Salsa

Fargo 2 Complete Bike

Ever dreamed of a vacation that's free from planes, trains, and automobiles? Aboard the revamped Salsa Fargo 2 Complete Bike, you can hit the open road -- pavement optional -- right from your front door. With enough bells and whistles to satisfy the novice and expert randonneur alike, the Fargo 2 is the ultimate go-anwhere, do-anything bike. Now, the only thing keeping you from your destination is your map reading skills.

During the design phase, Salsa left no stone unturned in order to make the Fargo 2 the ultimate off-road touring bike. To start, the frame is made from the same proprietary Kung Fu CroMoly that graces the lauded El Mariachi. Salsa designed this material to walk the line between weight and strength, leaning a little more toward strength. For trouble free travels, the Fargo 2 uses a rigid fork, made from the same material, that prevents you from the toils of fork service over your tour. However, the Fargo is compatible with an 80mm travel suspension fork, but you should know that Salsa has included two sets of Anything Cage bosses on the rear of the rigid fork's blades, so if cargo capacity is more important than squish, you'll want to stay rigid. What's even more important than the Fargo's materials is its attentive geometry. You should notice that the acute angle from the 73-74 degree seat tube to the 70-71 degree head tube aligns the saddle position to a comfortable drop ratio with the bars. And with the Salsa Woodchipper handlebars' 26-degree flare angle, the geometry works hand-in-hand with the components to provide you with a comfortable back position while hammering or cruising in the saddle.

To keep you riding hydrated, the Fargo 2 accepts three water bottle cages, in addition to the two Anything Cage mounts on the fork. The frame also features integrated rack and fender mounts that have been cast and ribbed into the dropouts for no-nonsense durability. The attachment area has been given substantial clearance due to the 160mm Avid BB7 disc brake being mounted to the chainstay. The fork's disc brake has also been mounted intuitively, being positioned mid-blade. The mounting position still clears up to a 185mm rotor, too. Note that Salsa has designed the rack mounts to work flawlessly with its Wanderlust Rack and Down Under/Minimalist racks, but anything burly will suffice.

The Fargo 2 uses the double-ring SRAM S1000 crankset with a 42/28t chainring option. Salsa made sure that you can run fat tires, so the Fargo 2 can accommodate 2.3in tire widths with plenty of room left over for mud to pass. However, for a little versatility, the bike comes equipped with 29in x 2.2in Continental Race King tires. For shifting, Salsa has included the venerable SRAM Apex shifters that have been mated with a SRAM X.7 HDM front derailleur and a SRAM X.9 long-cage rear derailleur. To ensure that you can get over a mountain pass fully-loaded, the Fargo 2 comes with a SRAM PG-1050 11-36 cassette that allows lower than a 1:1 ratio. The Fargo 2 rolls on quick-release, 32 hole Formula hubs that have been made specifically for Salsa. These hubs have been laced to the durable DT Swiss X470 rims with 32 DT Swiss Competition spokes.

The Salsa Fargo 2 Complete Bike is available in four sizes from Small to X-Large and in the color Brown.