Gary Fisher Wahoo XC Hardtail

4.29/5

(65 Reviews)

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MSRP : $549.99

Product Description

Frame: Gold Series 6061 T6 aluminum, G2 Geometry, butted and hydroformed tubing, cold-forged dropouts & BB
Wheels: Alloy FM31, Shimano RM30 hubs, Bontrager Camino rims, Bontrager Jones XR tires
Componentry: Shimano Altus front derailleur, Shimano Deore M591 rear derailleur, Shimano ST-EF50 8spd shifters, Shimano FC-M361 crank, Tektro TK-845AL linear pull brakes
Suspension: Suntour SF9-XCM-V2, 100mm travel, custom G2 Geometry 46mm offset crown

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Reviews 1 - 15 (65 Reviews Total)

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Submitted by pomocanthus a All Mountain Rider

Date Reviewed: April 4, 2013

Strengths:    Great geometry, well balanced bike

Weaknesses:    Crappy components, especially heavy fork

Bottom Line:

Bought '09 white and red model used for $150. While everything worked, I can tell the frame was being held back by the components. Swapped out fork for a Fox RLC, swapped in SRAM X7/X9 components, XT cranks, added Avid disc brakes and new Vuelta rims. At $600 invested total, I now have an AWESOME trail bike that can do much more than my skill set will take it. it will be years before I can learn to push the limits on this bike. If you can find one on C-list for under $200 grab one and slowly upgrade components.

Other reviewer ... you need a new mechanic bro. Not sure how you can get stress fractures on the PEDALS without riding it much. Also if your friend torque down the pedals and BB to specified torques (requires the right tools) then I don't see how BB can back out. Also, if cables were new they will stretch with use and you'll have to adjust tension to maintain proper shifting. 90% of people who says they know how to adjust derailleurs really don't know and that includes some "bike mechanics.". Invest in some tools and learn to DIY. You'll save money in long run and don't have to depend on your ex-mechanic friend.

Just sayin'

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Favorite Trail:   Ant Hills

Duration Product Used:   2 yrs

Price Paid:    $150.00

Purchased At:   C-List

Similar Products Used:   Kona Kikapu DL
Rocky Mountain Element
Intense Tracer
C-dale Bad Boy

Bike Setup:   SRAM X7/X9 drivetrain
Avid Juicy brakes
XT crank set
Vuelta wheels
Fox RLC fork
Stock everything else

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Submitted by ICG4 a Weekend Warrior

Date Reviewed: November 19, 2012

Strengths:    Lightweight, comfortable, worth the price, good beginner components, great geometry.

Weaknesses:    Heavy Fork, bad tires.

Bottom Line:

This was my and still is my first mountain bike, but I tested the Trek 4500 and I just felt this bike so much more comfortable and so much easier to ride than the Trek (which is not a bad choice either).
For the price I think is an excellent bike (the best one in its price range) you'll not regret if you purchase this bike.
It doesn't matter if you are a weekend or an avid cyclist you won't regret buying this bike.

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Duration Product Used:   120 miles

Price Paid:    $550.00

Purchased At:   Bike World of San An

Similar Products Used:   Raleigh hard tail can't remember the model but was about the price.
Trek top fuel 9.8

Bike Setup:   Out of the box

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Submitted by Seth Akins

Date Reviewed: April 19, 2012

Strengths:    The geometry of the bike, break levers and discs

Weaknesses:    shocks (no maintenance can be done), the shift levers and derailers, pedals, bottom bracket

Bottom Line:

I bought the bike in September of 2011 and it is now April 2012. Keep in mind Winter from roughly December to February without riding it. I have had many problems with it. In the first month of owning the bike and riding the trails maybe once or twice I noticed that my pedals had stress fractures in then and were starting to break. In that same time frame i also began to encounter problems when shifting gears. They would jump gears when I shifted. I had a friend tune them for me as he used to work at a bike store as a tech and the problem still occurred. After winter ended I began riding my bike here and there and noticed that the left side crank was loose. I tightened the bolt and within a week it was again loose. I then again had my friend look at the bike and he noticed that the whole bottom bracket was no longer snug in its fitting. He informed me that the bottom bracket was most likely shot. I mean I paid about $650 for the bike and I feel as if I got WALMART quality bike. I would stay away from this bike if possible as I have encountered countless problems from day one. I love the frame geometry but the components are lacking in quality.

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Submitted by Kamil a Cross Country Rider from Canada

Date Reviewed: May 30, 2011

Strengths:    G2 Geometry is Awesome!
Beautiful paint.
Fairly Lightweight.
Hydro breaks on an entry level bike.
Lockout.

Weaknesses:    Heavy fork.
Not the smoothest gear changes.
Since there's no clear coat, scratches are more visible.

Bottom Line:

Best allround beginner bike!!!!!!

