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Gary Fisher
Supercaliber 29
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Submitted by
Preston York
a Racer
from Anniston, Al
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | cheaha, Tsali | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | wig's wheels in anniston | | Strengths: | Good geometry, components, appearance...tackles lines that other bikes cant touch. | | Weaknesses: | Bontrager tires cut EASY...went thru 4 SETS! I broke the swingarm in half, once on the verical stem below the shock, and again at the rear near the axle. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Great big tired bike, good adjustability in front and rear shocks, well as lockout function on each. Frame breakage was a big dissapointment. I am 6'6" 245 lbs, and ride hard, big air, so maybe it was somewhat justified in letting go after about 1000 miles of tough trails and numerous races. No problems with warranty replacing the item. Took about 2.5 weeks. I highly recommend this bike, as well as 29ers, for anyone small or tall. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eman
a Cross Country Rider
from Rock Hill, SC
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | E bay | | Strengths: | This bike rocks. It made me a better rider. The Genesis geometry puts you in the right position up hill or down. the 29" wheels roll over everything. Look at the Fisher website it gives you the lowdown. http://www.fisherbikes.com/fisher101/
| | Weaknesses: | It took me a while to get used to flying by people on downhills. The gear ratios are a little different with the bigger wheels. The granny gear is a little less granny. | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Paragon, Horo Extreme | | Bike Setup: | Xt shifters and derailuers. Hope mini disc. Everything else is stock. | | Bottom Line: | I was a decent rider before I had this bike. Last year the Supercaliber took me to the XTERRA world championships. Its a light weight bike that excels at everything. I can throw road tires on it and train with roadies. I put the big rubber on it and hit the trails.
I ain't sell'n this one! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Racer
from Eastern WA
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Singletrack - Any | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1499.00 | | Purchased At: | B&L Bicycles, Pullman, WA | | Strengths: | Fast, fast, fast...I have made the podium everytime I chose the Supercal-29er as my race bike. | | Weaknesses: | Could use a tad more travel in the front fork...maybe I just feel more now that I am going faster. | | Similar Products Used: | Klein Palomino, K2 RazorBack Team, Specialized Stumpjumper Comp.... | | Bike Setup: | Magura Marta Disc Brakes, Custom built wheelset (American Classic/Velocity)equipped with Stans notubes OR a Bontrager Race Lite wheelset equipped with Stans notubes, SRAM 9.0 drive train, stock Bontrager Crank & Marzochi Fork... | | Bottom Line: | Thank-you Gary Fisher! I love racing on the 29er or just riding it for fun. I race on a 26" full suspension bike occasionally, but prefer the 29er. I have the bike weighing in at 23ish lbs. Climbing I am faster on this bike than any other. Many people think is takes time to get those big wheels up to speed, but it doesn't. It rails through turns and tight switchbacks just as well as any 26" bike I have ridden. I dropped the tubes out and put in Stans Notubes kits - this was a great change.
