Can I make this OLD Gary Fisher MTB worth $350?

[@tdjramsey]

The more I watch the more I truly love your channel. I am 69 and loved and ridden bikes all my life for business and pleasure and sport. I so appreciate your asthetic for the older bikes and your care to refurbish. Keep on keepin on friend!!

[@markvonwisco7369]

In a world where so much stuff is made to be used up and thrown away, it's good to see old bikes being given a second or third life. Watching your videos over the past couple of months have given me a real appreciation of the old 3x drivetrains. They're reliable and give you a wide gear range. You can go fast if you want to, yet you have a low enough gear to get you up any hill.

[@hatbpto5180]

I've read for years that you can use aluminum foil and water to get rust off of chrome. Never tried it until a friend told me that it really works. It does! Like magic! I will even wad up little pieces to twist down into the allen recesses of bolts and it takes the rust right off. Simple aluminum foil dipped in water, then rub the rusty chrome. Wear gloves though, or you'll have this black stuff staining your hands that doesn't wash off. As a lifelong bike fanatic/rescuer I want to pass this on to other bike fathers (and mothers)

[@markymarknj]

That old Gary Fisher came out NICE!

[@andrewplays2084]

I love bikes, and this channel is relaxing

[@bkefrmr]

This was a very chill video!

[@andrewplays2084]

​@@bkefrmrAny dollar stores where you live? The store brand furniture polish should be $2 cheaper than Behold

[@rastislavstanik]

@@bkefrmr yes very little talking

[@justincapek1132]

The maddening kickstand being slammed in the trash; my spirit scene. Bravo!

[@vilkinesuo]

That's a perfect everyday, go everywhere kind of bike! Tall, upright and comfy, yet a mountain bike, so it's tough for any terrain. I love it. Nice job, Andy.

[@McFadyenAerospace]

Thanks! I have a similar GF that I turned into a 1x ATB sort of thing. It works great!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!

[@whitefluffydogs9278]

Love the sound of the whizzing brake cable as it’s pulled into place.

[@ericsande5345]

I swapped the spacers on my two V-brake bikes so that the thin one is inboard. I think it is a better feel. Show us these tacos you always mention!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!

[@thetechrealist]

Commenting because this is pure mastery… Your bikes are 100% worth your price!

[@coastdownhills]

For years I did a complete overhaul on my bike about every 10K miles, once a year when I had one main bike and every two years when I got two bikes. My overhaul consisted of removing and cleaning every moving part, including headset, hubs, bottom bracket, new cables and sleeves.. Tires, chains and cassettes were monitored and changed as needed. It did bother me that the cables always looked fine. Now I know better than to change them unless they get rusty. That and other tips will make my mid February 2025 overhaul cheaper, quicker, and less costly.

[@joepauly6769]

Thanks!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!

[@billincolumbia]

that bike has a great look. really good plump tires with nice reasonable knobs. happy new year!

[@DarrenSaw]

That came out great, another nice bike ready to take on a load more miles.

[@rickparry-v5o]

Thanks for your videos! I've been able to pick up some great "tips and tricks." To quickly remove surface rust, a trick you might want to try is using Distilled White Vinegar and a scrubbing pad. Thanks again!!

[@Wheel_Horse]

I like the sound the Greenfield kickers make. Nice solid 'boing'! You can tell it's quality. Happy New Year!

[@JohnJohn-xb1sn]

I live in the Dallas Texas area. Maybe it is the explosion of wealthy people in the last decade but you can pick up bikes that are practically brand new for $200-$400 that cost $1200-$2000.

[@CHunt-cz1ek]

Nah. Too much production. Bicycles depreciate really, really fast. And then they bottom out. Provided they aren't left out in the elements, bicycles last a looonnnnggg time. A neighbor of mine threw out two 2021 Marins (retail approximately $1000) the other day. I was happy to collect them. Aspirational equipment purchases result in wasted resource utilization. E-bikes are going to be staggering examples. Also going to result in a lot of fires.

[@danieleverywhere132]

@@CHunt-cz1ek and tons of squashed idiots who can't handle mass and torque of e-bike and crash everywhere they can only worse kind of idiots are on e-scooters

[@ericsande5345]

I consider my first real road bike a 1988 Specialized Sirrus/Shimano 105 that cost $450. That's about $1,200 these days. I must be a curmudgeon because I wouldn't even want to spend $1,200 these days when I can get something from the '80s or '90s much better for a couple hundred!

