Fun bike. Your excitement about it is palpable. Looks like he's really on his way to getting this bike dialed. As someone thats been bikepacking over a decade, bike bagmaking for that same amount of time and as a fellow Fargo rider, I'd make just a few suggestions, and I only offer them because he's clearly a tinkerer, and enjoys changing things up , 'always gotta be something else' :) . This is just my opinion but..... First would be to loose those 'anything cages'. He mentioned he already had problems with stuff staying secure. Swap them out for the Salsa Down Under front rack that are designed to fit that fork and get set of narrow panniers that attach via 'soft mounting'. Everything will be much more secure, lower profile and more aerodynamic. The extra capacity of these front panniers will allow him to move a lot of the weight and clutter from his bars first down, improving the handling. I'd also loose those mirrors and replacement them with a Garmin Varia (for cars) and then a "3rd eye mirror" to check on other riders. With his bars that high I don't know that the hand positions offered by these bars are really necessary, as he said, he spends most time at the ends where the shifter is, every other position is just effectively less safe with no access to brakes and less utility with no access to shifting. Normally people need these hand positions when they're running a more aggressive saddle to bar drop to avoid nerve compression. I'd get rid of these and pickup some Ritchey Kyotes and then add some true aerobars to get an aerodynamic position for long, windy flat sections of road. With bars that high you might find that a bar will less sweep is more comfortable actually. I'd look into it. For the cockpick check out the Routwerks handlebar bag. I think he'd really like that bag and it will really clean up his cockpit. It's a very impressive bag and will hold his phone on the lid, his light on the accessories nubs (like his Paul Components light mount. No fenders? SKS Velo 65 are a great fit on this bike. Blumel 75 are a good fit too. Anyways, fun video and awesome bike. I'm in the process now of converting my Ti Fargo to belts/gates. My last bikepacking trip had so much snow, mud and rain that I'm really seeing the value in these drivetrains.
I am a admirer of this bike frame and it’s versatility. I bought the frame and had it built up to my needs. I like the idea you have a Rohloff gears.. I’ve seen this before on Fargo’s... there is a shop in Manchester U.K. that’ll regularly fits Rohloff on a spec Fargo bike.. the shop is totally dedicated to all types of bike travel and nice people who run it. Anyhow I see many pics of MTB travel bikes and above other bikes I think the Fargo always looks different from the next Fargo ... the bike frame and the culture around this bike makes it a very personalised bike.
carla arden ... I agree! Maybe I’m silly… But each Fargo seems to have a unique assembly of gadgets and attachments… And therefore a unique little personality. I think they are highly customizable.
True enough that the Fargo is really able to fit the need of so many with each setup being unique and flexible. Great bike and you have to love that frame geometry
I'm late, but I appreciate the honest talk on the Rohloff. Everyone one else is either sponsored or they have some affiliation and they just say it's great without giving any actual feedback. It's an investment that I was curious about. Thanks for the talking points.
A Rohloff hub is not an investment, but an expense. However it is an expense worth making if you want a low maintenance, robust and reliable gear system that can take you any where. They quickly pay for themselves in that you don't continually have to maintain them or replace transmission parts. Their ease of use compared to a derailleur transmission is much better. You can change gear whilst stationary which makes them great for carrying heavy loads on your bike, hill climbing and cycle touring. Many Rohloff hubs rack up huge mileages. I have covered 30k trouble free miles on mine. HTH.
Hey Brad, I like hearing about Jerry's Fargo. I have a 2018 frame and I'm changing out my wheelset and my drivetrain. The Roloff is nice but pricey. Thanks for the cool vids. I'll be trying your kydex fender idea in the near future.
Thanks for posting. I have been looking for a bike manufactured with a rohloff 14 and found lots in Europe but that is Europe and I live in Canada. I now know that the salsa fargo frame will work maybe even the marrakesh. I have the salsa cages for the front fork and those cages have a little platform on the bottom which would solve jerrys problem of items sliding down the cage. I am interested in getting more information on how Jerry got his rohloff hub and everything installed on his fargo. can you help. cheers brian
@@BradBeaird Thank you very much for the quick feedback. I've got myself the very same purple Fargo and i'm so looking forward to start multiple days bike packing. Greetings from Belgium.
