2007 was officially dubbed the year of losing weight. I have decided that 2008 is going to be dubbed the year of getting stronger. How am I going to achieve this? Well, I have decided to increase my gym workouts, eat even better and start riding this new Gary Fisher 29er SS bike. Single Speed bikes are a great way to build strength and endurance. I also love the simplicity of the bikes, it feel like you are riding a big BMX bike. The 29-inch wheel craze is the newest thing in the mountain bike community, so I thought why not give both a try at the same time.
I picked up this new ride a few weeks ago from Switchback Cyclery but was waiting until I got a few rides under my belt before talking about it. I’ve read too many stories about how much people love their new bikes before they have even hit the dirt (silly). With 5 or 6 rides under my belt its time to give my impression. This was not my first choice of bikes, the first couple bikes I was considering were the Redline Monocog 29r SS and Monocog Flight 29r SS. Both are great bikes for the price and a few friends have owned and loved them. I headed on down to The Path Bike Shop to give them both a test ride. Everyone there is super nice and Cid actually went out of his way to bring his Redline bike in for me to spin on (thanks man). I took a spin on a few different sizes but neither really felt great to me. Cid’s bike felt nice but he had also done a few mods that made it ride better than the stockers. I was fairly pleased with the ride but not 100% decided.
The next step was heading down to Performance Bike Shop to test the GT Peace 9r. This bike felt about on par with the Redline bikes. Handling was good, brakes weren’t the best but overall a good value for the price. I used to race BMX on both GT and Redline bikes so brand loyalty is not an issue between the two. I did like the white GT color better than the black and gold 2008 Monocog color.
Then there is Niner brand bikes. I had spent some time on friends Niner bikes and they all rode like a dream but I cannot afford to build a custom bike. That may be a brand I will consider if this SS and 29r thing really sticks to me.
Ride Report
The first thing I noticed on the new bike was ofcourse my virgin legs marrying themselves to a single speed bike. It was a lot more work, but work that was to be expected. I still have flats on the bike but I am soon going to make this also my first mtn bike with clipless pedals. The next noticeable difference was in long flat stretches. SS bikes are definitely not going to win any races thats for sure. Cruising on the road to get to the trailhead was slow, kinda frustrating since I am new to SS riding but also to be expected. The first section of dirt the bike hit is the new singletrack section in Oneil Park which is short and sweet and has a few small switchbacks. I wanted to see how the new 29-inch wheels rolled and how well they did cornering. I have to say I was pleased. The big wheels seem to float over things much better and I never felt like I couldn’t push them through a corner. The Fox RL 80 front fork felt plush and smooth for an 80 and the Avid BB7 brakes controlled braking well but will be on the upgrade list down the line. I hit the pavement at the bottom and climbed up the pavement round about to go down again. Since that was my first climb I wanted to make it on the street to get a feel. It sucked but hey I made it up. I went down and up and few times and then proceeded down Tijeras/Oneil.
This is also the first time I have been on a hardtail bike in quite some time so that was also a new feeling. Going through the rolling sections at the start of Oneil/Tijeras was interesting to say the least on my butt. The first water crossing felt great and the 29r wheels held my line much better than my 26 bike. Getting into the jungle section I did feel a few small tight sections where I missed 26 inch wheels. I figure there will be situations like this with the new bike but also after I spend some more time riding it I will adjust my riding style. Skipping ahead to the climbing sections towards the end of the trail (by the way I usually run this trail in reverse from what the group usually does) left me fatigued. I got through it all but definitely felt the pain of the SS working not to mention I really havent been on the bike in 3 months. At the end of the day I love the new bike and cant wait to see how it helps me get stronger (i hope).
Upgrades
Sherry at Switchback told me that with a few simple adjustments they can make the Fox RL 80 into a RL 100. Needless to say I gave them the bike for a few hours so they could make the change. I have also changed out the grips for ODI Lock-Ons which are my personal favorites and the saddle is now a Bel Air RL. Right now I am not sure if I am keeping the bars I have on it, I think I want something with a higher rise, we shall see. Other mods ofcourse will come but right now its good to go. Oh I did add a bell 
Thanks
Thanks again to everyone who let me try out their SS or 29r bike over the past year (my wallet hates you though). Without good friends like the STR group a lot of peoples shopping experiences I gather would be much different, I know mine would be. I want to thank Cid over at The Path for going out of his way to bring his Redline bike in for me to spin on. They didn’t have the size I was looking for so he brought his in so I could ride it. Tim and Sherry from Switchback did a great job of sizing me up on the bike swapping out bars and stems to make it feel just right and really took care of me with the purchase and the mods.
If you run into some guy laying winded in the dirt on the trail it’s just me getting in a fight with my legs over buying a SS bike! (Ok Matt it’s your turn get on it)
