Submitted by
DeboDave
a Weekend Warrior
from Greenville, SC
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2011
Strengths: Lightweight enough to do long climbs, but burly enough to conquer fast downhill terrain.
Weaknesses: Rear shock doesn't lockout
Bottom Line:
I bought this frame from a local bike hero for next to nothing; it was practically brand new. I built it myself with the best components i could afford to assemble a badass all mountain rig, and this thing does not let me down. It really shines compared to other bikes of similar geometry, ripping the up hills and devouring the downs.
my fame is a 20", which is a bit larger than I would like, but with a 40mm stem Ive brought the cockpit down to a really responsive size. The Manitou 3way rear shock is super plush and soaks up everything I'm man enough to actually throw at it. I paired it with a ultra sick Recon Solo Air and it has become a dream.
Get this bike if you can. Ive only seen one, and its the one i own. Awesome XC bike and a very capable All Mountain beast. Build it right and you will fall in love.. so will all your jealous buddies.
Submitted by
jaden shelton
a Cross Country Rider
from Sutherlin Oregon
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2010
Strengths: Very light, very responsive, rear travel, brakes are strong
Weaknesses: fork, chain suck, saddle is not very strong,
Bottom Line:
great bike, its good for all mountain riding, i take it off 5 foot drops, fits well, i have the 17 inch and i am 6 fooot one. i would recomend it for any xc rider for the climbing its a fast bike, and a all mountainer for the strength of the frame
Bike Setup: xtr rear dérailleur, bontrager race light bar,seat, crank, avid bb7 brakes, fox 32 x fork, manitou 3 way shock, xt front dérailleur, jones xc tires
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
turbokirbo
a Cross Country Rider
from Asheville, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2008
Strengths: The bike is fairly light yet durable and stays in control, very quick and responsive in the tight turns and on the rebound.
Weaknesses: Paint has worn off at the points of contact with the cable housings. occasional chain suck.
Bottom Line:
I previously rode a Jamis Dakat sport which was much heavier and a lot less responsive. This bike has performed exceptionally well, I now don't struggle with the same trails that I previously did. The bike is ultra responsive and i get keep control of where I point the bike on fast decents and moderate landings. I mostly ride XC single track and some double track with my riding group. I'm never in need of more bike when I ride with my friends on their Santa Cruz blurs. The GF cake deluxe is up to the standard and I now have a bike that is up to anything I can throw at it. The only negative I have so far is their is some pedal bob particularly if on a hard standing climb even with the fork locked out but I stay in the saddle most of the time anyway.
The paint has also come off in the high contact cable areas.
other than that I more than got a great deal fot this frame that retailed at over $1900 new.
Similar Products Used: Jamis Dakar, Iron Horse warrior pro
Bike Setup: I bought the frame on ebay and rebuilt it with XT components and a Marzocchi all-mountain shock. panaracer fire xc tires, thomson seat post, etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
justin
a Cross Country Rider
from Eagan, MN
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2007
Strengths: 04 Model: Super plush ride, soaks up the bumps, virtually no pedal bob, nice matte paint job, decent component kit, light weight for mid-long travel double squish
Weaknesses: xt sti shifters, would prefer rapid fire. Rapid rise derailleur, would prefer normal swing.
Bottom Line:
Great for XC. I will probably swap out the XT STI shifters and rapid rise der at some point, just because I prefer rapid fire and standard swing. The wheels are tough and take a beating. A pretty lightweight full suspension ride at 27lbs. Plenty of travel, plenty plush. All around good bike.
Similar Products Used: '03 Giant AC1, NRS, '99 Fisher Level Betty SE (URT)
Bike Setup: Mostly Stock: Full XT group circa 2004. Bontrager Racelite Disc Tubeless, Michelin CompSlite UST tires, Manitou Minute 2:00 fork, manitou swinger spv air shock, shimano 959 pedals.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Charles
a Cross Country Rider
from Tampa, FL
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2007
Strengths: Fairly light, solid frame, geometry
Weaknesses: rear shock.
Bottom Line:
I bought the frame and shock on a closeout from my LBS. Got a pretty good deal, I think. Santa Cruz and others wanted $1400 for their single pivot frames.
I wanted to wait a while to write the review so I could get a good, well rounded review going.
The bad- I've dropped the chain a couple times, and eatten the paint on the chainstay right behind the crank. The Swinger 3 way is also out for servicing now. Not holding air and the main chamber's air valve is stripping already.
The good- Weight- with a heavier fork and wheels I've got my 19" at 30 lbs. Not bad for 5 inches of travel. Not feather weight, but I dont see this frame breaking, either. The first ride out on this bike, I knew something was special. I've ridden Fisher bieks before and the Genesis geometry agrees with me and my body type (long torso.) My first few rides out were and exercise in reestablishing my limits and pushing the bike to the edge. The bike's limits are almost beyond my own.
