[ccarbot]

I'm working the research trail right now looking for a good first mtb, and I'm really, really intrigued by the Gary Fishers, particularly the Wahoo. However, the news of merging with Trek raises some questions for me.

Should I try to seek out a 2010, or just wait for a 2011 Trek "GF Collection"? Will there be an expected increase/drop in quality or componentry? And if I find and buy a 2010, how will the merger affect warranty/parts replacement down the line?

Also, is it worth the $110 jump to the Wahoo disc, or should I try to find a v-brake version and add discs later on (probably Avid BB7's)?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[archer]

Get disc if you want them with the bike to save some change.

On the other hand I tend to think of BB7s as the way to go for mechanicals although one of my buds is running BB5s without complaints.

 

[ccarbot]

Well I called some LBS's yesterday, and pickings are slim for 2010's as you can imagine. However, these are the best prices I got for what's available:


Wahoo disc: $569.05 ($599 + 5% off if purchased with cash or debit)

Marlin no disc: $617.50 ($650 + 5% off if purchased with cash or debit)

Cobia: $895

Advance: $560



Are any of these good enough deals to jump on? The Advance is actually more expensive than the MSRP by $10, so I think it's clear that one's not a good deal. The other three are $100+ below MSRP, but the Cobia is still out of my price range. I'm thinking of springing for the Marlin, despite its lack of disc brakes. The fork upgrade of the Dart 3 from the Suntour seems to be a good one, as does the drivetrain upgrade.

But my biggest question still is the brakes: the Marlin doesn't have discs, but are the Wahoo's Shimano BR-M416's particularly good, or will I want better ones than that? I understand that the Avid SD3's are one of the best v-brakes around, so they may be better than the Wahoo's average discs anyway? The sales guy told me the Marlin is disc-ready if I want it to be, so how much would it cost me to put some Avid BB7's on it?

Thanks again for the help! :thumbsup:

 

[jmaxin]

I have a '10 Wahoo Disc that I picked up a while ago.

I'm very happy with it so far. I can totally see myself replacing the fork at some point, but for now it's fine.

The brakes perform adequately. They had some rubbing initially, but I determined that was from me torquing the front Quick Release too tight after removing the front wheel. I do get a little squeeling when I brake sometimes, but they seem to grip nicely. I chose to go with the Disc as I live in Oregon and apparently they grip far better under rainy/muddy conditions. I didn't want to add an additional investment on top of what I was already spending (which was at the higher end of my budget) by putting them on later.

The shifters feel solid and shift quick. The derailleurs are good and required some minor adjusting after the first ~100 miles or so. The drivetrain is relatively quiet.

The saddle was one of the 2 things I determined that I needed to replace. However, after the first few weeks of riding it, I got used to it and it no longer seems as bad. Worth keeping until it wears out anyways. The other item which I need to replace (just waiting on some $$ - got laid off recently) is the pedals. They are just standard platform pedals, I guess I have wider feet than average, but my feet seem to hang off the left and right edges of the platform and they just feel really small. I find that after about 10 miles or so the outside of my right foot starts to go a little numb, which makes it uncomfortable.

Overall the bike handles and feels really nice. I'm a big fan of the G2 geometry and have yet to go on a ride where my back feels tired or strained from hunching over too far or my sides get tired.

Given the option to make the bike purchase over again, I would certainly do it.

Hope this helps as far as giving you a bit more info on the wahoo specifically. Good luck in your search for your first MTB!

PS. One of the other things that worried me was how the matte black paint would hold up. So far I've ridden through muddy conditions and dry/dusty conditions. I've washed the bike several times via different methods and have not noticed any wear on the paint at all, it seems to be holding up really well. Plus, it looks cool!

 

[archer]

My info is old.
I bought an 03 Big Sur that came stock with Avid AD3 levers and Shimano LX V brakes.
I ran it for a couple years with the V brakes and finally switched it to BB7s using the same levers when I moved back to the left coast and was getting into more steep trails.

IMO the V brakes are fine for most use on a XC bike unless you are getting into more of an AM/DH sort of riding and then it is probably time to step up to a dual squish. If you are riding flat or gentle slopes, especially in dry areas Vs are not a problem.

 

[square]

$570 is a pretty good price for a 2010. one difference with the 2011 model is that it comes with hydraulic brakes. another option is the marlin. it's now a 29er at a lower msrp than the '11 wahoo disc..

 

[goingblankagain]

$570 is a pretty good price for a 2010. one difference with the 2011 model is that it comes with hydraulic brakes. another option is the marlin. it's now a 29er at a lower msrp than the '11 wahoo disc..

ccarbot you might want to consider the 2011 Marlin, good price and you should really get a kick out of it.