What did Jerry do with the his Fargo components? He should look into the Red-Shift stem, much cheaper that a lauf fork! I have a mountain I want to put cow-chippers, shifters? Thanks for the video and keep us informed how the Katy trail conditions are.
Kent Hamel ... red-shift? Don’t know anything about it - I’ll dig into that - thx. Most of the companies I have taken off… Are still sitting in my garage… I’m considering selling some of them or building up some other bike for the fun of it… Which I’ve never done, but would like it doing so. Thx!
@@BiminiJerry Yes, I have this great Ti framed MTB that would make a great gravel bike but is currently setup with a strait bar. Was your old setup on the Fargo 1x or 2x? We can connect thru FB and message each other.
Hi, I'm building a Salsa Fargo as you, M size, and I would like to know which crankset you used, the numbers of teeth, and the lenght of the belt. These information are hard to find. Best regards, LG
would be good to share some detail on the belt, how it is changed, was the frame cut to fit the belt, how the belt is locked into shape if its not a "looped" belt. thanks for your content. also curious about his tire pump, brand?
The belt is a one piece that goes through the frame at the alternator drop out where Salsa has the frame split on the Fargo. The belts are rugged and life upwards of 30,000km. I'll find out the pump brand from him, but I think it might be a Lezyne.
I am also preparing a built like this. Did you have to make any modifications tot the alternator setup? Are you still using the 12mm through axle? What bottom bracket are you using?
Amazing bike! Congrats! Thank you for the video. I was wondering how does she rides under a heavy load of a long trip... panniers, top bag... Ever try that? thanks!
Rides great under heavy load. Often run a Fabio's Chest bag on handlebars, loaded up heavy, forks loaded with cages/bags, Arkel Dry-Lites on the rack along with a bag on top of the rack with varying loads. Handles it well.
Great video. Own a Fargo myself and they are awesome. I have a SON Dynamo and it's definitely worth it. What type of handlebar bag does he have on the front?
J. C. Hicks That bag is just a small Bontrager bag with a map pouch… I don’t use it a lot… Because I usually have a Fabios chest… Made by swift industries… For Ronsbikes.com. But at the moment, and trimming it down because I don’t have to carry extra layers of clothing this time of year
Great video guys! Jerry mentioned that he's not totally sold on the Brooks b-17 saddle which is what I use. Is there another saddle he's considering? Ryan van Duzer is sold on the WTB Pure seat. Any thoughts on that?
I found it best to explain the Rohloff shifting pause like driving a manual stick shift; the pause is like punching in the clutch. I’ve got 2 questions. Which thudbuster st or Lt? Which brakes did you change to when you did the handlebar switch?
Nice bike. The benefits of Rohloff and Gates belt drive far far outweigh any negatives which are pretty small compared to the faff of derailleur transmissions which are crap in comparison. Time and time again I here air heads who have no experience of Rohloff try to criticise the gear change and reliability of the hub. Maybe these are mostly from Americans who mostly drive automatic cars as very few cars in America are actually manual shift so they cannot comprehend how to change a manual gearbox efficiently and smoothly. Just a thought. The only possible improvement transmission wise is perhaps a Pinion 18 spd gearbox transmission with belt drive instead of a Rohloff but this is a small point. You could also use the Rohloff hub with chain drive and a full chain cover to keep it clean. The rest on this bike is just cosmetic. A front Son dynamo hub would be good thing to have. Thanks for sharing.
I'd be curious to know what cog he's using in the front and back. Who put the rohloff/gates system together for him? I'm trying to figure out what parts to buy but would rather work with a builder who's done this before.
@@BradBeaird Thanks a lot! One last question if you know. Is he running the 135mm or 148mm hub? Seems the 135 is the only one "certified" by Rohloff. I'll see if my LBS can get me some answers. Sick bike. Love the videos!
