Rigs

How long will he keep the RIG?

Gary Fisher Rig 2008 and 2009

He took his friend out on the 29ers in the snow. With a break from the lake effect snow he was able to ride both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

Gary Fisher Rig Rigid

This is the Vassago Fork from my Rig. He says it sucks. The Fox fork that comes with the bike is in its holding rack (my Rig) for the winter. I was stading up on the back porch taking this photo. The bike is NOT too small, right? He's currently messing around with the saddle position.

We just finished watching eBay auctions end and were surprised at how high the bidders went on a crankset. Shipping the stuff this week. The Niner MCR was shipped on Thursday.

BIKE UPDATE '09

The last (I hope) bike of 2009 is a 2009 Gary Fisher Rig -- 19" with a Fox fork.

Niner MCR has been sold on Ebay. The poll is closed.

He chose this bike for the warranty, lack of corrosion of frame material, good engineering, ability to run single or geared, and the Fox fork and Bontrager wheels.

Photos soon with personalization of the stock bike.

Will the real Bill Richards please stand up, please stand up

http://whereonearthisbill.blogspot.com/2009/12/marquette-michgan.html

Not the Bill Richards you were thinking...
Yes, he rides. Lots of different bikes he has owned. Haven't seen any bike messengers --yet. It can be awfully cold and quite snowy but a Surly Pugsly could take you where you need to go.

We regularly have conversations about Dicky, Big Worm, and Pisgah. Even had a moment of silence for Wally.

Gary Fisher Rig vs. Niner Something

SIR Nine - can be single speed or geared, steel (is real), 2 year warranty

MCR - set up to be geared only, steel, 2 year warranty, does not have horizontal dropouts

Fisher Rig - can be single speed or geared, aluminum, lifetime warranty

Was he really riding a Cobia this summer?!

2008 RIG? http://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/archivemodel/397

Nice subtle color, beefy fork, would you ride it rigid?

2009 RIG? http://garyfisherbikes.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/gary-fisher-rig.jpg

Nice color, I like the brown wheels, would you keep the components?

2010 RIG? http://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/model/rig-single-speed

I'm pleasantly surprised by the color/graphics. Most of the 2010 fisher graphics seem obnoxious. Looks like the same fork as '08 and '09.

NINERS: http://www.ninerbikes.com/fly.aspx?layout=bike

What to think about:

Aluminum vs. steel

-(do you love Reynolds 853?)
-"It has soul."

-Will it rust? what does frame saver do to the paint job?

-how are the welds --does it matter?

-will you ride it in the rain? snow?

-steel is classic, timeless

-aluminum is cheaper, doesn't rust, but has a general life capacity before it just breaks --but if it does, GF has an amazing warranty.

Single speed vs. geared

-SS - always the wrong gear?

-SS - no muck in your derailleur

-SS - what ratio will you run it? will you be changing this often?

-Geared - 1 x 9?, heavy, ride anywhere

-If buying MCR, how difficult is it to run SS, can it be done?

Cost

- Niner EMD - why buy a Niner if you want an aluminum bike?

- is there a 2009 still in the shop? what upgrades to the RIG have they done since '08?

Graphics

- do you like the flecky, glittery paint of a Niner?

- do you want your bike to have the same graphics of one sold 3 years ago?

- do you want your bike to be identified as an '10 model?

Other thoughts...

Resale value?

Sizing - standover?, toe rub on the front wheel?, does the fork hit the frame when it is turned?

Would your wife consider riding it if you decided it was too small?

Component upgrade? - would you sell some of the components that are stock on the GF?

How difficult is it to get the fork that you want for the Niner? - what about color? Do you really want a hard tail bike?

Niner and GF have been making the 29er bikes for quite a while and seem to know the technology and what works -- rake?, frame geometry?, can you go wrong?

Didn't Gary Fisher sell a steel 29er a while back? Yep--Ferrous seen below.

What else?

What can brown do for you?

Specialized Saddles in Brown

Marquette Trails in November Bike Magazine

Just above the right brake cable, Marquette made the cover of Bike magazine. Check out The Flow here.

Hale and I got out for a spin last Friday evening...just for awhile. Winter weather is creeping in, so it's time to make the most of the milder temps.

We found the brohiohouse.blogspot.com grafitti. Cool.

Fall Mountain Biking - Marquette, MI

Harlow Lake

Leaves, slippery roots, and rain will make biking a little more tricky on the trails in the next couple of months. We have done some late season riding together on the trails north of Marquette -- the Noquemanon, Harlow Lake, and North Country Trails all have sections of technical singletrack and wider two track for both of our riding styles.