Salsa Fargo touring road/MTB bike

Just ran across this bike - steel frame, road handlebars MTB
http://www.salsacycles.com/fargoComp09.html
Looks interesting I wonder if Salsa folks would consider adding
SS-couplers to it. I wonder how practical it would really be -
may be a bit sluggish on asphalt and perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

On Nov 3, 6:09*am, Woland99 wrote:
Just ran across this bike - steel frame, road handlebars MTBhttp://www.salsacycles.com/fargoComp09.html
Looks interesting I wonder if Salsa folks would consider adding
SS-couplers to it. I wonder how practical it would really be -
may be a bit sluggish on asphalt and perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

It looks like the rear brake cable uses a full-length housing (to
allow a conversion to hydraulics, I'd guess). Without housing stops
and cable couplers, using S&S couplers would become problematic,
because the two halves would stay tethered. I'm not sure if the bike
would fit into an S&S case like that.

I guess if you're having it retrofit, one could have the brazer add
stops on the downtube and chainstay, and an old over-the-BB RD cable
guide while the couplers are being added, but that would require a lot
more touch-up paint than just adding the couplers.

On Nov 3, 8:09*am, Woland99 wrote:
Just ran across this bike - steel frame, road handlebars MTBhttp://www.salsacycles.com/fargoComp09.html
Looks interesting I wonder if Salsa folks would consider adding
SS-couplers to it. I wonder how practical it would really be -
may be a bit sluggish on asphalt and perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

What Hank said. Look into a Traveler's Check by Surly instead. You
could swap out the fork if you want to run an Avid road disk up front.
If you insist on bottle cages on the forks, Minura makes clampy ones.

Woland99 wrote:

...perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

Perhaps you have noticed that "cyclocross" brake levers are mounted on
the bar tops?

I think the hooks and drops are mainly decorative, part of the
heritage and lore of a sport that is more concerned with its history
than its present day.

Chalo

On Nov 3, 8:09*am, Woland99 wrote:
Just ran across this bike - steel frame, road handlebars MTBhttp://www.salsacycles.com/fargoComp09.html
Looks interesting I wonder if Salsa folks would consider adding
SS-couplers to it. I wonder how practical it would really be -
may be a bit sluggish on asphalt and perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

Also have a look at the Kona Dew Drop if you're looking for a disk
brake drop bar bike that'll take front and rear racks out of the box.

http://www.konaworld.com/09_dewdrop_en.cfm

Not S&S'able.

$890 list.

REI Safari would be my choice for "adventure touring" on a budget,
FWIW.

On Nov 3, 1:10*pm, Chalo wrote:
Woland99 wrote:

...perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

Perhaps you have noticed that "cyclocross" brake levers are mounted on
the bar tops?

I think the hooks and drops are mainly decorative, part of the
heritage and lore of a sport that is more concerned with its history
than its present day.

Chalo

Chalo doesn't like drop bars? I'm shocked. SHOCKED.

As high as the bars are on the pictured bike, compared to the saddle,
I can say that I'd spend probably 80% of my time on the ramps, hoods,
or tops, but during a headwind, I'd be really glad to have the hooks.
They're far from decorative.

As usual, I roll my eyes at anything Chalo has to say about Drop Bars.

As you should with anything I say about recumbents or FS-MTBs.

On Nov 4, 3:50*pm, Hank wrote:
On Nov 3, 1:10*pm, Chalo wrote:

Woland99 wrote:

...perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

Perhaps you have noticed that "cyclocross" brake levers are mounted on
the bar tops?

I think the hooks and drops are mainly decorative, part of the
heritage and lore of a sport that is more concerned with its history
than its present day.

Chalo

Chalo doesn't like drop bars? I'm shocked. SHOCKED.

As high as the bars are on the pictured bike, compared to the saddle,
I can say that I'd spend probably 80% of my time on the ramps, hoods,
or tops, but during a headwind, I'd be really glad to have the hooks.
They're far from decorative.

But would you use them in a cyclocross race? My point is, CX bikes
sprouted bar-top brake levers for a reason-- that reason being,
cyclocross riders would rather steer the bike from there than from the
positions offered by a drop bar.

When folks got serious about riding off-road, the handlebars became
straight. That was not a coincidence either.

Drop bars are good for something (though I'll admit I have yet to
figure out what it is), but they are definitely no good for riding off-
road.

