Gary Fisher Rig's at SSWC

FisherGuy · 08-25-2005

I snapped a lot of pictures at the SSWC. I got as many of the Rig's that I could find. If you look close at a couple of the pics you will see that there is a Big Sur with a 29" front and a 26" rear. That wheel combination seems to be getting more popular. One of the pics is of GF and KB rolling down to the parking lot together.

FisherGuy · 08-25-2005

Little wonder Dejay got confused.

FisherGuy · 08-25-2005

If I missed anybody feel free to post your own pic.

FisherGuy · 08-25-2005

How could I forget this one?

VA2SLOride · 08-25-2005

Just out of curiosity, did you happen to get the gear ratio that GF runs on his rig?

bikecop · 08-25-2005

was HIS bottom bracket creaking?

FisherGuy · 08-25-2005

It lets people know that he is passing them.

If Gary is lurking...maybe he will let you know his gear. I know it was heavy. He was laughing about it after the race.

jl · 08-25-2005

I'm sure that Gary is a great guy, and really likes to ride bikes, but can one of you 'support' guys help him out with his cables???

JJT · 08-25-2005

This is so funny, last year Dejay was the only one riding a (prototype) Rig, this year it seems everybody was riding one!!

Hope he (Dejay) took a little better care of his Rig this year, guess he is still waiting for the insurance money of the German lady that drove right OVER his bike ("Is that bike that expensive?????) haha

Thanks for the pics!

JJ

Cloxxki · 08-25-2005

And, all those Rigs were purchased in the past six months!
Amazing that there were so many. I guess Fisher just managed to build more of them that surly did KM's? Those have been on the market for quite a while, and last year in Berlin of all places there were 5 or 6, all tidden by the foreigners present.

**shiggy** · 08-25-2005

What was KB riding? Looks like a fully.

Cloxxki · 08-25-2005

Sugar, SS'd some way. I believe he always rides that bike, at least heard he road Sugars before.

richkatz · 08-25-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by shiggy

What was KB riding? Looks like a fully.

I'd ridden there before. I knew, more or less, what was coming, and prepared appropriately. I have two single speed bikes - one a rigid steel hardtail that is great in Santa Cruz. The other is an old Sugar that I'd raced in the TransAlp many years ago and had put out to pasture. I brought the Sugar because it has a little suspension travel in front and back, and that would be a good thing in the rocks.

The bike had vertical dropouts and I used a very old Sachs Aris rear derailleur with the strongest return spring I could find. I pulled the chain as tight as I could so the derailleur cage was pointing almost directly at the chain ring to keep the chain on.

The other key component I added to the mix were some tubeless wheels and the biggest tubeless tires (Jones XR) I had around, along with a pint (not exactly, but you get the idea)of sealant in each. I knew that I would not be graceful enough to ride the line through all of the rock gardens, so this was a set up I could ride straight through a lot of those sections with decent control and no pinch flats.

32x18 gears were fine for me on that course. I walked part of the wall, but gave up easily because I'd decided I could use the stretch. I was bonking and cramping a little by then too, and had no idea how far it was going to go up, so that might have been part of the motivation.

The bike worked pretty well, especially given that it took about an hour to throw it all together. I dropped the chain twice bouncing along in the rocks. Both times I felt it come off the front ring, which was just a regular 32 out of a triple set up. I will swap that for a plain ring and maybe put a chain guide on it too.

2 of the chainring bolts blew out at some point in the event too, so that might have been the source of the chain problem. The ring was one of T'vativs heat treated steel units and the ring didn't fold. That was cool.

KB

richkatz · 08-25-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by VA2SLOride

Just out of curiosity, did you happen to get the gear ratio that GF runs on his rig?

I think he said it was a 32x17 at dinner. He also said it was a bit on the big side.

I asked Eric Roman what he rode and he said 32 x 17 with a 29er.

**shiggy** · 08-25-2005

Thanks, Keith. Welcome to the boards!

BTW I am looking forward to seeing/riding the mud tires you used in the Trans Rockies. They sound interesting. Fun reading your write ups on cyclingnews.com.

gfisher · 08-25-2005

I was riding a 32 x 17 with 180 eno cranks, they don't creak as far as I can hear. I made a poor gear choice as I would have been better off with a 32 x 20.
I have changed out many of the parts so I had no problem with finding my bike.
That was one great single speed course. I was one of the last riders off as I don't like running very much. I got to ride the last 8 mi with Rudi on his fixie.
How cool was that?
Sorry about the shorts but I don't care what you think.

gfisher · 08-25-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by richkatz

I'd ridden there before. I knew, more or less, what was coming, and prepared appropriately. I have two single speed bikes - one a rigid steel hardtail that is great in Santa Cruz. The other is an old Sugar that I'd raced in the TransAlp many years ago and had put out to pasture. I brought the Sugar because it has a little suspension travel in front and back, and that would be a good thing in the rocks.

