I finally tried a 29er Fisher, X-Caliber today and liked it very much. I loved the feeling that the bigger wheels gave me over bumps as well as for my height. It was only a 19 inch, but gave me a sense of what to expect. I found it interesting that the effective TT of the 19 inch X-Caliber (24.7) is nearly the same for the 22 inch KM (24.9). The 21 inch X-Caliber is a long 25.5. Do any of you tall guys who ride a KM find it at all cramped? I am 6'5 with a long torso. This will be my first mountain bike and it is complicated by the fact that the bike shop was not sure if they can even get a 04 X-Caliber in 21 inch and they do not think the 05 is coming until October.
GF X-Caliber
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The KM being shorter than the longest production bike top tube doesn't mean that it's cramped for every tall guy. My 6'4", tiny torsa and huge arms fit well on a 22" KM with 110mm stem, and I have the equivalent of 95mm on the Fisher. If you can get a deal now on one of the last 21" X-Calibers, take it! The 2005 offering will be no-doubt good as well, but indeed not here by next week. I'm quite sure that even with your long torso the KM could fit you well as well. A bit of saddle setback (I run none) and a 130m stem, and it takes a lot of spinace to outgrow that! But then again, with your shorter legs and long torso, the Fisher 21" is THE bike for you, with a stem between 105 and 120mm. Good luck!
J
J
GF XL Frame for Down Under
I am also chasing an XL fisher frame to build up for my first 29er. These frames are almost non existent in Australia new or used - does anyone have any suggestions as to where I should look - don't especially care what year 02, 03, 04.
I am also about 6'5" (plus a bit) and presently ride a 21" trek 8000 26" wheel with a 120 stem. This is the best fit I have found after years of searching - but I feel it's time to get some big wheels rolling.
VACowboy - best of luck with your search - if you have any success finding a frame I would be keen to find out.
cheers Big TC
VACowboy said:
I am also chasing an XL fisher frame to build up for my first 29er. These frames are almost non existent in Australia new or used - does anyone have any suggestions as to where I should look - don't especially care what year 02, 03, 04.
I am also about 6'5" (plus a bit) and presently ride a 21" trek 8000 26" wheel with a 120 stem. This is the best fit I have found after years of searching - but I feel it's time to get some big wheels rolling.
VACowboy - best of luck with your search - if you have any success finding a frame I would be keen to find out.
cheers Big TC
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346 Posts
29 for sale in Melbourne
Hey Bigtc I'm not sure if you are in Melbourne or not, but I know there is a 17" Spot 29er for sale ay Malvern Cycles Plus, I know it would be too samll for you, but if your in town Its worth having a look at.
I checked it out earlier this year but I'm after a 19" myself, another 1 to check might be Rebel Sport they used to do Nishiki here in Aust, and it seems that they may be starting to o them again. I called and asked a Guy in Sydney about this but never ended up hearing back about it, Hmmm might have to chase that up.
Hey Bigtc I'm not sure if you are in Melbourne or not, but I know there is a 17" Spot 29er for sale ay Malvern Cycles Plus, I know it would be too samll for you, but if your in town Its worth having a look at.
I checked it out earlier this year but I'm after a 19" myself, another 1 to check might be Rebel Sport they used to do Nishiki here in Aust, and it seems that they may be starting to o them again. I called and asked a Guy in Sydney about this but never ended up hearing back about it, Hmmm might have to chase that up.
ozbikebuddy said:
Ozbikebuddy, spoke with Mal about a new Spot but not sure if I can be bothered with waiting for a custom frame (standard size too short). Fisher frame should be right size and nice and light - straight out of the box. Aust Trek distributor only have one medium 29 frame in stock and din't seem too keen to order an XL in from the states. Nishiki seem to have a big profile in Germany but haven't seen too much in Aust or US.
cheers Big TC
Bigtc said:
That may be because there are not any XL 29'rs in stock here in the states with Trek. Unless you can find a dealer that has one in stock... but Trek is out of the XL's. I have to be at work tomorrow and I can check on what we have up there. I think we have a used Mt. Tam frame, but I think it's the large. And I think we also have a large X-Cal in stock too. I am not positive as I only work about once every 3 weeks or so, but I can check for you when I am up there on sunday if you would like.
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319 Posts
please remember...
some of this is also is in response to another 2005 thread.
Gary Fisher, and even Trek is "small company" in the scheme of things and just because there are a fair amount of guys out looking for XL fisher 29er frames does not mean that they need to make a lot more of these frames. These are not companies that can afford to shell out "rebates" and 0% interest rates to get rid of the "last of the 2004s". Most bike shops wont commit to buying very many bikes, so Gary Fisher will only build so many. Having a few unhappy potential customers is far less costly than having 50 extra bikes that can't be sold. 29ers are not $349 bikes. (50 bikes x $1200=$60,000, and that might mean a laidoff employee) gotta leave 'em wanting more.
VAcowboy you are probably right that you are not going to find an '04 frame in August, but I'll bet they are going to be here shortly after labor day. I was in the same boat last summer.
some of this is also is in response to another 2005 thread.
