OK – I currently have a road bike and a hybrid (that is used for the daily commute). I have the budget / space/ fettling time for one more bike and this is where my quandry arises. I need something to use over the weekends that will go through the winter over back roads, gravel tracks and some muddy singletrack. It will also be used for some 2-3day tours on similar terrain. The winter routes are quite hilly. So I was thinking maybe disc equipped CX bikes (crossrip, spesh disc sport etc) or maybe a 29er with an alfine (fortitude adventure) or even something slightly off the norm like a salsa fargo or singular gryphon.

So I would wlecome comments from owners of these bikes or similar on their use for these kinds of activity. I’m really drawn to the salsa and singular but have never swung a leg over one. If I won the lottery I’d get one of each but as that isn’t likely…..

I have a 1/10 Singular Gryphon and I love it – everything from road/sustran/ forest roads to red/black singletrack at places like Brechfa. Where are you – your welcome to swing a leg on mine (S Wales based).

I would love to but you are a bit far away. Sounds like the kind of thing. What chain ring are you running? Thanks.

32t chainring with 11/36 out back. Suits the hilly terrain around here.

I’d suggest adding a Singular Peregrine to your list too.
My Peregrine is easily the most versatile bike I own – that said, the Gryphon is a great bike too (ask me how I know :wink:), but of the err, Singulars I own, the Peregrine is my most go-to bike.

The distinction ‘twixt mine, is that the Peregrine is on 700 x 32 CX tyres and 22-32-44 / 11-32 (for a slight back-country lane / farm lane bias), and the Gryphon is on 29 x 2.1 Bonty XR3’s and SS on 32 x 20 (for more of a single-track bias), but either would be great set up as the other.

The Fargo looks like it’d make a great alternative tho’ – I almost bought a Fargo, but then I found the Peregrine, and, err, that was that (tho’ riding time / money no object I’d still like a Fargo).

Thanks for the comments. OCB I commented on your Gryphon in the ss 29ers thread! I put together a built based around a gryphon 2×10 and it came out no much off the price of an of the shelf Fargo (in the sale though). I’ll give the peregrine a closer look.

EDIT: Peregrines out of stock until late 2012 🙁

I have a Pompetamine Alfine and a monstercross of my own bodging and for offloading I find the Pompetamine a bit twitchy and the Alfine is too widely spaced on the long road sections.

the winter over back roads, gravel tracks and some muddy singletrack. It will also be used for some 2-3day tours on similar terrain.

That was my spec and i built a peregrine with an alfine.
Little heavy, but otherwise lovely.

Not used it much though, as my other 29er is quite similar.
Prob going to sell it.
Large size.

I love my Fargo, it does everything you’d want it to and does it well.

Very comfy bike (especially with the Big Apple 2.35’s i run on it). Mines set up with 105 shifters running a 3×9 Deore touring chainset (48/36/26), Tiagra Front mech and XT rear mech and it works flawlessly.

BB7 for brakes which have been totally trouble free as well. Don’t use it much off road, it’s mostly a winter commuter although i did my first 100 miler on it last month and 65 miles of that was canals with some fairly nasty muddy sections and it didn’t miss a beat.

It seems like I’m on to something with the fargo / gryphon thinking but with the peregrine thrown in to the mix.

Jerome – think a large might be too big otherwise I would have asked for details on the peregrine.

Thanks all, some thinking and spreadsheet speccing required 😉

i will dig out some photos to give you inspiration with your build.

As the peregrine is out of stock it looks like a fargo or gryphon. That would mean a definite ‘self build’ on the gryphon and the option of ‘off the shelf’ or ‘self build’ for the fargo. Hmmmm.

I self built my Fargo and much prefered that to buying off the peg (when you end up changing lots of bits anyway).

I had several bits lying around in the spares bin (wheels being the biggest item) but spent £780 including frame/forks/new BB7’s to complete the build. Everything was bought new except the seatpost (classifieds) so i could have done it cheaper if i’d wanted. My only downgrade as i see it was the cranks but there was no SLX touring version and i couldn’t see the benefit in the XT over the deore for the money. Plus the deore cranks are black which matched better than the silver XT.

Wasn’t there a Fargo for sale in the classifieds in the last week or so?

There was one for sale but it was an XL, not a medium alas. What crankset did you put on it in the end?

jerome; might be interested in your peregrine. email in profile.

I’ve been running a Cotic Road Rat for a few years now and it’s been used both on and off road a reasonable amount. Off road I have done the HONC and CX Sportive along with a few local explore your back yard type rides. Fitted with 32c CX tyres it’s pretty capable only limited by the fairly tall compact road gearing I run.

Certainly worth a look and robust enough for some off road touring with fairly good mud clearance on CX tyres, 29ers would be a bit much. Better than a Pompino/pompetamine though.

Discs are great. BB7’s in my case on 160mm discs.

Mines using Fleegle bars though I might actually get round at some point to fitting the Midge flared drop bars for the extra hand positions and a shorter stem to suit. However the way it’s set up is comfortable for hours.

Handling is good and with the horizontal track ends the wheelbase can be altered a bit. Takes a rack and guards.

The only downside really is the very robust build if you want something that feels fast and flighty, as it won’t.

Versatility however is it’s forte.

Open pro rims on XT hubs have coped very well with the mixed riding with 32c CX Houfalize off road, 28c Marathons (Winter/towpath commute) and 26c road tyres for summer tarmac commutes.

I probably wouldn’t get another as it’s a bit too close to the MTB’s I have and a bit far from the pure road bike in performance terms for what I need these days but have no complaints in terms of what it is capable of.

Ah, sorry, so you did …

🙂

I’m a bit forgetful about posts some times, and kinda leave them orphaned. Would more / different pictures help ?

I dunno where you are, but if you are anywhere near you can have a go to get the Singular sizing settled …( an’ “near” = the Westcountry).

Late 2012 isn’t too far off tho’ ..

😉

my Gryphon.

phone 035 by jamesanderson2010, on Flickr

Thanks nipper – out of interest what stem are you running and what shifter and rear mech? Have pretty much decided on a build of one of these 🙂

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh, having finally made a decision there are now none in stock in medium 🙁

cupra – drop me a line and I’ll see if I can find something for you.

the stem is an 80mm plus 6 degree Planet X job. the shifters are 10 speed 105 sti with a 9 speed xt rear mech which is ok for the 11/36 10 speed rear set with a 32t middleburn uno up front.

Ah well, no medium gryphons left, so a salsa fargo it is. Let the build speccing commence 🙂

Don’t forget to post the photos !

😛

Flickr’s ‘Fargo Appreciation Society‘ pool should be worth a trawl.