A week ago I hit a branch on the trail and broke a spoke in my back wheel and bent two others. I was a bit bummed because I’d planned a Saturday ride on the trail with one of my sons. I took my bike to Bike America and was very happy when they told me the Gary Fisher – Fast City – Mendota that I am supposed to review was in and ready to go. There were three techs in the shop and all of them became respectfully quiet when the the owner of the shop wheeled the Mendota in. The concensus was: This is a very cool bike.
The guy that put the bike together spends a lot of time assembling bikes, so I was a little affraid that, being as it had been over a week since he set it up and dialed it in, he wouldn’t remember anything about the process of putting this one together. I needn’t have worried … Fred remembered this bike well and said it “went together smooth.” No problems. It took him 20 to 25 minutes to set up – most bikes take longer, but this one came 70% assembled. The gears were already set perfectly, which is rare, and the brakes were very easy to adjust compared to other bikes.
So I got my ride on the trail in on Saturday and have riden it to work twice now. Here I am, suited up for the first actual commute.
After the initial 36 miles, the following words come to mind: Wow, smooth, light and sturdy. We’ll see how things go after I put it through the paces; I figure this is going to be like driving a rental car that is the model I’m considering buying — might as well stress it to the max.
The complete list of components can be found HERE, but here are some of the highlights:
- 22.5″ Gold Series butted aluminum hybrid frame
- Bontrager Satellite Elite Carbon disc fork.
- SRAM X.7 rear derailleur
- SRAM PG950 11-26, 9 speed cassette
- Avid BB5 mechanical disc brakes
- Bontrager Select Disc Road wheels
- Bontrager Satellite Plus 700x32c tires