Spotted in the pits at this year’s US cyclo-cross national championship was this one-off Gary Fisher belt-drive singlespeedJames Huang
Gary Fisher brand manager Travis Ott says that something this intricate isn’t likely to make it into the consumer catalog – that is, unless the company receives enough of a positive response to justify its productionJames Huang
Check out the decorative milling – and the geometric fish patterns – cut into the lugsJames Huang
The Gary Fisher mountain icon is integrated right into the head tube lugsJames Huang
The Gary Fisher mountain icon is integrated right into the head tube lugsJames Huang
Bcycle isn’t a bike brand per se – it’s a bike sharing initiative that aims to reduce the use of automobiles for short-haul journeys or urban commutesJames Huang
The prototype Gary Fisher frame uses a semi-integrated seatmast, complete with a modified Bontrager post for a stub up topJames Huang
Conventional headset spacers help lock in the saddle height in addition to the conventional seatpost clampJames Huang
Just as with the front end, the seat cluster looks like a lugged joint from afar but actually comprises a combination of brazed sleeves and TIG weldingJames Huang
The rear brake cable is fed straight through the extended seat tubeJames Huang
Sliding dropouts with built-in tensioners make for easy drivetrain setup while the split design allows belt drive compatibilityJames Huang
Press-fit cups as seen on some production Gary Fisher frames make for a lighter assembly overall while the wider shell allows the chainstays to be spread further apartJames Huang
The fork is made of lugged steel, tooJames Huang
In the pit area at this past weekend’s US cyclo-cross national championships was an innocuous-looking white Gary Fisher singlespeed machine that turned out to be anything but a standard rig upon closer inspection.
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According to Gary Fisher brand manager Travis Ott, it was a “we did it because we could sort of bike”, built by an employee at the company’s Waterloo, Wisconsin headquarters.
“They were just playing around with their capabilities back there in the shop and they wanted to see what they could actually do,” said Ott. “They wanted to see what would happen with the belt on a ‘cross bike.”
Special features include faux lugwork with machined-in Gary Fisher mountain logos and geometric fish icons, slider-type dropouts with integrated tensioners and a split driveside stay that allows the use of a Gate belt drive.
The trick rear brake cable routing passes right through the semi-integrated seat mast. Aside from the brazed-on sleeves at the ends of the tubes, the bike is fully TIG-welded.
Press-fit bottom bracket cups and an extra-wide shell are pulled straight from Gary Fisher’s production ‘cross machines, though, with the same benefits of lighter overall weight and superb mud clearance thanks to the extra-wide chainstay spacing. Mudguard mounts are included front and rear.
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At least for now, Ott says the special bike was a pure one-off and isn’t indicative of future consumer products. However, he doesn’t rule out the possibility, either: “[There are] no plans for it to go into production or anything like that but we’ll see what the response is like.”
Sliding dropouts with built-in tensioners make for easy drivetrain setup while the split design allows belt drive compatibility: sliding dropouts with built-in tensioners make for easy drivetrain setup while the split design allows belt drive compatibilityJames Huang
