Gary Fisher Rig Review: First Impression
March 19th, 2007 by Tim GrahlOne of the hardest things about reviewing a bike is staying objective. Two major things play into my bias for what a bike should be… what I know from personal experience with past bikes and what I may have already heard about the particular bike being tested.
Both are playing pretty heavily in my review of the Gary Fisher Rig. I’ve owned and ridden two Fisher 29ers in the past and I’ve heard a whole lot of good things about the Rig in particular. The high number of these bikes showing up at the Single Speed Worlds in particular speaks to the popularity of this bike.
That being said, I’ve now gotten a few good rides on this bike and am enjoying it. It’s the first aluminum single speed I’ve ridden in a long time and it’s nice to be dragging a much lighter bike up the hill. The Genesis geometry is known for it’s stability and comfort and doesn’t disappoint on the Rig. I felt comfortable at high speeds on descents and took corners well, as 29ers do.
And while I like the RockShox Reba SL forks, one small thing that irks me is the absence of the handlebar mounted pop-loc that allows me to lock-out the forks with a flip of the thumb instead of reaching down. I think this feature is helpful especially on a singlespeed as there’s a lot more standing up and smashing the pedals that goes on which means fork bob can come into play more often. I say go ahead and up the MSRP another ten bucks and give me something that will help me utilize the fork to it’s full potential.
So my first impression of this bike is I understand why it’s incredibly popular. Big wheels on a singlespeed is a no brainer and Gary Fisher is offering a great package with their Rig.
More updates to come…
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I am assuming that your Rig is a black 2007?
How is the tire clearance?
Will a Rampage or Wierwolf fit in the back?
Couldn’t agree more. I have enjoyed the aluminum frame much more than I thought I would. I forked out the $100 (wish it was $10) for the pop loc and after a few rides, have found that I utilize VERY frequently, at a subconscience level. Do the pop loc and enjoy the fastest frame I have ridden.
This is the best singlespeed 29′er frame I have ever ridden. I got one of these back in March of 2005. It was my second 29′er after riding a Karate Monkey for a couple of years. This was a huge upgrade in performance and comfort. The genesis geometry really speaks to me and my riding style. I have since owned over 7 other 29′er, and I always find myself going back to my Rig. I destroyed the Reba within 6 months and put my Karate Monkey rigid fork on there while waiting to replace it with another squishy. I liked the rigid ride even more than the squishy version.
I do agree with the poster above about the Pop Loc. I added it within a week of getting my Rig and it made all the difference in the world. You dont even realize it’s there and using it becomes unconscious act.
I hated that after the popularity of the first year when the bike MSRP’d for a little over 900 complete, that the 2006 version only changed the paint but the price went up 300 bucks to 1200 MSRP. I saw them sitting in stores late into the 2006 season because of that. Hence the 29′er “fad” talk. With so many other options available that next year at a good price, the Rig was not as popular amongst new buyers. That, and the color and paint was fugly. I had numerous offers to sell my original purple people eater. It remains. I did recently sell a back up frame from the same year that I had been using to race on with a lighter compnenets set up. The original purchase bike still remains in the fleet and is still the bike I enjoy the most. It’s tried and true. I highly recommend this bike to anyone.
Any word on the tire clearance issue with this frame? I am considering buying a Rig and it looked like the stock 2.2 was a little tight. I’d really like to run something larger, like a 2.3-2.55 (read wtb weirwolf). Thanks.