Submitted by
Brtooks
a Downhiller
from Portland Or. 97217
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2012
Strengths: I am really liking the G.F. Pro. Not that much flex and still you feel the trail and not the sway of the frame like you can on others. I didnt like the 29 rims, I switch them to 26 in back and 28 in front, It just feels like you are going to bend the rim from a good sore or a sharp handeling corner I two raised the bars and also switch to ! gear in front, Like all rear shocks I havent seen any inprovements on the factory Float RP2. They just dont hold there presure long, Its like every 3 trips up to the hill I have to air it up, wish they could inprove that so you dont have to customize a full downhill shock into the frame , all in all this is a great TRAIL BIKE good for mild jumps ,mild course manuvering and up and over a mild track race coures, as long as you keep to the limits of the bike.
Weaknesses: not enough suspention
Bottom Line:
good for a person that wants to give there all untill they know what they got to have for what they demand, I like the G.F. pro and would love to see more inprovements for such a good riding bike, like I said, It feels good not to feel the flex but feeling the track lets you know how much more you can ask for
Submitted by
BobShred
a Weekend Warrior
from Cortez, CO
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2011
Strengths: Versatile, lightweight, and efficient.
Weaknesses: Swingarm cracked after 1 year. Added a riser to the handlebars right away, along with a more comfortable saddle. Have had to tighten the shifter cables at least twice a season.
Bottom Line:
Most comfortable bike I've ridden! I feel so comfortable, I probably push the bike past its limits too often. But it still holds up after three seasons! Hard to find another bike as reasonably priced as this and get the quality.
Submitted by
kpedals
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Collins, CO
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2011
Strengths: lightweight, comfy ride, sturdy, fun, pretty good in climbs
Weaknesses: the carbon seat stays worry me a little, so i put bar fat on them for protection
Bottom Line:
I have no complaints about this bike. It's lightweight, durable, climbs well, and goes down well. I've done a lot of cross country rides on it and I've even taken it out to winter park to do downhill. It's not ideal for downhill (its a little low on the travel end for it) but I think it would be a pretty fun super d bike. Maybe I'll try that out and let you know how it goes. :)
Bike Setup: rock shox recon, fox rp2, race face deus handlebars, deore xt, avid juicy 3
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Submitted by
PHIL LIND
a Weekend Warrior
from COLORADO
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2010
Strengths: G2 GEOMENTARY REALLY ROCKS THE HOUSE
Weaknesses: ALTHOUGH IT FEELS LIGHT AND HANDLES LIGHT ITS REALLY NOT 30LBS 19 INCH
Bottom Line:
I RODE ABOUT 4-6 DIFFERENT BIKES AND RIGHT AWAY I WAS TRULY IMPRESSED WITH THE FISHER,AND TO FACT IT WAS TOTALLY KILLER PRICE WITH EASY UPGRADES I AM IN SINGLE TRACK DUMBB ELL HEAVEN
Similar Products Used: I;VE ONLY HAD HARDTAILS SINCE THE MID EIGHTYS 2 BRIDGESTONE AND A 97 GARY FISHER X-CALIBER
Bike Setup: XT REAR DER IS THE STRONG POINT MOST EVERYTHING IS DEORE AS I AM WRITING THIS REVIEW I'M UPGRADING WHICH IS EASY WHEEL SET IS DECENT ENOUGH AND STRONG (I'M 250LBS) TIRE SO FAR ALONG THE FRONT RANGE HAVE DONE WELL ALL AND ALL A VERY GOOD BIKE WITH EASY UPGRADES TO A AWESOME RIDE
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Submitted by
Rickxr
a Weekend Warrior
from Montpelier, VT
Weaknesses: Geometry a bit race oriented but works for me
Bottom Line:
My first 29, I've had it all season with no problems what so ever. I stick to cross country type trails and avoid drops greater than a foot or so. The bike has great traction even with the wimpy looking tires. Great climber and serious improvements on clearing obstacles.
Submitted by
thewayitis
a Cross Country Rider
from Norwich, VT USA
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2010
Strengths: Frame. This is a tried and true frame. It is light enough and can take a beating.
Weaknesses: hubs. upgrade the wheel set ASAP.
Bottom Line:
This bike screams. I have been running a light hardtail 26er for 10 years, it finally breaks 8 days before the VT50. Local bike shop had this for sale and I never looked back. Id say overall my speed has picked up by 20 - 30%. This bike just hammers the terrain and asks to go faster. For the price it is perfect. You get a great bike out of the box and then can spend the next 'x' years upgrading parts.
