# Salsa Fargo for Loaded Touring



## Willster (Mar 30, 2009)

How does the Salsa Fargo perform for loaded road touring? Especially interested in performance with panniers on the forks. Saw some responses from Salsa at Crazyguyonabike that surprised me, suggested that weight on the front was a bit squirrelly. 

I love my La Cruz but it gets a little whippy with anything over 20 lbs. or so on the back, especially when standing. I'm 190 lbs and ride the 62 cm.

Thanks.


----------



## m_s (Nov 20, 2007)

It seems salsa is coming out with a new disc equipped bike that falls somewhere between the la cruz and fargo. I don't know if it is meant as a loaded tourer; there isn't much info out yet. But it might be worth waiting for.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I emailed Salsa about the Casseroll's capability for touring, and said it was not designed for that. Light touring would be OK, but the frame and fork are not designed to carry heavy loads. It should would be fine with some small panniers or a Carradice bag in the rear, and a handlebar bag up front, but not panniers front and back.


----------



## m_s (Nov 20, 2007)

I don't know if you were referring to my post or not, but the bike I'm talking about will be a new model for salsa. Good to know about the caseroll though.


----------



## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Other issues?*



Willster said:


> How does the Salsa Fargo perform for loaded road touring? Especially interested in performance with panniers on the forks. Saw some responses from Salsa at Crazyguyonabike that surprised me, suggested that weight on the front was a bit squirrelly.
> 
> I love my La Cruz but it gets a little whippy with anything over 20 lbs. or so on the back, especially when standing. I'm 190 lbs and ride the 62 cm.


Some bikes (like the Surly Long Haul Trucker) are designed to carry the load in the back, and the handling deteriorates when too much weight is put in the front panniers. That could be the issue with the Fargo. It's a design choice. Less experienced tourers tend to have most of their weight on the rear, so some bikes are designed for that market.

Your current bike's issues could be more related to the rack being too flexy. There are lots of racks available that really are not up to the task.


----------



## Willster (Mar 30, 2009)

Yeah, I wonder about that because I'm not exactly sure where the flex I feel is actually coming from. The sensation is that it's the front wheel but that's not it. It seems to be a good wheel (stock) and doesn't go out of true and the brakes don't rub, etc. The rack is a Topeak Super Tourist Disc and I'm only using one strap (diagonally) because othe mounting options on the La Cruz are limited. In any event I still want a heavier duty touring bike so I'm looking hard at the Fargo and also Surly LHT and Soma Saga. Prices have really dropped on the Fargo so if its up to the task I don't mind paying a bit more for it than those other two.....and right now its the one that speaks to me as they say.


----------



## Jimi_Lee (May 3, 2006)

Willster said:


> Yeah, I wonder about that because I'm not exactly sure where the flex I feel is actually coming from. The sensation is that it's the front wheel but that's not it. It seems to be a good wheel (stock) and doesn't go out of true and the brakes don't rub, etc. The rack is a Topeak Super Tourist Disc and I'm only using one strap (diagonally) because othe mounting options on the La Cruz are limited. In any event I still want a heavier duty touring bike so I'm looking hard at the Fargo and also Surly LHT and Soma Saga. Prices have really dropped on the Fargo so if its up to the task I don't mind paying a bit more for it than those other two.....and right now its the one that speaks to me as they say.


I know I dug this thread out from the grave, but I am curious about an update? Did you (or anyone else reading this) ever manage a long fully loaded, self supported, tour with a Fargo? I am in the market looking for a dirt/gravel capable touring bike and this ranks high on my wish list? Can anyone speak from experience about the Fargo?


----------



## Icculus (Mar 14, 2007)

I have a fully loaded Salsa Fargo with Ortleib panniers, a handle bar bag, and front/rear racks. I have only used it for groceries and some commuting. Kind of sad that I have not used it for a tour yet. I also have a Bob Yak trailer. The bike is nice and stable when not totally loaded down. If you distribute the load I think you should be fine. I use some Schwalbe Marathon 29x2.0 tires which are more for the road and they are solid. The disc brakes stop very well. I like the way the bike handles with the Bob. I have lots of options on how I want to carry things. The bike with the empty bags on it and full fenders weighs almost 50 pounds, however. I might put it on a diet and configure it for the season and the type of riding I will be doing. It is by far my most favorite bike that I own. I hope to have it for decades. I think it would do great for gravel roads. Good luck.


----------



## Jimi_Lee (May 3, 2006)

Thank you Icculus for your reply. It is helpful. I have heard rumors and reviews that the bike gets squirrely with load, is that something you have noticed?

I should elaborate on my riding style/experience: I consider myself an above average cyclist with about 15 years of experience behind me, mostly as a SS mountain biker in the NW. I already own an 80's touring bike which I used for several tours including one from Oregon to Alaska (~3700 miles total). During that tour, bike+load averaged around 80+/- 10 lbs due to the scarcity of towns to resupply.

That bike is beat to hell. The frame wobbled so bad that you could see it (probably due to the cheap racks which broke all of its welds). 

My ideal bike would be one capable of thick gravel riding, some trails, and capable of carrying food, water, & equipment for about a week solo unsupported without the swayback of an obese beagle. Is the Salsa Fargo the bike I am looking for?

Thanks,
J


----------



## Icculus (Mar 14, 2007)

I would look over at the Salsa forum on the Mtbr.com. There are extensive threads just on the Salsa Fargo. I think that there your question might be better answered.. A lot of people for off road riding seem to use frame bags, etc. and seem to be doing lighter over night type of rides. My Fargo is mainly set up for road/gravel road riding. I did notice the bike was a bit squarely when I loaded it up with beer/groceries. I probably had 80 pounds on it. Good luck and let us know how you go.


----------