I typically pass other riders where there is no trail to speak of because those 29" wheels seem to roll over nearly anything efficiently. I would recommend a 29" bike to anyone - find some one who has one and ride it. That's what convinced me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Mason
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, FLorida
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | used bike shop | | Strengths: | If you are a tall person then this wheel size is what you should be using. I am 6'6" and it seemed a little strange at first having never ridden 29" (only 26") But clearly this is a better setup. I can ride over logs and curbs without even hopping. This bike is great for off road, beach, and street. A great piece of engineering, well balanced, light bike, you could spend around a 1000 more and lower the weight perhaps 2-3 pounds. Very Strong bike as well. | | Weaknesses: | A little bit of upper body weight training is recommended for this to get used to steering tight corners. Keep your eye on this bike if you get one as if left unattended it will be stolen. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 820 (ok for beginners) | | Bike Setup: | Stock bike. Gel seat addition and different stem. | | Bottom Line: | Bought bike unseen from bike shop in New England. Never even heard of Gary Fisher prior to purchase. Salesman said it would be perfect because I am 6'6". I got the XL frame and pretty much stock bike. Best bike I ever owned. Even on the street curbs, grass, easements, drains are nothing for this one. Just lean back on the seat and this bike go over just about anything. Overkill for a road bike for sure but often you will ride on the street and discover a trail and your off! understand they did not make this bike in 2004 but they have added the 29 inch tires to the sugar line up. I am guessing that that will be a great bike as well. I have not had any trouble with the tires as some have mentioned they have. I ride 2 times a week for a total of 50 miles or so. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Lenexa, KS
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Any trail with dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Local Bike Shop | | Strengths: | 29" wheels roll over most anything. Extremely light frame. Marzocchi Marathon fork is nice and plush. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | MT Tam 29er | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Shimano XTR group. Stan's Notubes tubeless wheelset. Supercal frame and Marzocchi Marathon air fork. | | Bottom Line: | This bike rocks! It just flies down the trail. I used to ride a MT Tam 29er, but sold it due to the size being a little too big. I had a friend at my LBS sell me a med Supercal frame and fork. I built it up with full XTR and the new Stan's tubeless 29er wheels. The bike is light for a 29er (est. 23 lbs or less). It is such a nice bike. I used to swear by full suspension bikes, but have now changed my mind to 29er. I don't think that I will ever go back to a 26" wheeled bike.
I just point the front wheel down the trail and I go where I want to. It rolls so nicely over obstacles. I can bomb down the downhills. The bike truly feels like a soft tail bike as well. The 29" wheels flex a bit and take the sting out of the hardtail. I can handle just about any kind of trail. Plus, if I am on any singletrack that is flat...just try and keep up. It is amazing to see how fast this thing rolls. 29er is the way to go!
One more thing...I just recently acquired a set of Stan's 29er tubeless wheelsets. If you have the means, buy them. They are extremely light. Because of the lightness of them, that means that they can break easy. Keep that in mind. I already broke 2 spokes in my rear wheel. Still, the lightness factor outweighs the fact that they may not be indestructible.
Bottom line...buy a 29er. It is truly a nice ride. Love Gary Fisher bikes and the Genesis geometry. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Hamilton
a Cross Country Rider
from Murray, UT usa
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | John's 99 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Local shop | | Strengths: | Light, Durable, Smooth, Very efficiant, and Fast | | Weaknesses: | Race light rims have a small tire bead hook on the rim.
Which is no good for using with Stan's or high pressure | | Similar Products Used: | TREK 970, NRS-1, FSR, EPIC, TRACER. | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock, FSA carbon cranks, Ti BB, Moots ti setback post. | | Bottom Line: | I really love this bike it is an 02 model. Mountain biking is fun. It is even more fun on this bike. I ran into 2 people on the trail with supercal's 29. All three of us have had high reviews for the Supercal. We too have had problems with tires holding onto the Bontrager race light rims 02 and 03 versions. You air it up to 15 psi, check the bead on both sides. Then inflate to desired pressure wait any were from 1-20 minutes and BOOM! The problem occures with the stock Race Light rim in combination with any WTB, or IRC tires with presure over 45psi tubed, and Stans tubeless with presure over 35psi.
Both guys had Salsa cross 700c/29er rims and one of them was riding tubeless, IRC mythosxc-2, 42psi and he stated in two months of riding no blow-offs thusfar.
In conclusion Great bike bad rims. I'm going to try Salsa's. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JimC
a Racer
from Kansas
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Crowder State Park, Trenton, MO | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | High Gear Cycle, Emporia, KS | | Strengths: | 29" Wheels roll over obstacles, rather than into them. They also roll faster. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Sugar1 | | Bike Setup: | 2003 XTR Cranks, Bottom Bracket, V-Brakes, and Derailleurs. GripShift. Titec Titanium Bars. WTB Lazer V Stealth Saddle. White Bro's BW.08 Fork. CaneCreek Thudbuster Seatpost. Eggbeater Pedals. | | Bottom Line: | I actually have an X-Caliber, which I stripped to the frame, then built back up. However, with this parts spec, I felt this review was more applicable to the SuperCaliber model. In any event, the bottom line is the same... I was looking for a bike to take my riding/racing to the next level. This bike has done just that for me.