[@danieleverywhere132]

@@ericsande5345 My first road bike was not Shimano because in 1979 when i bought it Shimano was in the beginning of its story,it was time of Campagnolo ,Gipiemme and Rino but frankly when i look technology from distance those bikes and components were still developing,bikes were heavy,gear range was limited,rims tend to crack. My favorite is 7800 group,at least in my eyes best group ever made considering performance durability and weight Same goes with MTB,i am stuck with 980 group or older

[@JohnJohn-xb1sn]

Yeah I have a Specialized Allez and a Trek 760 that I paid 20 dollars for from the same guy. They are like new old stock. I'm not even a road bike guy but they are brand new bikes from 80s-90s and the more I ride them the more I like them

[@robinmichel9048]

That poor bike looks like it's getting a well deserved spa day. You can hear it sighing in relief.

[@jilliem]

Thanks again. 😊

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!!

[@RICHARD.WRIGHT1]

This is exactly what I am doing in my shop right now. I'm buying old MTB's dismantling them, cleaning them up to great condition, and selling them as city run abouts. I paid 170 for a MARIN and a Rock Hopper, Sold the Specialized for 250, and I'm still riding the Marin free of charge. Now I bought another Marina and another Rock hopper for 120, and the Marin has turned out like new.... It's going for 300. Still gotta finish the Rock hopper yet though, that'll be another 300 I've got my eye on a Giant fot 90 bucks, Maybe I'll get that next week.

[@timtweet8149]

Awesome rehab! Well worth the money.

[@dewittlunsford2527]

Thank You for another chill morning watching you produce another fine dork-disk special❤

[@DougBlunt]

Hi Andy .. my riding buddy and I enjoyed your video this morning eating breakfast. The bike looks good . We are interested what Park Tool you used removing the decals on the bike . I thought I knew all of the Park Tools but this one baffles me . I want to add 1 more thing . Back in the day , I was an engineer on the B-2 Stealth Bomber and someone scratched the windshield. We had to come up with a fix . The Material and Process guys came with a fix only use Dawn Soap cleaning the windshield . Its actually in the service bulletins for maintenance so Dawn Soap works good on bikes too ... thanks

[@bkefrmr]

Just a tire lever

[@r0ns0n0l]

thats what i use to recover CD's . Because it fills the gaps of scratches which split the light of the laser. after the procedure ( i put it in the freezer for 3 h ) there are no more scratches !. Its magic. But that it even works on Windshields is something i havent tried yet tbh. :D Thank you very much for sharing this experience. Btw I do have ~ 21k hours in flight sim ^^ best regards from Germany

[@dpixvid]

@@r0ns0n0l...thanks I’ll give that a try!

[@BobM-t8c]

Another excellent video -they really are fun to sit back, relax, and enjoy watching! That bike turned out much better in the end than I expected. Don't forget to add a link to your Extra Pretentious crimping pliers to your list of tools in the comments, so we can all be as fancy as you are! 😃

[@ironmikeradio7342]

Way better Hey!!

[@Snyderbear1]

Enjoyable to watch you go through the bikes you bring back to life - In the spirit of things, I stopped through Madtown and picked up a vintage 96’ Univega Activa Trail gravel bike to clean up and ride some in my old age thanks to you… Hah! Other than a new seat and a few cables, the previous owner had taken pretty good care of it and I’ve now put on a few dozen miles during all this summer like WI weather. GPG!

[@uniquenamegoeshere2263]

I have a Gary Fisher from that era. Fantastic bikes, and well worth what you are going to get for it.

[@halhallmark5970]

I love learning about bikes from you. For getting the rust off of small parts, I use Evap-o-Rust. It is an overnight process (which I suspect doesn't suit your need to finish a bike and move on to the next one), but it does an amazing job of removing rust and making many parts look brand new. I like your furniture polish shine which I find to be very effective. I've just discovered that Dollar Tree has a 10 oz. can of furniture spray polish for $1.25. It's the same size can that the big name brand spray comes in. I've just started trying it, so I can't report yet on whether it is as effective. Fingers crossed.

[@KitBasher1]

These videos are strangely meditative

[@jimhendricks6773]

Bike Farmer, Happy New Year! Jim

[@kris8165]

Nice bike! I love Gary Fisher's geometry! I hope you save and sell many old bikes in the 2025! Greetings from Croatia from Kris 😎

[@spencerrobinson2719]

That old seat was neat, save that for the right bike! I know the margin on that one is almost nothing, but, when dad comes in to buy a couple for the kids, show him that GF, he may take it as well. Stay warm Andy, spring is coming!