Looks like the frame is to small and would have fit a 1 size up much better but hard to tell cause those handlebars have a back sweep and also a warp bar 20 ft forward so the medium of the two is a big difference
Hi guys, great looking bike and love the belt setup. Myself building a ti fargo soon; can you tell me which ratio you used for the sprockets (look 50/20 or so) and which length for the belt drive you are using with that!? Is there a partlist somewhere?
Alex Morgan ... It’s really really dirty from our local lime stone trail… And caked with a mixture of organic stuff with it… So I can’t get all of it off but it looks like it says 204
Thanks for sharing I always like hearing Jerry's bike stores what is the back rack he uses this is the same as yours on your Fx looking to buy a back rack and don't know what to buy.
Does the twist grip shifting get more difficult on hot humid days when your hands get sweaty? Are gloves necessary to try to minimize the slippage? Thanks for the detailed reviews!
Steep slope TTs are such a HORRIBLE FAD. IMO. The rest looks OK. My Rohloff has 16,500 trouble free miles. Half on 2 tours. I like more sweep back and narrower, on my old chrome HB. Mine has a chain 46/16T, on a 120 lb all custom bike. LOL. My shifter is on the TT, FAR better. I have DIY stuff all over. Me and Midas muffler made a 1 1/8" stem. LOL My SA XL-FDD dyno drum has 24,000 awesome miles, one bearing change. TRP Spyre on the Rohloff, it will lock on a dime.
Fun bike. Your excitement about it is palpable. Looks like he's really on his way to getting this bike dialed. As someone thats been bikepacking over a decade, bike bagmaking for that same amount of time and as a fellow Fargo rider, I'd make just a few suggestions, and I only offer them because he's clearly a tinkerer, and enjoys changing things up , 'always gotta be something else' :) . This is just my opinion but.....
First would be to loose those 'anything cages'. He mentioned he already had problems with stuff staying secure. Swap them out for the Salsa Down Under front rack that are designed to fit that fork and get set of narrow panniers that attach via 'soft mounting'. Everything will be much more secure, lower profile and more aerodynamic. The extra capacity of these front panniers will allow him to move a lot of the weight and clutter from his bars first down, improving the handling.
I'd also loose those mirrors and replacement them with a Garmin Varia (for cars) and then a "3rd eye mirror" to check on other riders.
With his bars that high I don't know that the hand positions offered by these bars are really necessary, as he said, he spends most time at the ends where the shifter is, every other position is just effectively less safe with no access to brakes and less utility with no access to shifting. Normally people need these hand positions when they're running a more aggressive saddle to bar drop to avoid nerve compression. I'd get rid of these and pickup some Ritchey Kyotes and then add some true aerobars to get an aerodynamic position for long, windy flat sections of road. With bars that high you might find that a bar will less sweep is more comfortable actually. I'd look into it.
For the cockpick check out the Routwerks handlebar bag. I think he'd really like that bag and it will really clean up his cockpit. It's a very impressive bag and will hold his phone on the lid, his light on the accessories nubs (like his Paul Components light mount.
No fenders? SKS Velo 65 are a great fit on this bike. Blumel 75 are a good fit too.
Anyways, fun video and awesome bike. I'm in the process now of converting my Ti Fargo to belts/gates. My last bikepacking trip had so much snow, mud and rain that I'm really seeing the value in these drivetrains.
I am a admirer of this bike frame and it’s versatility. I bought the frame and had it built up to my needs. I like the idea you have a Rohloff gears.. I’ve seen this before on Fargo’s... there is a shop in Manchester U.K. that’ll regularly fits Rohloff on a spec Fargo bike.. the shop is totally dedicated to all types of bike travel and nice people who run it. Anyhow I see many pics of MTB travel bikes and above other bikes I think the Fargo always looks different from the next Fargo ... the bike frame and the culture around this bike makes it a very personalised bike.
carla arden ... I agree! Maybe I’m silly… But each Fargo seems to have a unique assembly of gadgets and attachments… And therefore a unique little personality. I think they are highly customizable.
