Strengths: love the geometry-- low bottom bracket, long front end-- I love cornering on it. perfect for fast smooth trails in the redwoods
Weaknesses: CHAINSUCK!!!!!!!!
I'm finally dumping the bike after getting thrown for one too often times with chainsuck while power-wheelying over the rough stuff.
I've tried EVERYTHING-- even had fisher replace the front half of the frame (the normal way of checking alignmenht revealed no problems-- on close inspection, ther bottom bracket tube itself was set in cockeyed-- must've moved in the jog while welding it up.
Didn't work! neither did new cranks, new bottom bracket, etc etc. teh thing should have a brace between the top two tubes straddling teh wheels like most other frames-- might minimize the flexing.
I can't find any other frame that feels so nice, I hate finally giving up on this.
Bottom Line:
adios sugar! my patience finally over-rode my appreciation
Weaknesses: Lousy stock tires, paint scratches easily, no lockout for suspension. I have also had issues with my Hayes, my rears have been rebuilt and bled a bunch of times, and I've finally purchased a whole new set of Hayes HFX-9 Carbon's on eBay rather than replacing the rear caliper ($80-100). No chainsuck issues here, only happens when improperly shifting under lots of load.
Bottom Line:
Great bang for the buck. Very comfortable, versatile bike. I hope I never have to buy another.
Ridden the American Lung Trek Across Maine (180 miles, 3 days... all pavement) with it twice now, and keep up with buddies on road bikes without much difficulty.
Minor bits and pieces can stand being upgraded, pedals, headset, front fork (I found the SID Team 80mm as a left-over for $330, otherwise I'd still be riding the Duke). For the money though, you can't go wrong with Sugar.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Jekyll, Scalpel, Jamis Dakar, GF Cake DLX all test ridden prior to purchase.
Bike Setup: 2003 GF 3+ Disc: stock until recently. SID Team air fork up front, Hayes 9 Carbon's w/ V6 rotors. Still shopping for tires... probably CrossMark UST's.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dave Holden
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2006
Strengths: very comfortable, great geometery, lovely bike to ride, done 1000's of miles on it on still not bored.
Weaknesses: chain suck( not very often but pain in the ass when it does).
Bottom Line:
best bike i've got and had, good all rounder, can't find anything to replace it.
Strengths: versatile riding up or down, can be ridden ANYWHERE without having to stop, solid build, strong frame, minimal rear bob all day/night comfort
Weaknesses: soft front fork, needs spring upgrade, a little heavy to squirt up hill, stock saddle hard, hayes hfx9 weedy/noisy (replace)
Bottom Line:
Buy it cheap and thrash, it will serve you well then sell on ebay after cleaning it.
Strengths: Superb performing particularly in climbing steep hills as well as when riding downhill. The no-bob also works perfect as well as the suspension as a whole.
Weaknesses: The chain suck problem, when exchanging from the middle chainring to the small chainring, which problem has now been solved, however, simply with a zip tie that is bound around the chainstay behind the big chainring. The zip tie prevents the chain from rising with the middle ring upwards, so that the chain doesn't end up between the chain ring and the chainstay (I have a picture of this setup).
Bottom Line:
This bike has improved my riding skills to a totally new level. Maybe the bike setup with the present suspension arrangement is just the right size for me (68 kg and 175 cm). The Sugar 3+ is very silent also in downhill riding and the back aches I used to have with my previous bike have disappeared totally.
Bike Setup: I bought only the Sugar 3+ frame with the Fox Float rear shock and a bottom bracket and got the parts of my previous FS bike installed thereon. So, there's a combination of Shimano XT and SRAM Esc 9.0 components (the gears and brakes). Rock Shox Judy Race front suspension & Stelle Italia Flite saddle etc.
Strengths: Great value, excellent climber, fast bike, weight.
Weaknesses: None that I know of.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. My weight of 200 lb. is no prblem for the suspension at all. Compared to my old bike this suspension really works, no bob and very comfortable. So far I upgraded every bike pretty soon after I purchased it, but this baby is perfect as it came. The geometry works really nice for me and I like to be able to switch between 2.8" and 4.1" of travel in the rear. The front shock is probably not top of the line, but it works just fine for me. It too can be adjusted between 80 and 108 mm travel. Overall an excellent versatile bike. Couldn't be happier with my purchase.
