Gary Fisher GED upgrades?

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Lee, I am looking to convert my ’05 Gary Fisher GED into a better pump track / dirt jump rig. The main thing is the fork, right now it has a 130mm Marzocchi Drop-Off. I’m thinking of swapping it for a 100mm fork, like the Marzocchi 4X. What other forks should I be considering? Anything else you would recommend to make this bike BRAAAP! on a pump track?
Thanks for the cool site, Tom

Hey Tom,

I would leave that bike pretty much the way it is.

– According to the specs, the stock bike with the 130mm fork has a 70 degree head tube. A shorter fork would steepen the geometry in a bad way.

– You could get a lighter/tricker 130mm fork for that bike, but I don’t think it would be worth the cost.

Here’s what I would do, in this order:

1. Your Marzocchi Drop Off has adjustable air preload. Make that as stiff as you can.

2. Make sure you have some light, fast tires. For pump/jump I like XC tires with closely spaced center knobs and widely spaced side knobs. WTB Mutano Raptor, Specialized Resolution, etc. Pick your favorite.

3. Looks like that bike comes with a 70-90mm stem. Get a 50.

4. If you’re losing your chain, go to a single ring setup. GAMUT guides rock.

These changes will make your GED work very well. If you want a truly excellent pump/jump bike, get a new one from one of the good companies: Specialized, Norco, Staats, Black Market, Transition, etc. The geometries are dialed these days.

Pump it up!

— Lee



2005 Gary Fisher GED.
12 replies
  1. zach says:

    Get an Addict frame to start off. it’s light, low profile, and most important you can change the wheel base length, trust me it will make a world of difference. The shorter you go the better for the park/dj/pump track, then make it a bit longer for the track and speed runes. I have converted mine to be a single speed with a twist. Since you can change your wheel base length with the twist of the chain ten. I have it set up as a 3 speed. SO SICK!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe we can twist Lee’s arm to do a right up on it?????

  2. leelikesbikes says:

    Addicts are awesome. When I was listing those brands, that’s the one I was trying to remember but couldn’t.

    Yeah, that’s a sweet bike.

  3. leelikesbikes says:

    Zach put a shifter on his seat tube. That way he can shift when he wants to, but his front end isn’t all balled up with cables. Good for tricks, he tells me.

  4. o says:

    Shifter on a seat tube sounds like a great solution. But what about the brakes? Does Zach use front brake cabled thru the steerer?

  5. Tom says:

    Thanks Lee, I’ll try it like you recommend. Hindsight being 20/20, probably should have gone with a P.2. The GED is heavy, sluggish and sloppy. (So is the rider!) Rock on.

  8. Chris Quain says:

    Hey Tom,

    I have ridden a Gary fisher Bitter with a 100mm fork and a 50mm stem and it was a top little hardtail. The GED, Bitter, Mullet and Opie all used the same frame or at least the same Geometry (Very similar to a trek Jack), and not all of the bikes came with 130mm forks. I suspect the 70deg head angle that they quote is actually for 100mm of travel, ’cause my friends bike steered like a boat with the pikes wound out.

    I don’t know what the rest of your parts are like, but if you got a 2nd hand 100mm fork, your bike has the potential to be loads of fun. Those frames manual well and if they are set up right should kick arse on a pump track.

    Chris

  10. zach says:

    Lee is 100% right on the fact that I run only a rear brake but when I did run the front brake the cable was through the steer tube. Much less balling up of cable as Lee also mentioned. The shifter on the seat tube was amazing but realizing I am not a big fan of bent derailleurs or the extra weight I got smart. Just like all tell (phones) I choose my favorite gears and put them on as a single speed. Yeah it takes me close to 30-45sec. to change gears but when riding park/dj/pump track/race track you don’t need more then 3-5 gears and you don’t change them all that much any how. Also a great benefit like I mentioned above is my easier gear makes my wheel base shorter which is greater for tech riding and my harder gear makes my wheel base longer which is better for stability on those super fast courses. All around this bike can and will cover all your hard tail needs and then some. You can also choose single speed or gears or do as I did and throw a wrench in the mix of things which has all the people saying I wont one of those frames.

    Cheers,

    Zach

  11. Tom says:

    Chris,

    Good point on the geometry, I’ll put an old 100mm fork that I have on for testing.

    Anyone:

    Know a accurate method for measuring head tube angle?

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