One of the themes at this years mountain bike range from Gary Fisher was a flurry of new 29 inchers. Introduced were two 29ers the Gary Fisher Superfly made for speed and the Gary Fisher Rumblefish made for technical cross country terrain.

Gary Fisher 29 inchers

So it seems 29 inchers are all the rage for Gary Fisher this year.

Big wheels roll faster. Thats's science and so pretty certain. These new wheels would get over obstacles and cover mashed up terrain like sand, mud and even snow that much more smoothly, due to a longer contact patch with terra firma than their smaller 26 inch cousins. Mr Fisher would also claim that the Genesis 2.0 geometry of these bikes means that they would behave like a 26 incher for nimbleness. I've never ridden one as yet and they look too big for a short fella like me but I am assured they are good for anyone 5 foot 5 upwards. Not convinced it would not feel super wierd on even a small jump but the proof is in the ride.

Two main new 29 inchers to mention:

Gary Fisher Superfly

This is stated as one of the fastest bikes Gary has ever made.

29 inchers in racing are gaining traction at the moment so this Superfly will be a welcome addition to the genre. The Superfly 100 is a full suspension all carbon model and yet has the weight of a hardtail. It is priced at £4500.

It is a serious race bike and works well for all day xc adventures. There is also the basic Superfly model which is a 29 " all carbon hardtail for £3250.

Gary Fisher Rumblefish

The Gary Fisher Rumblefish is also new.Interesting and nice colours.

This bike is made to eat through technical terrain for lunch and have some of the best slow speed handling technology out there. It also has decent long travel. The description appeals to me enormously.

Again not doing it justice but how I see it positioned is, it is like a Roscoe with big wheels and slightly less travel (120 to 140mm) but bear in mind you can argue you need less travel with bigger wheels.

There is the Rumblefish 29I for £2300 and the 29II for £3200

Gary Fisher 26 inchers - The Roscoe

I did not have much else to feature of the Gary Fisher 26 inch range this year but it seemed wrong not to mention the Roscoe if not just because it is one of the most loved technical trail bikes out there and I salivate between owning one of these and a Trek Remedy (see later). The Roscoe though given my style is probably what I should ride rather than the Remedy where I think (as a burlier all mountain bike) I should be riding. If that makes any sense.

The roscoe is the best of both worlds. It is a high-tech has 140mm long-travel performance and is a lightweight, go-all-day package.

So this year realising the bike must be near perfection no real changes occur except a new colour range. I prefered the old colours but don't really give a donkeys. You could paint it paisley yelloy for all I care it's still just gorgeous..

You can check out both the Superfly, the Rumblefish,the Roscoe and all the range at Gary Fisher Bikes