Submitted by
Michael
a Racer
from Southern Oregon, USA
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2004
Strengths: so after racing this puppy for an entire season of mean xc and ccx races, I can say without a doubt that this bike is worth every penny it costs, it makes the downhills so much faster and smoother, and very little is sacrificed on the uphill, very effiecient
Weaknesses: regrettably I have to be the bad guy and agrees that this bike sucks...chain sucks that is, the chain suck actually cost me a podium position in one race, and therefore the granny gear will be done away with
Bottom Line:
not too shabby,I'm still a little miffed about the chainsuck pulling me into 4th place, but I did win a couple races so its all good. I'm disappointed that this was the last year fisher made middle level sugars...BAD GARY, NO SINGLETRACK, now if you want a middle range fisher fs bike you either get some cake, or get one of those poorly proportioned 29inch bikes
Similar Products Used: nothing comes close that i've ridden
Bike Setup: chris king headset, thomson stem and (soon) seatpost, panaracer fire xc tires, time atac pedals, marzocchi z.2 bam fork, bontrager saddle
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from Franklin, WI
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2003
Strengths: Very good pedaling charactaristics, descends well. Small and larger bump performance. Frame weight is right in the ballpark for a lighterweight build. (A little under 6 lbs for a large with the disc adapter.) Singletrack geometry steering / handling / climbing all very good! Fit for me 6'2" / 185#.
Weaknesses: A little pedal kickback felt when dropping curbs. Have not noticed on the trail.
Bottom Line:
Although I have only had for a month or so, the bike has been a great performer for me. The geometry is spot on for my use. I am using a slightly longer and higher stem than stock 120x15 vs 105x10 as the only change to geometry / fit. The bike climbs better than my old Sugar and descends better because of the longer travel and increased frame stiffness.
Have not had an instance of chain suck at all even though I am using the stock crank/bb set up that usually gets the blame for it on this bike. Obviously I am not running any other stock drivetrain parts which may or may not be making the positive difference. Maybe Fisher should spec Sram Shifter/Derailleurs as stock instead of Shimano....?
I have not spent enough time on VPP bikes or Horst Link bikes to compare the differences in suspension. All I can say is that this bike works well for me as a cross country rider in Wisconsin. Is a great value even in stock mode and is a bike that I have recommended to my friends in the past and will continue to recommend to people who ride here in Wisconsin. Cheers to Sugar!
Similar Products Used: 2000 Sugar 2, GF Joshua's before the Sugars. Have ridden an older Jamis FS Dakar. A couple other test rides on Marin single pivot and newer quads.
Bike Setup: Sugar 3+ frame set in 4.1" travel mode. Bontrager Race/Truvative Isis crank/bb,LX front der. (only stock items). Minute 2/100 on order to replace a Duke 100SL. Thomson stem/post. EC70 straight bar. Syntace lock on moto grips. SRAM '00 9.0SL shifters/X.0 rear der. pc69 chain, 9.0 11-32 cassette. SRAM RULES! Avid 2.0 levers, version 1 mech disc brakes. Hayes Superlight disc hubs on Velocity VXC rims. Conti Explorer Protection tires with "Stan's". Time Pedals.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
A.P.
a Cross Country Rider
from Franklin Park
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2003
Strengths: Accelerates fast. Great climber. Easy to manuever in technical conditions.
Weaknesses: History of chainsuck. Chain falls off from time to time.
