All possible semantics aside, Gary Fisher makes a fantastic bike. Knyte doesn't have to worry about cracking his frame or any other mishap that has plagued people visiting glaciers in remote national parks when they plunge from cliffs into ravines.
I have never had a single problem with mine in three years of trail riding. Ever. Except that one time I punctured the gas tank and burst into flames.
frame fractures are more common with aluminum frame bikes, with heavier riders on said bikes, and after prolonged use. other than that you're going to have to work very hard to break a frame.
yea, that's typical of most bikes. GF on the other hand, has had an absolute ton of cracked frames from normal use and nobody can explain why other than it's a flawed design. No other bike manufacturers have had similar issues on the scale that GF has...
Now I know a lot of people with GF's that are happy with them, just throwing out the fair warning about the known frame issues.
Your girlfriend has a frame issue? That's not nice!
yea, that's typical of most bikes. GF on the other hand, has had an absolute ton of cracked frames from normal use and nobody can explain why other than it's a flawed design. No other bike manufacturers have had similar issues on the scale that GF has...
Now I know a lot of people with GF's that are happy with them, just throwing out the fair warning about the known frame issues.
Brand doesn't matter as much as fit though, go find a bike with the correct frame size and ride it. If it feels good, then that's the bike for you. Before I bought my first mountain bike I tested a specialized, giant, GF, and ended up with a Haro Flightline. Can't really stress this point enough, find a bike that fits properly. Otherwise you're wrists, arms, and back will ache after riding..
Look at like the Giant Yukons (avid bb5 diskbrakes, rockshox front suspension, and shimano shifters and dérailleur are all good components)
or the specialized hardrock sport disc (avoid the hardrock sport, doesn't have disk brakes)
Go to a bike shop and figure out what size frame you need before you try to hit up craigslist or anything.
Here's a local place with the Hardrock disc, according to a size chart I need a 15 inch. Is this about what I'd expect to pay if I ended up buying new?
http://bikebarnaz.com/product/10-specialized-hardrock-disc-57508-1.htm
Why do they still differentiate women's frames with a lower cross bar on higher-level mountain bikes? Are women seriously wearing hoop skirts while out on the trails these days?
In an effort to pick up a new physically taxing hobby I've set my sights on mountain biking around the desert out here. I'm looking for an entry level (~$500) bike and was hoping you had some suggestions. I've poked around bike boards and done some searching and the Specialized Hardrock keeps getting mentioned as being pretty, anyone have any experience with it or something like it?
Could you buy a used one that us nicer? I bought my Cannondale F600 it was 2 months old and I got it for $700 it was $1199 new.
Nice Sig Change.
Specialized Hardrock aluminum frames are prone to breakage. Just throwing that out there.
I want to get into biking. We have tons of trails around here.
I just remember having so much fun as a kid riding out on a trail until I'm tired then hating the ride back since I exhausted myself. lol
If only there were burger stands in state parks.