rmills944

I'm just wondering and I know this really doesn't matter, but here goes. I noticed when going through the catalogs that the Tarpon comes in a few schemes and one is the Trek one which I bought. This only is badged as a Trek with the Gary Fisher Signature.

https://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bikes...dtails/tarpon/


The other is the Gary Fisher paint scheme:
https://fisherbikes.com/bike/model/tarpon

I just thought it was odd to have 2 versions of the same thing selling with just paint differences... I'm guessing maybe a marketing thing?

rmills944

IT looks like it has to do with this: https://www.bicycling.com/mountainbik...bs-gary-fisher but I still think it's really strange just to paint it different

Southpaws

Yes, Trek "absorbed" Gary Fisher and killed off most of the 26" hardtails, sadly. You got one of the four they still make.

Looks like the same bike with a different paint job and a couple of minor changes. The "Trek" Gary Fisher bike you bought is (I believe) the 2011 year model, though it's hard to tell since Trek doesn't list the "current year models". The "Gary Fisher" bike is from 2010.

Either way it's still a Fisher bike. Enjoy your ride.

BurnNotice

Trek took over GF so there is the nexus. I liked GF bikes before they were absorbed. They had a nice relaxed geometry for trail riding. Like anything in the bike market..........it is fluid and changes so readily. Someday maybe GF will be back on their own.

skiahh

GF through 2010... Trek from 2011 and beyond.

Southpaws

The geometry hasn't changed on Fisher bikes: It's still "G2" geometry which is a Fisher thing that all Fisher fans know and love. I have no doubt that the manufacturing process hasn't changed a bit, only the way they are marketed and sold.

The "Gary Fisher Signature" bikes will probably never again be only GF. Making them "Trek" bikes with GF's name on them has allowed every Trek dealer to suddenly carry GF 29" and other bikes, and that's more sales for LSB's and Trek itself.

mtb_man_14

im gonna look like an idioit for asking this but here goes... I thought gray fisher and trek were tied in for a long time. Every time I saw a fisher it had bontrager parts on it which is trek. Im not seeing how trek "absorbed" gf.

Southpaws

Trek has owned GF since 1993, but GF was still run as a separate company that could use Trek resources.

Gary Fisher as a company no longer exists for bikes beyond 2010. The 2011 GF bikes are all now labeled and sold as Trek bikes, but with Gary's signature on them.

But if you look closely, the 2010 and 2011 models are almost identical on frame and parts spec, which is a good thing. They're still GF bikes at heart.

mtb_man_14

oh. I get it now.

rufus

for now.

Svr

Fixed that for you. Trek always had 100% control. Dealers that sold the Gary Fisher brand paid for their inventory with checks made out to the Trek Bicycle Corporation.

Trek and Gary Fisher are no different than Chevy trucks and GMC trucks.

Southpaws

Potato/Potahto. I'm only concerned that actual GF-innovated bikes won't exist two years from now.