2011 Gary Fisher Monona Review

I bought a Gary Fisher Monona from my LBS in November and I've been trying to get as much time on it as I could.  It's my first real-non department store-bike and the first bike I've ridden in at least three or four years.  As a result, I did a lot of research on components and frames.  I toyed with the idea of buying a road bike from Bikes Direct but for my first bike, I decided that one from a LBS would be safest.  So off I went and the two models that were recommended were the Monona and Trek's belt drive coaster.  As it had been a good many years since I rode a bike and with Portland being a nightmare of hills and all, I decided to go with the monona in matte grey.  It helped that it was on winter clearance.  i'm not the best person to write a review, but seeing as there aren't a whole lot of reviews for the bike I felt like I should add my $0.02.  Anyway, on to the review...

2011 Gary Fisher Monona 
Distributed by Trek

Components (from bikepedia.com)

• Aluminium TIG welded frame
• Cromoly(?) front fork single crown
• Avid SD3 brakes???, Avid FR5 levers (I think mine are SRAMs...)
• Shimano Alivo Shifters
• Front Derailleur: Shimano M191
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano M591 Deore
• Crankset: Shimano M411 (26,36,48)
• Pedals: Wellgo nylon w/ "alloy" cage & nylon strap
• Bottom Bracket???
• Rear Cog: 8-speed (11-28)
• Chain???
• Seatpost: Bontrager SSR
• Saddle: Bontrager H1
• Handlebars: Bontrager Low riser
• Handlebar Stem: Bontrager SSR
• Slimstack headset
• Front Hub:???
• Rear: Shimano RM60
• Rims: Bontrager Nebula (32)

From the list, it's easy to tell that there aren't high class components here.  Tons of Bontrager components are telling of a OTS bike.  There is also the usual but not a bad idea, hodgepodge of low and even lower components.  The brakes are good for the price but I really want to swap them out for something that will handle the hills and rain a bit better.  The wheel rims are grooved and the included pads aren't all weather so0 they make a lot of noise.  In general, the components are at or above the price range I would expect from a shop bike.  Of course, an online model would have better parts for the same price, but you use what you get. 
-note-I think the list may be wrong on some parts, but I don't have my bike with me to check.  Ill update that later.

Saddle:
The most important part of the bike (for me anyway) was comfort.  Sadly, as with most OTS bikes, the saddle was like a rock.  After the first long ride up a few steep (15-25% grade) hills, I found that I had some deep muscle tissue bruising.  Suffice it to say, I limped around and winced at every stairwell for about 2 weeks. 

Grips:
The handlebar grips were your basic rubber grips.  I found myself leaning into the handlebars up the really nasty incline and the installed grips were just not cutting it.  I have mild carpal tunnel and I have to take care of my wrists.  I swapped them out with Ergon wings from amazon.  They help a lot.

Frame:
It's an alu frame, like most of Trek's models.  The TIG welded joints have a fat and generally even bead.  I'm no TIG welder, but from what I've read, they are fine.  The forks are straight with a considerable amount of cant(?) to them, leading to a longer wheelbase.  That didn't really help because on the 15.5" frame, the front wheel is still VERY close to the down tube.  When I first get the bike going or take a sharp turn, my foot hits the fender braces.  This is due in part to the short space and my foot being too far forward on the pedals.

The frame includes the standard water bottle lugs on the top and seat tubes.  It has eyelets for fenders and a rack.  Gary Fisher bikes are supposed to have lugs for disc brakes too, so that's nice.  I can't really tell though.

When researching and riding the bike, I was a bit confused.  The frame and handlebars and category fall under hybrid commuters, but the length of the top tube makes you lean into the ride more than most hybrids.  My friend even pointed out that the default position on the Monona was more stretched out than her Trek 7000something.  This does lead to a bit of wobble if you're not used to it.  Overall, it feels pretty nice and I have no complaints about the frame. 

The space between the rear wheel and the bottom bracket is a bit funky and the kickstand isn't very secure. It has a tendency to shift under the weight of the bike.

Pedals:
The pedals the your typical flat top with a good amount of traction on the cage side.  If you flip the pedal around and ride with the cages at the bottom, there is no traction whatsoever and the bearings actually bulge and make a rounded surface to pedal on.  Didn't work so hot.  The also clip the ground when slightly cornering, so learn to use the cage.  It takes a bit of practice, but I found that they promote proper foot placement and riding in the cages, once you get your feet in them, feels completely different.
They came default with these nylon side straps that make getting your feet in them even harder, so I took those off the moment I left the LBS.


Ride

So the first time I took it out for a ride, I noticed the longer wheelbase and the aggressive riding position.  Honestly, I've only ridden depo store bikes and those usally have a very upright riding position.  I also wan't used to riding with the seat where it's supposed to be, i.e. high enough that you can't touch the ground with your toes.  It's a bit unsettling and makes hill-stops a bit of a chore.  I'm still not confident about my ability to start from an incline so proper left turns are a bit tricky.  As a result, I plan all my routes like a UPS driver: no left turns. 

The shifters are also new for me, having only used twist style shifters before.  I'm in love with the push/pull levers and the derailleurs work better than all the bikes I've ridden prior, so even though they are bottom of the barrel components, I am happy.

The brakes work but make a lot of noise.  I took it into my LBS and asked about the noise: it's a combination of the machined rims and cheap-ass pads.  At some point, I'll probably replace the entire front brakeset (at the very least) with something a little more expensive.  The general consensus is that the cheap avids bend under load, and on portland hills, I do not want those failing at the top of Woodstock and César Chávez.  Maybe I'll swap to discs...

As I said before, the grips and saddle had to go.  They made the already difficult ride a pain in the ass.  You can ride through bumps on the pedals, but when every single bounce feels like you fell on your ass from a two story building, something needs to go.

The gearing is okay, but I find the gaps in performance between sweet spots a bit funky.  I usually have to shift three or four times after going through the hills at least.  Mind you, this is because the hill itself is very steep and to keep a good cadence AND not tip over, I usually have to drop to the lowest gear on the front chain ring.  OFC, I am a big baby and hate exercise so I'm not exactly Lance material.

-More here later

Final Thoughts

I like the bike.  It feels good to ride and as long as you swap out the seat, you won't mind too much.  I'm thinking of doing an ebike conversion to help with the hills and make it my go-to method of travel.  I'm not sure if the front fork really is steel so I'm leery of hub motors.  Besides, as a DIYer I like proper and elegant solutions to problems.  I may buy a cyclone kit sans battery when I return to school and see how it goes together.  I really don't want to have to swap the chainring and crankset but I may have to for the freewheel.