In my first race, I lost the cage off my right pedal while leading the race at mile 5 (of 12) and still pulled off a 3rd place finish out of 15 riders in the Sport Men 40-49 class. In my second race, I won by over 6 minutes. I then decided to make the big jump to the Expert Class. This weekend, I finished 4th out of 8. Everyone keeps asking questions like "What (suppliment/drug) are you on?" Or, "What have you been doing all winter?" It seems strange to me that no one has figured it out, that's its the bike. The 29" hype is no hype. These wheels are just plain faster than 26" wheels in EVERY instance. They are so much smoother over the rough stuff that I don't miss my fully-suspended Sugar1 the least bit. I know what they say... "Never say never." But I will never own another 26"-wheeled mountain bike again! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SuperE
a Racer
from Eastern, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Any Singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1499.00 | | Purchased At: | B&L Bicycles - Pullman, WA | | Strengths: | It's faster rolling over any terrain than a 26" bike. | | Weaknesses: | Catching your 26" wheeled opponents on the downhills and having to wait to get around them. | | Similar Products Used: | K2 Razorback Team, Specializes Stumpjumper Pro, Proflex 957 (still a good ride), Trek Singletrack 990. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except traded out saddle for a WTB Lazer-V, and put on SRAM 9.0 shifters, rear derailleur, and cassette as well as Avid SD-7 brake levers. | | Bottom Line: | First off this review is for a 2002 model. I was one of the naysayers about the 29-inch ideal and thought Fisher was nuts. But then fate changed my ways - the first 5 minutes I rode a friends Supercal-29er I was ready to buy one. I bought one a few weeks later and have since sold my K2 Razorback full-suspension. I am much faster on the 29er going downhill across rough surfaces and climbing rough surfaces. I am just as fast climbing on any other surface as I was on a 26" bike and maybe a bit faster. I weigh 146 lbs so bike weight and rotational weight is very important to me. The bike weighs just under 24 lbs and I do not really notice the heavier rotational weight. I have a Stans Notubes kit waiting to be installed - I am anticipating more uphill speed with it. Tight corners (switchbacks) were more of a challenge at first, but since I have gotten use to the bike I can make any tight turns I did with a 26" bike. Over sand and mud this thing just flat out goes. I will probably never buy another 26" bike again. So far my races on this beast have been some of my best ever. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Hamilton
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Crest trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Fast pavement or dirt. Only 23.9lbs for durable smooth and fast xc.
I love the solid feel in the corners. I have never felt a bike so incontrol rounding a corner. I also love the perfect balance of smoothing out the bumps with out losing that trail feel. With Stans notubes, this accelerates with the best of the Full suspensions I've ridden. No pivots to worry about. One less shock to blow. | | Weaknesses: | The stock pedals. Tire selection. Stock tubes, those things were huge, no wonder some reviews said slow acceleration. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 970, Trek 8000, Intense Tracer, Giant NRS-1, and Specialized Epic. | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock with Moots set back seat post, FSA carbon Cranks with Ti bb, Time carbon pedals and Stans tubless Notubes.com | | Bottom Line: | I Like the feel of the ground, I'd prefer not to bulldose it with lost's of suspension travel. I like having to use some skill, some brain power, to maneuver around on the trail.
Solid: non mushy cornering.
Efficent: plenty traction and light weight, climbs with ease
Low maintince: With a parts setup like XT, XTR, Hugi and Bomber, you know this bike is going to be low maintince.
The set up I have combines 26" hard tail weight, all of the benifits of a Specialized Epic without the weight or finicky shock and 29ers help to ride with ease across town to the trail head. Now I have the ultimate endurence epic race machine.
If you like the solid feel of a trail worthy hardtail, the climbing effiency of an Epic and need a smoother ride, a 29er without tubes is worth looking in to.
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