[wintermute]

Hi,

I'm new to the forums but have been lurking for a long time. I'm looking to replace a 2006 Bianchi Volpe that was stolen from me to serve as a jack-of-all trades bike. I used the bike for rides around town, long road rides, mixed surface rides and non-technical trails. I'm looking to replace it with something that can do all that and handle trail/off-road surfaces better. Went to the LBS and short-listed the Surly Crosscheck, Salsa Vaya, AWOL, and Sutra LTD. a fitting determined that the Vaya was best and the Crosscheck was absolutely not going to work.

Now for the heck of it, I'm researching the Fargo for this type of application. It seems that changes to the 2016 frames allow the Vaya to handle 47mm tires and limits the Fargo to a 42 max ring size on a 2x setup. The frames seem similar weight and the Fargo may allow me to get the handlebars up higher (bad back). The question is, what's going to limit me more - Vaya off-road, or Fargo on-road. I know this has been discussed ad nauseum, but it looks like the new frames are different enough to make this a new question. Thanks.


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[Smithhammer]

The Fargo won't limit you on road, since it doesn't sound like you're doing any racing anyway. Just put some slicks on it and you're good to go.

The Vaya, while fine for gravel, will start to limit you off-road.

If you're looking to add more trail/off-road surfaces to your riding menu, I'd go with the Fargo.

 

[wintermute]

Probably the closest I'd get to racing would be trying my hand at brevets and riding with friends (non-racers) who have road bikes


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[RPG]

I have a Fargo and use it on roads to get to dirt roads. I put wtb nano 2.1 tires on and absolutely love them on the road. Very low rolling resistance but can also hang on singletrack. The reason I say this is the Fargo, if set up properly, can handle everything. You can also get a second wheel set, one with slicks and one with knobs. I do that with my cross bike. My Fargo is my favorite bike (cross/road, fs 29, fat, sscx, Fargo) and is by far the most comfortable. I can ramble on about how great the bike is. I've never ridden a vaya so I cannot compare. Good luck!

 

[Volsung]

Get a Vaya and then when you find you can't ride something, buy an El Mariachi too.

 

[Harold]

Love my previous gen Vaya. I've ridden it on singletrack. Gearing has been a bigger limitation than the capabilities of the bike. I would say that the Fargo does limit you on pavement. It limits your speed. Part of that is gearing that you can't exactly overcome. But part of it is also that it's a bigger bike.

I've started prepping to do a pavement century on it in June.

 

[Gritter]

The 2016 Fargo frameset is gorgeous, but it would require me to get a new wheelset, headset, and won't work well with the racks I have. That carbon fork makes the frameset lighter than the Vaya. Is the steerer tube on that carbon firestarter fork carbon also?

The Vaya is made to take racks and fenders, easily. It can still take tires up to almost two inches. I don't really like the color options, but I guess I could figure powder-coating into the expense. It cannot accommodate SS as easily as the Alternator dropouts on the Fargo. I think the Vaya frameset is only $150 less than the Fargo, which makes getting that $595 carbon firestarter fork for that extra $150 seem like an extra good deal. It's just that I'd have to spend more to get a 15mm axle front wheel (my hub won't convert, lesson learned).

I haven't ridden either one, but I'm more worried about toe overlap clearance on the tighter Vaya. The Vaya's triangle is less sloped and looks more traditional, but the Fargo is a sexy bike in its own way.

 

[wintermute]

I went with the Fargo. I figured that I would only rarely miss the 48-tooth big ring and the Fargo would more than make up for it in the versatility department. I'm not too versed in wheel sets, so the set that came with the X9 seems okay to me. I'll take a closer look but I believe that the Firestarter does have a carbon steerer. I didn't like the red in photos, but it's gorgeous in person.

I switched out the BB7s for TRP Spyres, added a Brooks C17, and slapped on some Teravail Sparwoods. Otherwise I left it stock.

I love this thing, it's so much fun to ride.


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[JasonJ]

I switched out the BB7s for TRP Spyres, added a Brooks C17, and slapped on some Teravail Sparwoods. Otherwise I left it stock.

How do you like the Sparwoods? I'm about to start building an El Mariachi and have Sparwoods (tubeless) waiting for me.

Jason

 

[jbandt]

I went with the Fargo. I figured that I would only rarely miss the 48-tooth big ring and the Fargo would more than make up for it in the versatility department. I'm not too versed in wheel sets, so the set that came with the X9 seems okay to me. I'll take a closer look but I believe that the Firestarter does have a carbon steerer. I didn't like the red in photos, but it's gorgeous in person.

I switched out the BB7s for TRP Spyres, added a Brooks C17, and slapped on some Teravail Sparwoods. Otherwise I left it stock.

I love this thing, it's so much fun to ride.


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Just out of curiosity, how tall are you and what size did you go with? I'm about to take the fargo plunge, but At 6'3" I am still stuck on size, lg or xlg. I'm actually thinking about taking a 7hr round trip road trip just to test ride one that's actually in stock.

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[wintermute]

Just out of curiosity, how tall are you and what size did you go with? I'm about to take the fargo plunge, but At 6'3" I am still stuck on size, lg or xlg. I'm actually thinking about taking a 7hr round trip road trip just to test ride one that's actually in stock.

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I'm 5'11"-6'0" with an 88cm cycling inseam. I have a large. It fits very well with a bunch of spacers. The XL had too much reach for me.

 

[wintermute]

How do you like the Sparwoods? I'm about to start building an El Mariachi and have Sparwoods (tubeless) waiting for me.

Jason

I'm probably the wrong person to ask- I don't get to ride that often and mostly on shorter mixed surface rides. Seems to be a very good tire for mixed surfaces - not too much drag on asphalt, can handle moderately soft, muddy conditions. I don't think they'd work in slop.