Chalo

In article
,
Chalo wrote:

On Nov 4, 3:50*pm, Hank wrote:
On Nov 3, 1:10*pm, Chalo wrote:

Woland99 wrote:

...perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

Perhaps you have noticed that "cyclocross" brake levers are mounted on
the bar tops?

I think the hooks and drops are mainly decorative, part of the
heritage and lore of a sport that is more concerned with its history
than its present day.

Chalo

Chalo doesn't like drop bars? I'm shocked. SHOCKED.

As high as the bars are on the pictured bike, compared to the saddle,
I can say that I'd spend probably 80% of my time on the ramps, hoods,
or tops, but during a headwind, I'd be really glad to have the hooks.
They're far from decorative.

But would you use them in a cyclocross race? My point is, CX bikes
sprouted bar-top brake levers for a reason-- that reason being,
cyclocross riders would rather steer the bike from there than from the
positions offered by a drop bar.

Have to say, something like the majority of pro CX riders do NOT use
bar-top levers. I like them and tend to ride CX races mostly on the
tops, but nobody is likely to mistake me for an optimal CX rider.

When folks got serious about riding off-road, the handlebars became
straight. That was not a coincidence either.

Drop bars are good for something (though I'll admit I have yet to
figure out what it is), but they are definitely no good for riding off-
road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtSDDyuvTaw

This video does a pretty good job of demonstrating that elite CXers
mostly ride on the hoods, even over some reasonably technical terrain
(as usual, TV seemingly flattens and mutes the steep and tricky parts of
this course, making it look like some very strong riders are running
certain sections for no reason). The video may not be super-clear, but I
can't see many if any bar-top levers.

Note that these CX bikes are set up so that the hood position resembles
what you'd see on a MTB with bar-ends. You will see these guys in the
drops during the fast paved sections, which rather vindicates the
multiple-hand-positions flexibility of drop bars. OTOH, I didn't see any
shots of riders using the bar-top position in that video. These are some
very strong, very flexible riders who have no problem generating max
power in their (relatively high, by pro roadie standards) hood and drops
positions.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

On Nov 5, 1:09*am, Chalo wrote:
On Nov 4, 3:50*pm, Hank wrote:





On Nov 3, 1:10*pm, Chalo wrote:

Woland99 wrote:

...perhaps road bars are
not the greatest idea for off road - altho cyclocross folks
somehow deal with them.

Perhaps you have noticed that "cyclocross" brake levers are mounted on
the bar tops?

I think the hooks and drops are mainly decorative, part of the
heritage and lore of a sport that is more concerned with its history
than its present day.

Chalo

Chalo doesn't like drop bars? I'm shocked. SHOCKED.

As high as the bars are on the pictured bike, compared to the saddle,
I can say that I'd spend probably 80% of my time on the ramps, hoods,
or tops, but during a headwind, I'd be really glad to have the hooks.
They're far from decorative.

But would you use them in a cyclocross race? *My point is, CX bikes
sprouted bar-top brake levers for a reason-- that reason being,
cyclocross riders would rather steer the bike from there than from the
positions offered by a drop bar.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php...81102ispa-0310
Winner of the second superprestige cyclocross race riding the drops in
a skid.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php...81102ispa-0316
And another in the drops.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php...81102ispa-0335
And another.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php...81102ispa-0690
And another.

In none of the pictures are there auxillary bar top brake levers.
Pros do not use those things designed for trail users. In all of the
other pictures on the Cycling News website the riders are riding on
the brake lever hoods. Not on the tops. You need leverage, wide
hands, to control a bike in a cyclocross race. Having your hands by
the stem does not give you any control.






When folks got serious about riding off-road, the handlebars became
straight. *That was not a coincidence either.

Drop bars are good for something (though I'll admit I have yet to
figure out what it is), but they are definitely no good for riding off-
road.

Chalo- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

On Nov 4, 11:09*pm, Chalo wrote:

But would you use them in a cyclocross race? *My point is, CX bikes
sprouted bar-top brake levers for a reason-- that reason being,
cyclocross riders would rather steer the bike from there than from the
positions offered by a drop bar.


You know the real reason to have those on CX and touring bikes?

Barrel adjusters.

Interrupter levers make adjustment of cantilevers MUCH easier than
inline adjusters, esspecially for the front brake, where there's only
a couple of inches of exposed housing between the end of the tape and
the hanger.

Sure, OEMs are putting them on as a selling point for novice riders
who are afraid of drop bars because of the kind of FUD you spread
about them, but I put them on my canti-equipped bikes for the
adjusters. That I can now brake from the tops is an afterthought.