It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the Salsa Fargo. My 2018 Fargo and I have covered thousands of loaded miles together, and I’ve written about it extensively in my long-term Fargo review.
Updates to the Fargo have been few and far between recently. The 2024 update was little more than a new paint color, and between that and 2021 no new builds were released. The last substantial frame update was back in 2017.
Not to say this is a bad thing – why mess with something that works so well? But it does make each update more exciting, so when Salsa recently released their 2025 Fargo, specifically the new GRX 610 1x build, I eagerly dove into the specs.
Fortunately the 2025 Salsa Fargo is still the same versatile adventure platform I know and love: a capable steel drop bar 29er that deftly straddles the line between gravel and rigid MTB. Most of the media coverage I’ve seen about the update, including bikepacking.com and Outside Online, focuses on the new fork and flat mount brakes.
While those are important changes, I don’t see anyone talking about other updates like the move to hydraulic brakes. I have thoughts on this and some of the other subtler changes. If you’re thinking about joining the Fargo cult in 2025 and eyeing the new GRX build, here are some musings of a Fargo fan to consider.
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Firestarter to Cutthroat Fork
The most obvious change from previous builds is the 2025 Fargo’s move from Firestarter Deluxe to Cutthroat Deluxe fork (both carbon). The Cutthroat was designed for Salsa’s bike of the same name, the racier bikepacking-focused rig inspired by the Tour Divide and sometimes known as the “carbon Fargo.”
The biggest functional difference between the two forks is the drop from TWO sets of 3-pack mounts on each fork blade to only one on the Cutthroat fork. Personally I think one set is enough. I use one big cargo cage (usually the Blackburn Outpost) per side and that’s already plenty of weight up front. But in some rare cases, like extra-big water hauls or if you’d rather use two smaller cages instead of one big one, the double mounts were handy.
The Cutthroat fork is also missing the Firestarter’s mid-blade mount for certain types of racks, though they say it’s still compatible with the Salsa Down Under Rack.
The Cutthroat fork has a nice feature the Firestarter doesn’t: abrasion-resistant plates at the spot where a mud-covered tire would rub. If you’ve ever ridden in Death Mud you’ll get why this is a good thing!
Visually the Cutthroat fork is a bit slimmer and lighter looking, not a bad thing in my opinion. It also has internal routing for cleaner brake hose and dynamo cable management. Personally I don’t mind external routing and I would hope the internal routing doesn’t add any hassle to maintenance work (I’ve heard it’s pretty easy to work with).
Post Mount to Flat Mount Brakes
With the new Cutthroat fork (and switch to Alternator 1.0 flat mount dropouts in the rear) comes a switch from post mount brakes to flat mount brakes. Post mount is more common on mountain bikes while flat is common on gravel and road bikes, and some people have feelings about this change.
The main issue: flat mount brakes are a little weird on a bike with suspension-corrected geometry. If you were to swap the Fargo’s Cutthroat fork for a suspension fork (yes, a drop bar hardtail, some people do it!) the suspension fork would most likely require post mount brakes, creating a compatibility problem.
Fortunately there are adapters to help with this conundrum. That one also steps up to a 20mm bigger rotor, which would get you to 180mm from the Fargo’s 160, a nice upgrade for folks hauling more weight and/or riding steeper hills.
Personally I don’t find the change to flat mount offensive, or even very meaningful. But then again I’m a chronic underbiker and not the type to put a suspension fork on my Fargo anyway.
SRAM to Shimano
The Fargo hasn’t come with Shimano components since the 2019 Tiagra builds. All updates since then – until this latest one – came with SRAM Apex components.
Do we care? Bike people can be opinionated about one manufacturer versus the other, but it’s not a big factor for me. I have one SRAM bikepacking bike (my Fargo) and one Shimano (my Stella) and both do what I need them to do. The biggest difference in feel comes down to the price tier and specific components more than the brand.
That said, the 2025 Fargo does bring some component changes that I think are relevant, so let’s get into that.
Mechanical to Hydraulic Brakes
This is the biggest change in the 2025 Fargo that no one seems to be talking about. If I’m not mistaken (please comment below if I am!) it’s the first Fargo build to come stock with hydraulic disc brakes as opposed to mechanical, specifically the RX410 from Shimano’s gravel-focused GRX groupset.
Is this a good thing? Ugh, I’m conflicted! In general I find hydraulics to be a very nice upgrade over mechanical. They take less force to engage (less hand fatigue) and feel more responsive, both excellent traits on a bikepacking bike made for rugged terrain and long days.
If it were only about feel and performance, I would welcome the Fargo’s new hydraulic brakes without reservation.
But… and this is a significant but for bikepackers… there’s the whole maintenance and field repair thing. I felt very confident taking my 2018 Fargo with its mechanical brakes on a multi-month bikepacking adventure in Morocco. I carried a spare brake cable and could have found another if needed, and could have done my repair by the side of the road without much fuss.
My fancier bike with hydraulic brakes, on the other hand, was a bit stressful to travel on in Central Asia. I carried a spare hose and a few small bits, but didn’t feel confident in my ability to fix a potential trip-ending problem with the hydraulic brakes. At home I’m still refining my brake bleeding skills which makes regular maintenance messier and more stressful than just changing out cables.
In short, hydraulic brakes perform better and are usually quite reliable, but in the rare case something goes wrong they are harder to deal with in the middle of nowhere. So hydraulic brakes on the Fargo, a bike literally designed to be ridden into the middle of nowhere for days at a time, seems a bit controversial to me.