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Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month

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Submitted by rajunwild a Cross Country Rider from Port Saint Lucie, FL

Date Reviewed: May 19, 2011

Strengths:    Frame

Weaknesses:    Pedals

Bottom Line:

This is a type of bike I have always been comfortable riding. The bike is built great and super light. It allows you to upgrade many after market parts to make it even better with a strong foundation. Just started riding again, and I realize how much I have missed riding all over.

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Favorite Trail:   none

Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

Price Paid:    $429.00

Purchased At:   Bike America in Plan

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Submitted by bradniemann13 a Weekend Warrior from salt lake city, UT

Date Reviewed: May 7, 2010

Strengths:    Frame With Lifetime Warranty, Great G2 Handling, Geometry

Weaknesses:    Heavy Front Fork, Grips, Peddles, Integrated Shimano Shifter/Brake.

Bottom Line:

One Of My First Good Mountain Bikes And It has been a Great Buy. I Have Beaten This Bike To Death and It Refuses To Die. I Would Recommend This Bike To Anyone Not Looking To Pay Too Much But Still Wants A Fun, Quality Bike.

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Favorite Trail:   dont have one

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $550.00

Purchased At:   broadway bicycles

Similar Products Used:   GT Zaskar

Bike Setup:   Changed Peddles, Grips

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Submitted by 881MTBCOP a Weekend Warrior from Brownsville,Texas, United States

Date Reviewed: March 6, 2010

Strengths:    Light weight, strong frame, super value , lots of bike for the money. Great looks

Weaknesses:    heavy front end, Derailer problems

Bottom Line:

I am a police bike patrol officer for the Laguna Vista Police Department. We use Fuji hard tail MTB for patrol. This bike cost lots less than what we use and this bike blows the handle bars of the Fuji! I love it and I can't wait to save some mula and purchase a full suspension version!

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Favorite Trail:   Alton Glore MTB trail

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $399.00

Purchased At:   Cycle shop

Similar Products Used:   Fuji hard tail MTB

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Submitted by Russell a Weekend Warrior from Lake Charles, La.

Date Reviewed: February 22, 2010

Strengths:    Light weight, great geometry, great looks, Lots of bike for the money, great customer service.

Weaknesses:    Rear cassette, heavy forks

Bottom Line:

I bought the bike without riding it and I had problems before I even left the store. I picked it up the next day with a new front derailer. When I first put it on the trails gears began to slip. After weeks of attempting to adjust the rear derailer, Gary Fisher sent me a new rear cassette. Since then I have crashed, slammed, flipped, wrecked and used the mess out of this bike. It's awesome. Truthfully I haven't had any problems in months. I have ridden much more expensive bikes but for single tracks this is the one. If I had it to do over again, I would definitely spend the extra money and get the disk brakes. If you want better components Fisher puts a number of configurations on this frame.

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Favorite Trail:   Lincoln Parish Park

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $550.00

Purchased At:   Capital Cyclery

Similar Products Used:   Specialized rock hopper, Trek 8500,

Bike Setup:   I changed the pitch of the handlebars to better fit my height.

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Submitted by clakes a Cross Country Rider from Cincinnati, OH

Date Reviewed: October 12, 2009

Strengths:    Looks (Gary Fisher makes sharp bikes), Frame geometry, nice components for the price

Weaknesses:    Peddals (pedal reflectors fell off first time out)

Bottom Line:

I love this bike (Wahoo 09 Disc). Looks good...silver with white seat, very solid construction minus the pedals, handles great on trails, nice and smooth on the road. For the price the is the very best in value under $600 imo.

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Favorite Trail:   Harbin Park (Fairfield, OH)

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $550.00

Purchased At:   Trek of Cincinnati

Similar Products Used:   KHS ALite 500, Specialized Hardrock Sport, Trek 4300

Bike Setup:   Stock

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Submitted by jon a Weekend Warrior from san clemente

Date Reviewed: September 3, 2009

Strengths:    good fit for me, durable, comes with better components then other bikes in its price range

Weaknesses:    pedals, grips

Bottom Line:

I bought it new out of the box for 500. Rode it around to get used to it for a bit then I took it out for about 15 miles of cross country. any time I had the gears set at 2 front 3 rear and put some force on it, it would pop. I will see if adjustments will help that. It held up real well through everything. It took a little bit before I figured out how to whip the bike into turns. I figure it has something to do with the geometry. Moving fast I encountered some unavoidable ditches, dips, and washouts and the front suspension got me through it but barely a few times. It needs a a fork with more give than what is on there. I am happy with it beginners with a budget should get it and if you have a bike already and ride alot it wouldn't hurt to have this one on standby (without the clipless pedals)

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Favorite Trail:   any

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $500.00

Purchased At:   cycle werks

Bike Setup:   stock

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Submitted by J-Dad a Weekend Warrior from Cincinnati, OH, USA

Date Reviewed: August 15, 2009

Strengths:    Strong, durable frame; G2 Geometry; lifetime warranty; best value in price point.

Weaknesses:    Heavy fork, poor pedals, weak brakes.

