Gary Fisher – Fast City – Mendota

I’ve been off the Mendota for a couple weeks. Peter T, my 19-year-old son, is back home for the summer and I thought it might be a nice chance to get a fresh perspective on this bike from someone who has ridden a box store bike for his entire life.

Peter and I have taken several rides on the bike path during this last year and I’ve always been out in the lead, looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t out-pacing him too much. When we got on the trail this time, with him on the Mendota, it was a completely different story; he was the one out-pacing me and turning around to make sure I was okay… I checked the data after that ride and we’d bumped up the average MPH for the ~20 mile ride by 4 MPH.

Peter’s review will follow, but I wanted to take another ride on the Mendota after a couple weeks back on my normal ride. My thoughts:

So. Incredibly. Light. I’d forgotten just how light this bike is until I lifted it off the hooks in the garage. Wow! I’d been asked to weigh the bike in an earlier review but my scale at home is a magic scale and it would probably tell us the bike weighs -2 pounds. I just grabbed the scale at work and it indicates this 22.5″ frame version weighs in at 20 pounds (9 kilograms). Note: this cannot be considered an official weight, but I gotta believe it is close.

Durable. Even though the bike is light, it feels incredibly sturdy. I rode it like I’d drive a rental car and it took a pounding and performed like a champ.

Shifting, breaking and pedaling — the key word is smooth.

The Mendota is a beautiful bike and fun to ride. Is it worth the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $929.00 U.S.? In my mind it is, and I’m a pretty frugal guy.

One thing I’d like to see is a 25″ frame version; that is what I’m used to riding and that was the one reason I enjoyed getting back on my Trek. Don’t get me wrong, the 22.5 worked well with the seat raised to the proper height, it’s just that those of us who are around 6’6″ might appreciate this ride a little more if it were available in a 25″ frame.

Here are a couple more shots taken in my office.

And Peter’s review:

  • A lot faster than my cheap bike. Doesn’t use nearly as much energy to go fast.
  • Smooth – A really smooth ride.
  • Doesn’t take long to adjust to riding this bike. I didn’t have any stability issues whatsoever.
  • Fun
  • With how fast it goes and the small amount of energy expended, it is just a really fun bike to ride.
  • I would definitely consider purchasing the Mendota.

See all the posts in this review…

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