My opinion: If you mostly bikepack in the US, especially shorter trips, go ahead and enjoy the Fargo’s hydraulic brakes! For the lucky few among you who are putting in serious months and miles abroad in places without modern bike shops, it’s a tougher choice and you may prefer mechanical.
If you’re firmly in the anti-hydraulic camp, the 2024 Apex model is still available. And of course you can convert the brakes or build up from the Fargo frameset, currently available in both the 2024 version and the new 2025 configuration with Cutthroat fork and Alternator 1.0 Flat Mount dropouts.
11-Speed to 12-Speed Gearing
Compared to the 2024 and earlier 1x Fargo models with their 11 speed 11-42t cassette, the 2025 GRX 610 gets a slight upgrade to 12 speed and 10-51t. The chainring also grows from 32t to 34t.
The end result: a slightly wider and more modern 1x range that reaches both a little lower (for those loaded climbs) and a little higher (for the tailwinds and gradual downhills, somehow so much rarer than the climbs).
This is a small but nice update that would make me feel slightly better about the 2025 Fargo compared to previous versions. I’m a fan of 1x drivetrains for bikepacking but that opinion is based on the 10-51t gear range I ride on my Stella, which the Fargo now matches.
New Color
The 2025 GRX 610 Fargo frame color is “brass,” an unobjectionable brownish orange color. It’s less in-your-face than 2024’s Orange and not as pretty (in my opinion) as my personal favorite, 2021 Green. It’s way better than my own 2018 White (a horrible color for a bike meant to be ridden in the dirt)!
New Framesets
Also new in 2025 are two updated framesets with corresponding updates to fork and dropouts: a black steel frameset and the usual Fargo Ti frameset.
Higher Price
The 2025 Fargo GRX 610 1X has an MSRP of $2999. So basically $3000. This is the most expensive Fargo build yet, coming in at $400 more than the 2024 Apex 1.
The steel frameset costs $1199 which is “only” $200 more than the 2024 version. Interestingly the 2025 Ti frameset costs $3099, actually a slight decrease from the last update released in 2023 at $3149.
I’m not enough of a bike industry insider to analyze these price differences in detail, but the GRX is a slightly higher quality build. The GRX 610 shift/brake levers alone, for example, retail for almost $200 more than the Apex 1 per set. All else being equal, hydraulic brakes are more expensive than mechanical and 12-speed more expensive than 11-speed. So the price difference doesn’t seem surprising to me.
Note that the cheaper 2024 Apex build is still available, so you’re not stuck with the GRX even if you buy new. I think it’s good to have multiple builds available at different price points, as Salsa used to offer a few years ago, so people can choose what works for them.
Heavier Weight?
This part is a mystery to me: the 2025 GRX 610 build has a listed weight of 27.75 lbs for a size medium, while the 2024 Apex 1 is listed at a much lighter 24 lbs 8 oz for size large.
Why the increase? I have no idea. I would have expected the slimmer fork and slightly higher-dollar components to come with a decrease in weight, not an increase. If anyone reading understands the reason for this difference, let me know in the comments!
In Conclusion
I still think the Fargo is a fantastic platform for mixed terrain adventuring, and a bike that’s likely to last a long time and adapt to evolving adventure whims. Nothing about the latest update changes that for me.
That said, it’s now a $3000 bike. That’s a big chunk of money for most people, especially for a steel frame.
The 2025 GRX build looks nice, and if money isn’t tight I think it’s a great choice (unless possibly you want mechanical brakes for a world touring situation). But I also wouldn’t hesitate to snap up an older version for a few hundred dollars less. And don’t forget, there’s a healthy used market for Fargo’s too! That’s how I picked up mine several years ago and it’s still an excellent bike.
More Bikepacking Resources
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- Drop Bar Mountain Bikes: What’s all the fuss about?
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- 10 Mechanical Disasters from My Bike Trips (and lessons learned)
Or visit the bikepacking home page for lots more!
About the Author
Hi there, I’m Alissa, founder of Exploring Wild. I’ve traveled over 20,000 miles by bike and still can’t stop planning my next ride (and helping you plan yours). Pavement and panniers or singletrack and seat bag, I love it all. On my bike I feel free. Learn more about me here.
Bikepackers: Join me on Patreon for my most current and personal writing, individualized trip prep help, and a community of likeminded supporters.
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Thanks as always for the insights Alissa! I have the Apex 1 and am really happy with it for all the reasons you mentioned but do wish it was a 1×12 for a little more help on those loaded uphills!
Totally, we can all use extra help on loaded uphills! Glad to hear you like it in general.
I did not know about the hydraulic brake change until reading your article. Thank you!
I’m still holding on to my 2016 Fargo (lime green!). I’ve updated the components to a 1×10 mtb gearing from Microshift and its still riding strong. But wowie do I think about these new Fargos.
Alissa hi,
A bit late, but I’ve built up both Fargos and Cutthroats, and the Cutty fork is noticeably heavier than the Firestarter. Firestarter all carbon, Cutty fork alloy steerer.
And hydro brakes are generally heavier than cables.
Hopefully that’s why ’25 Fargo is heavier; hopefully not the dreaded frame tubing downgrade!
Hank
Great points, thanks Hank! That could definitely explain it.
The Cutthroat fork is all carbon as well, at least the one I got a couple of weeks ago. And tbh carbon forks with alloy STs are very, very rare nowadays.