jstein07

There is a very attractive 2003 Gary Fisher Mt. Tam 2-9 on sale for $800 at my LBS. I am looking for a versatile bike and this seems like a really good deal. Is there a downside, however, to buying an older model, though still new?

elf 232

2003 isnt that terribly old especially if it has never been ridden.

theextremist04

It won't have the G2 geometry, but for that price, absolutely nothing wrong with it.

trek1

The only thing older about it is the technology. I would compare to some later or new models because most companies trickle down their technology or improvements. The price spread might not be as much as you think and you could have a later model for only $100 or $200 more but would also be worth more if you decided to sell it in the future for not being as old.

DirtPedalerB

people always say buy the newest bike technology and how great it is.. Then after the next year model comes out they admit there were problems with it and that you should buy the new newest technology.. I'm not drinking that kool-aid. I would however stick with a bike withing the last 3 or 4 years, just for better parts availability and compatability.

M_S

The fork may be a little dated (don't know what comes on it). But in terms of drivetrain, quality stuff from then is still pretty nice now. Also, that's recent enough that it should be built around an 80 or 100mm fork, so replacing it with something a little mroe modern shouldn't be much of a problem, if need be.

But it's brand new. Should be fine. What components doe sit have, out of curiosity?

RT

That's half of what it retailed for back in '03.

I'd be all over it. Do they have it in 21"?

jstein07

But it's brand new. Should be fine. What components doe sit have, out of curiosity?[/QUOTE]


It is pretty much all shimano xt, I forget what shocks it comes with

Chris_F

And bike technology doesn't move all that fast (we ain't talkin' cell phones or computers here). The biggest change between model years (whether it be bikes or components) is typically paint scheme.

Halebopp

I have a bike with 2001 xtr, and it works great. I honestly can't tell much difference at all between components from different years.