Bottom Line:
Good bike for moderate XC riding. Extended top tube allows for more stable climbing, but you have to stay seated - rear tire slips like crazy on climbs when not seated. Climbing performance diminishes as more obstacles appear - rocks, roots, logs, etc. The Jekyll out climbs the Fisher on rocky terrain. In general you tend to get kicked around more on more technical terrain/aggressive xc riding, bike feels less stable on aggressive rides - which may be attributed to my suspension setup - the Jekyll soaks up anything in comparison. I originally purchased the '02 model, but received a warranty '03 replacement frame due to frequent chainsuck which could not be resolved after changes in middle ring, BB, and derailer adjustments. The bike would chainsuck easily in all conditions. After the change in frame and the swapping of cranksets the chainsuck has decreased to a rare occurence. Raceface's nonfixed BB allows easy manipulation of the "chainline" which probably helped reduce the chainsuck. Jennifer at Kim's Bike Shop worked with me through the whole ordeal, my bike had been in the shop for warranty work for several months. Her continued assistance, positive customer service and friendly attitude helped make the warranty process more bearable. Steve at Trek customer service has also been helpfull, he swiftly responded to 98% of my emails - often on the same day! Though I had to wait forever to receive replacement parts and frame, he was always easy to reach and he politley responded to my angry emails. Buy this bike if you are looking for a good climber and easy handling. Beware of chainsuck - test ride bike in xc conditions before buying - NOT IN PARKING LOT. Be ready to change some components, especially crankset! Good luck.
Similar Products Used: Also have an '03 Jekyll 1000. Test rode Giant NRS.
Bike Setup: Marz. Atom Race Fork. Cane Creek AD-12 rear shock. Raceface Next LP crankset. Easton Monkeylite Carbon bars. Thompson stem and seatpost. Panaracer XC tires. Time ATAC pedals. Goretex cables. ODI lock on grips.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Hackettstown, NJ
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2003
Strengths: This is my first FS bike, a big difference over my old hardtail. This bike climbs great. I have not experienced any of the chain suck others have complained about.
Weaknesses: The stock Duke XC fork is a little soft for a 200 lb. rider, upgraded to heavier springs. Much better ride now.
Bottom Line:
Overall a great bike. Climbs great, handles everything I throw at it. This bike is a great confidence builder.
Submitted by
Arturo Espinoza
a Cross Country Rider
from mexico
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2003
Strengths: strong, solid,confidens,upp hill and down hill extrem good on trails. rocks and roots...you just dont notice they are there...buenisima !!spanish now..muy buena en subidas y bajada exelente ! dinamica y geometria que te dara la solides y la confiansa de ir a lo extremo sin problema..los amortiguadores duke si lo calibras bien es tremendo y el fox R es fantastico en 2,8 no hay (BOB) negativo.
Weaknesses: I have some problems with the chain suck !! at first I remove the links and was good for a while but change the chain for a sram hiper glide 89 R for road!! (not for MTB) and perfoms very good and of course (make sure some body with experience do the dirullier adjastments..(very important.Its a bike with a very sensitive drive train you have to be very good on shifting.// ..tires !! yes the IRC backcountries is a good tire, but not on the front ! please if you dont want to go to the hospital change the fron tire . you can uppgrade and the future ..as you wish.the bontrager for something better. Spanish...Los cambios tienen problemas , hay que ajustar los descarriladores de cadena muy bien y cambiar la cadena seria bueno por una sarch 89 R o 99 . pues no hay mucho que decir en verdad !. cambia la llanta de enfrente que no es buena en vueltas cerradas y raices y piedras ..mojadas menos.
Bottom Line:
Ok. you will love this bike, the more you get to know it .is like get it merry ..jeje. Geometry is the best, no bob ! o.oo1 % maybe..i dont feel it. Strong ? yes like a horse !. Not for XC race ..but for have a lot fun and ride more than anyone.. this is the bike ! but you can race it too, it will perfomce just fine. If you decide to buy a all around bike this is the one. and price (off course in USA ) is ok ..my bike was purchased in sweden. thats why was very expenseve. Spanish.......Esta es la mejor bicicleta toda montaña que puedes comprar para todo tipo the camino de cerro, sera buena para competencia si quitas algunos componentes y hacerla mas libiana , pero trabaja exelente en subida y bajada es fantastica. si vas a gastar un dinero compra con Gary fisher.
** for gary fisher ** I thing that your bike ingeniers get a good pay isnt? so put them to work at least one week on the drive train on this bike ! so beutifull bike ! this is an asepptable what can be wrong? chain? or something is missing there for sure.!!but the bike is the best.
Similar Products Used: Trek 8000, fuel 90,yeti,titus,santa cruz,
Bike Setup: hayes disk...stock..
