I bought my Salsa Fargo from Old Spokes Home in 2008. That was the first year that Salsa made the Fargo. The Fargo is an adventure bike with mountain bike geometry and downturned handlebars. Other riders stopped me so they could take a look at the Fargo. It was an unusual look back then, but now adventure bikes are more common. I own five bikes but the Fargo is the one I ride the most. I use it for commuting year round. In the winter I ride with studded tires. Just recently I had the studded tires removed, a sure sign of spring! The Fargo’s paint is chipped but the steel frame just keeps on going. I have repairs done as needed. As I get older my Fargo is an inspiration. My body is dinged up, and I have my share of wrinkles but I hope to continue riding for as long as I can.

When I am going on recreational rides, I often think about difficulties, problems and unanswered questions.  Something about riding helps me think more clearly. On a recreational ride, about two months after buying my Fargo, while pondering a difficult problem, I heard a voice, a voice that was not my own. I couldn’t hear what it was saying, but over the next few months of riding the voice became louder and clearer. I only heard the voice when I was riding the Fargo, so naturally I concluded that the Fargo was talking to me. The first time I understood what it said was when I was riding on North Milton Road. The Fargo said, “The Secret Garden” page 85.” I didn’t know what to think! A week later, on Rollin Irish Road, I heard “The Snow Leopard page 127.” I had been thinking about another difficulty and wondering what to do. I decided to get The Snow Leopard out of the library and read page 127. Sure enough, that page had a direct bearing on the problem I was trying to figure out. It also contained what proved to be an accurate prediction of what was going to happen.

From then on, whenever I has something difficult to figure out I went for a bike ride and asked the Fargo. It has never failed me. Like any oracle, there is some interpretation necessary to figure out just what the Fargo is saying. Sometimes I have to read the page in question more than once to understand what the oracle means. You might wonder why my Fargo gives advice through books. I think it is because of something pointed out so brilliantly in Flann O’Brien’s novel The Third Policeman. He says that the more you ride the more you become like your bike and the more your bike becomes like you. I have been a passionate reader for many years. I read a wide variety of books and I am  interested in compassing the Western Canon, the great books in our tradition. So it makes sense that the oracles are in the form of book references. I am also becoming more like my Fargo. Over the years I have found myself wearing yellow and black more frequently and those are the colors of my Fargo. I also eat a lot of salsa, especially on nachos. 

I have told a few people about my Fargo oracle. They have tried asking their bikes for advice, but with only limited success. It seems that only my Fargo has the gift! I went to Old Spokes and test rode a later model of the Fargo, but it did not speak to me. I have been successful in asking the Fargo for advice for my friends. Many of them have said it has changed their life. I thought about starting a business and charging money for the Fargo’s services but I quickly decided against it. The gift of prophecy was given to me freely, and charging would be wrong.    

During the month of April, I will be giving free Fargo Consultations. You can email me with the general question you need answered and I will get back to you within a week. No need to go into too much detail. My Fargo is very intuitive! Please remember that the book selected for you has nothing to do with your own literary tastes or your level of sophistication. I have been directed to The Cat in the Hat and Finnegans Wake. The Fargo’s advice is just that, advice, and you are responsible for any decisions you make based on the book and page number!

About the Author: Peter Burns is a long-time bike enthusiast, and one of the original year-round bike riders in the greater Burlington area. In addition to writing about walking and biking, Peter teaches a variety of bike workshops. He also works at a group home for people with psychiatric disabilities, teaches classes for the Vermont Humanities Council, teaches swimming at the Burlington YMCA, and is a regular host of Storytelling VT.  You can contact Peter at [email protected].