Souris Valley, ND – My first big Fargo Adventure – 2008

After the introduction of the Fargo at the GTDRI, I spent some time traveling to both visit family and to also keep testing the Fargo. The bike I was on was still in prototype form and we were still tweaking the bike as it moved to production for introduction to the masses later that fall. My first big trip was to North Dakota to visit family in Minot, ND. I had been up there many times but never with a bike capable of both pavement, two track, gravel and dirt. I was excited to go explore. With the help of my wife’s father, we pulled together some maps, talked about the valley north of Minot and the stretch to the Canadian border. My route was set for the border and back.

I still had the Fargo in touring mode from the GTDRI with both front and rear racks. I put a rack bag on the rear and carried my nice camera (A Canon DSLR with a whopping 5 MP!). It was on this trip that I found out how hard it was to shoot with a DSLR while moving on a bicycle. I also learned that when it is in a rack bag (or any bag) you just don’t shoot it that much. But….I did manage to get the camera out a few times on this gorgeous route.

The back country of North Dakota is simply stunning and once again I was reminded of it’s beauty. As I rode around the country all I could think about was the writings of Teddy Roosevelt and why he loved the rugged and beautiful North Dakota landscape. It was on this trip that I really understood just what the Fargo would mean to me and possibly to others. I could ride anywhere. I could carry food and water for hundreds of miles. It had big tires and was comfortable. I found out first hand that the Fargo was a ride all day on any road type of bike.

Let’s get onto the pictures and the beautiful North Dakota landscape. Most of these pictures are from the Souris Valley Wildlife area. Since this ride, I’ve ridden in this area every year when I return. It is a special place in this country and for all you folks that think it’s flat, it’s not really. That said, the real challenge is the wind and the sun.