Press Release - Gary Fisher will be at the Salzkammergut Trophy again!

During the 2007 Salzkammergut Trophy Gary Fisher received a pair of “Goiserer” as a present which he has not collected yet! Well it’s time to pick them up - so on July 18, 2009 he will not only come for another shoe fitting but also try to improve his time on the 110 km course! 2009 will be his last year in the “age group Masters 4”. Although Gary may not be one of the top favourites, he will be for sure part of the winners’ ceremony presenting the Trophies to the winners of the 110 and the 209 km distances! Still you do not need to win a Trophy to meet Gary - Gary Fisher’s newest bikes are presented at the expo area on Friday and Saturday and Gary is more than happy giving autographs to his numerous fans.

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http://www.trophy.at/show_bericht.php?ber_id=5728

Photo: sportograf.de

source: Salzkammergut Mountainbike Trophy

This is a great write up by MTBR forum member KRob.  We figured we should share it. Enjoy!

-MTBR

Original Forum Thread

KRob Tests:

Just a few general comments about this year’s demo. First of all, I did not ride any bad bikes. The technology has advanced to the point that when you choose well you will get a good bike.Period. So the rest is just personal preference and what you want to use it for. Secondly, Bob is dead. They’ve got this one figured out either with good suspension design or good shocks. It just wasnt’ there on any of the bikes I rode (except one). Thirdly, because all the bike designs are so good, bike reviews often boiled down to component selection, bike set up, and sizing. And lastly, these are ride impressions, not comprehensive bike tests and I’m not the most observant person or the most sensitive to small nuances. I usually adapt quickly to small annoyances and differences and nothing really gets my attention unless it’s really different. This may be good or bad.

So with that, here it goes. I’ll try and be as tscheezy-like as possible and give you what you’ve been craving.

Day 1 Dirt Demo

Pivot Firebird

6” DW-Link All Mountain/trail

I was really looking forward to riding this bike. We loved the build quality, looks, and snappiness of the Pivot offering we sampled last year but were a little disappointed in the small bump compliance. I’ve since heard that a custom light-valved version of Fox’s RP23 has improved the Mach 5 considerably over what we experienced so assumed the Firebird would get the same treatment. As before, the fit and finish are top notch. The proportions and overall aesthetics of the frame are nice. Unlike others, I don’t find the bottom bracket area to be overly busy. All those CNC’ed pieces and anodized aluminum fasteners look pretty trick to me. Climbing was superb. It felt firm and efficient. Very little if any bob could be felt either sitting or standing with pretty much zero side to side flex while hammering. It felt light and nimble like a long legged XC mount. Here’s the knock. They set up the RP23 to get 1/3 sag and I let out air until I was getting closer to 40 to 45% sag and it still just wasn’t that plush. Sorry. I really wanted to love the 6” version of the Pivot but it skipped around on medium sized square edged bumps while standing on the descents also. To be fair I was still not getting full travel according to the rubber ring after descending but didn’t really dare set it for more sag. I’ve heard others report more plushness so maybe it was a setup thing. Wonder what a more linear shock like a DHX Air or Roco Coil would do for it. Also, I was the first person on this bike and the Fox Float 36 was a bit less than optimal too. In fact that was the case with all the Float and TALAS 36 forks I tried with the exception of one (on the El Guapo). They just felt kinda poopy and not that plush. Maybe it is a quality control thing… or perhaps a set up thing but I’ve set up plenty of Fox forks and think I know what I’m doing. I was getting proper sag and was running the compression damping all the way out (light)….. But still felt too firm.

I opted for the medium this year after my experience on the large Mach 5 feeling too big last year and the sizing felt about just right for me at 5”11.5”. I might’ve opted for a bit longer stem, but that’s just preference. The only other complaint I had with the Firebird was the ungodly loud chain slap. This bike was in serious need of a chain guide and padding on both the chain and seat stays. I never lost a chain but the noise sure was unsettling and unbecoming of a bike in this (or any) price range.

Trek World 2009, a mini-interbike for Trek brands to introduce local bike shop owners and managers to their new offerings is underway in Waterloo this week. At an event called “Backstage” began, where Trek flew in regular shop guys to get a sneak preview of what’s to come in 2009. RoadBikeReview was lucky to have a friend who sent back these photos of a new line of Gary Fisher road bikes that will be debuting in 2009.

The line looks to include several road bikes, a fixed/SS gear model, and a cross model for 2009. Word is that the line is very limited this year, but plans are already underway for 2010 and 2011 models. Models that may include new OCLV offerings.

Check out the bikes here…

source: RoadbikeReview

Back in 2001 Gary Fisher had a crazy notion. He and a couple other non-traditionalists were messing with 29” wheeled mountain bikes. It was a fringe concept at the time. Fast forward seven years and 29ers are the hottest thing going in the mountain bike world. With Fisher’s legacy in 29ers and race team sponsorship, it made perfect sense for Gary Fisher Bikes to sponsor a team exclusively of 29er riders to prove the dominance of the bigger wheel.

The Gary Fisher 29er Crew is a non-traditional team. It’s a grassroots and diverse collective of racers banded together under the Fisher flag and by their passion for racing on 29ers. For 2008, the team is 43 riders strong. Racers range in age from 17 to 50. They hail from the wooded Northeast of Vermont, the Southwestern deserts of California, the shores of the United Kingdom, and everywhere in between. They’re men and women racing cross-country, endurance, and XTerra. They ride rigid singlespeeds and full-suspension 29ers. About the only common denominator between teammates is the size of the wheels they roll on.

The 40-plus person team includes notable individuals such as recent 24-Hour National Champion, Cameron Chambers; current National Cyclocross Single Speed Champion, Marko LaLonde; current Chequamegon 40 Champ, Jesse LaLonde (yes, they’re brothers); longtime Fisher regional racer and brain tumor survivor, Michael Patrick; Subaru-Gary Fisher team mechanic, Matt Opperman; ’07 US National Championship top-ten finisher, Sam Koerber; and, of course, the man, Gary Fisher.

The 29er Crew website and blog. www.29ercrew.com will host the great stories of all the riders. There each rider will be posting blog entries, race recaps, and news from their lives. It’s an opportunity to showcase the different voices and perspectives of this diverse team. It’s fitting for a group of 29er riders. The groundswell popularity of 29ers was due to the passionate base of its believers. On the 29er Crew blog, the riders will continue to help foster the individuality and passion of 29er culture. Aside from the Fisher frames and big wheels, you’ll be able to recognize 29er Crew racers by their distinct jersey. The Champion System jersey is only available to team members.

The 29er Crew couldn’t exist without the support of several people. Gary Fisher supplies the big-wheeled bikes (www.fisherbikes.com). Bontrager (www.bontrager.com) was the first choice as partner for 29er specific wheels, tires, and components. Riders can take advantage of the Bontrager Tubeless Ready Race X Lite 29 and Rhythm 29 wheelsets, a full set of condition-specific Tubeless Ready 29” tires, and components designed for 29ers such as the Race Lite Big Sweep handlebars. Champion Systems (www.champ-sys.com) is providing the great looking performance apparel in lickety-split fashion.

Be sure to check out your local 29er Crew rider and follow along on the team’s exploits on the 29er Crew site: www.29ercrew.com

source: Travis Ott, Gary Fisher & LeMond Brand Manager