[@garyfisher6549]

Many thanks! I feel much better!

[@chrisbardell]

Great film as usual for the channel. Always interesting to consider perfectionism (for one’s own ride) in terms of replacing or obsessing over every component versus the reality of running a business which needs to be profitable and which provides the right kind of price point for its clientele. All the best for 2025 from here in Limeyland, sir.

[@davidmarsden7103]

The chill vibe is being killed by the ads every 2 minutes

[@jeffmpvd7689]

Love this channel! In my mind, bicycles are one of the greatest inventions. With a little exertion they are so much more efficient than walking. The commonality of parts and relative simplicity means a well maintained bike can last you a lifetime. I truly wish other material goods in our life were as durable as a well made bicycle!

[@davemn4538]

I enjoy your videos. I have a black Gary Fisher Utopia of about the same vintage. It had sat for a good 15 years but I got into riding it quite a bit starting in August. I also road in Wisconsin around Menomonie and the short loop around the Stillwater bridges. I now have it on a TACX smart trainer. Combined with Rouvy to ride virtually, I have found it more entertaining than I thought a trainer could be. In the next few days, I am upgrading it to a 2x11 group set as long as I did not screw up part selection. I am just waiting for the bottom bracket tool to arrive. I am doing it mostly for experience, but it will allow me to stay mostly in 2nd in the front and I will gain a few lower gears for riding up steep hills on Rouvy. You have me more interested in a Rivendale, but I have no idea what I would gain.

[@pascalbruyere7108]

This bike looked depressing at first and you revived it. I think $350 is a steal considering all the new parts. However, if it was my bike I’d also refreshed the grease in the bearings: wheels, BB, Headset, and oiled the free hub.

[@QoraxAudio]

30:00 yeah that works fine for 3 by 8s, but those newer 1 by 12s need much more precision and comes down to an exact amount of links, which depends on the specific cassette you're using... Even if you get it 1 link too short or long, it'll already prove to be really hard to adjust and to prevent it from going out of adjustment very quickly... Those 1 by 12s require you to set up everything *exactly* by the book, otherwise they'll become a real pain in the ass to work with!

[@joaopedrodefreitaslima2936]

About the DIY talk, most of people don't realize that's just not a matter of knowledge on bike mechanics, but you need a lot of tools to make things right and they're not cheap.

[@JeffWagley]

Thanks! I own a small shop in Elk Grove Ca and really enjoy your content. Keep it up! Have a couple coffees on me!

[@glen3509]

A 6061 aluminum TITEC H*llbent riser bar along with a 6061 aluminum TITEC Big Al 10°rise stem (from 2000-01) would look Great on this Gary Fisher😁🤘🤘"YEAH❗️"

[@mushroomhill]

2:27 You just help me solve a 27 year old mystery that has always bugged me. In 1997 i shelled out 1500 bucks for an OCLV carbon trek 9800. One day riding in the winter the chain stay broke. I assumed it was a frame defect but i bet water was in there and it froze out on the porch. Crazy

[@bkefrmr]

Or because carbon bikes are fragile…

[@65bugnut]

Hey Bike Farmer. Could you do a video on how you lock up your bike, if you need to leave it outside in a bike rack for a couple of days? Do you take the wheels, and saddle with you?

[@aaronrobinson4519]

Love the Gary Fisher tall boy! I wouldn't mind having that except I prefer cantilevers. If I had $350.00 I think I'd make an exception regarding the brake style. It looks great, awesome bike, I love it!

[@ostekuste3646]

That whole bike turned out way more better, hey!

[@ButterflyMatt]

I bought Maggie’s book. I haven’t started it because I’m still reading Hope Jahren’s Lab Girl. I’m excited, though. And Nice Refurbish and Video.

[@richardchaney6990]

Perfect video tutorial on a rainy day! Thanks! Key West Rick

[@MarkHughes-t8u]

Wow that looks great, bike works in oxford

[@glen3509]

My 2007 Trek 4300 also has mismatched rims/wheels. The front, which I bought in 2019, is a basic Evo wheel with a disk hub. The rear wheel is better; it's a WTB DX18👍👍. (💰140.00🍁). This bike had matching wheels back in the day, Mavic 719s.The rims were about $114.00🍁 ( I had to get them built😱😄). F with an XT M750 Parallax hub👍👍, the r a M756 XT disk hub (💰110.00🍁)🤘🤘. I still have this XT disk hub and both M750 XT Parallax hubs 🤙🤙.