This is for the beginning racer of the weekend guy who just wants to be faster than his buddy.
Not for the super racer, get the Superfly instead.
Similar Products Used: old bike was a 1999 Specialized Stuntjumper Pro
Bike Setup: Stock out of the box.
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Submitted by
laserman
a Weekend Warrior
from Signal Mountain Tennessee
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2009
Strengths: Lighter than my trek hardtail. Feels like you are floating down roots and rocks.May not be the best down-hill, cross country, or free-ride bike but thisone bike can do enough of all of those styles to please most riders.
Weaknesses: Paint does chip under down tube from flying rocks.
Bottom Line:
Great bike. Does everything I need and want it to. Makes my 3 inches of air feel like I am on the x-games. Owens Cyclery let me demo the bike for a week to make sure it is what I wanted. Other shops wanted me to ride in the parking lot to get that off-road feel.
Bike Setup: stock except for small-block 8 on rear.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
lzbobcat
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson AZ.
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2009
Strengths: Handles very well through the rocky desert trails. The suspension is fully adjustable to the terrain. You can lock the rear shock. The disk brakes are very responsive.
Weaknesses: I don't like the handgrips
Bottom Line:
So far, the bike has been perfect for the kind of riding I do. When I purchased the bike, I test rode several other bikes and kept coming back to Gary Fisher Hifi Plus.
Bike Setup: jsjheu goojrui coicufnljoi josiekdoi odjoi odjoieo
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Bobcat
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ, US
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2009
Strengths: Very responsive, I really like the brakes, handles very well through sand , rocks, cactus, downhills. I like the paint on the bike, but I haven't had enough to scratch it up.
Weaknesses: The hand grips, better ones on my 8 year olds bike.
Bottom Line:
So far, I have taken the bike on some abusive trails and it handles better than any other bike I've owned. I'm taking it out on a local trail tomorrow to see what I'ts got.
Submitted by
B-Dog
a Cross Country Rider
from Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2009
Strengths: Bike rides awesome. My first full suspension and I love it. It took a lot of effort to sell me on a full suspension due to the fact that I am a big guy and there is a ton of climbing in Colorado. It climbs better that I would have ever expected. The air adjustable suspension is very easy to use and it feels like I am sitting in a recliner on the downhill parts of my rides.
Weaknesses: Tires, saddle, and shifters. Replaced the tires after 2 or 3 rides, the saddle after a week or two. Have not switched out the shifters yet. They are perfectly functional but not as responsive as I am used to.
Bottom Line:
Great bike so far. I would recommend it for pretty much anyone looking for a good full suspension bike. Affordable for what you get, I really don't think there is a bike in this price range that is as light and that has as good of components on it without spending much more money.
Strengths: Handling - Gives great confidence. Weight - With saddle bag 27.5 lbs. Comfort - Don't feel beat up after long rides.
Weaknesses: Tires - immediatley replace and put them on Craigslist for some other poor sap to buy. Grips. Fork. Rear derailleur. Paint - I agree with other reviews about the paint job; weak at best, but take care of chips right away and you should be fine.
Bottom Line:
Great bike.... Handles like a dream on Michigan trails. Great conformance downhill and climbs pretty well to. Initially had problems with RS Recon 351 forks... Lock out didn't work from factory, then got hydro lock after first ride and forks needed complete rebuild. Since fixed, they work great though. Have had to adjust rear derailleur three times 1 1/2 months into riding season. I guess minor stuff that just happens. I am completely satisfied with the bike though. The local bike shop took good care of me and I would definitely buy another Fisher & recommend this bike to anyone looking for a bike in this price range.
Bike Setup: Stock except for tires - replaced after 1st ride w/ Panaracer Fire XC Pro 127TPI - These tires completely change the handling of bike for the better.
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Submitted by
tduro
a Weekend Warrior
from Reading, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2009
Strengths: Nicely equipped for the price, reasonable weight for the price (28-29#). Climbs well. Suspension works great. Tires and tubes are very light. They might not last long, but they ride well, so I'll keep'em.
