The story to home....

[VABikePacker]

So,

I got a fargo....The nearest SALSA dealer is about 120 miles from me.  Spokes, ETC in Vienna, VA - The fellow I worked with there was PHENOM for the entire process.  Everything from finding an XL and a L so I could check 'em both out and all....(According to Salsa's site, I'm in an overlap between L and XL, so, I wanted to make sure this was RIGHT.)

I had some time waiting, and while waiting, I started wondering how I could really have a good time with the arrival of my Fargo!!

Here's what I did:

I took the train from Richmond, VA to Washington, DC with two cloth shopping bags loaded with gear - I looked like a walking Clampet I'm certain!!

On arrival in DC, it was a metro ride and a cab ride - My intent was to get off the metro and walk, but, given the train delay a little, and it being a Saturday and the fellow who was working with me was in on his day off, I opted to taxi over to save time.  I figured if he's kind enough to help me on his day off, I oughta be kind enough to cover the delay on my end as much as possible...

Gear from home:

Revelate Tangle
Revelate Gas Tank
Revelate Viscacha seat bag
MasterLock "StreetCuffs"
Water bottle cage
Polar Water Bottle
Camelbak bladder (100oz.)
Tube
Pump
Patch Kit
Topeak Alien (OLD one!! have had it for a LONG time and it just keeps tickin')
Leatherman
Clif Bars
"trail mix" made with Kirkland Nut mix and Craisans!!  (This makes a great mix to me!!)
Gloves
Shoes
Helmet
Bright riding shirt
sunglasses

THE WEATHER WAS AWESOME THAT DAY!!

After a GREAT fit session, it was time to hit the road.  It was a suburban road ride on those new 2.2" mountain tires, so, it was fairly slow going in a BUSY area with a LOT of pedaling!!

I started with the goal of getting home - I wanted to make it to Fredricksburg, spend the night, and ride the rest of the way Sunday.  However, life got in the way, some things came up causing me to have to be back in Richmond Saturday night.

My darling, sweet, supportive of my crazy ideas wife agreed to be ready to come pick me up. 

My first 40 miles was incredible on my fargo.  Every mile after those have been just as spectacular!! I LOVE this bike!!  I have, since I do so much more pavement riding around the house, put some 700x37 Continental City Ride tires on and it has just gotten better on pavement!! 

"Ready to ride":



...With many more miles to come!!  Time to figure out some bikepacking destinations from home!!

[SlowDave]

Congrats on the new bike.  I picked up a Fargo a couple of weeks ago and I am happy with it too.  Your riding in a nice area.  I used to live in Alexandria and I would ride to Mt Vernon and back every afternoon to de-stress.  Every now and then I would ride into the District of Criminals and ride around the Capital and shake my head in disgust.

[VABikePacker]

LOL!! on the 'shaking your head in the district of criminals"!!

I live down in richmond.....definitely do want to do some more W&OD and other stuff in the area up there though!!

[mmeiser]

best s24o / pickup ride ever.  You have to be a little bit crazy to come up with ideas like riding your bike home 120 miles from the store. It's something a kid would come up with.    But then again, we're all crazy here, and this is just the sort of crazy we love.

I will take inspiration from this the next time I squeeze in a ride.

[VABikePacker]

best s24o / pickup ride ever.  You have to be a little bit crazy to come up with ideas like riding your bike home 120 miles from the store. It's something a kid would come up with.    But then again, we're all crazy here, and this is just the sort of crazy we love.

I will take inspiration from this the next time I squeeze in a ride.

"Crazy isn't a requirement for you to be here, but I bet ya it will help"

[fat bob]

Hope you don't mind, but one of the owners is a friend of mine, I'm going to forward him the link to the site. Do you remember who you worked with @ the Vienna store?

FWIW if you flew into Regan, you could have taken the metro to Alexandria and picked up the bike @ either the Mt. Vernon store or the Quaker Ln store... either way glad it worked out for you and that they took good care of you.

[VABikePacker]

I sent some who's listed as an owner on the web site an email because of how good this person was.  I received a phone call of appreciation for doing that along with an email back from the owner expressing his longstanding satisfaction with this individual.  If they had a location closer to me I'd consider them my primary source.  The reason I went to this particular location was because the sales associate had "kept the ball rolling" for me - he worked hard to get both bikes for me and it took him quite some time to get them.  He put up with me reaching out weekly and inquiring about how things were going - never made any indication that I was irritating the crap out of him....Just a real good fella to deal with.  He actually came in on his Saturday off because he knew I was coming.  He put GREAT energy into getting me fit right...He remains quite responsive even after the sale since I've "ditched" the stock seat for a Brooks - but I'm having some fit issues now because of the shorter rails, I put a seatpost on with some more offset, and we're getting close just not quite "there" yet!!  (I'm not typing that meaning to give any indication of a problem he created at all - I'm very satisfied with the way he continues to support after the sale in this matter.)  Just an all around AWESOME experience.  I'm not sure how he'd feel of his name being shared in such an open forum as this one.  I feel like he wouldn't mind, but at the same time, I myself might have some reservations about someone doing the same, so, I'll refrain!! (You know, the whole, do unto others as you'd have done unto you??)