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bigg E. Aire
a Cross Country Rider
from Bozeman, MT
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2003
Strengths: Overall ride, lack of bob, Hayes discs
Weaknesses: ?
Bottom Line:
I lived for a long time with my lightweight, old-school hardtail. It was finally wearing out this year...and I started trying out all the FS bikes in the $1200-$1600 range.
I chose this bike for the responsive ride and it's lack of pedal bob. I find myself dialing the RS Duke shock up and down alot. I am about 150lbs. and this fork seems great. Since most trails around here involve steep climbs with equally steep decents, I like being able to lower the nose a bit on the way up and then using up the 108mm of travel on the way down.
My last bike was pre v-brake and the hayes disc are just stupid strong. The first few rides I was laughing out loud as I approached switchbacks at mach 5 and then got on the brakes later than I ever would with my old cantilevers.
No chain suck, none. I ride in steep, rocky terrain all the time. I even tried to make it happen on the test ride...dumping the chain under load. Hmmm...maybe I just got lucky.
Now, my bottom line: The bike rips. I am climbing stuff clean that I never could on my hardtail. The brakes, geometry, and suspension give me WAY too much confidence for blasting down stuff. I used to have trouble keeping up with my buds that ride dualies. Not a problem any more. Too bad for my hardtail friends.
Great x-crountry, wanna be downhiller, singletrack-eating mo-sheen!
Similar Products Used: Demo'd: Spec. FSR, Marin Quads, Trek Fuel
Bike Setup: Stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Florida
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2003
Strengths: Looks nice.
Weaknesses: Chain suck.
Bottom Line:
This bike has improved my riding in every way for the first two months until the chain suck began to occur. The bike handles like a dream on technical single track and outperforms many other bikes in its class, but the chain suck will not go away. There seems to be a flaw in the bikes design. The chain gets wedged 50% of the time. The bike is at the LBS getting a new bottom bracket. Hope this works!!!
Submitted by
Arturo Espinoza
a Weekend Warrior
from Falun,dalarna,Sweden
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2003
Strengths: climb/descent great,fast,trail eater,very solid,comfort,suspencion is great for my weight 173 pounds...sweet...2003 sugar 3 plus disc.. rock shock R works great in a genesis frame from Gary Fisher.
Weaknesses: little expenseve !! thats becouse im in sweden, every thing is expenseve here, but pay back with the landscape is the best on the world for MTB.every thing is clean and beutifull. chain problems!! like all the sugars ! but maybe for some is easy to fix...asi es compadre!! ok save the crap..and read the reviews from KEN weekend warrior from Chandler,Az..hes is right..first learn how to shift...and then go to LBS..I got the problem too ! but after I read the reviewed from Ken I went out for 3 hours with my bike,and ride hard to everything climb,descent,rocks,roots and big surprise ...no problems by now, so i shift it before to start climb...and works.. other wise try to take off 2 chain links.it works too. good look.and smile when this happen ok.
Bottom Line:
This is a beutifull bike and fun to ride, I was riding hardtails before,like trek 8000, but this is something total diferent and extrem comfortable..si amigo..hi recomended for weekend warriors..and fun.for tävling is good, but need better job with this chain problem..mr gary fisher do it right men..!!so every body is happy. sorry i will give you 4 chiles Bro.
Submitted by
Sue
a Cross Country Rider
from Burlington, VT USA
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2003
Strengths: Smooth ride, great climber. I've made it up hills that I couldn't make on my hardtail. I love this bike!!! Great value for components.
Weaknesses: Hayes brakes - back brake bent easily. Replaced by LBS during first tuneup. Front brake sticks despite numerous fixes. Hard to get in and out of pedals when muddy.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money. Love the geometry. Despite problems with brakes, I am very happy w/my Sugar. My racing times have improved from last year and this bike has a lot to do with that. I can jump higher, ride faster and climb more efficiently. I'll eventually trade up for better pedals, but for now, they'll do.
Hi all
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I am a owner of a Sugar 3 and right now my rear shock is broken and I need to buy a new one. Its difficult to read what its written on the shock, but I think its a Crane Creek Read More »
