Saturday, September 06, 2008

Salsa Fargo: The Debate Begins!



<===The bike that is turning the 29"er world inside out.

It is a touring bike, a long haul bike for off roading, a commuter, a utility bike, and more. The Salsa Cycles Fargo 29"er has already caused a lot of debate amongst cycling aficionados.

Some are even trying to compare it to things like Jeff Jones bikes and Niner Bikes, even going so far as to suggest that perhaps the design is a direct copy of something from the handmade cycling world.

Wow!

I guess you could say that any of these things are true, since they are all bicycles with 700c based fat tires. But really, let's be honest. If anyone in their right mind believes Salsa is trying to replicate a Jones bike type handling with racks, or that Niner Bikes hard tails are anything like this bike, well all I got to say is you've got a screw loose.

And as for anything being "lifted" or copied from handmade bikes, well, I suppose anybody could find something to point at in that regard. The thing is, it is a production bike, and if you think that you are going to get the "custom touch" from a production bike, well that is just plain goofy. If you are a custom builder, and this irks you, I don't get that either. No one is doing a 29"er touring/adventuring rig last time I checked. The handmade world is all ga ga over fixies, utility bikes, and 650B bikes, as far as I can tell.

So what is it? I would say that if you aren't already figuring that out, this bike isn't for you. Those that do get it will have already been looking at elements this bike offers and will instantly see the way it will work for their purposes. That said, there are those that will come around in time, but there are also those that will deride and criticize this bike to no end. That's the way it goes when a bike comes around that is a bit different.

I think that the Fargo will be a trend setter, but maybe I'm off my rocker. I do know that it is a bike a lot of folks have been waiting for. Perhaps a bike that will set off a thousand adventures? Time will tell.

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