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Hello
I'm condidering buying a Fargo frame and just wondered if anyone had one, had ridden one, etc. I've read a few reviews which seem to indicate that there's nowt wrong with it (apart from the one in WMB but I don't think they "got" the bikes intended use) but it would be nice if anyone had any proper first hand experience ... thank you.
Didn't Chipps from here tour the Pyrenees on one?
T'was in the mag a few months back.
He really liked it.
I'll have a look through some back issues, ta. I remember Chipps going on his trip but kind of forgot what he went on.
Cheers
Have you considered the Singular Gryphon?
I haven't Stu but I shall go and take a look.
Cheers
Have you considered the Singular Gryphon?
does it have rack mounts?
Ridden a Gryphon and a Fargo. Preferred the Gryphon as an off road capable mtb and far preferred the looks. If you need/want a gazillion braze-ons then the Fargo is the one. Twentynineinches.com has reviewed both bikes.
Had an hour on one around the Ridgeway in the peeing rain. I need one although I would go for a frame build sa I am not a bar end shifter person. got too many of those. Heavy, maybe heavier than needed unless you are carrying tons of weight. 6 bottle braze ons! Good fun and surprisingly quick although the tyres I was riding were not the lightest. Noticably slower than my Kaffenback but faster than my Enduro.
Actually I probably prefer the Salsa Vaya which is a lighter build. C+ had a page on one this month.
Size might be an issue. I am 5'7" and felt ok on the 18" frame although a 16" would be more flexible. The Gryphon isn't availible small enough for me. Dunno about you.
I've got a Fargo and it's brilliant at all the things I want it for - commuting, touring with plenty of kit on, carrying the child seat, child seat and kit etc etc etc. My build up on the frame is about as heavy as I could manage without filling things with lead as it's got touring rims, Marathon Plus tyres, slime tubes, dynamo front hub, a bizzarre collection of handlebars, hydraullic discs, Brooks B17, Ergon grips, lots of bottles, full racks and mudguards and it still handles well, really predictable on even fairly rough tracks. I use it for commuting shopping/errands/short trips, and I've done a few 100+ mile rides on it and it's not road bike fast but it doesn't hold me back too much either. Superbly comfy too. Buy one.
I've just been looking at the Gryphon and as much as I like the look of it, there's no rack mounts (from what I can tell) and they don't do a small ... 5'7" same as you Matt so if I go the Fargo route it'll be a 16".
I rode the Fargo on the same day that Matt did, and also really enjoyed it (surprising myself). It's actually really quite capable off-road, if a bit portly...at least in the configuration demo'd. I'm trying out a Gryphon at Sam's on Tuesday, (with cash in my pocket frankly) as I'm virtually sold on the frame for my purposes and already had a brief spin on Stu's Gryph. Obviously, it doesn't have all the braze-ons of the Fargo, but I like the ability to SS it and let's be honest, it looks fantastic. I don't think you can go wrong with either though, and considering it looks like there's a sizing issue anyway, go get a Fargo...I'm sure you won't regret it!
True, the Gryphon doesn't have rack braze ons etc, it is really designed more as a drop bar mtb than a tourer. As for sizing - there is only 10mm difference in ett between a medium Gryphon and a small Fargo. The size was about as small as I could make it and be confident people are unlikely to run in to toe overlap problems.