get just enough air in to ride the bridge with only a couple of pit stops. Gary’s tube selection wasn’t huge, but we did find something, then realized we could swap my back tyre for one of his CX tyres that would get me home.

I just made it back as the sun was setting, it was lovely riding back home with the sun on my back and the longest of shadows stretched out ahead of me.

The bike is a keeper. The handling is predictable and climbing is much easier than with flat bars. riding on the drops was just as comfy and efficient for me as riding on the hoods. I need to experiment with tyre pressures, the sidewalls suggest 60psi which I think is pretty high. The gears worked well but I’m going t fit a road triple front and move the BB spacer to the non drive side.

Looks great – lots of seat post showing are you *SURE* it’s not too small for you 😉

Looks great – lots of seat post showing are you *SURE* it’s not too small for you

I’m tall with short legs. It could easily be your size. Once I get the gear sorted come and give it a go or if I’m heading up your way to Pitlochry I could look in. I think you’ll like it.

That would be great Peter – thanks.

what handlebars are they ?

what handlebars are they ?

Salsa Bell Laps