Review #5 – Gary Fisher HiFi Deluxe
Take-Away Box:
Why it may be your next Big Mountain Riding machine: Can do it all, pretty much! Rails the descents, climbs with agility, great balance, feels lighter than it is.
Why it may not be for you: Low Bottom Bracket – or at least feels that way. You’re a regular jumper – frameset not up to frequent big hits
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The HiFi stretching its legs in Moab
For years, bike companies and magazines touted this bike or that as the “one” bike that could do it all. As someone on a budget, I loved the idea of a bike that could handle most of the standard trail conditions confidently, however I don’t think most of these bikes lived up to the hype until 2006-07. I test rode a Giant Trance, and it performed everything well. However, it wasn’t exciting. A great bike needs the design and capabilities to excite.
Enter the Gary Fisher HiFi. While there are other bikes out there that probably excite more, and can handle even more (i.e. the Yeti 575), the HiFi does it all and costs less. I’d say I regret not waiting a year to buy the one with the black paint job with a Fox fork, but then I would have missed out on a great year of riding. And, I love the Manitou Minute fork. I actually have one on my Klein too. This Minute with the thicker stanchions is rock steady. The whole bike is rock steady. In the first six months of owning it, I placed the best I ever had in an epic (100KM) race, took it to Moab for a week and rode local trail features I had never imagined being able to ride.
Tips for getting the most out of this versatile bike: I use the ProPedal feature on the Fox rear shock almost every ride. Yes, the bike will climb with the shock fully open, but the stiffer setting makes those long climbs just that much more bearable. And with practice, your hand will find the lever without looking down. The bike has great low speed handling. Leverage this to get through super technical climbs. It’s a very consistent bike – learn how it reacts, and then learn to trust those reactions. Now that you know what it can do, you can push the limits. For example, I manual the front end a lot to compensate for the lower bottom bracket. The fork can take the abuse, so I manual off of step downs where possible to ensure that I clear the chain rings. I chipped a tooth off the big ring in Moab dropping off a stone step down.
Problems have been few: At just under two years, the rear triangle broke mid-ride. And not the carbon seat stays. I think the asymmetrical chain stays are under a lot of torque forces. Gary Fisher replaced the part for free inside of two weeks from start to finish. Additionally, replace the stock tires with something with more grip if you ride in loose or wet conditions. I ride an old set of Panaracers 2.1″ with a tried and true tread design.
Oh, and yes. This bike can goad you to go faster than you may be ready for. On Moab’s Porcupine Rim Trail, my brother and I passed a motocross bike in the r-r-ruff on the downhill running from the rim overlook back to Sand Flats Road. A pinnacle moment for a mountain biker. The guy about fell off his motorbike when we flew past on his left :-0 That’s the kind of bike this one is. Surprisingly competent and tougher than it looks. Great for true all mountain riders who need to pedal up to rail down.
© Big Mountain Riding
