Meeting Gary Fisher and the 29er that needed a home.

Yes, it really is HIM

I rode my 26in Rocky Mountain regularly, that was until Gary Fisher came to town. No literally, THE Gary Fisher, the godfather of mountain biking. A new Trek store opened up in the area and they were having a promotion where they were going to have a demo day with Gary Fisher not just signing autographs, but actually leading a ride for us. I was completely excited to met him as well as demo some of the new bikes he helps design.  I went into the demo with no interest in a new bike purchase, because my current one was fine. I was curious to try out the new 29 inch bike fad that was sweeping the sport. I was dubious of the whole 29er idea since my 26 inch wheels had always worked just fine. However, some people I knew whose opinions I respected raved over the advantages of bigger wheels so I thought it couldn’t hurt to try. My husband was also curious, and being just over 6 feet, it seemed to possibly make sense for his size.

The New Trek

Well, one demo afternoon later, a photo op with Gary Fisher, and I too was hooked on the 29 inch wheeled fad. I couldn’t believe how fantastic the bike felt and how much better a fit it was for me. This was the best bike I had been on so far, and clearly I had been on a lot of bikes. Two weeks later, we were both sporting new Treks and could not be more pleased with our purchases. The unfortunate side effect though of my new purchase made me realize that both my single speed and my Rocky Mountain bikes were both actually sized too small for me. Something, I never realized before , but became painfully obvious now after riding the right size bike. At least I got my use out of  the other bikes before the buyer’s remorse set in. They now collect dust together in the garage, but I have too many good memories on them to let them go. So for now, they sit as back up bikes if the 29er is in the shop. If necessary, I will still ride them even though they are the wrong size because if nothing else, they are fully paid for.

So now  that brings you up to speed, I bring you to my current blog posts. This will be an update of my riding exploits, foibles and fun.