 

[Caezar]

Well I love my Wahoo disc 2010 . But just FYI I have owned it for about a month and a half. So Far.. Broke the saddle( was replaced under warranty ) But was soo uncomfortable I got a WTB Pure V seat. made a world of difference . I heard Bad reviews about the front dérailleur but when I had problems with mine . It turned out not to be the dérailleur but the crank bent. Instead of being rideless waiting for the warranty to kick in . I am ordering a SLX 2 chainring with bash guard to replace it. The rear derailleur is sweet and can support a 9 cog rear . The wheels don't hold true and had to be adjusted after a few hard rides. ( upgrading to DTswiss rims with Hope Hubs. The Brakes are rather good. Just upgrade the pads and you get really close to the BB7 performance . Use sintered pads .i got the EBC ones and they make a really big difference!! The shock is great though. It is fully adjustable . Read the instructions on setting the proper sag and it will amaze you for such a low end fork. The head set is garbage. i had a 1mm play in them after 2 rides so an upgrade of that would be very recommended if you ride hard. Pedals suck enough said. .

 

[common_man]

any idea when the 2011 gary fisher collection will be available?

 

[Caezar]

Some are already on the show room floor where i live in PA at bike line. The full release I was told will be in September.

 

[common_man]

Some are already on the show room floor where i live in PA at bike line. The full release I was told will be in September.

i actually placed a pre-order at bikeline!

do you know if they have the trek x-caliber on the floor? i'll call tomorrow but i'm so excited. :thumbsup:

 

[schmoab]

A local Trek store has the '11 Trek Marlin on the floor right now. It seems to be a pretty nice bike if you're interested in a 29er and you aren't especially heavy. I thought about going for one, but I think I'll go for the Trek Cobia instead mainly for a better fork and hydraulic brakes (it's been upgraded a bit from last year.) Also fyi someone offered me a 10 GF Cobia for $800, a really good deal IMHO.

 

[ccarbot]

Thanks for all the input so far, much appreciated. :thumbsup:

Whittling down my options, I think it'll probably come down to the '10 Wahoo disc or '10 Marlin no-disc. Not having much mtb experience, I don't know if a 29'er is the route that's best for me so I'm thinking the classic 26" size is the smarter bet. Am I off base here?

I guess my question becomes whether the Marlin's fork+drivetrain is worth the trade off of paying an extra $50 for a bike not not having disc brakes. Then again, maybe the Marlin's Avid SD3's are better than the Wahoo's Shimano discs? :madman:

 

[Caezar]

Well I doubt that. disc brakes work in all conditions as caliper brakes fail when dirty or wet and the stopping power is much better with a disc set up. Well I did another trip to the fox run at my local park. . The bike still performs great. A marlin is the same as the wahoo just mind you. You only change the game when you move up to a Hoo Koo E Koo which has the lighter frame( and a ShiTe load better components). As for getting a 29er thats up to you and depending on your size and how you ride . the Stand over on those is much greater than what you would have in a 26 set up.

 

[common_man]

hi caezar, what bikeline location did you see the gary fisher collection on the floor? i'd like to visit them to try out the bikes.

 

[Caezar]

Bikeline in Bethlehem PA. Like I said before they belonged to customers but . You could call to see if he got anymore in. I am going by there on Monday to order a new crank for the Wahoo. Could let you know if they got anymore in for sale. Not sure If I like the new Trek Gary fisher collection though. When i bought my Wahoo I was contemplation if I should just wait for the 2011 edition . I got my 2010 anyway since i had them assemble one up for me. but today I was taking a good look at the pics up on the net. It seems the designs of the new frame differ greatly from the original Fisher bikes. Not too crazy about that . kind of like the way mine has the folds for added strength in the frame . Did not look at the 29ers much or the other ones. Was eying the treks more or less since my girl got the 2011 skye

 

[common_man]

i think you were looking at the 2010s because i called up bikeline in bethlehem and the guy said that he never had any 2011 gf collections and they wouldn't arrive until october. i'm willing to bet we'll see it in 2-3 weeks :thumbsup:

 

[archer]

i think you were looking at the 2010s because i called up bikeline in bethlehem and the guy said that he never had any 2011 gf collections and they wouldn't arrive until october. i'm willing to bet we'll see it in 2-3 weeks :thumbsup:

but today I was taking a good look at the pics up on the net

I think he's saying the pics for the 2011 collection bikes vs. the 2010 actual bike.

 

[JasperIN]

2011 collection are ugly. Go with the wahoo disc.

 

[caldan88]

Not entirely sure why so many people seem to think the seat is really uncomfortable. I think it's great actually, even though a little small. Maybe I just have a small ass.