Picked a bad line? Relax and let go of the brakes, the travel eats it up without bucking around. Climbing? Almost effortless- except for hard ledges or roots on the uphills. The single pivot design does not like these, it just takes some technique to work over them.
Cross Country and trail riding is definately this bikes' forte, with some lighter AM stuff being fine, too. I wouldnt go hurling off 10 foot drop regularly. 5 foot is fine. If you currently have a hardtail or short travel FS, this is the bike for you. Not sure I would buy this bike if I was looking to replace an AM bike.
I love this bike and it's ride, and look forward to seeing how it handles racing.
Bike Setup: SRAM X-9 drivetrain, Avid BB7 (170 front, 160 rear), Stylo team cranks, Zochhi MX Comp w/ ETA, American Classic BB and headset, WTB rubber
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
SHANNON WYATT
a Cross Country Rider
from FORT WORTH,TEXAS,U.S.
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2007
Strengths: 05 MODEL (BLACK AND BLUE) BEAUTIFUL BIKE. FEELS GOOD RUNNING DOWNHILLS AND OVER ROUGH AND CHOPPY TERRAIN
Weaknesses: TOO MUCH FLEX IN THE FRAME. AFTER 800 MILES OF RIDING(DIRT ONLY). I BROKE THE FRAME RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GUSSET ON THE TOP BAR. WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE REPLACEMENT OPTIONS WILL BE.
Bottom Line:
I AM A DIE HARD GARY FISHER BIKE FAN. I BROKE MY BIG SUR FRAME AND UPGRADED TO THE CAKE 1 UNDER WARRANTY. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BIKE. IT FEELS LIKE YOU GOT SOMETHING UNDER YOU, IN CONTROL, UNDER ALL CONDITIONS. I AM 6' AT 245LBS. AND I LIKE THE SWINGER TIGHT, ONLY GIVING WHEN IT IS NEEDED. YA, I BROKE IT, BUT I WILL HAVE ANOTHER FISHER. RICHARDSON BIKE MART HAS WENT TO BAT FOR ME TO THE FULLEST SATISFACTION.IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE GENESIS GEOMETRY, THEN IT IS FOR YOU. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM REFERING TO. GO TO A DEALER AND FIND OUT. "HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN"
Strengths: Great parts spec, light weight, Genisis Geometry.
Weaknesses: It's hard to clean the area around the pivot when the bike gets muddy.
Bottom Line:
Gary Fisher has refined this bike to near perfection. After four months of riding this bike, I have had absolutely Zero problems mechanically. It's performed well in all weather conditions. Forget about anything negayive you've read about the Cake in the past (especially chain suck issues.)
I ride mostly single track, an technical trails. There are plenty of log piles and rock gardens were I ride, and I generally don't do many drops. So far, this bike handled everthing well. I'm 5'10" and bought the 17.5" frame. As a first time Fisher rider, I have to say that I love the Genisis Geometry. For me, it just feels right... I'm comfortable climbing and descending, and it leaves me feeling confident. The Cake is stable at speed, but still capable of handling the technical stuff.
The parts spec on this bike is very solid. XT drive train is a workhorse, and the Avid Juicy 7's stop you when you need to. The only thing I'd recommend changing staight away is the tires. I tried the Jones ACX tires on the first couple of rides, and had a tendency to wash out way too easily. The Race Light wheelset is ok (the hubs are DT Swiss Onyx.) I had a set of Kings laying around, so I put them on instead. Otherwise, everything else on the bike is solid (although the saddle is personal preference.)
As far as suspension goes, the shock and the fork really compilment eachother well. The Manitou Swinger shock in the rear has been great, but it was a pain to get it dialed in. Have some patience with it, and carry a pump for the first couple of rides. For what it's worth, I'm 170 lbs, and I run 115 lbs in the positive, and 60 lbs in the SPV. In the front, The Fox Float XTT fork was quite a surprise. I wasn't sure how well I'd like the TerraLogic in a 130 mm trail fork, but it works pretty well. The factory setting for the inertia valve is six clicks in from fully open, and I run it only four clicks in. I don't know how Fox does it, but this fork is still under four pounds.
Overall, I absolutely love this bike. If you are thinking about buying a new bike, I'd tell you to buy it without worry. Plus, it's black. Everyone will tell you that the single pivot suspension sucks, blah blah blah. It's simple, It's light, and it works well. It's a great bike, so go test ride one!
I've also posted this in the Shocks forum; I didn't realize there was a manufacturers-specific thread.
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