True enough that the Fargo is really able to fit the need of so many with each setup being unique and flexible. Great bike and you have to love that frame geometry
Gadget man you are for sure JB. Each day can be a new adventure with your many attachments. :)
Hi! What's the bikeshops name?
@@TheScatman89, Hi, the bike shop is called keep pedalling..which is in the northern quarter, Manchester
I really like this set up.
Awesome video. You guys gave me some good ideas to customize my fargo!
Fantastic. Glad you enjoyed it.
Surly's Bridge Club is also an "everything" bike. Love its versatility. Thanks for this informative video!
We have a friend with a bridge club and it looks great!
Thanks for the video, Captain and Jerry! I Learned about two great accessories: the gorilla clips and the click stand.
Glad it was helpful!
I'm late, but I appreciate the honest talk on the Rohloff. Everyone one else is either sponsored or they have some affiliation and they just say it's great without giving any actual feedback. It's an investment that I was curious about. Thanks for the talking points.
Glad it was helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
A Rohloff hub is not an investment, but an expense. However it is an expense worth making if you want a low maintenance, robust and reliable gear system that can take you any where. They quickly pay for themselves in that you don't continually have to maintain them or replace transmission parts. Their ease of use compared to a derailleur transmission is much better. You can change gear whilst stationary which makes them great for carrying heavy loads on your bike, hill climbing and cycle touring. Many Rohloff hubs rack up huge mileages. I have covered 30k trouble free miles on mine. HTH.
Great looking bike. I’m glad to see you dig into this bike deeper. Been great seeing it in your videos. Have fun guys and keep your distance 😉
Thanks Shane! Stay well.
Thanks - I love it... and I really enjoy making unusual modifications... lots of conversation starters on group rides (like the RASDAK)
Very nice video, Nice to have a chicken onboard.
Riding myself a Dutch Santos travelmaster and love it's Rohloff with Gates.
The chicken is a necessary mascot ;)
Hey Brad, I like hearing about Jerry's Fargo. I have a 2018 frame and I'm changing out my wheelset and my drivetrain. The Roloff is nice but pricey. Thanks for the cool vids. I'll be trying your kydex fender idea in the near future.
Hey Chris, thank you for watching. Really appreciate it.
Awesome set up ... I’m gonna go for this rig.
It’s quite a rig really. I think you would like it.
That's a busy cockpit. I prefer everything below or behind me.
That’s what she said!
Thanks for posting. I have been looking for a bike manufactured with a rohloff 14 and found lots in Europe but that is Europe and I live in Canada. I now know that the salsa fargo frame will work maybe even the marrakesh. I have the salsa cages for the front fork and those cages have a little platform on the bottom which would solve jerrys problem of items sliding down the cage. I am interested in getting more information on how Jerry got his rohloff hub and everything installed on his fargo. can you help. cheers brian
Great vid! I’m very seriously considering a Fargo as my next bike
Thanks! Fargo is a great bike!
What were the costs of the Rohloff Gates conversion? Did he use the original wheels?
The speedhub is over $1100 USD. And you have to get a wheel built for it in addition. Let's call that $300-$500, unless you do it yourself.
Nice and informative video. Do you have a link for the Click stand aluminium pole ?
Here is a video and link in description ; ruclips.net/video/mA6j4IsOXMo/видео.html
@@BradBeaird Thank you very much for the quick feedback. I've got myself the very same purple Fargo and i'm so looking forward to start multiple days bike packing. Greetings from Belgium.
Enjoy! It’s so much fun!
What did Jerry do with the his Fargo components? He should look into the Red-Shift stem, much cheaper that a lauf fork! I have a mountain I want to put cow-chippers, shifters? Thanks for the video and keep us informed how the Katy trail conditions are.
Kent Hamel ... red-shift? Don’t know anything about it - I’ll dig into that - thx. Most of the companies I have taken off… Are still sitting in my garage… I’m considering selling some of them or building up some other bike for the fun of it… Which I’ve never done, but would like it doing so. Thx!