[@glen3509]

No 7075 aluminum Chris King hubs for me l😭l. I am hoping 🤞😁 to get at least the f Mavic Crossride rim brake wheel for my Trek 4300 (2007). It's not badly priced at 💰290.00🍁. The rear rim brake Mavic Crossride 26" wheel is about 💰360.00🤙🤙

[@williammeyers9154]

Really enjoy the content from Key West

[@Kelekona_808]

Red Flag review was nice. Rust I was familiar with, but I've never lived in a cold climate to know that chain stays could be cracked from frozen water in the frame.

[@Adventures4vida]

even refurbished its gonna be a hard sell for 350. 250 is more like it! Happy New year!

[@HenryKissingersGhost]

Nice boots. Come for the video, stay for the many bike market experts in the comment section.

[@Desmomatschi]

I,m a bike mechanic in Germany and love to learn your american words there, like tuck it in or just a smitch? So good to hear that working with bikes and people and the industry seems to be similar as here in Hamburg. Love the humour and sarcasm in your videos. And still learning things from you. Thanks and keep going

[@ButterflyMatt]

A “smidge” is short for a “smidgen”. Just since you’re into the language.

[@r0ns0n0l]

@@ButterflyMatt first time i heard it i understood "snitch" :D

[@4epatterson]

Shined up like a new penny😊

[@davidr2715]

Can you do a vid on air pump fun? Tires/tubes, handle grips, rubber gloves... maybe a short.

[@BricelynTowne]

Have to love old Gary Fishers.

[@theduder232]

Damn, I need to get a grinder and a torch. I've spent years of my life steel wooling bolts and using a credit card to scape off decals.

[@ROBinJVILLE]

i wish we had bikefarmer clone in our city. we have one used bike shop and its all hipster bikes, fixies and singlespeeds with skinny tires.

[@michaelzanotto8469]

Nice bike and nice (new Blundstone) boots?

[@bkefrmr]

My 4th pair in 25 years!

[@allengarrow6295]

I love how bar ends that were once used for climbing leverage are now used as handles to get more upright 😂 My shop has been seeing an uptick of dropper post going on comfort bikes. I wonder how long it be before I put a downhill fork on cruiser😉

[@hankkauffmann7648]

I ride an XL MTB. The dropper post makes getting on the bike way more easier hey.

[@allengarrow6295]

@ oh my gosh yeah! It makes a ton of sense. I never had a dropper available when I was racing DH in the NORBA days. I use one on my fatbike that I use for bike packing, game changer. I sold a guy a specialized turbo levo years ago who wanted it for the “squish only” he couldn't get a long travel fork option on the Como he liked. We put street tires on it and he was thrilled.

[@Whitecat76]

I'm a biker I even Built My Own Harley but you have some skill brother you are so smooth way better than me

[@bkefrmr]

It’s a different skillset! I’m pretty ham fisted with cars and such.

[@jmm04003]

@bikefarmer can you remind me what the name of the pliers are that you use for wire wheel cleaning screws?

[@JohnPilling25]

For $350 I'd appreciate new cables - inners & outers. But I love the "behold" - yes I know the polish but you could end "Behold"! As you cut to the finished bike.❤

[@hankc1208]

nice - i have a 1992 gary fisher , a super bike .

[@christopherguzzi1316]

80 bucks would be my top for a bike with a press fit crankset. This one is only a Gary Fisher in name. It is a shop quality low end Trek. But the bike farmer certainly got it in tip top shape. For $75 and less I look for bikes with a bolt together Sugino crank set and Deore and STX components.

[@jonmccormick8683]

Before Shimano dominated, it was SunTour, Sugino, DiaCompe etc. SunTour MicroDrive is very nice, otherwise XCD, XC-Pro. -Shimano forced many bike manufactures to take all Shimano parts cranks, hubs, brakes, shifters.

[@triatheletewolf7279]

You really need to CHANGE that cable!!! Lover your videos. Hahaha right when I posted you changed it.

[@jeffcrane7336]

What happens if I get oil or soap on a disk brake

[@Whitecat76]

People should have no problem paying that price for the passion and the quality that you put into these bikes

[@BlackSheep883-d7n]

I wonder why tri-flow says "shake well before using"...it's oil.....is it for the teflon?

[@Cavush]

Turned out awesome I think!

[@jimsweet6574]

Hello! Big fan, I've worked in a few shops in San Francisco (they closed, I moved on) Noticed something while you were doing the wheels on the bike. You clean them BEFORE you check/true them?? I do get it, clean parts are easier & nicer to work with but I *usually* check and make sure a wheel is in good enough shape to re-use before I go to the trouble of cleaning it. Niice job on the bike! And kickstands? I find places to lean my bike(s) everywhere I go if they aren't locked up.

