1st 29er: Fisher X-Caliber

Cycling is Forever
Cycling is Forever Posts: 210
edited November 2010 in Your mountain bikes
My first 29er a Gary Fisher X-Caliber [2010] :D
After dabbling with the dark side last year on a road bike [Team Carbon] this is my first mt bike in 11years.
As Fisher will no longer exist quite in the same way and figuring Gary knows a lot about 29ers I took the plunge.
Big wheels & Disc Brakes are big difference over my 1999 Big Sur [still love my Big Sur, but will it be replaced by the X?]
Pics

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Specs: changes form stock in red
Gary Fisher X-Caliber 2010
Size: 17.5"
Frame: Platinum Series 6066 butted & hydroformed aluminum, cold-forged dropouts, G2 29" Geometry
Forks: Fox F80 RL 29, 80mm travel, custom G2 Geometry 51mm offset crown, open bath damper

Handlebars: Bontrager Race Big Sweep, 620mm width, 12d backsweep, 31.8mm
Stem: Bontrager SSR OS 90mm
Headset: Cane Creek VPA41AC

Grips: Bontrager Race Lite
Front & Rear Brake: Avid Juicy 3
Front Caliper: Avid Juicy 3
Front disc: 180mm
Rear Caliper: Avid Juicy 3
Rear Disc: 160mm

Shifters: SRAM X.7
Front Mech: SRAM X.9 top swing
Rear Mech: SRAM X.7

Saddle: Bontrager Race
Seat Post: Bontrager SSR, micro adjust, 27.2
Seat Post Clamp: Salsa Flip-Lock QR Seat Post Clamp Colour: Green Size: 32mm

Chainset: Shimano SLX Chainset Triple M660 Size: 175mm
Bottom Bracket: SLX Bottom Bracket
Chain: SRAM PG951
Cassette: SRAM PG950 11-34 9spd
Pedals: Superstar Components ULTRA Mag CNC Pedals with Green Pins

Wheels: Shimano M525 hubs, Bontrager Duster Disc 29 rims, tubeless ready, 32h
Tires: Bontrager XDX 29x2.1, 120 TPI, aramid bead, tubeless ready

Accessories:
Mudguard: Mucky Nutz Bender Fender 2.0 Black
Lizard Skins Chain Stay Protector Black

Weight: Unknown? But probably not that light, I've read online about 27lbs.
First ride was a hoot until I notice my left foot kept moving. I looked down and checked the left crank arm and found it was loose.
Got back home where I discovered that the LBS where I bought the SLX chainset and who fitted it had not tighten the bolts. :x
2nd outing riding back home I got two punctures front & rear! :o

So thinking I will go tubeless now

I have the Bontrager Duster Disc 29 rims and Bontrager XDX 29x2.1 both TRL.
When fixing the inner tube I noticed a blue rim strip inside each wheel. I assume this is the Tubeless rim strip?
So a dumb question, if both rims & tires are tubeless ready do all I need is two valves and some sealant?
i.e. two of these
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and some of this
superjuice.jpg

Only change I will do whilst going tubeless is swapping the Bontrager XDX for Mud X

:wink:
Cif
New Vs OLD
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Comments

  • Very nice, i'm starting to really like the 29ers, and considering the prospect of getting myself one.

    Nice bike!
  • Thanks MountainMonster

    When I first saw it, I thought the wheels are big!
    I can see why some call them clown bikes.
    So 29ers may still have some way to go to gain acceptance here in the UK.
    I've not seen many fishers let alone 29ers.
    But riding a 29er is really smooth the big wheels do pay dividends yes it dose not accelerate as fast but it is hardly noticeable on the rough terrain.

    Got some green water cages to fit, am I over doing the colour green?
    ordered the Mud Xs and the necessary bits to go tubeless.

    Hoping for no more punctures!

    Cheers

    CiF
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    I actually quite like that. Especially the styling. I've always been a fan of Gary Fisher and 29ers but theres not enough choice at the minute and fewer parts etc put me off.
  • VWsurfbum
    VWsurfbum Posts: 7,881
    I hopefully will have the Garry fisher rumblefish on order by the end of the weekend!
    29ers are the way forward!
    Kazza the Tranny
    Now for sale Fatty
  • scale20
    scale20 Posts: 1,300
    You wont be disapointed going down the 29er route. I have been riding my rigid scandal 29er now for about a year and love it. I have on more than one occasion pushed the FS to one side to take the 29er out because its so much fun to ride even on the really rough techy stuff. They are so fast on flowy singletrack too.

    I have now ditched my Pace 506 to build a FS 29er. I doubt I will go back to 26 inch wheels.

    The only issue I have had with 29er's and my build so far is the lack of accessories and 29er components. I think 2011 will see a flood of kit coming in.

    Experiment with the bars, try a set of on-one feegle bars for size, they give my bike excellent controll and handling.

    What cassette have you got on it? I changed mine to a 12-36, makes it a lot kinder on the hills.
    Niner Air 9 Rigid
    Whyte 129S 29er.
  • I definitely do not think green bottle cages will be overdoing it at all. Rather the contrary actually, accent it nicely. Man every time I see the 29ers pop up on here it makes me want one quite badly. They look odd but in such a beautiful way.
  • With the bottle cage, id definitely won't be too far, on the contrary, get some more gren bits on there. :)
  • Cheers Peeps

    I've been really slack and a wuss [I'm a fair weather rider] and have not been out on X-cal for a while.
    Had a lot of frustration trying to go tubeless see the workshop section.
    Bought different tyres Mud X [Rear] ordered 29-3 TLR 2,25 [Front]

    Nearly forgot I bought the bottle cages not fitted them yet. Might do one more green colour item; Headset might be a good looking addition, but it is an extra expense I don't think the bike needs.

    I trying to resist the urge to upgrade everything I did that with my Big Sur. If something breaks then I'll upgarde maybe.
    VWsurfbum wrote:
    I hopefully will have the Garry fisher rumblefish on order by the end of the weekend!
    29ers are the way forward!

    Did you get your Rumblefish yet? I want to see pictures here. I was really tempted to buy a Rumblefish. I had my bank card in my hand [sweating] :lol:
    Felt I couldn't really justify a FS in the tame hills of the chilterns :?
    Bring on the 29ers

    CiF