Weaknesses: 1. Back of seat catches baggy pants (this is the first seat that ever did this to me). 2. rear brake hose routing is dumb. My left heel rubs against it. 3. Could have been built lighter without additional cost (pedals, stem and bar). 4. Juicy 3 brakes have great stopping power, but not so great modulation. 5. brake levers and shifters don't mate well on the bar, causing the relative angles of deflection to be off a little. (These are very nit-picky comments. It's still a great bike!)
Bottom Line:
This is proving to be an excellent first FS bike for me. Strengths outweigh weaknesses by a long shot. I don't do any big jumps or drops, and I only weigh 170#, so I probably don't need the burliness of this bike. On the other hand, I prefer the more technical trails, and am finding that the suspension helps me stay on my line when I hit a rock or log in an unexpected way. Also, after a long technical ride, I don't feel as battered as I did on my HT, and am usually left wanting to ride more.
Similar Products Used: This is my first FS, so I haven't used anything similar.
Bike Setup: Stock - as seen here: http://www.fisherbikes.com/archive/model/406/fullspecs
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Submitted by
azulrider
a Weekend Warrior
from El Paso, Texas, USA
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2008
Strengths: I read everyone else's reviews 1st and I agree with all of them! This bike is so confidence inspiring I took a few more chances than I should have even with my very limited experience and went OTB on the first ride! This equipment is like riding a couch (thanks Justin) down treacherous trails with lots of sharp rocks protruding from the ground. The suspension is awesome, shifting is effortless and the Juicy 3 brakes are way better than what I expected. Though the bike is light and nimble it is tough and seems to take a beating with me on it showing no problems at all! Thankfully this bike rolls over just about anything. My next purchase will be another HiFi.
Weaknesses: needs rub patches before the first ride- thats it.
Bottom Line:
I read everyone else's reviews 1st and I agree with all of them except for the weaknesses! As a novice rider I started out on a G.F. Piranha and still love that hardtail. Though I do take a chance or two beyond my experience I find the HiFi and its set up has saved my butt from a few possible disasters. My youngest offspring asked to come along for rides which led me to the Hifi Plus (thanks again Justin). I truly believe because of this particular bike I am fast becoming more and more addicted to this sport- always looking for that next high. I would refer this bike to anyone that asks.
Bike Setup: As is from the shop- thanks to my buds at The Bicycle Company!
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
snailsongs
a Cross Country Rider
from Wausau, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2008
Strengths: Nice suspension, nice geometry (for me), lightweight, and so on
Weaknesses: weak stock tires, otherwise none
Bottom Line:
- I bought this bike from a guy selling on craigslist who had this for a month and decided he wanted the frame-size down. What's more, he had tricked out the first and so when he bought his second one he swapped the new stock parts (I mean every compnonent, the tires, etc) onto this one....essentially a new bike for less than half the MSRP.
- I've been riding around on my Fisher Piranha, a great mid-range hardtail, all summer long, but when I got on this there was an instantaneous "oh god!" moment where I realized what I was missing on the trail. Don't get me wrong, I will always love a good stiff hardtail, but this bike inspires confidence on the trail. It climbs well whether the suspension is locked out or not, handles beautifully in the tight twisty singletrack of my local trail, and makes me feel like a long set of stairs and that rockgarden that used to put me in traction with the Piranha, is no big deal. This bike is perfect for me. I am not yet a competitive racer, though I am working towards that, and yet I can really push myself with this bike on the trail. IT does great with technical maneuvering, and yet goes the distance too. Perfect. The only thing is, I find myself wondering about the Hifi carbon pro, the 29er's, other excellent rides I don't know about for styles I haven't yet experienced.....yes, people, I have been bit by the MTB bug hard! Thank god for this great trail bike to get me through!
im on a mission to get a deal on a FS 29er and believe I landed a potentially AWESOME one. I didn't pull the trigger yet but have been to my LBS to take it for a ride and fell in l Read More »
im on a mission to get a deal on a FS 29er and believe I landed a potentially AWESOME one. I didn't pull the trigger yet but have been to my LBS to take it for a ride and fell in l Read More »
both are the same price at my LBS on closeout. which would you choose? im leaning towards the 09 because of the wheelset and better brake levers & triggers. i also notice the frame Read More »
Hows it going! Right now im in a tough decision of which 29er would be the better deal, price wise, component wise etc.
At my lbs they still have a 2011 trek hifi plus new on Read More »
Hi,
I'm looking to buy a new bike and I need some help. I'm trying to decide between two bikes that the local shops have on sale right now. The 2011 Trek HIfi Plus for 1799 or Read More »
