Unbiased Review: Gary Fisher Opie

It was on Saturday(6th Dec 2008) afternoon when I brought my wife's niece, Michelle to hunt for a new bike after her dad approved her request.

The story began when her brother, showed to her an ad in BBS about 2nd hand(few months old) GT Outpost selling about RM7xx. Her dad agreed some weeks later (5th Dec) - kinda slow! According to Michelle, it is not easy to convince her dad but still, she won at last, LOL.

By the time we chatted on MSN on that Saturday afternoon around 3.xx pm, the seller has already removed his ad. Michelle was a bit sad. I told her that we can still scout around bike shops for some bargains. Since I have another 3 hours to pick up my wife from work, I offered Michelle a trip to Samy bike shops both @ Selayang and Batu Caves. Michelle was interested on Fuji Nevada 1.0 year 2008. Nice blue coloured bike for beginner like her. At the same time frame while scouting for a new bike, her dad replied her sms saying that the price for Nevada 1.0 (less than RM1.5K) was okay for him. She felt so happy and grateful.

The next day, I suggested Michelle & her brother to go over to TScyc for the another round of scouting before she could finalize her decision on Fuji Nevada 1.0. They both agreed and we went there with her dad's car since her brother's car was driven away by her dad for an event. We arived and asked KN, the boss of TScyc for RM 1K++ range of bikes. He introduced some which I already knew, and I didn't bother that much. All of a sudden among the huge bunch of bikes, I notice a matte black bike with small size frame - such an eye catcher!



You can hardly see sticker on that frame because the sticker is dark maroon while the paint is matte black. I felt strange and I got closer to inspect the bike further. It has nice frame geometry(more for slanting head & seat angle), nice welding job, nice gussets, thicker and quite solid frame tubes!

Michelle sat on it and stretched her hands to the handlebar. She commented "nice & comfortable". We kept discussing about it with her brother. I knew she would like it. There was a card hanging by the handlebar displaying the brand, "Gary Fisher" (www.fisherbikes.com/) and the one of the stickers on the bike has the name "Opie" in it. I checked the price for Michelle with KN and it fell close to her budget. I told her that the bike is kind of a branded one and seldom can be found in LBS (Local Bike Shops and not bike boutiques).

Michelle has been very very kind and considerate not to hurt her dad's pocket. After nearby lunch, she decided to lower the bike specs by going for 24-speed instead of 27-speed. We discussed further about the price with KN and finally we got the bike for less than RM1.6K inclusive of bike stand, chainstay protector and cable protective stickers. Once she got home, she tested the bike by climbing some hills around her place.

Here's my opinion about her bike:-
Picture shown is taken from: http://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/model/opie/bigimage


Quick Specs...
Category: Hardtail, Dirt Jump/XC
Frame: Bigg'ns 6061 aluminum, size 15.5 inch (suitable for ML as the top tube is lower)
Fork: RST Gila T7, 100mm travel
Drivetrain: Acera group, 24 Speed
Wheelset: Rigida Taurus with Formula hubs
Brakeset: Winzip Disc Brake Set with 160mm rotors
Seatpost: Bontrager
Saddle: Bontrager Earl
Handlebar: Bontrager
Handlebar: Stem Bontrager
Headset: Cane Creek

Pros:
- Sturdy frame (can be used for Dirt Jump purpose!)
- Nice geometry with lower top tube (size 15.5)
- Nice classy matte black colour with minimal decals
- Bike equipped with Bontrager components (stem, handlebar, saddle, seatpost & etc.)
- Easy to climb, thanks to the smaller rear triangle section
- Worth the cash

Cons:
- Heavier thank her brother's Fuji Tahoe Comp 2008, thanks to the solid frame
- The bike is on Acera's drivetrain 24-Speed
- Front fork could be better (Stock: RST Gila)
- Disc brakes could be better (Stock: WinZip)
- Handler bar is too wide for me
- Slightly slower handling response due to more slanting head tube angle

Conclusion:
I would say this is an almost all rounder mountain bike for beginner. Not too heavy, not too light, easy to steer, climb and very solid for hitting bigger bumbs. Value for money.