qbic

What’s up,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice on buying a Fixed/SS. I was looking at the Gary Fisher Triton as my first "Real" Bike. I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with fisher's or should I go elsewhere.

Here is the link to the bike: https://trektoronto.ca/itemdetails.cfm?LibId=49180

They want I think it was $860CDN (give or take) for it after tax. I like the colour scheme of it and it does look really sleek (they are also known for mountain bikes),

Also I guess it might be good to mention I’m going to be using it daily to commute too & from work and anywhere else. Possibly, though out the year as well. So something dependable is best.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in Advance

HandsomeRyan

That GF looks like it'll be much more trackish and so you'll never be able to run larger tires or fenders which you'll eventually want if you are commuting.

Have you checked out the Raleigh One Way? It'll do everything you need and look better while doing it.

BoozyMcliverRot

^^^agreed,figure out exactly what you want to do. Pick your options,and go from there.

bbattle

Nice bike but not the best for commuting. You will want fenders to keep off the rain and slush and fatter tires will roll better up there in the Great White North.

Bianchi San Jose is a better choice for commuting. Fenders and racks are no problem and you can put much wider tires on there.

Guvna

How many miles is your commute?

bmcginn

I'd take the bianchi or rush hour over the gary fisher especially if you will be commuting. you could also look into a surly. they are pretty good with commuter setups as well.

elTwitcho

Woah, where'd all you guys come from? haha

You *can* commute on a bike with steep geometry and 23c tires, I do, and so do alot of other people. But it's a trade off and you need to be sure of what you really want. The fact that my bike doesn't accept fenders is a tradeoff I've made for a bike that is more fun to ride. 23c tires make for a rougher ride, but feel more agile. It's not the most practical ride, but the tradeoffs are worth the enjoyment I get, not unlike someone commuting to work in a porsche.

So give it some thought, the more practical suggestions are certainly good ones (in Toronto at Urbane Cyclist they have the Masi Commuter which is similar to the alternatives mentioned here as well) but don't think it's totally impractical to ride a fun bike for transportation as well.

erichsia

I think any bike is fun to ride, unless it weighs 35+ lbs. Given the commuting usage this bike is going to see, the San Jose or One Way maybe more fun to ride than a tight angled track bike.

qbic

First off I want to thank everyone for the speedy replies

Now the biggest concerns I seem to see, is the fender issue. How bad can that be? There are fenders you can attach to the sit post,
my coworker has one he says it sucks but I’m sure it does help. Also what’s with the tires isn’t thinner better or does it depend on the use of them,
Similar to cars winter and summer tires. Does the size of them also affect it a great deal? What I haven’t seen for far is mention of quality,
is it safe to assume that it’s a good sturdy bike then?Also what would happen if I did go back and forth with this bike is it a posture thing, comfort, faster ware and tear.
I hope I don’t sound like an Ass I’m just not sure so that’s why I’m asking.

elTwitcho - I checked Urbane and i was going to get the Masi Speciale or an Urbanite

HandsomeRyan - I’m sorry but I don’t like how the Raleigh One Way looks

Guvna - The distance from home to work is 9.8km (about 6.89m) and its all uphill on the way back

bbattle - Bianchi has nice bikes i was looking at the Pista though and i did almost buy a Louis Garneau but it didn’t have a flip-flop hub and it wasn’t in my size

once again thanks and any more input would be appreciated.

HandsomeRyan

I guess we can't all have my good taste.


j/k.

axcxnj

I think Gary Fisher makes great bikes, i ride their mountain bikes and love them...they also have a great lifetime frame warranty. If you like the fisher, go with it. If you think you can commute on 23c tires..why not, and you can buy a fender for the seatpost if you want.

elTwitcho

I have yet to hear anything good about the urbanite. I don't know what the specifics are, but I know at least one person who refers to his as the turdbanite...

I have the MASI speciale fixed, it's solid and I like it.

The JAMIS sputnik is also a nice option and urbanite typically has one or two floating around.

As for tires, there really isn't anything "better" out there it depends on your use. Wider tires will provide a softer ride and hold the road better over rough pavement, thinner tires roll faster and feel more agile. Most people on the forum chose between 23 and 28 tires for their bikes and it'll just come down to experimenting.

