Platinum Series ZR9000 internally and externally butted aluminum | Disc Specific | Genesis 29" Geometry
WheelsShimano M475 disc hubs + Bontrager Ranger 29 Disc rims + 14G Stainless Steel spokes | Bontrager Jones XR 29x2.25x2.2 tires
Shimano Deore rear derailleur & shifters & front derailleur | Shimano M442 Octalink 42/32/22 crank | Avid BB5 mechanical disc brakes w/ 6" rotors | Shimano M505 ATB clipless pedals
SuspensionRockShox Tora 318 Solo Air 29 | External rebound, external compression and lock-out | Motion Control | 80mm travel
| Frameset | |
|---|---|
| Sizes | SM (15.5") | MD (17.5") | LG (19") | XL (21") |
| Frame | Platinum Series ZR9000 internally and externally butted aluminum | Disc Specific | Genesis 29" Geometry |
| Fork | RockShox Tora 318 Solo Air 29 | External rebound, external compression and lock-out | Motion Control | 80mm travel |
| Drivetrain | |
| Shifters | Shimano M-511 Deore |
| Front Derailleur | Shimano Deore |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano Deore |
| Cassette | SRAM PG950 | 11-34 | 9spd |
| Bottom Bracket | Cartridge |
| Wheels | |
|---|---|
| Components | |
| Saddle | Bontrager Race Lux |
| Seatpost | Bontrager Sport |
| Handlebar | Bontrager Crowbar Sport, 25mm rise |
| Grips | Bontrager Dual Density |
| Stem | Bontrager Sport | 10d rise |
| Pedals | Shimano M505 ATB clipless |
| Headset | Aheadset | semi-cartridge | sealed |
| Frame Size | SM (15.5") | MD (17.5") | LG (19") | XL (21") |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standover (mm) | 734.10 | 759.50 | 782.30 | 792.50 |
| Effective top tube (mm) | 589.30 | 609.60 | 627.40 | 647.70 |
| Cockpit length (mm) | 665.50 | 683.30 | 731.50 | 751.80 |
| Minimum cockpit (mm) | 647.70 | 652.80 | 718.80 | 736.60 |
| Maximum cockpit (mm) | 680.70 | 713.70 | 746.80 | 767.10 |
| Stem length (mm) | 75.00 | 90.00 | 105.00 | 105.00 |
| Crank length (mm) | 170.00 | 175.00 | 175.00 | 175.00 |
| Headtube length (mm) | 90.00 | 90.00 | 90.00 | 105.00 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 315.00 | 315.00 | 315.00 | 315.00 |
| Bottom bracket drop (mm) | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 | 50.00 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1088.20 | 1101.20 | 1110.40 | 1124.40 |
The past several years Fisher has enjoyed growing popularity of their 29er lineup. 29er zealots cherished their Rigs and Paragons. However, in 2007 the rest of the bike market caught on and the 29er market grew exponentially. Major manufacturers begrudgingly acknowledged 29ers existence and boutique builders continued to capitalize on their popularity. With several years of 29er development, Fisher is building on its experience and using 2008 to leapfrog the rest of the 29er market. Fisher's 2008 29er lineup is all-new and answers all of the nagging criticisms of 29ers.
"29ers don't handle as quickly as 26" bikes." Solved.
"29ers are too heavy." No longer.
"29ers are too flexy." Addressed.
"I'm too small to ride a 29er." Greatly improved.
For 2008, Fisher tailored its Genesis 2.0 Geometry to 29ers to create nimble handling 29ers, reduced the overall weight of its frames, increased stiffness, and still had time to figure out how to fit smaller riders onto 29ers. The end result is the best ever class of 29er bikes. The result is a stunningly fast bike that benefits from all the inherent advantages of bigger wheels and has engineered solutions to the nagging criticisms of 29ers. Handling is improved through the Genesis 2.0 for 29ers. Weight has been minimized throughout the frame and spec. stiffness has been dramatically improved throughout the frame through unique shaping and design.
Another Angle on 29ers
Imagine a skateboard wheel running over a series of 1" bumps. Since the
skateboard wheel has a radius of only an inch, the wheel has to move 1"
vertically in just 1" of horizontal motion every time it contacts a
bump. This is an abrupt change, or high angle of attack has drastic
effects on the rider's motion. With a 20" BMX wheel, that same 1" of
vertical motion happens over about 4" of forward motion. This turns
what was a radical bump into a mild annoyance. Now ride over the bump
on a 26" wheel, and you have almost 6" of horizontal distance to spread
out the impact. The bump is hardly noticeable. Not only does the bump
disturb your riding less, but it also has less effect on your speed.
Bigger wheels maintain your momentum. This effect is somewhat similar
to that of a suspension fork, except that it happens on all bumps,
regardless of suspension fork tuning. Tire pressure changes the effect
somewhat, but with the same results regardless of tire size. Since
riding off road is normally on less than smooth surfaces, the effect of
a larger wheel is constantly enhancing the ride. If both wheels are
larger, the effect works on both ends of the bike. On the Fisher 29ers,
you'll notice this effect in two ways. First, the bike will ride
smoother and more comfortably. Second, the bike will be slightly
faster, especially on broken or rough ground.
Bigger Wheels Have a Longer Contact Patch
The contact patch is the amount of tire you have on the ground at any one time as the wheels goes through its rotation. As The diameter of the wheel increases from 26" to 29", the shape of the contact patch gets longer. The benefits of this are noticeable. For technical climbs, the added length increases traction as the rider can shift their weight more freely without losing pressure on the contact patch. In addition, the increased contact patch length on a 29er benefits the rider when cornering in uneven terrain as the tire will want to stay in contact with an obstacle and not skip over it. Last, in mud, sand or snow, the longer contact patch can help keep the tire on top of the surface as opposed to sinking in and bogging down. Think about snowshoes. They are designed to keep you on top of the snow, where the going is easy.
Inertia helps explain the difference in handling between a 26" wheel and a 29" wheel. Understanding how inertia affects the larger wheel helped the Fisher team determine how to normalize the behavior of a 29er to that of a G2 26" bike.
Input at Steering
A more dramatic effect of inertia on 29ers is the effect on handling. 29ers have a reputation for steering slowly. The torque required to steer a 29er is 30% greater than that of a 26" bike due to the greater inertia of the bigger wheel.
Fisher has applied the thinking behind Genesis 2 Geometry to overcome this. To overcome the turning inertia Fisher experimented with multiple fork offsets on 29ers.
A crew consisting of Travis Browne, Fisher athletes, and Fisher product developers blind tested several different fork offsets. After several iterations a fork offset of 51mm was settled on as the optimized offset for 29ers. This 51mm offset reduces the trail of a 29er and brings it to nearly the same distance as a 26" bike. The result is a 29er that handles with the same nimbleness of a 26" bike.
The Acceleration Myth
Acceleration is measured by how much force is required to bring the wheel up to speed. There is a small difference between the acceleration of 26" and 29" wheels. However, a mountain bike wheel is little good without the rest of the bike and the much heavier rider on top of it.
Point being, the difference in force required to accelerate a 29er vs a 26" bike needs to take in consideration the total weight of the wheels, bike, and rider. Assuming the same 175lb rider on a bike, the amount of force required to accelerate a 29er vs a 26" bike with the exact same spec is less than 1% difference.
The benefits of the 29" wheel (sustained momentum, better clearance of obstacles, better floatation over soft terrain, improved cornering) outweigh the minimal acceleration force required for a 29er.
Not sure which Fisher is right for you? Bike Finder can help.
Fisher gear with Fisher flair to go with your Fisher bike.
