MOMBAT: Gary Fisher Bicycles History

Click links below to view the Fisher bikes in our collection:
1983 Montare Prototype
1985 MountainBike
1985 Fisher Adjustable Geometry
1985 Competition
1987 Montare
1988 Montare
1989 CR-7
1990 Fisher Bob Weir
1991 RS-1
1991 Montare
1992 RS-1
1993 Alembic
1995 Grateful Dead
1996 Klunker
Fisher Specs

1979

1979 Mountain Bike catalog:

1982

1982 MountainBike sold Ritchey catalogs:

1983

July 1983 Ad for a Ritchey built / MountainBike sold Commando:

September ad for the Montare (mentions Ritchey):

1983 Fisher parts catalog:

Multi-maker bike review, including a MountainBike, from March 1983:

1984

1984 Fisher parts catalog:

1986

July 1986 Fisher brake cover:

1988

1988 Fisher features:

May 1988 Bicycle Guide article on the Fisher Ti prototype bike:

1988 CR-7 reviews:

September 1988 Bicycle Guide article on the Fisher innovations:

1989

1989 Fisher line-up:

1990

1990 Fisher Catalog:

Vittoria made and Fisher distributed tubular mountain bike tires, April 1990:

1991

January 1991 RS-1 review.

1992

January 1992 Alembic show picture plus February RS-1 article:

1993

In May of 1993, Fisher is sold to Trek. Mert Lawwill severs relationship with Fisher and retains the rights to the RS-1 full suspension design. Fisher is allowed to sell the remaining inventory which was less than 100 units.

1995

Grateful Dead certificate:

Good article on the history of Fisher 29" wheel bikes

Career Highlights

1999, Gary is named to the "Snow bike Hall of Fame"
1998, 1st Trans Alp 8 day off road stage race in Europe.
1997, 1st XC Masters category U.S. National Championships
1997, Earns a spot on the U.S. Masters team.
1997, Gary is named to the "Trips for Kids" Board of directors.
1996, Gary is re-elected to the NORBA board of trustees with the highest number of votes of any trustee.
1994, Gary receives a lifetime achievement award at the Korbel Night of Champions, cycling's Academy Awards.1993, On April 9 Gary Fisher Bicycles was purchased by Trek. The 1994 model year bikes will be made by Trek and sold under the Fisher name.
1992, Gary develops the Alembic Carbon Fiber Suspension bike with Toray of Japan.
1991, Gary introduces 15.5" chain stays on the Montare.
1990, Gary is named to the NORBA Board of Trustees.
1989, Gary introduces the Evolution headset, tubing and seat post, the first oversize component system for off-road bikes.
1988, Gary is inducted at the inaugural Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Crested Butte.
1998, 1st Desert to the Sea race; tandem category with Sara Ballantyne
1988, 13th Overall, Desert to the Sea
1988, 1st Rockhopper Off-Road Race
1987, 1st Rockhopper Off-Road Race
1986, Gary sells the name "Marin Mountain Bikes" name to Bob Buckley.
1986, 1st Rockhopper Off-Road Race
1986, Gary designs the "Bulge Bar," the "Hip stay," a super short chain stay, and 135mm over locknut rear hub spacing.
1985, Gary develops "Stand over height" and "Effective top tube length" measurements to better describe off-road frame fit.
1985, 1st Rockhopper Off-Road Race
1984, Gary designs and builds the first mountain bike using Tange Prestige tubing.
1984, 1st Rockhopper Off-Road Race
1983, Gary develops and names the Unicrown fork. Fisher racer, Dale Stetina wins the Paradise Divide Stage Race.
1983, Gary is a founding member of the National Off-road Bicycle Association (NORBA)
1983, Gary introduces short chain stays and steeper seat angles to mountain bikes.
1983, Gary goes to France to introduce the mountain bike, racing downhill in the La Plagne Alps.
1983, 1st Rockhopper Off-Road Race
1982, 1st Rockhopper Off-Road Race
1982, 1st Paradise Divide Criterium, Crested Butte, Colorado.
1981, 1st Reseda to the Sea off-road race
1980, 1st Reseda to the Sea
1980, 1st Central Coast Clunker Classic
1980, 1st The Whiskeytown Downhill off-road races
1980, 2nd Northern California District Cyclocross Championships on his mountain bike.
1980, Gary finishes the Coors Classic stage race.
1980, Gary coins the term "Bullmoose handlebar."
1980, Gary is the first to use a Shimano freehub and "Bear Trap" pedals on a mountain bike. 1980, Gary and Charlie Kelly edit the bicycle section of the "Last Whole Earth Catalog."
1979, A sport is named: Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly name their new company "MountainBikes"; the frames are built by Jeffrey Richmond and Tom Ritchey. Kelly and Fisher cover purchasing, assembly, marketing, shipping, sales and catalogue design. 160 "MountainBikes" are made and sold.
1979, Gary finishes the Coors Classic stage race and collects the Olympic development points to rank third in western division road racing.
1977, Gary sets the Repack record of 4:22:14, a record that still stands.
1977, 5th National Cyclocross Championships
1977, Gary finishes the Red Zinger stage race in Colorado.
1978, Gary wins "Fastest Time of the Year" award for the Repack Downhill Race.
1978, Gary wins the Solo Division with the fastest overall time in the 209-mile Davis Double Century, with a time of 9 hours, 18 minutes.
1978, Gary finishes the Red Zinger stage race. Gary is a member of the "Marin County Contingent" that introduces "Clunker" to Colorado riding.
1976, Gary wins the Tour of Klamath Lake, a 125-mile Olympic development race.
1976, Gary places 12th in the national road championships.
1976, Gary helps his roommate, Charlie Kelly, stage the Repack Off-Road Downhill Race series.
1974, Gary finishes the Vuelta de Baja, the Tour of the Sierras and the Tour of Marin stage races 1974, Gary builds his legendary Schwinn Excelsior X. With an unprecedented wide gear range and heavy duty braking, it's the first off-road bike that, despite its 42-pound heft, was rideable up mountains as well as down. On the bike, Gary pioneers the use of tandem drum brakes, thumb shifters, motorcycle brake levers and cables, a seat post quick release and triple chain rings with extra long crank arms.
1973, 2nd Tour of Nevada City and
1973, Gary becomes a Category 1 USCF road racer.
1972, With the "long hair" rule overturned Gary starts road racing again.
1968, Gary is suspended from bike racing because his hair is too long hair.
1968, From home-built equipment Gary starts a light show, called "The Lightest Show on Earth" which plays the major rock venues in San Francisco.
1964, Gary discovers cyclocross, competes in five cyclocross races.
1964, Gary finishes second in the intermediate age group in the Northern California District Road Championships.
1963, Gary Fisher, age 12, starts competing in on the road and track in races sanctioned by the predecessor of the USCF, The Amateur Bicycle League of America.

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