gary fisher Utopia drop-bar rigid fork monster cross-ish hybrid bike

State of the GravelRoadster 3-14-12

Pi Day

One more hour ’til Pi Day.

I like that. Nerd holiday. Crafty bake-y nerd holiday. I don’t do anything to celebrate, or eat pie, I just enjoy the fact of it. It tickles my OCD number-thing neuron, and also my idiotic-pun neuron. Their dendritic spines are reaching out towards each other…

Okay, the freaky over-sharing is over. Let the freaky over-sharing begin! Next bike:

200…4? …6? Gary Fisher Utopia

gary fisher Utopia drop-bar rigid fork monster cross-ish hybrid bikeGigantic Schwalbe Big Apple Front, Schwalbe 47mm Marathon in back. Sad Face.
Pink Cascadia Fenders. Front on the rear, rear on the front. DIY mounts.
Kona P2 fork, Salsa Woodchipper bars (42mm?), Dia Compe 287v levers.
Two rings, two cogs, no tensioner. Only works in the ‘big’ gear.
Lots and lots of ugly stickers. The best comment I ever got on this bike was from a Rivendell Owners Bunch friend.

“wow.”

I think it was more of an “oh my” “wow” than an all-caps “WOW THAT BIKE IS FREAKIN’ AWESOME” “wow.” Which it is.

salsa woodchippers, dia compe 287v levers on discs, Kona P2 forkVery likely this stem will go back on the Bontrager to support a Titec or Jones bar. I have a prettier silver stem that should work. I like the Kona fork. A 26″ version would work with this setup (my “no money-back” guarantee), but would change the head angle.

I really like the fat fat fat tires. I’m not that into this bike since the rear tire’s bead broke.

Gary Fisher Utopia drop bar hybrid. Rigid fork, Big Apple TiresThe pedals are tiny MKS GR9s with (some) skateboard grip tape to make them useable for my size 13 feet. Really? 13? I used to be an 11.5 narrow. Did you know feet, ears, and noses never stop growing? That’s a Tom Waits “Grab Bag” fun fact that might not actually be true.

Another fun fact: this bike used to belong to James Minarck, and is featured on Cyclofiend.
And… HAPPY PI DAY!

Published by

philip

UI/UX Designer, bike nerd, artist.

6 thoughts on “State of the GravelRoadster 3-14-12”

  1. I’m sure I’m one of the few that has an honest wow factor about this bike. Each time I see pics about it, it inspires me more. I look at this bike, then look at my karate monkey and ponder doing this to it.

    1. Thanks, Paully – I really like the bike, too (and I’m a Karate Monkey fan, too). I will probably replace the tire, and maybe give it gears. It needs a light, too – I have an old sidewall generator and a weird plan…

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