I dont think they make those stems in short enough versions for the Fargos
Kent Hamel... are you interested in the handlebars and brake levers /shifter?
@@BiminiJerry Yes, I have this great Ti framed MTB that would make a great gravel bike but is currently setup with a strait bar. Was your old setup on the Fargo 1x or 2x? We can connect thru FB and message each other.
Hi, I'm building a Salsa Fargo as you, M size, and I would like to know which crankset you used, the numbers of teeth, and the lenght of the belt. These information are hard to find.
Best regards, LG
It’s a CDx-exp 46 sprocket with a 20 tooth rear sprocket.
Useful. Cheers.
Glad it was helpful!
would be good to share some detail on the belt, how it is changed, was the frame cut to fit the belt, how the belt is locked into shape if its not a "looped" belt. thanks for your content. also curious about his tire pump, brand?
The belt is a one piece that goes through the frame at the alternator drop out where Salsa has the frame split on the Fargo. The belts are rugged and life upwards of 30,000km. I'll find out the pump brand from him, but I think it might be a Lezyne.
Correction on the bike pump. It is a Crank Brothers brand.
@@BradBeaird familiar with Rohloff and belts, did not know that the Fargo has the frame cut for the belt! a very good reason to own one. thanks!
@@BradBeaird thank you!
Were you able to use the grip shift with the drop bars or did you change to Rohloff at the same time you switched bars?
I am also preparing a built like this.
Did you have to make any modifications tot the alternator setup?
Are you still using the 12mm through axle?
What bottom bracket are you using?
Amazing bike! Congrats! Thank you for the video. I was wondering how does she rides under a heavy load of a long trip... panniers, top bag... Ever try that? thanks!
Rides great under heavy load. Often run a Fabio's Chest bag on handlebars, loaded up heavy, forks loaded with cages/bags, Arkel Dry-Lites on the rack along with a bag on top of the rack with varying loads. Handles it well.
I have just ordered another bag by RoadRunner... gonna put it up front, and move the Fabio’s chest to the rear
Great video. Own a Fargo myself and they are awesome. I have a SON Dynamo and it's definitely worth it. What type of handlebar bag does he have on the front?
J. C. Hicks That bag is just a small Bontrager bag with a map pouch… I don’t use it a lot… Because I usually have a Fabios chest… Made by swift industries… For Ronsbikes.com. But at the moment, and trimming it down because I don’t have to carry extra layers of clothing this time of year
Try the Selle Anatomica saddle better than the Brooks
I have one on the ECR now
I had read to get a split frame in the Fargo you had to go with the Titanium model. This makes me think all Fargo are split frame?
All the Fargos are split at the alternator dropouts.
Great video guys! Jerry mentioned that he's not totally sold on the Brooks b-17 saddle which is what I use. Is there another saddle he's considering? Ryan van Duzer is sold on the WTB Pure seat. Any thoughts on that?
We've both now been currently riding with Selle Anatomica saddles the past month or so and I've got a quick review coming probably this week on it.
What size gates cdx sprockets are you running? I have a fargo and a rohloff hub on order form Germany right now. And I'm about to start the build.
@BradBeaird
It’s a CDx-exp 46 sprocket with a 20 tooth rear sprocket.
@BradBeaird amazing and with that combo what length belt did you get
Gates Belt part # is 11M-115T-12 CTS in Black
@@BradBeaird thanks so much!
I found it best to explain the Rohloff shifting pause like driving a manual stick shift; the pause is like punching in the clutch. I’ve got 2 questions. Which thudbuster st or Lt? Which brakes did you change to when you did the handlebar switch?
