General Cycling Discussion - I need you help again. What makes a Gary Fisher’s model a bad choice???

Hi there!

As some of you know I have been looking to buy a new bike that I want to use as a “jack of all trades”, to run in a diversity of road and terrain conditions. Thanks God I had the chance to try some bikes that I borrow from my friends. A road bike is out of the question, they are super fast and I like that, but not versatile enough for my type of riding. Some of you recommend a cyclocross bike and I really like the idea but sadly I had to discard it. Entire cyclocross bicycles, frames, components, etc. are very rare here, if not nonexistent, and people at the LSB see them strictly as a bike to be use only for that specific sport. As I explain in many times LSB in my area give you just 2 options, mountain or road. I found just few selling tandems and bikes for tri-athletes and one that by miracle have a Cannondale recumbent.

A mountain bike works for me most of the time but I still find them to slow with the knobby tires and the straight handlebar is not as convenient as a dropdown handlebar. Some of you recommend putting slick tires and following that recommendation was that I found the Gary Fisher’s Fast City model. Compare it against other of the Gary Fisher models, the X_caliber 29, and you are going to see identical frames and almost the same components except for the chainrings, wheels and tires. As usual the bike was not available for me to see it, but at least the dealer have the X_caliber 29 and even when he didn’t allow me to test ride the bike, (dealers don’t allow you to test ride any bikes here except the one that sells Giant), he allows me to mount it (with flat tires). My concern is not that I have to make a $pecial order since even for bikes that are in stock, all sales are final. No money back as soon as you take the bike out of the door. The problem is that the Gary Fisher carries the hybrid category label and I read so many negative things about hybrids that I’m in doubt.

What is your opinion on the Fast City model?
Why are mountain bikes with slicks tires good but hybrid bikes bad?
Is there something that I can attach to a straight handlebar to make it like a drop down?
Even better can I put a dropdown handlebar on this bike? or is that a completely absurd and ridiculous idea?

As usual your comments will be appreciated!

Gary fisher is a good bike. When I bought my klein I almost bought a Gary Fisher. The reason I didn't is it was the end of the season and my choices were limited in Fisher bikes and Klein was my first choice. I personally recommend getting a klein and putting slicks on it. Their frames rock, and the welds are second to none. How much are you looking to spend? The Attitude(Klein) series is a very good hardtailhttp://www.kleinbikes.com/bicycles/bikes.asp?p=1032.
The fast city is a good bike. Lower components but it would put up with a lot. Also Fisher and klein along with Bontrager are all owned by Trek, but are still independent. They mostly just pool all their components. Kleins tend to cost more then do Fishers.
Another good choice is Trek. Lance rides Trek. I would take any bike from any of them. Just compare componants and get the most for your money.

Jeff

P.S I would find the best/lightest frame and reasonable components. You can always upgrade the components as you go.

I see no reason not to put drop bars on the Gary Fisher (or any other MTB) I'm thinking I might mout it so that it was higher across the flat than it it were on a road bike to give me a higher position so the visibility was bettewr when I needed to see more and was riding "up".

Joe

Thanks UTKlein I will take a look on the Klein (same dealer).

Joeprim can you recommend any particular model of DDbar and post that is good for a Mountain Bike?

Tell me, somebody: has Gary Fisher stopped using those awful pressed-in bottom brackets they used to have?

I have the Gary Fisher Utopia, the model just below the Fast City, and I think it's great. It's fast for the type of bike that it is and can take any abuse that I dish out - the wheels, Bontrager Selects, stand up well to potholes and an old fat man. For a 20 mile ride with a few moderate hills, I can average 12.5 to 13.5 mph. That's 4 to 5 mph slower than a road bike but, like I said, that's plenty fast for the type of the bike and cost of the bike.....it does make me lust for a road bike but that's probably about a year away. Bottom line - I think Gary Fisher makes a good, solid bike and it should fit your needs well.

I too have the Fisher Utopia, everything that slotibartfast wrote pretty much applies to me too... although I find that I average about 14-15 mph on mine. The cool thing with the Utopia is the nice wide gearing range - pretty much the same low gear as a MTB and the same high gear as a roadie.

slotibartfast, what's your take on that Rockshox Metro GPS fork ? I'm seriously thinking of swapping mine out for a rigid fork, probably the Surly Karate Monkey. I don't think it does much at all on the road apart from pogoing on those occasions that I choose to stand up for hills. Other than that very happy with the bike :D

Thanks for your comments!

I'm already in the process of getting the bike. The dealer is checking for availability to place the order.

I've had a Gary Fisher Utopia since late spring, and am happy with it generally. Use it for around-town riding in Manhattan and Brooklyn, sometimes Bronx, and I appreciate its ability to absorb bumps on the generally bad roads here. Swapped the knobbier stock tires for Armadillo (38mms, I believe), which provide a bit less rolling resistance/more speed.

I had a GF Marlin MTB that I sold and got this one. I liked the Marlin b/c of its unusually long reach/cockpit (seat to handlebars). These dimensions seem rather unique to Gary Fisher, and I had looked around for another, lighter model with 700 mm wheels instead of the Marlin's 26 inchers. Front suspension has its plusses, but I could do without it (ads a bit of weight, and makes overall setup less stiff), though it does allow me to go thru rather than around some rough pavement.

Bought this bike as an ultimate city bike, though "ultimate city bike" definition depends on the rider. These days, I might prefer a shorter wheelbase road-type setup, perhaps with 32 mm tires (have 28's on a low-end Cannondale roadie I own, and there isn't much clearance with brakes, and 28's don't seem to make as much diference over 23's as I might have thought).

I see no reason not to put drop bars on the Gary Fisher (or any other MTB) I'm thinking I might mout it so that it was higher across the flat than it it were on a road bike to give me a higher position so the visibility was bettewr when I needed to see more and was riding "up".

Joe

What do you plan to use for shifters?

zombie thread?

If Gary Fishers were Ford cars, Cannondale's would be BMW's. Both will get you from point a to point b, but a better bike will be more smooth, and take more hard riding. I used to build gary fishers for a shop, allowing me to test ride at least a couple hunded of them that I assembled, and I certainly don't like them. But then again, they are better than a department store special. It has been 4 years since I had that job, but I find it hard to believe that much has changed.