The bike had vertical dropouts and I used a very old Sachs Aris rear derailleur with the strongest return spring I could find. I pulled the chain as tight as I could so the derailleur cage was pointing almost directly at the chain ring to keep the chain on.

The other key component I added to the mix were some tubeless wheels and the biggest tubeless tires (Jones XR) I had around, along with a pint (not exactly, but you get the idea)of sealant in each. I knew that I would not be graceful enough to ride the line through all of the rock gardens, so this was a set up I could ride straight through a lot of those sections with decent control and no pinch flats.

32x18 gears were fine for me on that course. I walked part of the wall, but gave up easily because I'd decided I could use the stretch. I was bonking and cramping a little by then too, and had no idea how far it was going to go up, so that might have been part of the motivation.

The bike worked pretty well, especially given that it took about an hour to throw it all together. I dropped the chain twice bouncing along in the rocks. Both times I felt it come off the front ring, which was just a regular 32 out of a triple set up. I will swap that for a plain ring and maybe put a chain guide on it too.

2 of the chainring bolts blew out at some point in the event too, so that might have been the source of the chain problem. The ring was one of T'vativs heat treated steel units and the ring didn't fold. That was cool.

KB

My 29er is a 12% bigger wheel than yours,
Gary

Geez · 08-25-2005

Sorry to go off topic. I don't post much. I'm a "lurker". Just wanted to thank GFisher for the guts to bring high quality mass produced 29'ers to the market. This board and all the die hards on here are a testiment to that foresight. Tried my first at a demo day in '03 and the following week purchased a used '02 Supercaliber. Had a Truth and Superlight at the time. Bye, Bye. Still have the Supercaliber along with two 292's. I'm 53 and put in a lot of off-road miles, thus the many bikes. No question this single innovation has made me as well as many others better riders. I also like the fact that you practice what you preach. Thanks again.

bigwheelboy_490 · 08-25-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by gfisher

Sorry about the shorts but I don't care what you think.

I just want to know where you buy them!

max-a-mill · 08-26-2005

it was really freakin cool to see THE gary fisher motor by on the first big hill.

you didn't look like you were having a hard time with that gear at all.... BUT IT WAS EARLY

thanks for supportin singlespeeds and bigwheels. judging by the amount of rigs out there sunday (including the "winners") i'd say your on to something!

ncj01 · 08-26-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigwheelboy_490

I just want to know where you buy them!

hell ya, I want some too....

Keep the 29er's comin' Gary..

stonedead · 08-26-2005

Ditto, I love those shorts....and would buy them in a heart beat....

heavyg · 08-26-2005

But, I do want to say thanks.

If either this forum OR Fisher 29ers didn't exist, I certainly would not have tried one by now. In less than a year, I now own three FS 29ers and the kiddie wheels are in long-term storage...

Thanks Gary, and all my fellow 29er internet geeks

Who is KB? That acronym has a different meaning around my way.

Nat · 08-26-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by heavyg

Who is KB? That acronym has a different meaning around my way.

Kibbles Bits? King Burger? Keith Bontrager.

heavyg · 08-26-2005

Kind Bud. As in my "good friend"...

VERVE 29er · 08-28-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by richkatz

I'd ridden there before. I knew, more or less, what was coming, and prepared appropriately. I have two single speed bikes - one a rigid steel hardtail that is great in Santa Cruz. The other is an old Sugar that I'd raced in the TransAlp many years ago and had put out to pasture. I brought the Sugar because it has a little suspension travel in front and back, and that would be a good thing in the rocks.

The bike had vertical dropouts and I used a very old Sachs Aris rear derailleur with the strongest return spring I could find. I pulled the chain as tight as I could so the derailleur cage was pointing almost directly at the chain ring to keep the chain on.

The other key component I added to the mix were some tubeless wheels and the biggest tubeless tires (Jones XR) I had around, along with a pint (not exactly, but you get the idea)of sealant in each. I knew that I would not be graceful enough to ride the line through all of the rock gardens, so this was a set up I could ride straight through a lot of those sections with decent control and no pinch flats.

32x18 gears were fine for me on that course. I walked part of the wall, but gave up easily because I'd decided I could use the stretch. I was bonking and cramping a little by then too, and had no idea how far it was going to go up, so that might have been part of the motivation.

The bike worked pretty well, especially given that it took about an hour to throw it all together. I dropped the chain twice bouncing along in the rocks. Both times I felt it come off the front ring, which was just a regular 32 out of a triple set up. I will swap that for a plain ring and maybe put a chain guide on it too.

2 of the chainring bolts blew out at some point in the event too, so that might have been the source of the chain problem. The ring was one of T'vativs heat treated steel units and the ring didn't fold. That was cool.

KB

Why don't you talk the Trek boys into letting you come out with your own line of Bontrager bikes. Steel SS, 29ers and road????