Packing strategy...

One of the reasons for choosing the Fargo frame was that it had plenty of room for bags. It's a 20" frame so it can take a large frame bag, and there is plenty of room behind the saddle for a large seat bag. Not quite so roomy at the front with drop bars, but I've got the widest woodchippers available, so it is what it is. Both fork legs have triple bosses for Anything cages.

I'm assuming the need to carry gear for 4 seasons, water for a day and perhaps an overnight camp, and food for up to 3 or 4 days.

Three Anything cages will be used, one on each fork leg and one under the downtube. The fork leg cages will be fitted with Anything bags and will be my complete kitchen and larder. I'm hoping that a Jetboil or MSR Windburner will fit in one bag, if not I'll find a tall pot and use my Kovea Spider. The other will carry food. The third Anything cage under the downtube will carry a Tarptent Protrail.

Handlebar bag will carry sleeping bag in a compression stuff sack, rain jacket and rain legs, gilet, arm and leg warmers and gloves. Attached will be a pocket which will contain snack food, personal stuff, toiletries, medications, back up battery etc. A couple of cockpit bags will hold camera, phone, charger and cables.

Seatbag will hold one set of street clothes and one set of camp clothes (merino thermals), an ultralight down jacket and two spare sets of cycling clothes.

I'll use a two compartment frame bag. The top compartment will hold a 4 litre water bladder and Sawyer mini filter. The lower compartment will contain tools and spares, sleeping mat, camp shoes and any overflow items.

For bags, I've been looking at Porcelain Rocket, Revelate, and Bedrock. I've concluded that I prefer the more streamlined sweetroll type bag to the harness/drybag arrangement. Porcelain Rocket are very nice bags but very expensive, so I've all but ruled them out on price. Revelate bags are most affordable, and I could be happy with them, but I think the Bedrock handlebar bar has much neater and more compact closures than the Revelate, and will make the best use of the limited space within the woodchippers. And the new version of the Coconino seat bag has the built-in Railwing stabiliser which should be a worthwhile feature.

So current thinking is, Bedrock two-compartment frame bag, Coconino seat bag, Entrada handlebat bag with pocket, Revelate Sprocket, Gas Tank and Jerrycan, Salsa Anything bags.

Final components ordered...

The final pieces of the jigsaw have clicked into place. It has taken quite a while for the new SRAM GX components to reach the stores, but now my orders have been fulfilled and the parts are on the way.

I'm still thinking about changing the rear hub to a through axle, and I may yet choose to go for leather bar tape, but otherwise very soon I'll have all the necessary components on hand to start the build.

Which means it's time to move on the Van Nicholas Pioneer Rohloff and maybe a few other bit 'n' pieces to make room for it.

More Fargo components have arrived

Cazadero tyres have arrived, plus Stans to mount them tubeless. And a couple of small bottles of sealant for the toolkit.





The Cazadero tread looks like it will be a winner on gravel.
And the cables have arrived too - green of course.

Fargo build - components update...

OK, so here's an updated component list:

Frame: Salsa Fargo 2 Size L Gunmetal grey
Fork: Salsa Firestarter Carbon Fibre
Rear Hub: Hope Pro II Evo 40T Rear Hub Disc - black 36h
Front Hub: Shutter Precision PD-8X Disc Hub Dynamo - black 36h
Rims: Stan's NoTubes ZTR Flow EX 29" MTB Rim 2015 - black 36h
Spokes: DT Champion black 14g
Rear Skewer: Salsa Flip-Offs Stainless Steel green
Front Axle: RockShox Maxle Lite XC Thru Axle 15x100 mm
Brakes: TRP Spyre Mechanical Disc Brake
Brake Discs: TRP 160mm
Tyres: Soma Cazadero 700x42mm
Saddle: Brooks Cambium C17 Slate
Seatpost: Thomson Elite Setback black - 27.2 x 410 mm
Seat Collar: Salsa Liplock green
Stem: Thomson Elite X4 31.8 black - 90mm - 10°
Handlebar: Salsa Woodchipper 2 Offroad Drop Bar 31.8 - 46cm
Bar Tape: Salsa Gel Cork green
Bar End Plugs: KCNC green
Top Cap: Salsa Fargo Ahead Cap 1 1/8" - black
Spacers: KREX Alloy Black
Headset: Cane Creek 40 ZS44/EC44
Crankset: SRAM GX-1000 2x10 GXP - Black 175mm - 36/22 teeth
Bottom Bracket: Truvativ GXP Team Bottom Bracket Cups BSA 68/73mm
Front Derailleur: SRAM GX 10-Speed - 38/36 Teeth - High Direct Mount top pull
Rear Derailleur: SRAM GX 2x10 Type 2.1 10-speed - long - Black
Cassette: SRAM PG-1050 10-speed 11-36
Chain: SRAM PC 1051 PowerChain 10-speed
Levers: SRAM Apex DoubleTap Controls - Set 2x10-speed - Black
Pedals: Shimano XT PD-M785 Trail Wide
Cables: Jagwire Pro Road Extra Long Brake/Gear Kit - Green
Front Light: Exposure Revo
Rear Light: Exposure Red Eye