Bottom Line:

I rise the new disc version of the wahoo but borrowed a friends old wahoo the past weekend and it was almost exact same ride. There is no better bike for under $500, seriously. If you ride hard, this is a starter or a back-up, you can't hurt the frame so t might make sense to upgrade unless you want to go 29er.

Some idiot called this bike a Huffy below, don't listen to that crap. I'm no professional but a stock wahoo can handle a lot more than my old carcass can dish out and you get the same exact frame as the $1000 G2 hardtail--you do the math. Huffy? Must work for Specialized.

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Duration Product Used:   Tested or demo'ed only

Similar Products Used:   I ride the '09 Wahoo Disc

Bike Setup:   stock

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Submitted by Dark Helmet a Racer from Louisville, KY

Date Reviewed: August 1, 2009

Strengths:    Strong, yet light frame. Fisher geometry fits me the best! Integrated headset. Beautiful finish.

Weaknesses:    A nearly 6 lbs fork! Heavy square BB. Rim brakes. Heavy wheelset. Flat pedals.

Bottom Line:

Bought this bike for the frame. The long top tube fits my body type. Rode it a little bit stock. As is, it's pretty heavy for a hardtail. The stem and handlebar a give a harsh ride. Had to use the stock fork for a race. The fork weighs a ton! It makes climbing miserable. I put my own average componetry and knocked the weight down to 24 lbs from 29 lbs. I'm trying a shorter fork to make up for losing the G2 geometry fork. It's a bit snappier, haven't tried it on a trail yet. Once it gets going, the bike is fast!

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Favorite Trail:   Brown County

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $377.00

Purchased At:   LBS

Similar Products Used:   Fisher Tassajara, Fisher Caliber.

Bike Setup:   Took everything off the frame! Manitou R7 80 mm fork. Mavic 717 wheelset. Truvativ Team Stylo crankset with GXP BB. Thomson stem and seatpost. Easton Monkeylite handlebar. ODI lockon grips. Avid BB7 disc brakes. etc..

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Submitted by Brandon002 a Weekend Warrior from West Chicago, IL

Date Reviewed: June 27, 2009

Strengths:    Good geometry, stiff frame, average weight. Very easy bike to ride and great to learn on.

Weaknesses:    Stock grips slip off, stock pedals are weak, tires aren't very grippy on roots or logs, forks are spongy over rough terrain and offer only limited adjustment.

Bottom Line:

Great beginner bike, components are average and bike was very easy to ride on single track. Can't beat it for the price. I do plan on upgrading the tires, forks and swapping out the stem for a shorter model. Other then that I couldn't be happier for the money I spent.

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Favorite Trail:   Palos Hills

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $499.00

Purchased At:   The Bike Rack

Similar Products Used:   Specialized Hardrock Sport, Trek 4300.

Bike Setup:   replaced grips with lock-ons, replaced pedals with SPD's

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Submitted by koij1984 a Cross Country Rider from Fort Leonard Wood, Mo, USA

Date Reviewed: June 2, 2009

Strengths:    Steering/Control, lightweight aluminum frame w/ lifetime warranty, lockout suspension, 24 gears for smooth hill-climb, Shimano disc brakes

Weaknesses:    Available in only one color, hard seat which is expected for a stock seat, rubber hand grips

Bottom Line:

This is my first quality bike. Multiple bicycle enthusiasts discussed with me the pros and cons between the Fisher Wahoo and both the Trek 4300 and 4500. I tested the Wahoo and 4300 back to back and truly felt a better ride-ability atop the Wahoo. So far I've taken it down flights of stairs, over curbs, up-hills and through partially wooded areas and it still feels/rides as good as the first day I took it home. Great beginner/amateur level bike, parts are fully upgradeable so when I decide to advance my equipment I'll just keep this frame and upgrade gradually. Thanks G.F.

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Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $650.00

Purchased At:   OZ Cycles

Similar Products Used:   N/A

Bike Setup:   Stock w/ disc brakes

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Submitted by LifeRiver36 a Weekend Warrior from Louisville, KY, USA

Date Reviewed: March 24, 2009

Strengths:    Handling, weight, comfort

Weaknesses:    Grips were kind of weak, got some lock on ourys to replace them.

Bottom Line:

I love this bike I've put about 10-12 hours on it in about a week and couldn't be happier the only thing I would have done different is maybe have gotten the Disc model but I didn't have the funds.
I'm a newbie to mountain biking but rode motocross semi-professionally for 10 years and rode bmx for fun throughout my racing career.
I've ridden it about 50/50 road and trails.

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Favorite Trail:   Cherokee park trails

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $500.00

Purchased At:   Bicycle Sport

Similar Products Used:   Non really except a cheap aluminum fake Schwinn, which is like a geo tracker compared to a ferarri

Bike Setup:   2009 Fisher Wahoo stock except Lock On Oury Grips and water bottle holder.

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Gary Fisher Wahoo XC Hardtail

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