Dion Rides

An honest question - what do you mean by "real" bike?

What's most important? Speed? Comfort? Reliability? Company support? Options (racks, fenders, tire size, etc.)?

"True" (or stock) commuter bikes are nice, but they are usually decked out in fenders and stuff making them a bit heavy. They are great for utility, though. Straight up track oriented fixed gears are nice, but provide an aggressive, more aero dynamic body position, which many people don't like over long periods of times, especially for commuting purposes. Also, track bikes generally have a bigger gear ratio, so you'll be cranking harder unless you lighten that up a little with a new cog, chainring, or both. Also, some don't allow for wider or CX tires, so if you're going to be riding in snow, that may be a factor.

Personally, I'm impressed with some of the rigid 29er bikes out there (I have a MotoBecane Outcast, but I use mine for single track riding) because you can deck them out or strip them down and they have tire options from slick road tires to beefy MTB tires + mounts for racks and stuff. You can also get them with disc brakes and many have flip-flop hubs.

dayvan cowboy

This is what I do. I use the planet bike clip on plastic fenders, they go through the rear brake hole, so they work well for riding without a back brake.

jhaber

I saw a sputnik for something like $650 size 53 at bikes on wheels. Great price for that bike.

qbic

I mean a quality bike, as opposed to the bike you get at like a Canadian tire (super cycle) that falls apart in less than a year or if you look at it the wrong way.

Also just so I’m clear the problem with the tires is there to thin so it’s a rough ride especially on long distances. And ill will have less traction in the winter.

Dion Rides – I would actually like all 3, but Reliability is my main being I’m going to try and replace the bus and a car with the bike. then comfort for the distance and speed will have to come last. But my main thing is that it’s reliable.

dayvan cowboy

is it just me or does the gary fischer drilled for fenders? i think i might see them in that picture

lonesomesteve

I think the Fischer does have eyelets, but I wouldn't assume that means you can easily run "real" full coverage fenders. Here's my two cents on the fender thing. If you really plan on using this bike in place of a car then that means you'll spend some time riding in the rain (possibly a LOT of time depending on what the weather is like where you live). You can ride with 23C tires and no fenders in the rain if you want. However, I wouldn't because 1) it sucks, 2) you get really wet, 3) your bike gets much more grit and bad stuff in the drive train which wears it out faster, 4) 23C tires don't give you much traction on wet pavement, 5) all those things suck.

There are plenty of quick easy fenders that can be attached to bikes that weren't really meant to run fenders. Race blades, clip-on seat post rear fenders, etc. They're mostly better than nothing. But none of those work nearly as well as full coverage fenders like the ones on the Raleigh One-way pictured above. To run fenders like that you need the eyelets and adequate clearance between the wheels and the frame. In my experience it just never really works to put full coverage fenders on a bike that uses low profile brakes (which is what the Fischer has), especially if you want tires any bigger than 23C.

I think what you need to ask yourself is, do you want a bike that looks cool or do you want a bike that works well for your intended purpose. And I'm not being sarcastic. Nothing wrong with buying something just because you like the way it looks. Just understand the trade-offs when you do it.

So if you want something that can run fenders and bigger tires, I'd recommend something that uses long reach brakes (Schwinn Madison is an example) or cantilever brakes (like the Bianchi San Jose above). If you want something that looks cool and racy, or hip and tarck, well pick whatever appeals to you.

Dion Rides

Cool!

I have to agree with what people said about the Bianchi San Jose. It's a really nice bike from a reputable company (which means support if you break it).

brandonspeck

Surly Steamroller. Fits those big tires when you want, and the 23's when you feel like it. Works with fenders, still looks and performs nicely setup more 'aggressively' as well.

Dion Rides

Surly Karate Monkey is a nice frame, too.

miahmiah

skinny and high pressure tires only roll faster on smooth pavement or similar, on rough terrain bigger low pressure tires absorb the many smaller bumps and have less rolling resistance, thus rolling faster than the skinny high pressure tires on that particular terrain

also the track geometry creates the fender problem, not the tires themselves, since there is no room left between the intended tire size and the edge of the frame or seat stays for a full coverage fender