[@mitmon_8538]

How old is that Park Tool 3 way hex wrench? I haven't seen one that has a metal body, and that one looks pretty well worn, so I imagine it was a higher quality 3 way from quite a while ago?

[@R.Alexis]

Did you toss the pedals you took off the Gary Fisher? Would like to get them from you. I have the clipless add on for it and have been looking for a set.

[@claytonmarkin7863]

I would be interested to hear about how you source your parts, and how that factors into your business model. With the low margins you have, and the "good enough for who its for" philosophy, sourcing something like grips, saddles, or pedals from aliexpress would save you some margin, but may have consequences in terms of insurance and liability. There are channels dedicated to very cheap Chinese parts and the consensus seems to be that there are a lot of quality parts for low prices, I would be curious to hear your thoughts on that as a spokesman/advocate for the normal everyday bike owner.

[@neogeo6464]

That kickstand being thrown away had me laughing pretty hard.

[@pex3]

I missed it in your other video*, what kind of comfort saddles do you use?

[@ronjones1414]

I gotta tell you, it may have been better to eat the 80 bucks. Seems like you put a lot of work into that bike. If I were to ever buy one of these, I would want one that started as a complete basket case. The more a guy like you has to fix the more I'd be confident is correct.

[@timtweet8149]

Need new cables, tires, a good cleaning, lube and tune up. My tires are 27x11/4, lightweight and fit K-2 rims. I'm learning from your videos a lot. What tires do you recommend for a road bike? They don't need too aggressive of a tread. Can I get stuff from you or your links?

[@aricbergren6532]

I think its great to bring old stuff back to life. I’m old, and I’m trying to bring myself back to life. No need to waste new materials when there is so much usable junk laying around. We are supposed to be saving the planet right? Plus, new stuff is usually made in China these days. Chinese just makes me hungry again 10 minutes later.

[@thejontrigo]

Where can I find a shop apron like that?

[@picasticks]

I've watched enough of these videos to notice that it's a Portland Design Works apron he sports

[@roypennock8046]

I don't ( and probably couldn't) run a business but as an automotive and heavy equipment technician and having worked for a small business early in my career and now for a large mining equipment corporation I understand and have dealt with the business considerations you are talking about. Anyone claiming they can get a better price elsewhere and uses the phrase "all day long..." is immediately less credible as far as I'm concerned...

[@grumpy9478]

I've noted folk who conflate a once-in-a-blue-moon deal into "I can get / do this every-day / all-day" proposition. They are rarely in a biz, much less a lasting one.

[@raymonddaviau4502]

Great job! 🎉

[@Albert-q6u7z]

Looks good 👍

[@newpistolpete]

2 genuine (non-troll) questions to BikeFarmer: 1) why lubricate a new factory greased chain? 2) why not use a big roll of chain? that way you don’t waste any extra links you cut

[@shadesinblack1]

Factory chain grease is very sticky. Just the to keep the chain from rusting in the package

[@felixjackson2670]

Good content. Thanks.

[@davidcrowson4745]

That's a good looking bike ❤❤❤❤❤

[@04658IFH]

Too bad you live so far away... I just made a big batch of carnitas and fresh homemade corn tortillas. I was wondering if maybe you could take the emery cloth or a scotch brite pad to the rims while still on the stand. As long as the frame was already cleaned... or would the Triflow mame that pointless?

[@richardreiter66]

Your phillips screw drives are they JIS drivers ?

[@mikehaney6512]

My Fisher is 87 Tisdale fillet brazed machine. Never for sale.

[@JamesBargar]

Back in the day we called them "Dork Disk" because when your chain over shifted you wouldn't Dork Up your spokes.

[@glen3509]

Needs a 10° rise slightly more modern style stem🤙🤙

[@jeffkowal-pw3cd]

Thank you Andy and best wishes for 2025.

[@jared9977]

You proved why shops cant afford to work on old bikes.

[@Handletaken4]

Unscrupulos bike shops to this day put everyone on an 18" Medium. A 19.5" Fisher is a treasure

[@Jinedan]

Am I the only one who runs V-brake lever barrels all the way out, then sets up pads against rims, tightens it all down, then runs barrel in for needed clearance?

[@kevink1980]

Yes

[@hutzman7664]

Great bike now that will last forever if taken care of.