Thudbuster ST and the brakes are Shimano Deore XT's
Nice bike. The benefits of Rohloff and Gates belt drive far far outweigh any negatives which are pretty small compared to the faff of derailleur transmissions which are crap in comparison. Time and time again I here air heads who have no experience of Rohloff try to criticise the gear change and reliability of the hub. Maybe these are mostly from Americans who mostly drive automatic cars as very few cars in America are actually manual shift so they cannot comprehend how to change a manual gearbox efficiently and smoothly. Just a thought. The only possible improvement transmission wise is perhaps a Pinion 18 spd gearbox transmission with belt drive instead of a Rohloff but this is a small point. You could also use the Rohloff hub with chain drive and a full chain cover to keep it clean. The rest on this bike is just cosmetic. A front Son dynamo hub would be good thing to have. Thanks for sharing.
Can you take a bike like this w/o front suspension in the 2700 mile great divide?
You could.
@@BradBeaird Thanks - planning a 2022 ride after I finish a 2200 mile hike this yr!
Wow sounds fantastic!
What length is your belt 120 teeth?
I'd be curious to know what cog he's using in the front and back. Who put the rohloff/gates system together for him? I'm trying to figure out what parts to buy but would rather work with a builder who's done this before.
It’s a CDx-exp 46 sprocket with a 20 tooth rear sprocket. It was put together by the Local Bike Shop here in Missouri, Walt's Bike Shop.
@@BradBeaird Thanks a lot! One last question if you know. Is he running the 135mm or 148mm hub? Seems the 135 is the only one "certified" by Rohloff. I'll see if my LBS can get me some answers. Sick bike. Love the videos!
For Salsa bikes Rohloff only approves using their 135mm QR hub along with their Alternator dropouts and the Rohloff swing plate
Looks like the frame is to small and would have fit a 1 size up much better but hard to tell cause those handlebars have a back sweep and also a warp bar 20 ft forward so the medium of the two is a big difference
Hi guys, great looking bike and love the belt setup. Myself building a ti fargo soon; can you tell me which ratio you used for the sprockets (look 50/20 or so) and which length for the belt drive you are using with that!? Is there a partlist somewhere?
It’s a CDx-exp 46 sprocket with a 20 tooth rear sprocket
And I think the belt is… 115 teeth. I can ask my LBS about the parts list
@@BiminiJerry The number of teeth will be stamped on the belt.
Alex Morgan ... It’s really really dirty from our local lime stone trail… And caked with a mixture of organic stuff with it… So I can’t get all of it off but it looks like it says 204
What accessory bar is that
amzn.to/3dZuwpg
Thanks for sharing I always like hearing Jerry's bike stores what is the back rack he uses this is the same as yours on your
Fx looking to buy a back rack and don't know what to buy.
I'm using the Bontrager Backrack Deluxe and his Fargo has a Salsa backrack on it.
How tall are you and what is the top tube lengh and stem length? Just got an M size Fargo 2020 with flat bars and a 110mm stem...
5'9" tall on a Medium Fargo frame. I'll have to look up the stem length as it was just recently replaced.
Why did you opt for a Rohloff instead of a pinion?
Doesn’t require frame modification.
how much extra horsepower do you get from the chicken?
+1 Clydesdale
Does the twist grip shifting get more difficult on hot humid days when your hands get sweaty? Are gloves necessary to try to minimize the slippage? Thanks for the detailed reviews!
Perhaps a little but doesn’t really require gloves or anything.
Your rear disc is backwards.
Indeed it is!
Selle amatomica saddle
Cant get fargo now. Shipping will not catch up.
yeah it's crazy out there in the bike market right now.
Great video but that pizza bag or red shoes will get you beat up in my area.
Hi, could you discribe your bike?
Steep slope TTs are such a HORRIBLE FAD. IMO. The rest looks OK.
My Rohloff has 16,500 trouble free miles. Half on 2 tours.
I like more sweep back and narrower, on my old chrome HB.
Mine has a chain 46/16T, on a 120 lb all custom bike. LOL. My shifter is on the TT, FAR better. I have DIY stuff all over. Me and Midas muffler made a 1 1/8" stem. LOL
My SA XL-FDD dyno drum has 24,000 awesome miles, one bearing change. TRP Spyre on the Rohloff, it will lock on a dime.