Gary Fisher, and even Trek is "small company" in the scheme of things and just because there are a fair amount of guys out looking for XL fisher 29er frames does not mean that they need to make a lot more of these frames. These are not companies that can afford to shell out "rebates" and 0% interest rates to get rid of the "last of the 2004s". Most bike shops wont commit to buying very many bikes, so Gary Fisher will only build so many. Having a few unhappy potential customers is far less costly than having 50 extra bikes that can't be sold. 29ers are not $349 bikes. (50 bikes x $1200=$60,000, and that might mean a laidoff employee) gotta leave 'em wanting more.
VAcowboy you are probably right that you are not going to find an '04 frame in August, but I'll bet they are going to be here shortly after labor day. I was in the same boat last summer.
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319 Posts
sorry to hear that...
No, I am saying that it is a "HUGE" deal. Gary Fisher, and even the massive Trek, cannot afford to have unsold bikes. Any. At all. go to any bike shop in the winter and there are maybe 1 or 2 of last years bikes, and even if they have been sitting on them for 9 to 15 months they are only discounted a $50 or $100. And if the shops can't sell them, the manufactureres aren't going to make them.
remember, the average bike sold is $349. there just aren't that many people that buy bikes more than $1000. you can't blame fisher.
No, I am saying that it is a "HUGE" deal. Gary Fisher, and even the massive Trek, cannot afford to have unsold bikes. Any. At all. go to any bike shop in the winter and there are maybe 1 or 2 of last years bikes, and even if they have been sitting on them for 9 to 15 months they are only discounted a $50 or $100. And if the shops can't sell them, the manufactureres aren't going to make them.
remember, the average bike sold is $349. there just aren't that many people that buy bikes more than $1000. you can't blame fisher.
VACowboy said:
Considering that there appears to be a fair share of individuals looking for bikes late in the season (including yourself last year), I would say that there is a strong likelyhood that an increase in production would yield more bikes being sold without worry of back stock. However, if a company can make their customers wait an extra two months, they can sell them bascially the same product for 5% to 15% more under the excuse that the product was so good it completely ran out of production. Bicycles are not the only ones to do this. I am not playing that game and others should not either.shark67 said:
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Hindsight is 20/20
Good luck on whatever you decide.
Just would like to point out that the 2004 production schedule was laid out in the spring of '03. Just when the news of poor sales, and a large chunk of LBS' were going out of business. Not a climate conducive to bigger production numbers. The situation was more complex than my simple explanation.VACowboy said:
Good luck on whatever you decide.
That would be great!
cheers from down under
Big TC
Russw19 At 6'5" plus I will need an XL. If you could check when you are next in the shop that would be great. I don't really care whether a frame is new or 2nd hand I would just like to get one on the road - i mean, "in the dirt".russw19 said:
cheers from down under
Big TC
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1,483 Posts
Hold up, Cowboy
I'm wondering where this bitterness toward Fisher is coming from. In my experience, Fisher and Trek are actually some of the first large bike companies to get their 2005 bikes into stores, while a lot of other manufacturers wait until closer to Interbike. I bought my 2004 Fisher HKEK last year, the first week of August, and couldn't believe they already had those models available.
Considering that riding has a distinct "season" in much of the US, it's pretty strange that bike companies would release new bikes toward the trailing end of that season, instead of waiting until the season was finished. Consumers, knowing that new bikes are coming in August, may postpone potential purchases in the vital late spring and early summer months- which would be financial murder for the bike co's. In general, you won't find other outdoor gear companies who do anything like this.
The other thing to think about is component manufacturers. Higher end bike companies want to stock their 2005 bikes with the latest and greatest, but often those parts aren't available from manufacturers until later in the year. Personally, I'd rather wait until September and get a new Fisher 29'er with a Reba fork, than insist on getting one right now with older suspension technology. Would much rather wait another month or so and get some dual-control new LX parts than pay the same amount of money for parts that are going to be outdated soon.
Obviously, if you need a bike now, you need to buy what you can find, and if you can't find a Fisher, you can't buy one. Good luck with whatever you purchase, but understand that the new bikes coming out this fall are going to be significant improvements over what's currently on the market, and you're sure to be disappointed if you blow your money now only to see something great hit the stores in a few weeks...
I'm wondering where this bitterness toward Fisher is coming from. In my experience, Fisher and Trek are actually some of the first large bike companies to get their 2005 bikes into stores, while a lot of other manufacturers wait until closer to Interbike. I bought my 2004 Fisher HKEK last year, the first week of August, and couldn't believe they already had those models available.
Considering that riding has a distinct "season" in much of the US, it's pretty strange that bike companies would release new bikes toward the trailing end of that season, instead of waiting until the season was finished. Consumers, knowing that new bikes are coming in August, may postpone potential purchases in the vital late spring and early summer months- which would be financial murder for the bike co's. In general, you won't find other outdoor gear companies who do anything like this.
The other thing to think about is component manufacturers. Higher end bike companies want to stock their 2005 bikes with the latest and greatest, but often those parts aren't available from manufacturers until later in the year. Personally, I'd rather wait until September and get a new Fisher 29'er with a Reba fork, than insist on getting one right now with older suspension technology. Would much rather wait another month or so and get some dual-control new LX parts than pay the same amount of money for parts that are going to be outdated soon.
Obviously, if you need a bike now, you need to buy what you can find, and if you can't find a Fisher, you can't buy one. Good luck with whatever you purchase, but understand that the new bikes coming out this fall are going to be significant improvements over what's currently on the market, and you're sure to be disappointed if you blow your money now only to see something great hit the stores in a few weeks...
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